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So tired after total knee replacement

Posted , 158 users are following.

pam39536
pam39536

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

349 Replies

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  • Soobeedoo
    Soobeedoo pam39536

    Posted

    Hi Pam I will agree with everyone here . I over did it this weekend. I did my nieces wedding flowers  on Saturday night after coining back from a concert at midnight . Then worked through the night and then went to the wedding and today got on a train to go to meet my PT in Bournrmouth. Then to meet my friend where I had a complete meltdown on him .so tired and I just burst into tears. He was fantastic but it was almost like a panic attack. I just wanted to go home immediately but was 40 miles away. 

    So the moral of the story don't fight sleep if you can do it when your body tells you and don't over do it.

    its like your body closes down to do some maintainence 

  • carol80975
    carol80975 pam39536

    Posted

    I agree Pam, I find when I do normal things and push myself, the next day I have no energy and have had melt downs, crying with frustration...... but at 7 weeks with less pain ... I m so glad I had the op... just wish recovery was a little easier sleep wise!!

    Merry Xmas

  • CanadianSharon
    CanadianSharon pam39536

    Posted

    Pam it will get better.  I remember those early days too....I think it was around three-four months I started sleeping great.....better than I had in months or years....as I had no bone on bone pain that kept waking me.   My leg is far from what I had hoped to this date, but at least I'm sleeping good.  My surgery was July 23.
  • carol80975
    carol80975 pam39536

    Posted

    MERRY XMAS TO ALL...... WE ARE ALL RECOVERING AND EVERY DAY A LITTLE BETTER....... LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015.....XXXXX
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 carol80975

      Posted

      A very  merry Christmas.

      Not looking forward to 2015 though - knee number two in March😢

  • carol80975
    carol80975 pam39536

    Posted

    Hi Pam .... thank goodness for this forum...... I am so tired, reason being cannot sleep, really have insomnia.... medication doesn't work.... will go to the pool today for some walking through the water.....7 weeks from operation...noticed Lynn mentions having a rest during the day... will try!   Good luck everyone...
  • colleen97251
    colleen97251 pam39536

    Posted

    I am recovering from a total knee and about 1 month post op.  I am a physical therapist in the US and often have total knee patients but my work didn't prepare me for some of the surprises.  LIke the insomnia some of you talk about -- absolutely fatigued when up ( and not very long at that) and then can't sleep at night.  Some nights only a few hours of sleep.  My GI system does not tolerate oral pain meds well so I have been off of all pain meds since 10 days post op.  I really feel my knee is progressing very well but the rest of me is not :-( Also developed a terrific itching rash above and below the TKA but with the help of my dermatoligist we have that under control.  I so enjoyed knowing that my body is not weird and that I have some company.  Wishing everyone a wonderful complete recovery soon with a brand new knee that works just great.

     

    • Soobeedoo
      Soobeedoo colleen97251

      Posted

      You will now be a  PT who really understands. Invaluable !!! 

      Hope you go from strength to strength in your recovery. Will you go back to work afterwards

    • joyce_61477
      joyce_61477 colleen97251

      Posted

      Hi Colleen,

      I am a 56 yo Occupational Therapist who had a bilateral simotaneous TKR 5 1/2 weeks ago! What an experience!!! I also felt unprepared for how difficult it has been. Presently, I'm off crutches, though have a limp on the left side, as there was more soft tissue work done According to OS. My PT us wonderful and promises me the limp will go away. I'm off all narcotics, though the pain is still bad. I take an ambien at night because I need help falling asleep. OMG appetite is still very bad as I am down to102 at 5'4". All and all, not fun....though it may make me a better therapst if Im able to return to my job.

    • timothy67362
      timothy67362 colleen97251

      Posted

      You nailed it when you said your Knee is doing fine but the rest of you Isn't. Google has been informing me of all the info my Pre Op people didn't. Google is God. LOL.

    • vonnie20573
      vonnie20573 colleen97251

      Posted

      I am only 3 1/2 weeks out and i nap all the time. my family says that i do too much but i feel better when I am up more otherwise it gets so stiff. i tried not to take a ton of medications but at night it hurts and it is hard to sleep. I was kind of feeling like a baby and I am a nurse but I am a Hospice nurse. I go to physical therapy and it is tough. My pt laid across my legs because my flex was only 110 at 2 weeks. i wanted to punch him, so painful fir 2 days and had to use the oxycodone for 2 solid days. I wish that i would have been given an information package that explained what to expect after surgery. i am younger that most to get in, early 50's so i guess they expect more and MD says that I have progressed better than 97% of his patients at this stage and that i would be more stiff than most because I have been playing tennis and it makes since that my muscles are tight. ugh. I am thankful that i am not alone.

    • trish27785
      trish27785 vonnie20573

      Posted

      I am so happy to be able to give you some insight. I had mine Dec 27, 2018 which is a little more than 4 months ago. I can tell you that I had it at Mayo Clinic and they had the BEST pre op preparation as far as videos; PT info and meeting for which had about 10 other people in there. However, AFTER the surgery, there was no interaction with those people to share information and I let Mayo know they need to have more post op meetings or contacts to share.

      I can tell you I now feel great but thought I would never see the light at the end of this tunnel. Sleep is you are tired because believe it or not your hemoglobin has decreased to anemic levels which will go back after 3 months. It happened to me and no one told me .... no need to take iron.YOU are fine; pain is normal; sleep is an issue and will be ....because of swelling; pain and of course when you are anemic your heart races or at least mine did so I was very on the edge.

      Key for me was that I had a great surgeon; a great PT and ME working together. Go to therapy and do with they say!!! Patience is also KEY for which I did not have because i had no clue about the other things like Hemoglobin which of course makes you very tired..

      Hang in there. You will be fine and good luck.

  • sandy17195
    sandy17195 pam39536

    Posted

    I am seven weeks out. I do my daily exercises and then some. I

    am way ahead on pt. BUT I still require 12 - 14 hours of sleep each night. :-( I refuse to nap at all during the day. I just had a complete battery of blood tests. Everything came back "normal". Not understanding this lack of energy. Pam, you're not alone and I have

    to believe we will be okay soon. :-

    • pyesangel
      pyesangel sandy17195

      Posted

      I am so glad I stumbled onto this forum. I thought I was going crazy for being SO, SO tired all the time and not being able to sleep at night. I am exactly one month post op today, left knee total replacement. The only med I am presently taking is Advil, at least one at night. The pain med the doctor had me on, Oxycodone, made me sick to my stomach and SO tired all I did was sleep. Pain meds and I DO NOT get along. My PT says I'm doing great. I have a couple of centimeters to go to get my leg straight and can bend it to 95 degrees. Pain level goes up and down. I'm hoping this will settle down by going down and staying there. Oh, I am on the East coast of the USA.
  • suzanne09931
    suzanne09931 pam39536

    Posted

    HI there.  I am 8 weeks post op, and it looks like I need a manipulation because my right knee doesn't bend but 62%  But I am soooooo tired.  Didn't take any meds, and all I want to do is take a nap.  Is this ok?
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