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Total Knee Replacement 8 weeks Post Op

Posted , 148 users are following.

pegs_girl
pegs_girl

Hi 

I am 8 weeks Post Op and wondered how you were all getting on!!

I am pleased wit my progress other than having what is commonly know as a Bursea behind my Knee, this is causing me pain on bending but mainly through the night.

I am achieving a 140 bend, can walk properly up a full set of stairs going up, but still coming down with both feet on 1 step and need to work on this.

Physio have now reduced my visits to monthly and the consultant is really happy with the 'end' result, albeit i do have to go back in 6 weeks to check the Bursea. i have been told this may be drained or surgically removed if it doesnt go down on its own accord!! 

The on going issues i have is through the night i do have pain that keeps me awake and i rarely get a full nights sleep.

For all of you out there who have either just had the Operation or are due too i can only advise to be patient, the pain and disability gets better in my opinion after about 4 weeks, each day after this i found so much improvement, i am back driving, dont use any sticks at all now, and can walk quite a distance, i still have a slight limp when walking and am working hard on 'marching' when i walk advised by physio, apparently if i concentrate on swinging my arms when walking it makes me walk straight without a limp. I am still off work and dont imagine going back for a further 6 weeks. I use an static bike twice daily and try and beat my time each day, this is helping with my muscle wastage.

I could never imagine i would feel this way 4 weeks ago but now i am doing so well i know its been worth it. My scar looks good and is just a thin line although its a bit purple looking, i still have swelling on the knee but not much, and my Knee does look a funny shape!!

I hope you are all doing good and that my experiance helps you with your recovery.

Good luck and stay positive...

20 likes, 341 replies

341 Replies

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  • susan20255
    susan20255 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Help, I need encouragement. I had a right TKR 8 days ago. I thought I was prepared for the pain, but clearly I'm not. The narcotics are making me dizzy and nacreous, so Dr has added an anti naseous drug to the cocktail of drugs. I cannot seem to get relief  no matter what I do. Sleeping at night is the worst. I have been trying to spend some of the day sitting in the great room vs. always being in bed.

    please somebody tell me this ends!!

    susan

    • Annodoremouse
      Annodoremouse susan20255

      Posted

      Ask you GP to change the meds. I was on a variety of NSAIDS both pre and post op. I was on the ceiling, seeing double, nausea, dizziness. My GP put me onto CoDydramol 10/500 10 mg DF118/500mg paracetamol I ve been able to cut them down to suit me
    • Tucks
      Tucks susan20255

      Posted

      Hi Susan nothing prepares you for this op does it.i wish I could give you some words of comfort but its really early days for you. Get your sleep whenever and wherever you can. The nights are horrendous rant they. I had problems with my meds too hallucinating, so I had to come off every thing except paracetomal. I'm afraid it's a hard, hard road. Both mentally and physically.things will get easier but look out for the setbacks on the way. I am nearly 5months post op now, ican walk unaided and have done for a long time. I still get knee pain and I am nowhere near full recovery. Take each day as it comes Susan its a waiting game I'm afraid. I wish you well tucks
  • Margrethe
    Margrethe pegs_girl

    Posted

    I am 9 weeks post op from a TKR.  I never imagined I would have this much continued pain.  I have burning pain down my shin to the foot, ankle and toes.  Also,burning in the calf and behind the knee.  Sometimes the burning continues up the thigh, almost to the groin.  Doc thinks I have nerve pain and prescribed Lyrica.  I have been taking the Lyrica for 3 weeks now and it has not taken effect yet.  I continue my PT three times a week.  The straight leg exercises are the hardest.  I still have a lot of stiffness and swelling.  The pain is worst at night and I still need to take Dilaudid (hydromorphone) to get me through the night.  I don't take it during the day anymore.  I take Tylenol and Advil instead.  Please someone tell me it is normal to,have all this burning and throbbing.

     

    • Tucks
      Tucks Margrethe

      Posted

      Sorry to have to say this is about normal, you get pains and heat in all parts of your legs . I am 5moths now and getting bad pains and aches around the bottom of my back and hips. Hurts like hell when I get up from a chair and I feel positively off balance. It's never ending I'm afraid. Wish you well 
    • Margrethe
      Margrethe Tucks

      Posted

      Sorry to hear that I have more pain and burning to look forward to.  I regret having a TKR!  I'd like to hear how long others have had this pain.  How long before I can get rid of cane and walk normally?
    • kelli70
      kelli70 Margrethe

      Posted

      I believe it differs with each person individually. I am 8 wks out and I havent had any pain I since about the second week after. I quit using the cane at about 4-5 weeks and I have been driving since then also. My knee still swells up and gets real stiff feeling to me, however my bend is ranging between 116-120 depending on the swelling that day. I am hoping to return to work in the next couple weeks. I do not know about the burning.The most I have had were some muscle spasms. I am pressing 100 lbs with my legs. I don't know if that is good or not. All I can say is that it will get better. Even on my bad days I have to tell myself that. I hope it gets better for.
    • Butterbean
      Butterbean Margrethe

      Posted

      Please don't assume the pain will continue for long .... We all heal at different rates and have different experiences. It's also probably the case that a higher percentage of the people who come on this site have problems than not.

      So far.. I'm six weeks post op... I've not had any undue pain and although I can't bend my knee as much as I'd like I'm improving all the time. 

      Good of luck with your recovery I hope all goes well for you 

    • lesa70198
      lesa70198 Margrethe

      Posted

      I am 8 week post op for bilateral TKR. I make it through the day without painkillers. Most days I don't even take tylenol or advil, but night is another story. I was on tramadol 50mg which did NOTHING, so one night out of desperation and googling, I took a second and was at least able to sleep through the night. I spoke with the doctor the next day and was prescribed another painkiller but I find it works for about 3-4 hours and then....I'm awake. I have about 120-121 ROM with the help of the PT. Knee straightening is 0 or nearly 0 in both knees. Now the PT is working on -0. It has been raining a lot here and I've noticed more pain then. I thought I wouldn't suffer from the weather any longer. I continue also to have stiffness and pain which has depressed me. It is early days so I continue to do my stretches, ice, go to PT 3 times per week and have joined the gym to swim and practice what I learn at PT. I have pain but see the "light at the end of this painful tunnel" and look forward to the Spring and even more mobility. Happy New Year all! Don't lose faith.
    • stephen17314
      stephen17314 lesa70198

      Posted

      I am 4 weeks post op following a total knee replacement.  I have found sleep difficult and taking tramadol hardly helps.  But for the last 2 days I have slept with a pillow between my legs and now sleep on either my affected leg side or the other side.  Sleep is now much better and seems to be better when my affected leg is on the top.
  • david88779
    david88779 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi All.

    I discovered this discussion whilst researching a bit of an issue with my

    latest TKR. I'm at approx. 8 weeks recovery now from my second knee

    replacement, the first one was in March 2014, which was a total

    success. Knee 2, replaced in October is not so good, I'm experiencing

    stiffness in the joint after walking, floor exercises and using my exercise bike. I have spent some time googling the symptoms and have

    convinced myself that I have Arthrofibrosis! Movement has diminished

    progressively, I'm now struggling to get 90° movement which is much

    less than when I was discharged by the Physio' folk.

    Strangely I can and have walked up to 4 miles non-stop on a daily basis

    with absolutely no pain, then alarmingly within 30 minutes of returning

    home the new joint virtually siezes up. There is significant pain when I try and force the bend beyond 90, but otherwise at rest there is no real pain. I tried icing today but it didn' t make any difference.

    Has any other forum member experienced this worrying condition, and

    how did you fix it? I do not want to have to go back to the surgeon for

    'manipulation' under anaesthetic, as it sounds very unpleasant!

    • Kikomay
      Kikomay david88779

      Posted

      I too have the same results I never expected my left knee to be so difficult and so different from my right. I had my tkr done in March 2015 and don't regret it. I have complete and total range of motion and pain free some numbness but in spots but not

      unexpected. Had my left tkr done in August 2015 but never expected what happened. My leg was completely swollen from

      mid thigh all the way to my toes this went on for 2 wks had to

      stop physical therapy because I had no room for movement,

      swelling caused the staples to pull therefore some became imbedded when staples were removed and steri strips applied within 4 days I had to remove them because of an allergic

      reaction to the adhesive lo and behold all inflammation in leg went away (except around my knee) along with the redness,

      iching no more peeling skin. I am now in my 4th week and I

      can't seem to get past the 90 degree bend and any gain I make I quickly lose within 30 minutes or more after therapy. I have developed pain in my thigh, back of knee and around the front. I have now learned that this is due to the the tourniquet that was used around my thigh and the amount of force that was used which has caused deep bruising and pooling of blood in

      between the layers of muscles causing them to become sticky

      instead of moving smoothly over each other. This has caused a whole set of other concerns because if I can't make forward progres. I'm in fear of being set up for manipulation cause as

      long as the muscle issue continues I can't gain the range of motion I feel I should be at. Compared to my right my left has

      has me frustrated, disappointed and in fear because I was

      already at 120 degree bend and doing squats in the same time frame I'm in now. It's an every day battle to remind myself that I'm still early in the game but it sucks when I've had such good results with the right knee.

      Ps. Answer to your question straight from my therapist the

      only fix is time and so the battle continues and I will win.

  • susan20255
    susan20255 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Him,

    if you can find a Functional Manual Physical Therapist, he or she can manipulate your knee into flexion. More than likely your ligaments and tendons, and quite possibly nerves have decided to bunch up. A FMT can work them out without needing manipulation under sedation from your doc.

    good Luck!

  • veronica91735
    veronica91735 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Like others - I'm so glad I have found this discussion. I am almost 10 weeks into my TKR. All seemed to go well, discharged after 4 days, but on day 6, I woke up in dreadful pain & discovered a huge hematoma from the top of my operated knee, to the actual knee area itself. I went back to hospital for 24 hours, where draining was discussed, but it was so very painful (my GP said it was the worst he had seen, & compared it to being run over by a bus!) that they increased the blood thinners to a 5 week course, & ordered bed rest to stop it naturally draining down the leg too fast. Tablet morphine was prescribed (thank goodness) to take along side the parecetamol & codeine. My out-patient physio was put back 2 weeks, so I am bascially behind everyone else, I do have scar tissue - but have been offered longer term physio rather than another proceedure (MUA), as scar tissue can be stretched. The elastic band feeling is awful, as is the feeling of having barbed wire inside the knee - but the long term consistant pain has gone, so I am gradually weaning myself off all meds now. I use a CPM machine weekly at my Physio hospital, & have just reached 90 degrees, although my sitting measured bend is still just under. Those of you who can bend it properly after 6 or so weeks are SO lucky. I am now off crutches, but do tend to limp a little, & living in a 3 storey house is no joke when the kitchen is on the top floor - but today I managed to go up stairs normally, if a little slow, but you are told coming down normally is the last thing for a complete recovery. I am supposed to have the other knee done, but at the moment, 10 weeks in - if anyone came near me with a knife - it would end up in them & not me! I just cannot even think about having the left knee done as it hs been 10 weeks of pure hell. I am going to start driving this week, as I feel I can, but will start with drives slowly around our (quiet) area to regain confidence!

    I always though I had a high pain level - I am in my early 60's, have worked for myself all my working life, & never took time off unless I physically couldn't get there - I am now begining to doubt my pain levels!! BTY - the brusing from the hematoma is still visible, 10 weeks in - YUK!

  • sherrilynne
    sherrilynne pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hello

    I am 4 weeks post op from total knee replacement.  I am not sure if I am behind where I should be?  I am still taking pain killers 24/7, walking with a cane and or walker and my range is only about 45 degrees.  Reading all the comments its hard to determine where I fit in.  Am I behind.

    • gloria29023
      gloria29023 sherrilynne

      Posted

      Sherrilynne, as regards recovery with walking with aids and bending, the longer you read these posts the more you realise that everyone is different and needs to recover at their own ace. I'm further down the track but 2 things I would say is that you take painkillers as long as you think you need them although do try to cut down on morphine based by 3 months, going on to prescriptive stronger than over the counter meds, but if you feel better with pain killers, then use them. The other thing I have found is that you need to continue with your bending stretching strengthening exercises for a very long time, otherwise you stiffen up. 
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