TKR

No you are not doing anything wrong. It's more likely you have either laid very still or moved too much in the night. Mornings are always worse I found. Its very early days following a very brutal surgery. My physio reminded me that what we experience with knee replacement is really no different than a double amputation.You should see that start to ease up, but not immediately. I found mornings difficult for the first several weeks. But once up and moving again, getting the blood flowing and the muscles stretched a bit, it gets better.

Good luck to you. Rough having it right at Christmas time!!

All the best. x

Hi Andre,

You are doing nothing wrong. A TKR is the worst operation and recuperation takes time. Take your meds as prescribed and get sleep when you can. It does get easier. My husband moved out of the bedroom for the first month because my sleep was so eratic and he said even in my sleep he could hear me moan with pain.

Try putting pillows under the whole of your leg from just under your buttock to the tip of your toes. It worked for me. I used some old, soft and fairly flattish pillows and it just seemed to,take the pressure off. I found making sure I took 2x500 mg of paracetemol/tylenol religiously every 6 hours and voltarol gel at the sides and back of my knee at night helped too.

You're still likely to find it stiffen up overnight. It's brutal surgery, something like 4 or 5 layers of sutures under the surface as they stitch all the layers of soft tissue back. As someone said the first 2 weeks are really, really rotten, the next 2 really rotten and then it's just rotten for the next few weeks in lessening degrees. Hang on in there, it will get better.

I was fortunate that I had no bruising and minimal swelling compared to many. In spite of that I couldn't manage more than 2 hours sleep at a time for the first few weeks. Every time I woke I felt the need to move to help the stiffness. If you're sleeping through until 5.00 am you're doing well on the sleep front, but maybe that's contributing to the stiffness. I hope the pillows help. It's a minefield isn't it?

stiffness in morning is pretty normal especiallyin first two weeks lucky for me i get up lot during the night to use the washroom which helps with the stiffness, also pillow under calf helped with pain after two weeks I would do my leg bends before getting up it helped even during night i would pull my knee up a little to get rid of some of the stiffness, it definely gets better in time as you rebuild the muscles I am 12 weeks along in second knee replacement. Try to stay positive the earlyweeks are about recovery and excercises.

I have a thin pillow that I use between my knees. I am at 12 weeks and this is my second TKR.... same knee ...within a year. If you are using VOLTAREN gel make sure you include the dosage with your meds. I was advised not to mix with tylenol products by my pharmacist.

Thanks a few people have suggested pillows my doctor is aware of all medication including gel im using and is happy

Hi, i can empathize wholeheartedly. They says 2 knee ops are never the same & wasnt that right ! With my 1st Tkr I never had 1 broken nights sleep, & i wondered why so many people complained they could'nt sleep ! Had my other knee done 5weeks ago, boy o boy, what a difference ! Now i know why everyone was complaining of sleepness nights ! Guess i was lucky first time round ! I haven't had a good night since having it done, but i hasten to add, it is improving ! Like some of your other replies, the pillow works for me, i tried various shapes, sizes & thicknesses & found for me, the small shallow one the best. I think like someone else mentioned it's lying still & not moving the joint is the problem, but as i said it does get better. may not seem like it now,but a time will come when you will be so pleased you had this done. Good luck from one fellow empathizer.

10 days out of a typical one-year recovery. Welcome to the club. First 30-60 days are the worst...then it gets gradually better. Very few people avoid this fate...very, very few. Get rid of all your expectations and timetables. The knee controls your recovery...you're just along for the ride. Time, work and patience are your tools.

Click on my name, Discussions and then See All. I've got about 30 out there covering a whole range of topics. They should answer virtually all your questions. Hope they help.