Total knee replacement, 7 months ago...
Posted , 7 users are following.
I was 51 when I had my TKR, not a decision I made lightly but I was in so much pain & the steroid injections had stopped working. Noone prepares you for the sheer pain after, the sleepless nights & the loss of independence, but it does get easier! I still feel vulnerable, I'm worried about falling over, & lacking in confidence & I feel old & I'm NOT!! I wasn't prepared for the long recovery, my Consultant said 6-8 weeks - misleading, no way was I ready to go back to work, physically or mentally! Tips: I slept in leggings for 12 weeks as my knee was so sensitive to the sheets & I found that more comfortable & could apply ice packs more easily. Ibuprofen gel is my new best friend. It's not a race, everyone heals at a different pace - it's a MASSIVE op. Dermablend (various shades) for the scar, its fab! Flat shoes/low wedges - no heels. Happy to chat to anyone who wants a bit of advice, encouragement, motivation - we've got this!
0 likes, 6 replies
Pennypops helen86637
Posted
Hi Helen
I had my left knee replacement age 55 and have just had my right knee done 2 weeks ago age 59... I have to say that lots of people lost on this forum sharing terrible experience about this operation and it can really worry you if you read them before having the surgery.. The night of the operation was horrid and i was pressing the nurses buzzer throughout the night asking for pain relief.
The following day when the physio came to get me out of bed and it took me 5 minutes to stand up lol the whole leg felt like a block of cement and my only motivation was that i could use the toilet rather than bed pan.... Getting home was good except for trying to sleep and as you say there is no comfortable position to lie in and getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night was an ordeal of getting out of bed and locating the crutches.... Well here i am 2 weeks after surgery and i saw my consultant this morning who removed the plaster whoop whoop i dont have to wear a waterproof cover when showering now and i saw the physio who is very happy with my progress and awarded me with some more exercises ( lucky girl) my leg no longer feels like a concrete block though i have a pretty gruesome scar that need some love and attention with cream or oil or both... I feel much more optimistic about my future and the function of my knee and am going swimming next week... Well probably more like bobbing about until knee is strong enough to handle the side kicks of breast stroke being the only stroke i swim.... Oh and i have had a few good nights sleep, so all looking good......
TheToad helen86637
Posted
Hi Helen. I remember my tkr 16 years ago. The surgeon said I might get about ten good years from it, but it's still going strong! I can't bend it completely or kneel comfortably so spend most of my gardening time on my bottom. Yes, the pain after the op was really bad, partly my fault as it seemed ok for a while but that was the epidural jab still working.. I had a general as well. It's had a lot of use over the 16 years - stairs etc. I was insured then and after a while quite enjoyed my stay, even taking an extra night when offered. Sadly, my left knee is going now but not insured now, too expensive. All I was given is 300 parecetamol. Not the same. So, you should be able to enjoy much more pain free mobility very soon. If not already!
pam2021 TheToad
Posted
TheToad, have you tried the marketplace for insurance?
I used that obama ins. and it paid all of my knee replacement.
I had mine done 1 1/2 years ago, and I heard/felt it pop about 2 weeks ago. Feels just like it did, with the torn meniscus. So now I am wondering what I actually did tear...
MRI soon, ugh.
Good Luck.
TheToad pam2021
Posted
Hi Pam. I live in New Zealand. The cost of insurance here kept going up as I got older until I couldn't afford it any more. Seems back to front, just when you need it more. I paid it for years without using it and kept it going even when I was abroad and couldn't use it. The pain makes me very tired and a bit grumpy too! Good luck with your MRI.
mary12001 helen86637
Posted
ive just undergone knee revision after 5 years of struggling with the first one. the whole saga has been a nightmare. wished id never had it done at all in the first place which was 5 years ago.
im lying here unable to sleep because of pain now in my buttocks. it will be 4 weeks on Monday since the second op. i can walk better but its just the pain especially of a nightime. you're supposed to keep your leg straight and sleep on your back , which I find very uncomfortable. i've been taken off the codeine . now im just on co-codamol. I could cry when I think of how I thought the recovery from having a new knee would be around 6-8 weeks. misled!
pam2021 helen86637
Posted
I had knee surgery May 2019. I continue to have numbness on the outer part of my knee. I can't get into bed, using that knee first.
So 1 1/2 years later, I stepped up on a step, and heard a pop. I am now suffering, with almost identical pain.
I know there isn't a meniscus, but that is exactly what it feels like.
I will go soon for a MRI and I dread it so much.
Good luck.