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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dode pam39536
Posted
Hi Pam. I had my TKR 4 and a half years ago now and will have to bite the bullet and have my other knee done sometime in the next few months. I recognise all the comments made by people posting on here. Nobody can really prepare you for this operation and the aftermath. I've never known such pain and the first few months were really tough. I was also not told about the addictive nature of co-codamol tablets and when I tried to come off them six months later I was ill for 2 or 3 weeks. However, on the plus side you will get through it and the pain does ease as does the stiffness. My knee still only has about a 90% bend but that's fine for me. I have very occasional pain, probably due to scar tissue. Keep it moving and do exercises! The pain I'm experiencing with my other knee is so bad it is affecting my hip and lower back so I'd rather have knee replacement than arthritis! Good luck to everyone and hang tough!
eliza61 dode
Posted
Oh I too need my right knee done. I'm going to see my Osteo surgeon next month. I could barely get out of bed this morning. I simply refuse to live like this if I can help it. way too much I want to do.
Johanna1966 pam39536
Posted
Hi, I am 6 weeks post op. for the first three weeks I could not walk at all after TKR and bow legged straightened due to OA. i could not even go to therapy for three weeks as i was trapped in my home due to 7 steps that i just could not do physically. I have still alot of pain, taking anywhere from 4 to 6 extra strength tylenol a day and I am on a pain patch that administers morphine every hour of 15mcg for chronic back pain due to OA. I still cannot seem to get a comfortable sleep position. the first three weeks i had to sleep sitting up on the couch, now that i can walk a little with the walker and cane, i am back in my bed but i cannot get comfortable. i wake up every two to three hours either from pain or just plain uncomfortsble. I lay in bed trying to fall asleep sometimes for hours even tho i am tired. I fall asleep sitting up alot during the day from 5 mintues to an hour every day since the surgery. I hope that this will go away sooner rather than later. i feel so exhausted all the time. my other knee is in bad shape and needs to get done too. omg not looking forward to this if this is the recovery. i feel worse than before. please tell me it does get better before a year?
i fell three and a half weeks after surgery and man i tell you that was the scariest thing not being able to get back up. thank god someone was home to help but it was extremely scary. Sometimes i wonder will i ever walk again without pain and a cane or walker? i had to convince my doctor, took me 4 years, to do my surgery. he kept telling me i am too young at now 52. Right now i just pray i do recover and not regret the surgery as my quality of life went further down than before. Please tell me that is does get better soon.
signed
feeling exhausted and frustrated 😞
trish27785 Johanna1966
Posted
Johanna - I hate to tell you but sleep is an issue as well as overall discomfort. I thought I would never get through it and although I had plenty of insight and education pre op at Mayo where I got my surgery, one is NEVER prepared for this surgery. It was as horrible as you described.
Sleep when you can and in whatever position you can find comfortable. This will take several months as it did for me.
Exhaustion YES... One thing they do not tell you is that your body kinda goes into a shock so your blood count as far as IRON is concerned is OFF big time. THIS level will soon go back to normal BUT again it took several months for me. I had no idea until looked at my own blood record and saw it. I then asked about it and it was told that this level goes back upon it's own. You can take iron pills which I opted NOT to do since I hoped it would go back up sooner than later.
PT - do NOT miss PT. No matter how difficult it is this is KEY.....
Other than that PATIENCE is also KEY. I am now approaching 11 months post op and finally feel good. I am not perfect but I am walking a hell of a lot better than I did pre.
You just need to deal with it but it certainly is a long recovery. I too wish I knew all this before the surgery. BUT I probably still would have risked it because I struggled walking the way I was.
Good luck! It DOES GET BETTER. Sorry you need the other one done...,YIKES...I understand.
eliza61 Johanna1966
Posted
Yes Joanna1966 it absolutely gets better. I am almost a mirror image of you. Drew the short end of the straw genetically and have severe OA in my 50's. I had my left knee replaced in 2016 at 55. Now it is truly the best thing I did for my quality of life.
Yes, it was hell for the first 6 months. I was on oxycotin, methaxalone, acetamphin and one other drug I can't remember. I knew sleep was going to be an issue so I brought a recliner. literally slept in that puppy for about 3 months straight.7 steps? try 15 steps when you first get through the door (I live in a 3 story townhome)
YOU WILL WALK AGAIN. now your arthritis as you know will always be there so I'm still creeky but no where near the pain I was prior. I just took a trip to Greece, lots of climbing seeing old archaeological sights like the Acropolis. No way could I have done that prior to the replacement.
try and get through the p/t, I know it hurts but in the long run it will benefit you. I would say it took me 8-9 months before I got a decent nights sleep.
dode pam39536
Posted
Hi Pam. So sorry to hear about your struggle but my comments though may sound slightly negative are in the end positive. I had a TKR 4 and half years ago and the first 18 months were very difficult. I was tired, sore and depressed much of the time. However, I persevered and one of the best things I did was to stop taking co-codamol and took paracetamol instead. Gradually I increased my mobility, though I missed out on early physio due to a GP error in not referring me. My knee is still OK 80% of the time, though it does get swollen and stiff sometimes, but that is nothing compared to the arthritis pain before. It is a major operation but keep positive and it should get better. Good luck!
tricia55158 pam39536
Posted
Yes, I was completely the same. Luckily I didn't have to go back to work because I would have never coped.
The tiredness does get better. I think for a while I done a little, put my legs up and carried on like that for quite a while. We are all different how we recuperate. I think its a case of listening to your own body and not feel guilty that you have to rest.
Are you still taking painkillers because they will make you feel tired.
I had my op late July and I think it took a good few months to get my energy levels up again.
You will get there.
Kind regards
Tricia
ronald42929 pam39536
Posted
I had total knee replacement surgery 20 days ago. still have pain and am very tired. I am frustrated by the slow progress. I can walk without a cane but get tired fast. PT IS VERY PAINFUL. Is there any secrets to faster rehab?
trish27785 ronald42929
Posted
No fast rehab....You will get through it but it is a long process.
Brian6247 pam39536
Posted
hi i have just had mine done so obviously early days for me. main issues for me are again being tired and getting comfortable in bed. so I dont get much sleep at night and keep nodding off during the day but now reading all the replies from varying times i will just accept what it is. thank goodness i have an understanding and helpful wife.
trish27785 Brian6247
Posted
that is the attitude to have. it takes a long time so be patient
johnboy7 pam39536
Edited
Hi there just typed in message.
im 4.6 weeks Post full knee operation
Everthing going fine but i do feel to tired.
Fall asleep while sitting Down.
I should remember as i had my left knee done
the same a year ago .
I think you loose so much quality sleep you
have to make it up.
my right knee is amazing i can kneel on it and
also bend it to 140 * Which is super .
Hope we stop feeling so tired???
regards
john
trish27785 johnboy7
Posted
Yes I am almost a year now and doing great. One thing I found out which I was not told is that your body goes though a major shock.....I had no idea that I was anemic which caused my tiredness. I felt the same way John. They don't tell you that much blood is lost and although I could have taken iron they did not suggest it since the levels go back to normal .... So I stuck it out and my level did go back to normal.
Hang in there and sleep while you can....
johnboy7 trish27785
Posted
Hi thanks i lost No blood in Either opp
did have very strong Toriquet to stop blood flow!
John
Brian6247 trish27785
Posted
Its good getting so much positive feedback from you all. Its just been 2 weeks for me. staples coming out today. I have had my first session of hydrotherapy that it thought was wonderful. so relaxed but you do work very hard with little effort. it left me totally exhausted. i had been pushing it too hard with the exercising and pulled a muscle only to the be told by the physio in the pool to not try so hard. if it hurts dont do it, she said as it could put you back in you progress. only work until it gets uncomfortable. so I am now following that advice and its working. I am able to get through much more exercises as i am doing it with only a little pain and still progressing well. Regular ice packs and the swelling has reduce massively as well.
I must say though sleeping at night is still very much broken up and i normally end up in chair where i can doze on and off. So far though its going well and in line with the predicted course. So remember and try what i am doing for exercise. Little and more often with the thought in mind of Pain no Gain..