Starting to really worry

Posted , 7 users are following.

I am almost 16weeks post op. Having read all the progress on here I am worrying that I am not progressing enough. I saw my consultant for the last time on 13th July. He was really pleased with me and I said I had only achieve 97degrees. He seemed to think that was ok. He said he could see I had been exercising properly because of the state of the scar and muscle tone. He discharged me and also from Physio as he seemed to think I was just fine on my own. However 4 weeks on, I haven't achieved a better bend. My knee still feels heavy. I think it straightens ok. I had a bad weekend but I did much more last week. I walked much further and for longer and I also put resisitance on my exercise bike. Other people on here seem to be much further than me and I am now worrying that I am not doing so well after all.

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  • Posted

    Hi Elaine 

    very early days with the swelling still in the knee you knee will be restricted will go back further when swelling goes down . Get walking and cycling more sometimes it may be painful but it will be more painful if you don't exercise as the knee will start to seize up . Don't worry donna it takes time for the healing to progress I think it was eight months when I felt confident everything was going to be ok hang in there ..Pauli 

  • Posted

    Hi Elaine

    You sound as if you are doing very well with your walking and exercising but, like you say, you would expect to make further progress with the bend.  You are very lucky if your leg is straight though, as that has been my difficulty.  My surgery was private and my physiology is also funded, so that continued for as long as I needed it...and up to the year anniversary.  I would see if it's possible to get your doctor to agree to more, or maybe self-fund?  It's very worthwhile.

    Patsy

  • Posted

    Hi Elaine

    i will be 16 weeks on thursday

    i find the most worrying about this operation is being "signed off" and then get on with it - thank goodness for this forum.

    i have good days and bad, still swelling down to my ankle, stiffness, looseness, but the most noticeable is at times a real heavy feeling knee to foot when walking, I am very active now, back to work and back into life which keeps me on my feet all day and some evenings.

    my bend is good at different times of the day, depending on excersise or rest, first thing in the morning my knee looks lovely after rest but is stiff, sometimes when I've been on it for a day, it glides along on its own!!

    iv come to the conclusion that so long as I have no pain - I won't complain,

    im sure it's still early days in the grand scheme of it all, 

    i still ill don't sleep well as it is a heavy leg that I always seem to have to reposition, but I am seeing changes all the time.

    we are told we all improve at different rates, which makes sense when age and lifestyle plays a part, I know I'm very busy all day and wish I had time and energy to go walking , so feel a little guilty that I could be doing more.

    hoping you feel some what better to have another comparison of " the knee journey"

    chin up, keep excersising and think positive - lol - think I had better listen myself - 

    sue x 

  • Posted

    Thank you all, that has put my mind at rest. I think I will have to have more physio. I was private and I think I will have to contact my insurance company to see if they will reinstate the claims. I just think I need someone to keep an eye on my progression. My doctor is good as he studied this stuff before deciding to become a GP and my Consultant knew him and worked with him and says he highly recommends my GPs knowledge. Unfortunately he is on holiday at the moment but I think as soon as he comes back I am going to pay him a visit, not least to check our the Baker's cyst which he diagnosed on my other 'good' leg.
  • Posted

    Everyone is different. Careful about jumping to quick into full a tivity just cause the Dr says you are o.k. You still have to get your strength back and tone a 'll the muscles. Work into everything gradually or you could find yourself pulling or straining something and have set back which take much longer to get over. Just keep going on the ex Dr uses and ROM will continue to improve. I'm sure you still have a little swelling and as that goes the bend will increase. MAKE sure you are as close to 0 as possible. Not getting the leg straight will cause you to walk with a modified gait and usually a lump. I am at the 6 week Mark of the 5th opening of the kn÷ and 11th overall surgery on the leg. I am at 0 and feel the best I've ever been this early in rehab.I also had 30 rounds of radiation which burned the neck out of the soft tissue and after :-) this plus a broken femur and worst case scenario staph infections I think I'm closer to the best gait in 13 years and hopefully the most pain free. Again, we are d o fferent and heal differently. Don't worry just stay with your training
  • Posted

    One day at a time. We all work at digferent speed or recovery time. Hope you feels bettet.
  • Posted

    I'm 20 weeks po following new plastic knee cap and metal trochlea (the bit behind it) and I'm still hobbling about with my stick. I'll have a couple o of decent days followed by four bad ones.......and I don't like it one bit! I wore a knee support for 11 years as I was considered too young for the op before (I'm 56 now). Trouble is I'm now menopausal too and along with night/day sweats Ive been suffering with pains in both legs and I'm very weepy - a combination of knee op frustration lack of estrogen. Am due to see consultant on 20 August so I hope he perhaps has some answers. Depending on what he thinks I may then consider HRT!. This op was supposed to give me my life back......so why do I feel like my life has been stolen? No-one ever mentioned what a long journey it is but you just have to look on this forum to know you're not alone! I count myself lucky every single day that I found it and that there is always someone on it willing to provide help and advice.
    • Posted

      I agree pam, I have struggled along and then found this a few days ago. Like you I am very emotional. At times I have sobbed my heart out and my poor hubby just didn't know what to do but hug me. That's all I need, but he always wants to fix it, bless him. Do get on HRT, I denied myself it for years. I am on a synthetic one - Tibolone. (therefore not mare's wee!). I too felt that my life was worse, but really I had no choice, I had no quality of life before either. You are right, no-one said what this was going to be like and I too was told I would get my life back. It really doesn't seem so. Thank goodness for the support, help and advice on here.
    • Posted

      Do you mind me asking how old you are and how long you've been on HRT. You hear such conflicting stories about HRT but I'm past caring......I want a life now! You could get all the nasties, i.e. cancer, without being on it. Is synthetic HRT as good as a 'mare's wee'! 

      My poor hubby gets up at 5am every morning, comforts me when I sometimes have one of my sobbing sessions, goes to work until 3pm, comes home.....and comforts me again! He helps me with everything, drives me to places (I have my own car, but I seem to have lost my confidence for driving and other things), and takes care of our large garden.......a hobby that I'm desperate to get back to. It's very  scarey to think your life may not return to what it was, but I try very hard to be positive.......but it's not always easy. Saw GP last week, he said I was depressed, gave me tablets, said I'd feel nauseous and have diarrhoe for first three days......I've not touched them! I'm not depressed.......just menopausal and bloody frustrated .....beyond belief lol!

      I'm signed off work until 20th, by which time I'll have been off 5 months.......I can't believe it. I may just  take my pension and retire.......I'm no longer bothered about how much money I earn......I just want my health and a life. Do you still work?

    • Posted

      Hi Pam, I was 62 last Tuesday and I have been on this HRT for over 10yrs and yes it is as good as Mare's wee. I was having a dreadful menopause. I would have several sever night sweats a night the sheets were soaked. Couldn't change them as poor hubby is fast asleep. I used to sleep on towels. I hardly had any sleep because of the sweats. I gave in and the rest is history. Your home lifestyle sounds exactly the same as mine. I was off sick, but I have given up and resigned. I worked in an office of only 10 people and one out causes a big impact. They can now get someone able-bodied and fit for purpose and I don't have to fret about getting back to work. I think that impeded me. Of course the money is missed, but that is by the by in the great scheme of things.
    • Posted

      I've worked in various administration roles in Local Government all my working life but now because of government cut backs things have changed considerably in the last few years, and it hasnt been the same for me for a couple of years now. I am toying with the idea of doing less hours, but feeling as exhausted as I do at the moment I dont think I'm even capable of that. I work in a busy office of only 4 ladies so the impact on them has been great, although there is a temp being employed at the moment. You are so right about the fretting, some days my mind is in absolute turmoil, do I/don't I go back, would I be able to cope with work, pain......crickey I don't think its doing my recovery any good. 

      I have a 19 month old granddaughter who, at the moment, I can't babysit for on my own, so I want to make a good recovery so that I can enjoy her. What a state to be in, I've always been happy go lucky and able to cope with anything.......how I long to have that life back!

    • Posted

      The most important piece to the entire puzzle is you. Its frustrating I know. Having to miss family events.......being in so much pain you can't enjoy the ones you do get to be part of........causes so much mental agnst you just want to bury your head in the sand and somehow make it go awAy. Having to miss my son's wedding this summer was the lowest point so far. Then you have to re on file yourself that normal is going to be a new normal and that you'll probably, to one degree or another, have to reprioritize what's important to you. Things do continue to improve......the body fights back and weaknesses are given back to strength. Muscles, ligaments and tendons become a unit instead of each being its own source of discomfort and misery. Crutches and canes are put in storage and all but tiny bits of the limping is gone and most of that returns when activity levels are pushed to extreme limits......and every one but you had forgotten. That horrendous high level of pain you endured. Still, you are the one that counts most as you went through all of this to have a life....your life. Just as relearning to walkproperly, go slow with every step so living life is being relearned as well. I was already out to pasture when this hit me nearly 13 years ago but it didn't take long for me to realize my retirement had as much effect on the organization as removing a 5 gallon bucket of water has on the water level of lake Michigan. Good luck as you work through all of the present so you can have a positive future.
    • Posted

      Thanks for that OFG. I will look at this, your post, regularly. I think it will keep me on track.

      As an update. I have had a chat to my insurance company and they were very understanding and have reinstated my Physio sessions. I go back to the Physio this Thursday morning. If they hadn't then I would have gone anyway. My husband is supportive as are my friends and neighbours and now this group. With a PT also looking out for me I reckon my confidence will lift.

      Pam - I felt so much better once I had resigned. It was a load off my mind and I did see an improvement in my mood and recovery.

      Good luck with what you decide.

    • Posted

      Hi Elaine

      Pleased to hear that your insurance company are willing to support further physio.  It will help you a lot...both physically and confidence-wise.

      Patsy

    • Posted

      Thank you for sharing your journey and encouraging words, OFG.  My first TKR is Oct. 16, and I am petrified..!!!  I would appreciate any suggestions from you and others regarding "must haves" in preparing my home for post-TKR survival... eek
    • Posted

      I am going to start a thread where everyone can put tips on for your 'must haves' I think it will help a lot of people.
    • Posted

      Start now building your quads. Sit on the bed with pillows behind you and legs extended. Slowly start tightening all the muscles in the upper leg all the while forcing the back of the Knee into the bed. When tight, hold to count of ten. Repeat 10's. As you gain strength increase count getting up to 20 and repeat reps getting to 15. Do this every day. If you can find a can or bolster 8 " in diameter wrap it wit a towel and in the same position but let your body get a little flatter lay the back of the Knee on the roll, tighten the muscles in the leg while lifting the lower leg to a 20° angle. That angle should be from the hip to the foot. Again do the tightening, lifting and hold to 10 slowly relax and repeat 10 times increasing to 15. By Oct you will really feel your quads so much stronger and it will help when you get into therapy later on. Try and relax. Remember, all of us have made it and you will too. Talk to your primary care Dr about your anxiety. Possibly he will see for to give you something to help you through. No need of making yourself I'll with worry, you'll do great
    • Posted

      Thanks so much for the detailed "quads strengthening" advice and other great tips, OFG!  My PT (phys therapist) gave me several TKR exercises to do but said not to do them if I have pain or swelling.  If I followed that advice, I wouldn't exercise at all..!!   I also have a recumbent exerciser that I use a lot, which really seems to help alleviate stiffness and heaviness in my legs.  Thanks for the encouraging words - I am so thankful for you, Elaine and everyone on this forum!  I have felt so alone and discouraged and this is really helping!!

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