total knee replacement surgery recovery

Did you mean not trying hard enough? If that's what they're saying, and you're giving it your best shot, I'd remind them we're all different, it takes time and surely it can depend on the swelling !

It's very early days and I'm sure you'll get there....... All the best!

Still early to be overly concerned but maybe you should take a step back and review. I've been through rehab 4 times for various reasons. My therapist originally told me that he could show me how to rehab but at least 80% was going to be up to me. Start slow, plenty of pain meds an hour before you start. Make sure you are doing them slow but correctly then ice afterwards. Elevate really elevate, not just stretch out on a sofa. You will feel the swelling and will have to continue to push through it a bit at a time. Steady is the key. Rest whenever you can. You have been through a life changing experience and you will have to learn to be kind to yourself. This isn't being lazy, this is a necessity. Liquids and too nutrition. Most people lose appetite therefore nutrition suffers. Be patient and expect day to day changes. About the time you think you are making headway the body seemscto change direction but that will start moving in the right direction. 90 days from now you will be much stronger. One additional suggestion: all the time you have been in pain you probably were favoring the leg wit a limp. Now start taking time to walk properly, heel, ball of foot, toe. If you need help from your therapist just ask. Good luck. This forum is great for encouragement and answers......keep in touch. Everyone here has been through it and will be glad to become your friends and advisors

connie ... not very supportive of your pt?  you can do without that for sure.  what kind of pain meds are you on?  are you taking them an hour before going to therapy?  but do remember, it is very early days yet and we all heal at different rates which you will be able to tell if you read all the different posts on here.  i was probably about at the same rate as you in week 3.  also lots of pain when exercising plus i couldn't lift my leg at all.  

i am now at week ...16? ... and have had a long journey but can see the end of the tunnel for sure.  keep at it.

Hi Connie, I am now 7.5 weeks post op and every day there seems to be improvement, not like the first 3 weeks spent wondering if I had done the the right thing having the operation. Now I am thinking it was a great decision as I am sure you find to be the opinion of most people on this site. Because of having a lot of spare time ( I retired 2 months before the operation) I have read a lot about it on the internet. The best bit of information was regarding knee bend: < 70° is associated with poor walking ability and more than 110° relates to good walking ability, so interms of walking well you are nearly there. as for playing basketball, football, weightlifting etc it is not going to happen! sorry to spoil you dreams , i personally think if i can walk a good distance and use stairs pain free during, and afterwards without haveing pain, i will be happy. there is no need to suffer pain get the good drugs and take them to allow you push through your physio boundaries and sleep well. take note of what the physios say, but it is your knee and there are so many variables in an operation of this kind we are all diferrent, i think 84 degrees is excellent in 3 weeks, so keep going at your own pace and enjoy every improvement however small and move towards your total recovery. read peoples comments on this site and understand that we are all supporting each other and we are the ones that actually know what it is like to have this brutal operation. keep us posted on your improvements and that will encourage others as well. regards paul 70°="" is="" associated="" with="" poor="" walking="" ability="" and="" more="" than="" 110°="" relates="" to="" good="" walking="" ability,="" so="" interms="" of="" walking="" well="" you="" are="" nearly="" there.="" as="" for="" playing="" basketball,="" football,="" weightlifting="" etc="" it="" is="" not="" going="" to="" happen!="" sorry="" to="" spoil="" you="" dreams="" ,="" i="" personally="" think="" if="" i="" can="" walk="" a="" good="" distance="" and="" use="" stairs="" pain="" free="" during,="" and="" afterwards without="" haveing="" pain,="" i="" will="" be="" happy.="" there="" is="" no="" need="" to="" suffer="" pain="" get="" the="" good="" drugs="" and="" take="" them="" to="" allow="" you="" push="" through="" your="" physio="" boundaries="" and="" sleep="" well.="" take="" note="" of="" what="" the="" physios="" say,="" but="" it="" is="" your="" knee="" and="" there="" are="" so="" many="" variables="" in="" an="" operation="" of="" this="" kind="" we="" are="" all="" diferrent,="" i="" think="" 84="" degrees="" is="" excellent="" in="" 3="" weeks,="" so="" keep="" going="" at="" your="" own="" pace="" and="" enjoy="" every="" improvement="" however="" small="" and="" move="" towards="" your="" total="" recovery.="" read="" peoples="" comments="" on="" this="" site="" and="" understand="" that="" we="" are="" all="" supporting="" each="" other="" and="" we="" are="" the="" ones="" that="" actually="" know="" what="" it="" is="" like="" to="" have="" this="" brutal="" operation.="" keep="" us="" posted="" on="" your="" improvements="" and="" that="" will="" encourage="" others="" as="" well.="" regards="">, i personally think if i can walk a good distance and use stairs pain free during, and afterwards without haveing pain, i will be happy. there is no need to suffer pain get the good drugs and take them to allow you push through your physio boundaries and sleep well. take note of what the physios say, but it is your knee and there are so many variables in an operation of this kind we are all diferrent, i think 84 degrees is excellent in 3 weeks, so keep going at your own pace and enjoy every improvement however small and move towards your total recovery. read peoples comments on this site and understand that we are all supporting each other and we are the ones that actually know what it is like to have this brutal operation. keep us posted on your improvements and that will encourage others as well. regards paul>

Don't let your physio put you off. It's a time issue. My bend has not improved from 90. I had this with my other knee. Once I got on bike, it rapidly improved. It will come in time. Stay strong.

Robert

Connie you are doing fine, I too did not get to 90 degree until 5 weeks and was 4 weeks when I could finally lift my leg up off the bed, the difference is my PT was very supportive and just kept encouraging me she also said as long as I did my exercises it would eventually happen. I am now 11 weeks and stuck at 106 degree been this since week 8 but am getting around  fine. Hang in there

Connor, I was the same as you, too swollen to bend my knee. I didn't get a 90 degrees for weeks, at 3 weeks I was only about 70. Now I am 13 weeks and the last time it was measure, about 2 weeks ago, it was 118 degrees.

it takes time and patience and a lot of ice!

Keep going, we will all get there

Caz 13 weeks post TKR Perth Australia

Connie, I'm at 7 weeks and only just got to 90, after 3 changes of pain medication and some tough physio sessions where he just leant on it and held it for the longest 20 seconds of my life. It's not that you are not trying, it's that they haven't figured out how to control your pain properly yet. My physio said that some people just don't respond to the pain killers. Even the one I have now - which is better than the first 2, still doesn't block enough of the pain (in my opinion).

Hi Connie, I posted this on Bullifrogs website and it might help you. (I am not just boasting here). I couldn't get on my wife's exercise bike to start with, even with the seat in the highest position so I drilled some extra holes to allow the seat to raised so that I could pedal with only a little discomfort . This was at about 4 weeks post tkr when I had about 80 degrees  just. I pedal at about 60 rpm for 3 (2 to start with) minutes with no friction so the pedalling is easy, which the bike's little display says is about 1 kilometer. When I feel the of the pedal stroke at the top is easy I drop the seat one hole which increases the bend at the top of the pedal movement and do that until that is easy. I will be 8 weeks post op on Friday and I have about 135 degrees and still getting minor improvement every couple of days I can climb stairs, walk about 2 kilometers without too much pain and no stick, but it does start to ache a bit towards the end of the walk so it's back home for an ice . I did over do it  when I started and had a bit of pain the next day, so just go at your own pace. Every little improvement makes you feel really good. I am still on panadol forte and my doctor said keep taking them until they run out which is in about 15 days. Hope that helps. Regards Paul