Tired after surgery
Posted , 10 users are following.
my significant other had. a tkr on both knees 2 wks apart on January 30 & February 11 he says he's tired all the time & wondered. how long it will last ? thanks
1 like, 10 replies
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Notes on Tired after surgery
robin15577 colleen5963
Posted
It's going to take months! He is still in the early stages of recovery. It is a brutal surgery. He will gradual gain strength and energy in the weeks ans months ahead. I cant even imagine going through 2 at basically the same time. One was enough. This blog will be so useful to you both. BEST WISHES. Remember its a MARATHON not a sprint.
Kebra colleen5963
Posted
I had just one done on Feb 11th and I was sleeping all the time (or so it seemed) for the better part of three weeks (and that was just one). Once I stopped all meds I was able to stay awake all day. I still feel lazy as heck other than exercise, ice, elevate, PT repeat repeat repeat.
Best of luck to him
deb56781 colleen5963
Posted
oh my! i had a left tkr on dec 19 2018.. i worked from home 1 1/2 weeks after my surgery then went back to work feb 11th for 1/2 days for a few weeks. am off all meds - just over the counter meds- just ended out patient pt last week. i do pt on my own (weights on ankle doing multiple exercises, biking, a lot of walking, leg slides, icing, slight squats - repeat). i walk almost a mile a day - sometimes more. after a day of work, i am exhausted and its been over 3 months! AND I ONLY had one knee done! SO, please TELL YOUR HUBBY do not worry about being tired! It will take a year or more to feel better. be patient and kind to yourself!
jean02698 deb56781
Posted
WOW Deb you did really well. My first knee was like yours....not the second one.
deb56781 jean02698
Posted
thanks ... have to admit ... a bit hesitant to tell my entire story in fear that it may scare someone... in sept of 2015 i had a left partial knee replacement. In Feb of 2016 i had a revision... doc put a tray in that was too large and ligament was rubbing and i couldn't walk properly... In Sept 2018 tray came loose... needless to say got a new doc... LOVE my new doc... i am doing so much better... doc says i have done great having 3 surgeries... said i would never do it after the first... never say never... I pray every night for my continued recovery and for God helping me believe that yes i can do this again... and i thank my husband - who has been my best coach throughout this all - despite the fact that i truly ❤ him... i dont know how i could have done this 3 times without him... if i can deal with this surgery and gruesome PT 3 times... so can anyone! HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF... DO your PT, eat well, drink lots of water (so you can poop) and get off those meds ASAP! Stay positive and strong... this group is great 😃 ...
karen14697 colleen5963
Posted
All of this is making me rethink my upcoming 2nd TKR. UGH it took months after my first one (2yr+) ago. There is no big rush, except that putting it off is inevitable! I'll be 70 (young 70) in NOVEMBER and i don't want to be doing this operation later in life. Guess I should just get myself as strong as I can and get it done while I'm healthy!
jean02698 colleen5963
Posted
I am 18 weeks and still tired. I find that nights are not restful as i wake a lot.
CHICO_MARX colleen5963
Posted
I was still sleeping 12 hours at 10-14 weeks. the PT ROM work plus the meds had me exhausted. I asked my doc why...the answer:
"All the healing energy of your body is being directed at your knees. There's none left to spare. When your body says rest, rest. When it says sleep, sleep."
That's why it's critical to eat a high protein diet, hydrate a lot...like a TON...no artificial sweeteners, lots of salad and fruit with those lean meats, complex carbs (rice + beans), etc. My daughter is a nutritionist so she helped me a lot.
The diet can offset some of the exhaustion but not all of it. Follow my doc's advice. And having a bi-lateral is the most difficult of all. A single TKR takes a full year to do the whole recovery. This is going to take a lot of time and patience. NO EXPECTATION!!! "How long..." is an irrelevant question as there are no timetables. "A year" is just a general guideline as everyone is different. I have never even heard of a "guideline" for a bi-lateral. Take it day by day but it is NOT a linear recovery. There will be advances, setbacks and plateaus. Time, work and patience...that's it.
debbie40320 colleen5963
Posted
i had both knees done 6 weeks apart a year ago. I'm only 48 years old. i can't say i was tired, still struggling with my left knee replacement a year later.. I'm told not to compare them.
I hope all goes well for him. tell him it takes time, everyone is different.
sarah87162 colleen5963
Posted
Of course he is tired. Both knees replaced in the space of 3 weeks.
I had one TKR 7 years ago and it took about a year before I really began to feel the benefit.
Sorry if that seems a long way off right now but better to be honest and realistic.
Sarah