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Update - Manual bend under anastetic

Posted , 12 users are following.

britta217
britta217

Spent an hour and a quarter with my surgeon this afternoon - who, on a side note had an emergency appendicitis operation on saturday and was back in his practice on monday!! - and we came to the conclusion that i have to go back into hospital on november 4. my bend at 6 weeks is 80 and has not improved in the past 3 weeks. nothing, zilch, nada. in his experience if you do not get this bend in the first week or two, you will never get up to 120 or 140. and at 51 i am very young to live with such a limited knee bend. so neither of us really see any option.

for those of you in the same situation: i will go in and they will put me under for a 10 minutes. during this time they will gently bend the knee. i will also get a pain catheter for 48 hours and during this time i will be on the knee bendy machine the whole time, day and night. i then come off the pain catheter and i have to continue for another 24 hours on the bendy machine relying on oral medication. as you can imagine, i then need to be stringent and rigorous with my exercises and will go to physio 3 times a week.

there are no guarantees that this will get my bend back but if i didn't do it, i would regret to taking the chance for the rest of my life. 80 is just rubbish so i am thinking optimistic

in the meantime he has given me different pain meds to see if i can stomach them so we know what works post op, incl. one with codeine. i am also getting lyrica which should be interesting as i have read lots about it on here. not sure how this will help but happy to try anything at this point.

that's the news. came out feeling tearful despite knowing what the outcome would be in my heart of hearts. i will post an update once i have had it and let you know if the whole thing was worth it.

2 likes, 89 replies

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  • gloria29023
    gloria29023 britta217

    Posted

    good luck Britta. Lyrica may be a saviour in your case, I didn't begin exercises comfortably with my first knee until I was given Lyrica two weeks in. With my second I had Lyrica for a week from day dot.That combined with high dose meds gave me 100 bend from beginning. I do feel for ppl who can't tolerate painkillers. I wouldn't have coped without mine. Honestly I don't know why surgeons in general don't understand the need for meds for effective exercise for effective recovery. I like the description of the knee needing to be moulded. I'd agree with that. Anyway good luck again. Hopefully this does the trick.
    • britta217
      britta217 gloria29023

      Posted

      hi gloria ... so day 3 on lyrica and i am noticing a huge difference despite being on a low dosage for the time being. we are upping it every 2nd day so i am super interested in seeing the outcome and how much it allows me to work through the pain. for my second knee, this will be on the menu from day one!

      my surgeon is also of the opinion that meds - and lots of them - are the only way of working through the pain. so he gave me loads, but they weren't effective. now i regret not going back and insisting on reviewing what i was taking. i feel i have wasted about 3 weeks! ho hum. i have this teeny tiny hope that i improve so quickly that i won't need surgery. hope springs eternal!

    • gloria29023
      gloria29023 britta217

      Posted

      Fantastic britta. So glad that it is working for you. And yes u may have been a bit slow off the mark this time but you will be up and running  next time. Good on you!
  • tracey71146
    tracey71146 britta217

    Posted

    Oh Britta I do feel for you too and as you know I am probably going to need this procedure too; am 8 + 2 and am at 90 and my knee feels like it is made of concrete.

    But I guess if it needs doing for whatever reason (suggesting you are a wimp is not helpful), it needs doing as you say you don't want a limp neither do I.

    I can remember the physios suggesting it was in my mind that I couldn't bend further than I could but really when your knee bandaged up and more than twice the size it normally is how can it bend like it did prior to a TKR??!!

    My bend is not great but not terrible so I have just done Oldfatguy's exercise on my front and could really feel the stretch (hurt very slightly but felt good in a weird way) - thanks for the tip!

    Onwards and upwards Britta - you will get there and you have our support.

    Tracey x

    • tracey71146
      tracey71146

      Posted

      I meant my straighten not bend for Oldfatguy's exercise!
  • ruby95450
    ruby95450 britta217

    Posted

    Hi Britta. The draining I'm supposed to have is by tube I believe as there is such a build up of fluid.  I'm not looking forward to it one bit!  It is apparently being done on 

    4th November.  My knee, as well as being swollen, is so tight and solid too. Also, the other knee is getting a bit painful so will probably need doing in the future😪 Not looking forward to that!!!  My consultant put off doing my TKR before for 4 years as he said I was too young. Maybe if he had done it then instead of when it got so bad I could hardly walk, my recovery might have gone a bit better.  Oh well, who know? 

    All the best Britta.  Take care xxx

    • Tucks
      Tucks ruby95450

      Posted

      Hi ruby, so sorry you are suffering these problems the TNR is enough to for anyone to bear and you do not need other things going on. It will be sorted sooner or later. Best of luck will be thinking about you. Love tucks
    • britta217
      britta217 ruby95450

      Posted

      ruby! we are going in on the same day! november 4 ... let's make sure that everything goes well for both of us. it has to, we both need mobility.

      i hear you ... my left knee also needs doing shortly, it was basically just a case of tossing a coin: left or right knee first? sometimes i think surgeons are not in touch with reality. by delaying it, your operated knee was in a much worse state (and the muscles and ligaments around it) and the pressure on your other knee much higher. seriously, what does age have to do with it? you are in pain and something needs doing.

      as we have heard on here over and and over again, no two knees are the same. i am making sure the left knee is as healthy as it can be before i go into surgery again. i think that makes a huge difference.

      will be thinking of you on november 4!

  • Tucks
    Tucks britta217

    Posted

    Oh dear Britta I am so sorry things have not gone to plan for you. I hope with the new treatment you will be get on the road to recovery pretty quickly. I wish you well. Love from tucks
  • ruby95450
    ruby95450 britta217

    Posted

    Hi Tucks. How are you getting on?  Thank you so much for your words of encouragement - it means a lot😘. This TKR lark is getting a bit silly now lol.  Oh well I guess there are others worse off than me.  At least I am keeping the tears at bay for a while lol. Hope all is ok with you Tucks. Love and best wishes xxx
    • Tucks
      Tucks ruby95450

      Posted

      Hi my freind I am doing well at the moment, touching wood, at 10weeks I am walking around 1/4mile a day. Sleeping better , feeling less weepy. It's a horrendous journey don't you think, I was totally unprepared for it. I feel as if I have been to hell and back, but I'm here to tell the tale and I can imagine you must feel the same, trouble is our legs are so important to us lol you will get there ruby , don't feel that you are feeling sorry for yourself have a good moan and have a good cry when you need to, it will sustain you in your darkest moments. I have cried for England . Bless you hope you turn that corner. Soon. Love from tucks x
    • ruby95450
      ruby95450 Tucks

      Posted

      Oh Tucks, you are so right . It is horrendous but we will BOTH get there!  I have not been so weepy this week - feeling less sorry for myself lol. I don't think any of us have been prepared for this journey through TKR torture! Well done you for doing lots of walking. It all helps. I too am sleeping better - maybe it's a 10 week thing! My husband is sleeping in the spare room as I was disturbing his sleep so much. He said it was fine but I thought it best for him to sleep there as he has to work and he can be a right pain when he is tired.  But gues what? I have the whole bed to stretch out in. It is sheer bliss

      and I can rest my operated knee without worrying if he is going to knock into it! Maybe that's why I'm sleeping better lol. Keep up the good work, Tucks.

      I will let you know how the drainage thing goes yikes!! Love to you xxx

    • gloria29023
      gloria29023 Tucks

      Posted

      Yes Tucks/Ruby all! It is an extremely traumatic op. one is certainly not per pared for it and no one who hasn't had it understands. I used to get quietly mad when hip replacement people acted so surprised because their recovery was easy as if there was something wrong with me. Lol Now I just tell them all medicos say knees are far worse. Heh. However for those contemplating a second it is better because I was prepared. Not to say it is less painful and disturbing and uncomfortable etc. it is just very boring as well because I know I can't do much So just have to sit it out and wait for recovery. Sit tight all. I know it gets better as it did with my first and it will for the second and it will for all of you! So sayeth the voice of experience. But I am getting to watch a lot of DVDs smile
    • Tucks
      Tucks gloria29023

      Posted

      Hi Gloria , oh how I wish I could concentrate o some DVD s or even TV. I can't seem to sit comfortably, I'm hitthering and ditheringl instead of relaxing. I wasn't like this before the op. I am less weepy until bedtime and then the tears come, for no obvious reason. I shall be so glad to see the back of it all. I am normally happy and full of fun, want my life back please lol. Love from tucks
    • Tucks
      Tucks ruby95450

      Posted

      Hi ya ruby ,me again thanks for your comments, because I am a widow I am used to being able to stretch out in bed and its a big plus. Nights are my weepiness times too. Whilst I have been in recovery I would have loved to have a cup of tea to wake up to. Silly I suppose but it does upset me. Even though my family have been so good looking at 4walls alone, day and night is a hard road to tread. I'm whingeing again, must stop it. So good to talk, love from tucks xxx
    • ruby95450
      ruby95450 Tucks

      Posted

      Oh Tucks. I am sorry for being so insensitive. I really admire people like yourself who have gone through this recovery living on their own.  I would have gone to bits - in fact I'm not far off of that and I have both my husband and a daughter still living at home! How selfish am I?  You are not whingeing  at all.  Everyone who has gone through this awful op is entitled to feel a bit sorry for themselves - I know I have quite often😊 I wish I lived near you, I'd bring you a cup of tea in bed.  Just think, this time next year we will both be walking around with no pain. If next year goes a quickly as this one, it should fly!  Stay positive love and scream and cry if it helps - it has helped me at times. Love and best wishes to you xxx
    • jennifer86104
      jennifer86104 Tucks

      Posted

      Aaww, Tucks, I feel for you too being on your own. Please keep talking on here when you're fed up. Even though I'm lucky to have my husband here it's still good to catch up and whinge when necessary on this site. Hope you get a good night's sleep. Take care, Jen x
    • britta217
      britta217 gloria29023

      Posted

      hahah! sayeth the voice of experience indeed! i was thinking along these lines as well as i know the second one is looming. if nothing else, i think we have got the medication sorted and one thing is for sure, they can give me lyrica from the get-go! amazing stuff and i am still only on a low dosage, building up daily. and i am holding on to the thought that every knee is different and surely i cannot have two difficult / uncooperative knees? enjoy watching your dvd's.
    • Tucks
      Tucks ruby95450

      Posted

      Ruby my freind you were not in the least bit insentative.and you are far from selfish, yes it's a pity about the morning tea, I don't suppose you could bring me one over on a fast train, so it would not get cold lol it's great we all have our sence of humours intact..this time next year we will be wondering what all the fuss was about, hopefully. Take care it ain't for the faint hearted is it ? Love from tucks xxx
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