Posted , 158 users are following.
I just wondered if anyone else just feels so tired.. I am 6 weeks today post op .the op went well and I am progressing well. But I am just so tired. How is everyone else feeling ?
23 likes, 349 replies
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mike90711 pam39536
Posted
thanks everybody for the help. i am ( was) a very energetic 80 yr. had a total right knee done. what the heck happened? I want to snooze every pm and be in bed by 8.00pm. i'm now 9 wks post op. the pattern hasnt change much, but i can go up and down stairs without holding on, drive a car. if i could just get over the fatigue. if i dont have to have the other one done, i wont. death is a really long sleep, so i dont want to waste whats left. sorry tennis, i think im out.
trish27785 mike90711
Posted
I hear you and I had the same problem.....
Sleep or lack of was the biggest problem. What I did not know was that my hemoglobin dropped down to 8.6 or something like that. That made me anemic and naturally very fatigued and tired but could not relax enough to sleep or get in a comfortable position.
When I inquired about this with my doctor he said this was very normal and will return to normal levels in 3 months or so. He told me to just stick it out which I did. Iron supplements were an option which I chose not to do.
I am approaching my 4 months post op and my hemoglobin has been back to normal for approximately a month now. So my doctor was right. I feel great and back to normal sleeping.
Be patient...you will get there my friend.
mike90711 trish27785
Posted
thanks Trish, your reply is greatly appreciated. I guess its a case of misery likes company, but light at the end of the tunnel is a great help. So glad you are feeling much better, i suppose I just have to be patient, not my strong suit!
vonnie20573 mike90711
Posted
your energy will come back. I am 7 months out and I am feeling good this month. They told me that I could play tennis again but no thanks. i already need a hip replacement also and I just turned 54. Good luck an remember it will get better, just slowly.
drarjunsharda pam39536
Posted
You must consult a good doctor for this.
drarjunsharda pam39536
Posted
You must consult a good doctor for this.
margie99601 pam39536
Posted
It is 4 weeks since my knee replacement. I have had no energy, feel sick most of the time and sleep way too much. I had to stop 2 of the meds given to me (gabapentin and Meloxicam). Since stopping those I feel better but still tired and no energy. I am still on oxycodone so that might be it but cant stop totally because still quite a bit of pain.
Going to see my surgeon this week and will see what he says. Hope you start feeling better soon.
trish27785 pam39536
Posted
Margie I assure you it WILL get better. I am 9 months now and I still have stiffness but OMG I do not think they prepare you for it. Don't forget your entire body goes through a shock..this I didn't know. I too was also tired due to being anemic and having low blood pressure.... I had no clue that this happened and it took several months for my blood and pressure to be back to normal.
So hang in there.....there truly IS a light at the end of this tunnel even though you may not think so.
margie99601 trish27785
Posted
Thank you very much for your support. I wanted to cancel my PT this morning because of how I felt but did go. I actually felt better afterward. You're right though. I wasn't prepared for all this pain and fatigue!
trish27785 margie99601
Posted
Yes NEVER miss PT...... I used to feel the same way.
I do not think anyone could be prepared for this. I had mine done at Mayo and I have to tell you that they had many meetings; PT educational sessions of so much in an effort to prepare you BUT it was NOT enough!!! One must experience this to know it is a long, painful process. Even after the fact when you get anemic and pressure issues etc., I was not told........ Just hang in there.... I am 9 months post and still feel stiffness but I am better than I was...much better. I can walk!!
paul03622 pam39536
Posted
Two months from a total knee replacement.
I routinely take a short nap mid-afternoon every day.
My body is putting a lot of energy into healing from what is a brutal surgery. It's no surprise we get tired more easily. Watch one of the simulations on the Internet if you can deal with it. Cutting, sawing, drilling, pounding, screwing, and then sewing everything back together. How in the world do we survive it?
mary12001 pam39536
Posted
thats nothing. i am now over three years since my TKR and its been an absolute nightmare. THE fact of the matter is that I could walk better before having it done. Now Im all over the place. ITS completely ruined my life aging me another 10 years.
Now this morning Ive been told that all this trouble I' m having lately with my back, mainly on my left side stems from the right knee operation x
trish27785 pam39536
Posted
Oh no that is horrible. Something had to go wrong with surgery or the replacement? What has the surgeon told you over the past couple years.????
mary12001 trish27785
Posted
well the problem is I had it done on NHS Direct which is where the NHS pay a private hospital to do the op. I didn't get private treatment but that's another story.
The hospital is about 20 miles away so when things went wrong it was difficult for me to get there because of not being able to drive and a taxi could be £40 one way! so I manged to get accepted back onto the NHS proper which is a much nearer hosputal but the new surgeon seems reluctant to give an opinion, instead just saying he can' t find anything wrong with the prosthetic x
trish27785 mary12001
Posted
Oh Mary so sorry you had to go through all that in addition to all the pain and endurance we go through with a TKR.Do what you can to stay on tp of it; exercise as much as you can; ice & elevate and I pray for improved healing for you ... Hang in there.
mary12001
Posted
thank you for your prayers x