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Start of week 10....

Posted , 10 users are following.

susan47321
susan47321

Never thought I would get this far down the line, after wanting to end it all within the first 4 weeks.Crying and feeling like I can’t do this anymore. Getting up in the morning and wanting bedtime to hurry up,pain off the scales, depression and not being able to move my knee.

Dreaded the thought of going to Physio and to be told I needed to get me knee back further, at 4 weeks could only move it 83 degrees.

Got so cheesed of by this that I wanted to burst into tears.

Next day I looked at my mini bike and thought this is it I’m getting on you, although it hurt a lot I kept up with it along with pushing on with the exercises. As well as walking my small dog.

Never worked so hard as I thought my knee was going to split open. Knee now at 110 degrees.

Now I get up every day and think another day of exercise, but do it then ice knee.

I am now going to swimming pool as well and hope that it will spring back into action very soon.

Doctors and physio’s say to get rid of walking stick, but this feels a little scary.

Anyway to all of you, it is really really hard and never thought I could get this far, but together we can do it.

But I won’t be getting the other knee done........

Keep going we will get there.

Sue

4 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • christine27881
    christine27881 susan47321

    Posted

    Hi Susan you are doing really well and I am on week 5 and at times like u am in the depths of depression. My knee is at only 30 degrees and I feel as if I'm never going to get it shifted. I will take any advice from anyone at this stage and hopefully things will get better

    • susan47321
      susan47321 christine27881

      Posted

      I get up in the morning have a shower then a coffee to pluck up the courage to do exercises, then hold my crutches.

      place crutches forward, put my bad knee forward and do my lunge. Go on website to see how it’s done, hold for 10/15 seconds then come back and rest for 10 seconds repeat a further 2 times.

      I then put my foot (bad knee)on 1st stair up and my hands on 3rd stair up and I bend bad knee and hold for 15/25 seconds.

      I also sit on table chair and tie bag over my foot of bad knee and hold onto seat, go forward with foot/bag and bring back under chair, it is hell on earth do 15 then rest for 10 seconds then another 15.

      I normally do 3 sets of 15 but  only 30 in the afternoon.

      Then I get on my mini bike (pedals only) so I sit on a Chair and every circle I count, started off at 25, very, very slowly and now do 150 twice a day.

      After this it’s all down hill.....

      Sit on the floor, I always wear sports socks, I grab ankle part of sock and pull the ankle towards me to bend the knee I do 2 sets of 10.

      Finally get your breakfast, and then ice your knee - keeping knee higher than your hip.

      Massage knee after, and area above your knee to the outside area only massage upwards as this will release tightened muscles.

      hope you get this bit.....

      I try to go up stairs at least 3 times a day, and walk dog for 20 minutes or will go to the swimming pool and walk in pool and then hold onto the edge of pool and pull my legs up and into me, not to bad as the water keeps it light.

      But by the end of the day I’m ready for bed normally 8.30.

      Hope this helps. 

      Sue

       

  • missmagwumps
    missmagwumps susan47321

    Posted

    Oh Susan - yes, recovery process is fairly grim and I am almost 5 months Post Op ! Still use my stick and can't do stairs properly yet but my pain is diminshing and my sleeping is getting better and my depression lifted when the sun came out - only to pop back again when grey skies appeared.....I think will the UK summer ever come  rather like will my knee ever repair...ha! And the answer to the knee is yes...hopefully will get much better and has come along way but can't do anything about the weather.....and like you, doubt I will be having #2 knee done but never say never.....but would have to be a wheel chair case before I agreed to it again..... I knew it was going to be painful but not this bad and can honestly say I wasn't properly informed as to what to expect,,,but then wouldn't have had it done had I known... but hey ho....it's done and I only hope it improves loads more and I can do stairs properly and throw the stick away.....and not fall over....ha! I am told most people don't fully recover for almost a year and even then it wont ever be the same but at least we should be pain free by then......

    Take care and hope your determination stays with you to speed up your recovery.... we do have to work at it or it wont happen on it's own and all our pain and suffering will be wasted...ha ha.

    Wishing you well soon....x

  • Neizie
    Neizie susan47321

    Posted

    Susan, I certainly know how you feel and I'm sure most of us do. Last year when I had my left knee done, I got very depressed after about 4 weeks very weepy and felt isolated. But as things got a bit better I moved around more, had more people come and visit and eventually my mood lifted and I was okay. I, too, said I wouldn't get the other knee done after this experience but guess what? My right knee is now scheduled for June 14th! I'm hoping for an easier time this go round. Best to you.

  • kerrie_30523
    kerrie_30523 susan47321

    Posted

    Hi I’m on week 8 it’s my second tkr had right knee done October 2016 and it took me a good 5 months before I felt human and 18 months on I can’t get it past 90 degrees.  I swore blind I wouldn’t get the left one done but after 3 sets of broken ribs with it giving way I had my left TKR 8 weeks ago and.... it’s been worse than the first time.  I had to sleep in riser recliner chair for the first 7 weeks as I couldn’t get in and out of bed.  This knee has only got to 30 degrees and it feels like I still have a tourniquet on my thigh.   I do my exercises but with little result and il cry at anything the depression is so bad.  I live alone so it’s been really tough.  But I know it will get better as I’ve been here before.  So keep on going folks it will get easier eventually.   Sending you all 💐💐💐 to cheer you up.  Take care x

  • nwf477
    nwf477 susan47321

    Posted

    You are doing great !! even though it hurt like $%$%%% you stuck it out and now your seeing progress. Myself included its hard to imagine how much pain your going to be in when you first decide to have the surgery. I had no idea boy was I in for a shock. Now I am no longer a rookie after having 5 all on the same knee. Whether its the first or the 5th it does not matter it does hurt but you will get better. Once again pretty happy for you !!
  • maggiemaybe
    maggiemaybe susan47321

    Posted

    Thank you Sue for telling us your story. I’m still very much new to all this and today has been a real bummer. I guess, as you say, it’s up - down - up - down - up - up! all the way along. I go see the Physio on Wednesday and dreading it! Thinking of what you say and fingers crossed! I can walk now in right foot, left foot normal fashion. Well done, Sue! 🙃

    • nwf477
      nwf477 maggiemaybe

      Posted

      Come on your not doing bad it just takes time.. Be patient you will get there and it really okay if you only have 1 replacement you do not have to try and out do me. Ha Ha. The recovery really stinks you have a couple good days then there are the bad ones and some that are even worse. There are some days ( speaking about me and no one else ) you are so miserable you just crawl in bed and cry. It would be great if the recovery was only a few weeks as opposed to a year or less. What gets me I have met some that have had both knees done at the same time. Can you imagine how they feel ? Having one stinks  two that is beyond me.I hope one of these days we read a post from you that says how well your doing and now you fell like it was worth the effort to get to this point. No matter what keep smiling or at least try.
  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX susan47321

    Posted

    Everything you've said is right on target.  The post-op depression (Jedi Mind Trick...not real), difficulty with the ROM, wishing the day would be over, etc.  But look at your progress!!!!  You biggest problem is EXACTLY the same one we've all had...expectations.  We all thought this would be over and done with in weeks...no one warned us that it takes a full year to recover from this.  I've read over 4,000 posts on here...we are all the same...

    ?But we're all different.  Some of us get our ROM back sooner, others later.  Some have a lot of swelling, others not so much.  While we can generalize about ROM in 3 months, back to work in 4-6, "feeling more like our old self" at 9 months and dancing at our one-year anniversary party, the truth is that some do it sooner and some later.

    ?It comes down to three things: time, work and patience.  You need to give the knee time to heal...and that's different for everyone.  You have to put in the work to get your ROM back and then start the exercise plan to regain all the strength in your dead muscles that support the knee.  Finally, you have to learn patience...and that's probably the hardest thing of all to have.  Don't measure your progress by the day or week.  Look back at three months and see how much better you are now than at two.  Be patient with yourself...be good to yourself...stop expecting more than your body can deliver at any moment in time.  It will all end up fine.  I'm 2+ years...I promise it gets better...

    ?Click on my name and "See All Discussions"...there's a lot out there that may be of help.  In the meantime, post this on your fridge...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-reality-of-a-tkr-recovery-in-one-picture-626038

    ?Oh...and don't forget your oars for the boat part...

    • nwf477
      nwf477 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      I have to agree no matter which side of the ocean your on it is still a knee and having a replacement is no fun it takes lots of patience and exercise for the recovery. You have to expect both good and bad and like you said no 2 people are alike everyone heals differently. I just have to get use to the different names you guys use for the same equipment I use.
    • maggiemaybe
      maggiemaybe CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Every word you have written makes complete sense to me now. Wise man!
  • jenny80029
    jenny80029 susan47321

    Posted

    Ah, well done, it gets better and better....still gradual and slower than we like, but things start moving on now. Sending you good wishes .
  • lyn32416
    lyn32416 susan47321

    Posted

    Never say never. It's amazing how much we can endure. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! We are living proof of that! xx

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