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Total knee replacement day 6

Posted , 23 users are following.

Jillystev3012
Jillystev3012

hi,

can anyone please tell me how i should be feeling and doing on day 6 total knee replacement.

I know everyone's different but if anyone is feeling the same as me iit may reassure me.

my leg feels like a ton weight and is so stiff and tight.

I am performing all my exercises as told by physio 4 times a day and it is quite a struggle due to the pain in my kneecap, especially straight leg raising. When walking with my elbow crutches which i try to do more of each day,my leg feels very weak and i feel like my knee could give way. I am presuming this is due to weakness in the quads muscle. I am probably wanting to run before i can walk, but i don't feel like i am performing very well, which is making me feel very tearful. I am not usually a giver upper and i'll try my very best as i want the most out of this new knee! Please tell me what you was like in week one. Xx

1 like, 82 replies

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  • jodie_63346
    jodie_63346 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    I am at day 6 of post op tkr. I feel so much pain. Every step I take is hard. I really can relate to what you are saying. You are now a few days along from your post. Please let me know how you are feeling now.
    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 jodie_63346

      Posted

      Jodie....you should be in lots of pain.......that's the nature of this beast. The trauma and the damage created by the process is very difficult to describe to people who haven't been through it. The rapids changes the system goes through the 1st 6 weeks makes a person wonder how the body and brain can begin to syncronize and start acting in unison again. All five of my openings have been different so you .ca imagine what its like from person to person. Pain meds are prescribed both in strength and length of time for a purpose. People aren't weak because they are in pain......they are in pain because they have been injured. I have heard people on here talk about dining excercises 4 times a day and doing it with nothing more than mild pain meds and that just goes against human nature. Slow down but don't quit. Participate but don't attack. Let your brain direct your activity. One of the problems we all have is starting to hurry to get done and the do more damage. If you have folio e ed the forum and seen any of my posts I continually push hydration. Drink more water than you ever have in your life. A dehydrated body just won't heal a quickly as a hydrated one. After 11 surgeries which include 3 different prosthesis and 5 complete rehabs I have long ago learned some basic tenants of recovery:

      Take pain Meds as prescribed: if they are doing the job, change till you find something that will. If your surgeon can't get you out of pain go to a primary care or general practice Dr. They are generally much more astute than surgeons when it comes to pain relic.

      Stay hydrated and even though you probably don't feel like eating much, stay on the fruits and vegetables as much as possible.

      The last but probably should be first......rest..Rest at every possible opportunity. You aren't going to win any gold stars by pushing yourself beyond the threshold of common sense when actually by overdoing you are just.

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 jodie_63346

      Posted

      (hit the button too soon)

      You are just going to have setbacks by working hard when you are already exhausted.

      Stay in touch as you progress. Everyone on here has been through it and will speak to get you back to good health

  • jean24837
    jean24837 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    Hi Jillystev3012 I had my TKR last Wednesday so I thought it would be nice to compare ....just sat here with a bag of peas on mine .i need a bit of pushing to get the excercises done it also feels tight and heavy and I don't think I'm using good posture as I feel my back is a bit tender ...but I'm working hard on that .....I think we are all different and will all get on with it it in own way...keep going and keep pushing yourself that little bit more .....we will get there in the end x

  • Mike_Knobbly56
    Mike_Knobbly56 Jillystev3012

    Edited

    Hi Jillystev3012

    I too am on day 6, male, aged 56 and feeling exactly like you both emotionally and physically.

    Had an encouraging  start to exercise in hospital  and discharged after 2 days but by day 4 my  leg is completely stiff and painful. I can't sleep at night and have begun to feel like a tearful failure. I think I might be trying too hard and then sometimes think maybe not hard enough.

    I can do the leg raises as I have always had decent quads but my rotation and bend has almost disappeared which makes me feel  useless. I don't know if forcing the bend more excessively will just create more swelling and take me further back. 

    There is conflicting advice on the internet with physios on one side and experts such as bonesmart website taking the opposite view. 

    Anyone else out there can offer some advice.

    Alll agree icing and elevation is key so I am hoping once the swelling and pain lessen I can be more pushy with the physio.

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 Mike_Knobbly56

      Posted

      Just remember the 1st article of tkr recovery:

      Its a marathon, not a sprint.

      Do your work on a sensible, regular schedule, taking pain meds as prescribed. When you start trying to defy the body, the body will win. Never put yourself into serious pain. When you do, you will backside because you can do your work the next time.

      I've said it before, I'm not an expert but 11 knee/leg surgeries and 5 complete rehab has put me in the upper echelon of amatures. Stay within the system and don't try to outrun it.

      Couple of other things....increase you water intake to keep soft tissue pliable and throw all expectations for some miraculous recovery out the window.

    • jenny80029
      jenny80029 Mike_Knobbly56

      Edited

      Start a new discussion and you will get more responses as the original post here is two years old.Don't worry about feeling low...it is the norm after major surgery.

    • Mike_Knobbly56
      Mike_Knobbly56 Oldfatguy1

      Edited

      Thanks for your advice .

      I think reassurance is key here as I am overthinking all aspects of recovery.

      I think by relaxing more I will be less tense particularly when doing  the leg bends.

      The hydration tip  is very helpful. 

    • tami49445
      tami49445 Mike_Knobbly56

      Posted

      I am 62 at day 6 trying to do my exercises until I can't using a wheeled walker for walking around my house, cane when I take my dogs out. I have to do 2 steps to go outside so that is a huge challenge in it's self!!! I have been challenging myself a little but not to hard my knee is stiff I can now pick it up by it's but not straight out. I am very teary I feel like I am not doing things right . I start PT tomorrow that will help me with my doubts I hope. Best of everything to your recovery ! 😃

  • tami49445
    tami49445 Jillystev3012

    Posted

    I am at day 6 as well I am using a wheeled walker and a cane when I take my dogs out. My knee seems so tight I keep doing the exercises that I can until it's to uncomfortable but I can't lift my leg yet all the way up by it's self 😦. I start PT tomorrow that will give me new idea's on how to get it to start working better, my knee's were so messed up I really couldn't do much exercising before. I want to go swimming also for PT hoping in a couple months to that too. Best of everything to your recovery! 😃

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