total knee replacement

Hi Marge

I am closer to 70 then 65 and now 7 weeks post op.  Very axious and get upset easily at the moment.  Feeling extremely impatient to get back to normal life and sometimes feel it will never end.  Pain and swelling getting better and now walking and driving. Still taken pain meds as needed especially when due to do my 15 min workouts - now take about a third of at the beginning (tend to knock myself out at night as there is nothing worse then being up all alone with a throbbing knee) Still have the shooting nerve pain but the surgeon says that is to be expected.  I do get exhausted trying to carry on with normal daily living which upsets me.

Hang in there as I feel better each week and hear that the 8 week mark is the turning point.

cheers

Marge, don't give up. I had my tkr in June at age 76. At first I was sorry I had it done because of the constant pain. I live alone so I had to push myself to keep moving, I have a very long driveway and so I would walk the driveway everyday and slowly started to walk farther. Ice and elevation is your best friend. I took Tylenol extra strenght, ate healthy and I needed to as I am about 30 pounds overweight. You will see a remarkable difference in no time at all. It was an accomplisment not to use the walker and then not to use the cane. You can do it. Keep a positive attitude, it helps. Please do not fall in depression, in a short while you will look back and think , I am so glad I had that done. I thank God everyday, I am enjoying life and am pain free. I could straighten my leg but I have never been able to bend it as good as they wanted but I am happy with the results. Marge stick with it YOU CAN DO THIS. God Bless

I also got side affects with oxycoden....I felt drunk...but it help for pain....now I just take half a pill....then within the two hours I take Motrin 600mg..to keep it at bay ...I try to keep pain away....

I do knee exercises....as much as possible even when it feels stiff

That stabbing pain I get on side of knee and thigh...is so annoying i use messaging oil and a rolling pin...and roll the muscle on thigh it works.....

Regarding feeling down...I do...get...depression...because I feel ..tired all the time..and want to do more....my Doctor torment body is healing...and it need rest....so I nap a lot.....burbs know it will get better......don't give up...life...is...beautiful....amen

You're certainly not alone with this!

I'm at 8 weeks, but at times I thought my active life was over and I'd finally have to learn to knit. The tiredness and bad nights wear you down, but it doesn't last forever.

Be kind to yourself during the recovery phase and it gets better, truly. I had a painful wound infection, which was a nuisance, but it cleared and yesterday I was able to walk down the road for my first real stroll.

The pain and tiredness feel like it's never going to improve, but then it does. Looking after your diet and doing the exercises now will help you get through the recovery weeks and you will start to enjoy the freedom from the old pain and mkvement problems that led to your TKR.

Hope you feel better soon!

When did you have your TKR?  

I too suffered from depression after TKR. After you have a heart attack depression is well documented and doctors will warn you and be on the lookout for signs of depression. My OS didn’t mention it once not before during or after. Depression is a physical ailment and as real a problem as a heart attack, cancer or a sore knee. I believe my depression, after my TKR, was triggered by my expectation being way too high. I also believe when you have major surgery it messes with you big time. How can your brain not be effected, you are knocked out, the nerve in your leg is temporarily killed, the blood flow is cut off, the leg is cut in half put back together and then you are given some really powerful drugs for the pain. If that isn’t a receipt for depression I don’t know what is. I think the drugs they use to knock me out were enough to drive me over the edge, the rest was just a little wipe cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. The fact that I had low grade depression all of my life didn’t help. My TKR was March 2011 I have worked hard and gotten a lot of help mentally both professionally and from friends and family. Every day I drive myself to the gym, I am as aggressive a driver as there is, and after my workout I am as mellow as a person who has just smoked a big fatty. My advice is be kind to yourself, be patient it will take time, celebrate even the small victories, find a community that you can have fun with.

I had TKR in 2014 and again in 2015.  I can tell you, you are doing great if you are able to drive yourself to your dr appt!  Don't expect too much too soon.  Also, it is not unusual to get depressed after major surgery according to my surgeon. I found myself getting depressed after surgery (side effect of anesthesia and pain meds) myself.  I suggest you ask a friend or family member to take you for a short ride to get you out and about.  My husband took me across the causeway so I could look at the ocean and the seagulls and pelicans flying by or to watch the ships down intercoastal.  It really lifted my spirits.  We spend so much time sitting and laying down during recovery that I began to feel cooped up!  Keep in mind that as you heal your knee will be swollen, hot, sharp pains (nerves have to heal) and other assorted issues.  Be patient, it is worth it.  I use to have to lift my leg into the car after a trip to the grocery store, now I can go in and shop and walk without pain or hunting for somewhere to sit down!  Be patient, keep doing your exercises, and keep reading this forum.  One day you will realize (in a few months) that you no longer are thinking about your knee.