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Swelling

Posted , 5 users are following.

michelle0137
michelle0137

I am 8 weeks post-open and around 3 weeks ago I started swelling above the knee joint. My physical therapists didn't think it looked abnormal, and when I saw my surgeon'said PA 2 weeks ago, he told me it was normal. I went back to work part time last week part time and noticed more swelling which I figured is normal since I went back to work. The swelling has gotten progressively worse, has moved to my upper thigh, calf, ankle and foot. I called the doc and they are getting me in today to take a look and make sure nothing is wrong. (god forbid). I will mention that before the swelling started, I was healing well, x-rays looked good, and I was progressing every week in physical ther any. Once the swelling started, I have not been able to progress with the flexion, stuck around 95 degrees. Anyone ever have an experience like this that can provide some insight as to what this excessive swelling is about? Also, NOTHING elevates it...ice, heat, elevation, compression, anti-inflammatory especially. HELP!

0 likes, 16 replies

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  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 michelle0137

    Posted

    8 weeks can be very soon to return to work especially if you are on your feet a lot. Start resting, elevatinf, icing and hydrating. Rest every chance you can get.......don't be concerned if others are skeptical.....this is about you.........and no one else is important.

    • tijim
      tijim Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Hi Michelle .. totally agree with above post .. goodness you're only 8wks post op which is nothing for this operation.  Sorry to say but somehow you're going to have to find patience and realise that your swelling may be here to stay for some months.  And yes going back to work so early won't be helping .. I understand that some people just can't take the time off work .. but with this op the longer you can get the better for your knee.

      I was forced into retirement as I was run over by a truck hence why I've had to have TKR's .. so I haven't had to worry about that aspect of it thank god!

      Take care .. you will get better but it can just take along long time for some of us.  Even though you say nothing helps have you spoken to your dr about this as maybe you're not on strong enough meds for the pain.  With this 2nd TKR I'm on nearly half extra strength meds than I was with the first due to the pain. 

      Do you stand at work???  If so, you really need many breaks to rest your knee as it isn't ready for that much weight bearing at this stage.

      Let me know how you go if you decide to speak to your dr about the pain levels with the swelling.

      Cheers... Tracey

    • michelle0137
      michelle0137 tijim

      Posted

      Tracey,

      The pain isn't bad at all, the swelling is horrendous, and it is my whole leg! And no, I don't stand at work, I have a desk job, AND I elevate my leg at work. Plus, I'm only working 4 hours a day and nothing helps the swelling. I'm making another appointment tomorrow and will ask them if we can do an x-ray, maybe there's a blood clot? I almost want there to be something wrong because then at least something could be done. I need to have work done on the other knee and it held up real well through the tkr on the right side, but now after 10 weeks it's calling uncle.

    • tijim
      tijim michelle0137

      Posted

      Hi Michelle .. I wonder if you can mention cortisone as I said it did wonders for me .. but I was about 7mths post op with my first one when I got prescribed it and I was so excited one day when I finally saw my ankle bone which I hadn't since the op.

      Hope everything is working out (sorry it's taken me awhile to reply)  I'm just 4wks post op with my 2nd TKR and it's sooo painful!

  • tres2
    tres2 michelle0137

    Posted

    Sorry,I have had some swelling since going back to work, but manageable. I am 9 weeks post-op. I have had a lot more pain in the last week, but that is because I have been on it all the time, or also forget to elevate and get up and walk during the day. I am trying to push harder than maybe I should be, but I really want to work hard at getting better. I know that eight or nine weeks seems like a long time, but honestly I keep having people tell me that it's still very early in the healing process. We will be dealing with this for months. If you go in and they don't find anything, don't worry too much. As they say everyone heals differently. Hopefully you are just overdoing it and that is what is causing the swelling. Nothing major, fingers crossed.

    • michelle0137
      michelle0137 tres2

      Posted

      He didn't find anything wrong. Just told me it's normal, especially since I'm back to work. I would be OK with it if something was working to make it go down a little but nothing. I laugh now when I remember asking my surgeon what the recovery time was and he said 4-6 weeks! Of course everyone heals differently, but I am fairly certain you are right...still early in the game.

  • jeanette28393
    jeanette28393 michelle0137

    Posted

    I have swelling above my knee, when I stand and walk can feel it swell. They said it was normal and it sure happens when I overdue it and drive a lot,  I have slowed down abit and put my leg up with ice. I'm 9 1/2 weeks post op. I guess we have to b patient. They say it can b like the up to 6-12 months :-(. 

    • michelle0137
      michelle0137 jeanette28393

      Posted

      Oh, don't we know it! I fear you are right! Such a long time to go through waiting to return to "normal", whatever that may be. smile

  • tijim
    tijim michelle0137

    Posted

    Hi Michelle... with my first TKR which is now 12mths post op I still suffer with severe swelling .. originally after the op I slowly started swelling as you said feet/calves/knee/thighs I looked like I was made of balloons everything was so swollen .. ended up finding out that with the oxycontin I was taking it is rare but it can be a side effect .. I can no longer work so that wasn't an issue for me.  However the swelling was unbelievable I was at the stage where I couldn't even wear a pair of thongs (flip flops) and had to go to my appts in barefeet.  After sometime I was put on extra strength cortisone which did the trick .. I was so excited on day after showering that I rang my husband at work as I could see my ankle bones! 

    I am now 2wks post op with the 2nd one and as they say each knee is different, once again have the swelling but aren't concerned as I know what it's due to and I'm allergic to other strong narcs so oxycontin and endone it is.  However this time the pain is unbearable where with the first the pain was bearable and the endone really worked to help with breakthrough pain.  I ice all the time find it probably helps the most and still sometimes are icing the leg that was done 1yr ago.

    So there you have it I hope that maybe I was able to shed some light on your swelling as mine was the same but I really feel you're also back at work too early for your knee.  But I understand that we all need income and some just can't take months off.

    All the best... Tracey

    • michelle0137
      michelle0137 tijim

      Posted

      Thanks Tracey. It was really a very special set of circumstances that required me to go back to work at 7 weeks, but yes, I would have loved to have just taken 3 months off. I feel as if I can't even walk around normally with this swelling the way it is now, and I was geating around just fine before it started. Guess I'm just going to have to push through it. It feels a little bit like a setback, which my doctor explained can happen.

    • tijim
      tijim michelle0137

      Posted

      I was originally started on 3 x 15mg tabs each morning .. then each week was weaned down until I was just on 1 x 5mg tab for a week and then stopped.  But boy was it worth it!!! Totally amazing how much my swelling went from my whole leg and foot that I was able to wear a proper shoe again... as is all I could wear were skechers thongs (flip flops) that were elasticised and stretched with me and at home just barefeet.
  • michelle0137
    michelle0137

    Posted

    So the swelling is still going on, nothing helpse alleviate it in the slightest, the doctors say it's normal. I thought swelling for prolonged periods isn't a good thing though? Can anyone she'd some light on this for me? I am thoroughly uncomfortable and fed up with this swelling. Thank you.

    • tijim
      tijim michelle0137

      Posted

      Hi Michelle, I'm still suffering with swelling with my first TKR which is now 11mths post op .. it's nowhere as severe as it was but it's still enough to be annoying and needing icing.  I didn't have rehab or physio and did everything myself wasn't my choice was just not recommended to either as I was doing so well on my own... but after 5mths of going solo I ended up with a hip bursitis and constant pain in my lower back .. I was advised that this was because I had no guidance with exercises and my quads etc weren't strong enough for what I was doing which meant my hip was taking on everthing my upper leg should've been... since then I've had injection guided cortisone to help elevate the bursitis to no avail and lower back is still sore.  And ended  up back on narcs again for the pain and had to use a crutch to help make walking easier.  I was then sent to a pt who has helped me greatly .. but I can't empathise don't over do it .. this is a marathon journey from anywhere from 12-18+mths.  I have now had a 2nd TKR and am following my pt religiously.

  • tony19105
    tony19105 michelle0137

    Posted

    Hi Michelle,   sounds like you are a lady in a hurry!  Seems to me you are back at work far too soon and your body is telling you - perhaps you should listen. You don`t say whether you are standing or sitting at work.  If you really MUST be there and have a desk job then speak to your employer and organise your space so you can spend periods with your leg elevated. If you are standing or dashing about then  your ( quite normal) problem is not going to clear anytime soon.

    My concern is that you will push yourself into a much longer recovery period, possibly with complications and an outcome you will be unhappy with.

    This is the same for all of us.

    Try going back to periods of elevation and alternating cold/Hot, then light massage to draw fluid toward the groin, but if you are saying you can only do something like this after work ,at night, then you are in for a long journey.

    Do take time to have a re-think, and good luck.

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