Posted , 24 users are following.
Most of us found that we didn't know enough about recovery from a TKR before we had it done. What do you wish you had've known? What would have armed you better?
2 likes, 78 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
wanda73303 cheryl86544
Posted
Cheryl these are excellent questions. I was in a pre op joint class, which prepared us pretty well for what to expect physically from the surgery. Nothing, and I mean nothing, dealt with the mental and emotional aspects you will have post op. I wish they had discussed the extreme fatigue, withdrawal from pain meds, anxiety and sleeplessness. I have had all of these and I am now 6 weeks post op. Everything I read on line tells me these symptoms are "normal" but it is tough going thru them. I also wish they had support groups for post op patients where we could meet with others who have had this surgery and get some mental and emotional support. I am trying very hard to pull out of the anxiety and sleeplessness on my own. I have decided to see my family doctor to discuss the these problems. When I asked the ortho surgeon for help, his reply was that was not his area of expertise and he could not help. I think a discussion of the mental and emotional aspects of post op TKR should be mandatory and also offering support groups for pre and post op patients. Thanks for this forum
judith00931 wanda73303
Posted
cheryl86544 wanda73303
Posted
CHICO_MARX cheryl86544
Posted
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
judith00931 cheryl86544
Posted
wanda73303 judith00931
Posted
judith00931 wanda73303
Posted
Sleeplessness certainly is a problem......I'm still waiting for a good night!
terri90278 cheryl86544
Posted
Very interesting question Cheryl. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't know how rough this road was. When you need it, you need it & even though, at 11 weeks I'm still struggling I know that eventually I will be happy I did it. I'm glad I'm retired bc when I asked my doctor how long before I can work (i work part time as a substitute teacher but only when I want to) he said about a month. NO WAY!!! If I was still teaching I would be very stressed when that month came & I had to tell my principal that I couldn't come back to work.
The other thing I wish I knew is that it would have been helpful if I worked to strengthen my quad muscles before the TKR.
pete20617 cheryl86544
Posted
About 20 months since TKR. Did not think I would still be in recovery mode but realise now for me it will most likely continue this way. Also, was not aware that nerve damage would be incurred & take so long to get over.
Pete
cheryl86544 pete20617
Posted
Hey Pete, yes very good points! I also wasn't aware that nerve damage would be so painful. For me it feels like someone drilling into my knee with a carpenter's drill and occur pretty much anywhere in that leg. But it's also positive pain, I feel that happens when the nerves are reawakening! When it's at its most severe I get a rush of advancement in the knee.
Rcurry17 cheryl86544
Posted
cheryl86544 Rcurry17
Posted
I'm glad you're getting some sleep now. Yep, I know exactly what you mean about the numb one side - pain on the other. It goes, but does take a while.
mary_ann60812 cheryl86544
Posted
What I wish I had known before....along with what everyone else has said......how this surgery totally consumes your life for X amount of time.....weeks, months, whatever. I had visions of resting comfortably, working on x word puzzles, catching up on reading, etc, but the pain was so intense I couldn't concentrate on anything. Seconds and minutes seemed like hours when pain isn't controlled. My pain meds didn't last but so long, and with home nurse, and physical therapist encouraging me to wean myself after 3 weeks, I was in fear that if I took them as needed, I'd run out and my prescription wouldn't be refilled. As a result, I spent a good amount of time crying and just praying for the 3 month mark - Dr. said at 3 months, you're about 70% back to normal. Funny, how being 30% abnormal is HUGE. We all want 100% normal!! I believe I'm there, as best as can be, at almost 2 years!
lyn32416 mary_ann60812
Posted
Totally agree Mary ann. 3 months and 70% is a sick joke and I don't know how or why we are not advised to just plan a year's recovery time. I know no one over 60 who has had a quick recovery. I'm glad for those who have, but it's a dream for many. Someone told me " surgeons just wanna do surgery" and that said it all for me. I tell anyone who asks, " give it a year and see how you feel then". I am pretty happy now but one knee is not perfect. I can live with that. I can walk 5 Kms, travel 3-4 trips of 6 weeks a year. Life is what we make it, once we get to a place where we can cope without pain and regain our lives prior to injury or arthritis. Good fortune to you and all.xxx
mary_ann60812 lyn32416
Posted
I know, Lyn....Dr's should advise.."be prepared for the long haul". Luckily I had no set backs and it's been a steady back to life for me. I'm doing what I did before surgery...with modifications and that's just what I want. Life IS what we make of it and it's all good. Now, don't anyone ask about the other knee. It'll be a long time before I consider it!!
Best of luck to you too!!
cheryl86544 mary_ann60812
Posted
Yes, I couldn't agree more Mary Anne. it totally consumes our lives for such a large chunk of time. I couldn't concentrate on anything else either. Your doctor saying that at 3 months you're about 70% back to normal varies so greatly! With my first TKR I couldn't have said that I was 70% back to normal at 3 months, maybe at 12 months. With my 2nd TKR I do feel like that. This time my recovery has been so much better. I saw my surgeon last week and asked him why there was such a difference. He looked at my exrays and said that with my 1st TKR they used the smallest size of implant they could but it's too big for me, so for my 2nd he used a smaller one and tailored it, by shaving some of it off.
I'm not letting this news get to me, I am absolutely pushing both knees as hard as I can and I'm determined that the first one won't always be behind.
Just to explain I'm 4'10". Seems that everything I have is smaller than anyone else's. Even my dentist says that when I've needed root canals that they are so small too.
I had to wait about 11 years for my first TKR, then another 18 months for the next one. My life has been consumed with pain for such a long time. Talk about it becoming our lives - in the 18 months between TKRs I pushed as hard as possible and did hydrotherapy every day, so if there was anything else I needed to do it had to fit around that. That was a huge lifesaver for me.
cheryl86544
Posted
There's another reason why my recoveries were different, almost forgot! With my first TKR I got infections in both knees, again - if there's almost no chance I'll get it, I seem to. That made my recovery so much harder.