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Three weeks post TKR Help!

Posted , 11 users are following.

lucie47312
lucie47312

I never expected the level of pain.  I never cry but I think I have every day since my op.  Can't even think that I will ever walk unaided again. I'm doing my Physio as I should, last week for 1st time went back to hospital for Physio appt, and he pushed my knee back more than I could, and especially since then its hurts so much more. The pain seems to be more round the back and side of the knee.   Is this normal?  When does it get any better??   Thank you 

2 likes, 55 replies

55 Replies

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  • mary7663
    mary7663 lucie47312

    Posted

    Mine is the same Lucie........pain on the backside and other unexpected places too.  Hang in there, stay well hydrated, take your meds, and rest.  I am 5 weeks PO and better than I was two weeks ago.👍👍
  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 lucie47312

    Posted

    Very normal. Several years ago with my original surgery the therapist would have me lay on my stomach. Then grab my ankle and try to hit me in the back of my head with my heel.....at least that was the feeling. Fortunately the last 4 times has been different and they have changed tactics but the result is about the same......it hurts like heck. Be sure and iced immediately after therapy and all excercising at home. Ice both the front and back of the leg. Don't be afraid to ice any time the leg feels swollen and painful. Use your leg but don't abuse it. Rest as much as possible. Many think they should be on some sort of timetable and push too hard which in turns creates setbacks. Listen to your body and brain, it will guide you.
    • Laura3333
      Laura3333 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      I think I would have kicked the physio if they had tried that.
    • lucie47312
      lucie47312 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Ouch!! They are very single minded physios aren't they? I know it's for our own good but I always equate pain with something wrong. So the natural thing to do is stop. But I'm keeping on keeping on.

      I think also in expecting too much from myself. When I had my hip replacement I had to have it revised as it dislocated, twice! Never knew I could scream!!!!

  • charlotte81954
    charlotte81954 lucie47312

    Posted

    I always thought I had a very pain tolerance, however after this I feel like a baby....I think I have cried every day as well....I don't do pain meds and had backed off them but after chatting with Dogman I have started them back....apparently this is a much harder recovery than I thought. .I thought I would bounce back quick like I did after athroscopic. ..apparently not...I will get thru this and I will CONQUER!!!
    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 charlotte81954

      Posted

      There are no gold stars given for heroism in this battle. No one looks down on you as a weaklong because you take pain meds. This is physically and mentally a horribly draining process. I was told a rotatorcuff repair would be most painful thing I would ever go through........3 months later I had a kidney stone which made me forget about the kidney stone.....10 years later......tkr which overshadowed both. Rest, pain meds, ice, hydration, excercise and more rest. This is a process that we all go through and there just isn't anyway to get around it and it isn't worth the effort trying, in fact it can slow down progress. You'll make it, no doubt. Just take it slow and easy.
    • sueisobel
      sueisobel charlotte81954

      Posted

      Take your pain meds, the stronger the better, otherwise your rehab will take longer and your pain will.... the proverbial viscious circle. Even on the relatively "good days" keep taking them as there will be times, especially after physio, that you will need them.  This way you will avoid the peak and troughs of pain and medication.  Also huge doses of patience as at some point you will reach the "when will this end" stage.
    • Laura3333
      Laura3333 charlotte81954

      Posted

      If you had smashed u your leg in a car crash, would you have expected to feel great right now, no you wouldn't.

      A TKR is a huge procedure compared to an arthroscopy,ends of bones sawn of, implants being hammered in.

      The surgeons are quite brutal, and bend your knee all over the place while you are out, they have to make sure it will move properly.

      It's a physical assault on your body.

      Add the anaesthetic to the mix, and  the fact that you have to get out of bed and use it, and bend it to it's limits when with most other surgeries you are told to rest and you get the picture.

      Just when all you want to do is take it easy, you can't.

      You're shattered and have to push further, it's impossible but you still have to do it. so you do.

      One day at a time.

  • pam92068
    pam92068 lucie47312

    Posted

    Lucie,

    get those is pain meds and take them regularly.  You will for weeks to come.  I understand how you feel,  it will get better.  I used a walker, then graduated to a cane, I am 12 weeks this Thursday, and am walking unaided.  My pain is very manageable now.  I take ibuprofen when needed.

    please be sure to post on here...we have all been there and will try to help you thru this.

    pam

  • tracey59320
    tracey59320 lucie47312

    Posted

    I had my second TKR three weeks ago. For the pain i take two tramadol in the morning and two before bed, i also take Paracetomal. I have nights where my sleep is disrupted and others where i get through pretty well.

    ​With this knee as with the last one i could not lift my leg off of the bed for the first three weeks and I only just about managed an 80 degree bend while still in hospital. I am due to have someone come out and check on me tomorrow, not entirely sure why as I told them i am fine! And apparently there is a letter in the post regarding me going to physio. I will not be going there either. What I found last time was that I was pushed to be obsessed with targets which failure to meet could lead to me not healing properly! Even so I would not allow anyone to push me around. When i had the 6 week check up they seemed satisfied with the bend and wanted me to work on straightness. There was mention of MUA but I said point blank i would not have that. Funnily enough once I got to around 5/6 months everything started falling into place. The bend was there the leg was nice and straight. Surgeon really pleased with the outcome. I know i have said this on here before but I will say it again. I never once made myself suffer to get where i am with knee one. I did my knee exercises everyday, if i couldn't do them all i would simply say "right tomorrow we'll do it" and tomorrow always made a difference. I regularly sat in a chair for five minutes at a time throughout the day and each time I inched my leg back to bend the knee, not too far, just enough to give it a stretch and I also took a daily walk. Beyond that nothing.

    ​My new knee is pretty good to walk on compared to the last one and I find i can go up and down stairs foot over foot after a fashion. The bend is really not there but once again i will not be panicked into drastic action or into thinking i am failing. I do what i can in my own time and trust that my body will heal in time and things will become easier. I don't say to anyone oh just disregard your medical professionals but i think sometimes you have to cut yourself some slack and also try not to worry so much. You really will get there but it will just take a whole lot longer than you thought.

    • Laura3333
      Laura3333 tracey59320

      Posted

      Don't you think the second knee feels easier because you've done it once and know what to expect pain wise? I do, my second one wasn't any less painful, or any easier to bend than the first, but having had the other one done seemed to make it better to cope with.

      Or maybe I just wasn't as worried about what I should or shouldn't be doing.

    • tracey59320
      tracey59320 Laura3333

      Posted

      Yes I definitely think it helps knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not as scared as I was with the first one. I still wonder if this one will be a problem and I keep saying i am sure it hurts more to bend than the first one did, but it is more likely that i am trying to do more with it than i did with the first. There were times with the first when i said "OMG what have I done to myself, i am going to be stuck like this forever" but of course i now know that isn't true.
    • linlee
      linlee tracey59320

      Posted

      My pt guy is very aggressive. When trying to do heel slides he takes my leg and jams it closer to my butt. I'm shell shock now when I go there. I've watched the other pets and don't see them jamming people's legs. I'm doing my exercises at home. I did have mua 4/27. First 3 days pt really worked on it. Got my bend to 101. The 4th day of could barely walk. So much pain. I just don't know what to do from here. I do like your attitude. ...
    • tracey59320
      tracey59320 linlee

      Posted

      Linlee if it is making you miserable and they are hurting you then stop going! The one and only time I saw a physio was about 3 weeks after my first surgery, she had a look at my knee, i demonstated my bend and strength etc and from there she said "do you want to carry on at home on your own". Naturally i did. I know the theory is that MUA has to be done fairly early to be effective but I wonder if they are doing it way too often. And that maybe what is needed is time.
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