Total knee replacement 5 weeks
Posted , 12 users are following.
I am now 5 weeks in tkr and still feel unsure what I should be doing. I also feel tired, not sleeping, irritable. Knee, hip and lower back pain, still taking coidene phosphate, should I still be taking them. Finding it too painful to get my knee to 95 degrees. My husband is saying be brighter tomorrow and get going more. I am doing my exercise but in pain with them so fear doing them. Have pulled a muscle on my operated knee, very painfel, should I keep excercising. I am still sleeping on my back, very uncomfortable. Can I sleep in another position. Just weeping most of the time, try to be happy, put on an act when friends come to see me.
1 like, 23 replies
faybubbles susane91705
Posted
Stay strong it does get better. Im 3 weeks out from my 2nd TKR and cant sleep or cant get comfirtabke to sleep. I sleep in my recliner as it hurts to much to be in the bed. Im having an allergic reaction to my adhesive strips and also to my pain meds so im filled with hives and itching out if control. Benadryl is my best friend right now.
For you, keep icing, keep taking your pain meds, and exercising or physical therapy is key. Sleep is great for your body and your soul. Keep your head up, and dont be afraid to cry. My 1st one went great and feels so good, im hoping for this one also. Stay positive!!
jill32152 faybubbles
Posted
I am 10 months down the line! It takes a good 3 months to feel anything like normal but it will be worth it! I am on the list for the other knee it made so much difference to the crippling pain!
Keep the pain meds up the exercises up and keep icing fir 20mins every 2 hours. You will get there. In bed use a pillow to to gently roll onto this will enable you to get a little way off your back! Its a long haul but you will get there!
hazel08014 susane91705
Posted
hi Susane... im 7 months post trkr and agree with everyone else, its a long haul . only just recently have i felt my knee to be good , then next day it hits me like a sledge hammer with pain and stiffness. im still doing physio excecises alot of walking and a cross trainer. they did say it can take approx 18-24 months for full recovery.
keep going and try to be positive .... i still take codine when i need it. good luck x
brent77382 susane91705
Posted
Hi Susane,sleep is the enemy im 5 weeks too and may get 3 hrs sleep,try lying on your side now with a pillow between your legs, coidene made me feel ill, so i went to paracetamol better for me, exercise is critical 95 degrees is ok but are you getting physio these guys really know how to manipulate and massage your leg and they will give you exercise's for where your at in your recovery.i had my 1st tkr 15 months ago and its perfect, first 6 weeks are the worst and please remember you,ve had major surgery and its a brutal operation, and great trauma to your body.Hang in there it'll get so much easier.
susane91705
Posted
thankyou for you reply. I have seen the physio the 2nd week and fourth week, but he didnt offer me any more excercise that the ones given to me after my surgery. He said that I need to get my knee to 95 its 94 and I dont feel it has improved. It is very painful when I try to push it back.
susane91705
Posted
Do you have extra physio privately
paula70281 susane91705
Posted
Hi Susane-
I am 13 months out from right TKR. I had a home health physical therapist for the first 5 weeks and when I did finally get to an outside physical therapist he told me I should have been there 3 weeks earlier so I don't know how that got communicated incorrectly but, for me, with scar tissue problems, I know I would have benefited from the outside therapist. I think anyone on here will tell you the recovery is not as fast as imagined and littered with set backs , but well worth it in the end. Important to remember that everyone recovers at their own pace. I always feel like it has taken me way too long to get where I am and the truth is I still deal with the swelling everyday. Very important to keep moving! We have all been where you are and it will get better, but it will take more work than you probably realize right now. Hang in there!
susane91705 paula70281
Posted
thankyou for your reply, I havent had a home help therapist. All I do is excericise, a short walk each day, weather permitting, and massage my wound. It seems little to what you do. Thank you again for your reply.
Guest susane91705
Posted
Prayers for you! We have all been there at one point (or several points!) or another. Stay on your meds as long as you need them. Pillows were my best friend when I couldn't quite sleep on my side. Put some under your leg - long-ways. Tuck one under your hip and back to give yourself some backside relief. Movement also relieves some of that night time pain. I kept a large therapy ball by the bed and would just pull it up and put both feet on it, rolling it back and forth with the non-op leg, allowing the op knee to go along for the ride. Wearing a cut off legging helped with sensitivity. Read books on your phone. It helps you to get drowsy.
And make sure you're going to a therapist that is doing some deep tissue work on your knee and pulled muscle tissues. My first therapist did no deep tissue work, and then I changed therapists due to lack of progress. Made all the difference. Do you have an old fashioned rolling pin? Roll it over the painful areas. It hurts but feels good and really releases the tightness.
I'm about 5 months post TKR. Pain decreased significantly around 12 weeks. Still having to work hard to strengthen, but life is starting to return to normal.
Hang in there!
susane91705 Guest
Posted
thankyou so much for your comments and for your reply, I will try the pillows tonight as my lower back and side of my operated leg does ache. I havent been told to go to a therapist. Was it your phisio at hospital who told you to go. Thanks so much again for your reply
paula70281 susane91705
Posted
Hi Susane-
I am not sure where you live or who your doctor is but the physical therapy is a large part of recovery. i went for six months due to a complication I had. I would definitely ask your doctor.
Guest susane91705
Posted
P.S. I was also helped significantly by having two large strap-on ice packs. I went to bed with one on and sometimes changed to a fresh one about 4 AM. Ice was my best friend for weeks and weeks.
susane91705
Posted
thankyou, I havent use ice from the first week, so will try the ice again.
brent77382 susane91705
Posted
susanne,ice ice ice half a dozen times a day 20 mins a time,see if you can get hold of a cryo cuff system there excellent.
ann18637 susane91705
Posted
Hi Suzanne it does get better I can assure you. I'm 7 months past tkr and no more pain yes albeit a little stiffness but small price to pay to be pain free. Patience and do remember to excercise rest and ice. Listen to your knee if aching rest don't try to push it to do things it's not ready for. Grab a couple of hours sleep when you feel like it. I slept on my operated side with a pillow under my leg found it comfortable for a few hours at least. I'm getting my other knee done In Feb so goes to show you like childbirth never again but a few months later what pain?? Stick in rest and elevate ice and meds you'll get there. Merry Xmas x