Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since my December 17, 2018 TKR surgery. I don't have staples. I have stitches under the skin and glue holding the incision closed. I told the surgeon my biggest concerns were pain control and swelling . He didn't think it would be a problem. I was given 5mg of Norco 325. It doesn't even TOUCH the pain!!! Three days later I ended up back at the hospital and they kept me overnight and upped my Norco to 10mg! I can only take it every 6 hours. Since the bandage has come off the swelling is worse. I am icing 4-6 times a day. It fees great while ice is on but 10 minutes after I take it off my knee and whole leg is swollen and hurting again. My knee and leg burn, sting and itching on feet, legs, and around knee is driving me NUTZ! I not a big baby or whiner but this is wearing me down. PT says to walk less and sit more and elevate my leg. I can't plan for anything. Using a walker and really don't need it much but can't walk far without pain. I can't straighten my knee on the bed, or bring it all the way up to my other bent knee. I am doing all the exercises they recommend but one day I might feel a tad better the next I am in agony. The first week I was in so much pain it was affecting me mentally. Never was told about the enormous bruises and pain they bring, plus the groin and back of knee pain. I can't imagine this going on for ANOTHER 3 months let alone 3 or 6 months more. How in the world does everyone deal with all this? Are there any creams that can be used to ease pain, have heard of CBD oil but never tried it. I am retired, my poor husband is doing everything for me. Sorry if you are experiencing these symptoms as well . Thanks for listening....Eileen
All those symptoms you are having are normal. Im 5 weeks out now and i was allergic to the adhesive tape on my knee which they glued, red terrible rash all over my knee! 2 weeks into it i find out im allergic to my pain meds. So im not even on pain meds. Extra Strength tylenol is my go to for pain. Everynight is a night of pain, and definetely no sleep. Just cant get comfy. Sleeping in my recliner as cant sleep in the bed. That tingly feeling is normal. My dr told me at night to put on an ace bandage as the blankets irritate it. All that you have will get better. Just keep your head up. Somedays i do alot of crying!! Good luck and keep us posted!
We've ALL gone through the same thing because we were never told how difficult it would be and/or we expected a fast, pain-manageable recovery. WRONG!!! The whole thing usually takes a full year. The worst part is the first 3 months while you get your ROM back and the pain eases off. Then six months of atrophied muscle rebuild to walk correctly, regain your balance and start doing stairs like a normal person again. Most people report "feeling more like themselves" around 9 months and then you dance at your 1 year anniversary.
Three tools: time, work and patience. That's it. There are no expectations in TKRVille. Click on my name, Discussions, See All for loads of discussion topics that can hopefully help. Welcome to the club, Kneebie...
First of all every single patient is different, every surgeon, every hospital and the advice from experts, forums, physios etc. So read them and gain confidence but do not follow them if you don't want to. The other excellent forum (Bonesmart) puts much more emphasis on rest, especially in the early stages. I've had two done and the first was only painful for the first week but the second was more like three and horrific sharp tingling in the calves. It went. Mostly it seems to go by 4 - 6 weeks or at least lessen unless there is a problem. I found if you keep a daily diary it helps. We have poor memories for pain and I didn't think I was making progress till I read what I wrote at ten days! Trust your body to heal itself - it will. I wouldn't do much walking or weight bearing but move about every hour or so. In between keep it rested and elevated. Do whatever exercises you can without forcing it or increasing pain. Swelling is what causes pain and lack of ROM so don't push it, especially early on. The natural internal healing progresses for months and although my knee isn't swollen any more it still isn't quite the same shape as the other yet after 7 months, but it will be. You should be over the worst very soon so stay positive - it will be okay.
dear purplerlover, THIS makes me SO mad. I could cry for you. You need complete pain cover for at least 4 weeks so that you CAN do your exercises! I had l took long acting pain killers targin at 8 plexia at 10 mornnig and night with endone and panadol 3 hourly as required and set an alarm on my phone! I could do the exercises then ice elevate. Go back to your GP and tell them you need more pain relief! It's barbaric you are suffering like this. 8 weeks now and have panadol during the day and long acting plexia only before bed. A smaller pillow for between your legs helps at night. It does start to get better after 4weeks...well for me it did. xxxxxx
Chico i thank you so much for all your info you have given to us. I find myself sometimes daily going back and rereading some if your topics. It keeps me sane!! Thank you again!!!
6 months later and I still have pain, still cant straighten all the way even with MUA ....but it is a little better, so I remain optimistic....hang in there and let them know you need pain meds. I had to be diagnosed with chronic pain in order for insurance to give me more than 1 week worth of pain meds.....and I am not an abuser!!
at 3 weeks you will still be in a lot of pain, ask for a nerve pain med like Lyrica that will help, also dont overdo the exercises , I did very little to start with except bending and straightening my leg , just in bed . I did go out with crutches .I found at about 8 weeks pain suddenly lessened . Once healed try water exercises, I am a year now and its fine , I had little swelling , and not a lot of pain at all after 3 months . I didnt have any bruising either so we are all different, but yes the pain did get me down the first couple if months , especially at night , I would just watch Netflix and then sleep whenever, another thing too is the tiredness lasted a while , total exhaustion fir a few months . Good luck , it will improve , you will not be able to do much for at least 2 months , just short trips out! Also with getting your knee flat on bed, keep lushing it down slowly with ice on it , if its swollen you will not get it flat , i found some days i could others not . As i said i didnt do much physio to start with, but did go in pool and to water aerobics as soon as it was totally healed , but now have as good bend etc as you can get.
Hi, I am at 14 weeks and everything you are going through is normal. I was in tears quite often, I was on lots of pain meds i needed to keep a diary so I knew what I had taken. I went though depression for a few weeks and couldn't eat I thought I would never improve, but now I am just starting to I think I did the right thing. Lots of rest and excercise , medication and ice and try not to worry to much but that is a very hard thing to do. We are all different in healing and talking to your Dr and physiotherapist will help you as will this forum . Good luck and remember there is a light at the end of all of this.
How can you NOT be on pain meds? How do you survive? There must be something they could try. I am fortunate to have an adjustable bed. I put the foot of the bed up as high as it will go, put the ice mat on my knee, raise my head and sleep on my back. I have to get up at least 2 to 3 times a night to change the ice. I am not a crier. But have cried more in the last 3 weeks than I have in the last 20 years!! The adhesive from the saran like bandage made my skin burn. Now that it's off the skin still burns!!
Chico Marks thanks so much for some sort of explanation. I will definitely check out your posts and info.
Dr told me they have nothing else for me to take. I know totally stinks. We also have a bed where the head and feet raise but i cant get anything to work for me. I have tried everything for sleeping, Benadryl, Tylenol Pm, and tonight I'm trying melatonin so will see. Let you know how it goes!!
DcWeather
I Started PT last Thursday. They measured my ROM. Said my leg was not straight. Did some stretching. I seemed to help. Today I exercised more, they moved my knee more. Remeasured my knee ROM and said it was much better. But boy did it stiffen up after that, I got home crawled in bed and iced it. I was told this is not supposed to be like a regular surgical healing. In that it gets progressively better. I will feel pretty good, ice it and 10 minutes after icing it is hot and burning and swollen. I take one step forward and 3 back. I keep trying to put my big girl panties on and deal with it but can't get them over my knee. So glad I found this forum. Felt like I was all alone. Thanks everyone for your helpful comments.
Mary I am a side sleeper. I hate sleeping on my back. Can you keep your leg straight if you have the pillow between your legs?
kathleen, what is MUA????? What kind of Dr. would diagnose chronic pain? I saw a pain mgt. Dr. I wasn't even on the Norco yet and he wouldn't prescribe anything.
Jenny
When did you start to exercise? I had Home Services come before my surgery to get me stretched and strengthened before surgery. After they were here for 2 weeks. Now I am in PT. It just wears me out. I have a NU Step I use to stretch my knee flat. Well I try. But soon as I am done it swells right up again.
Fastening my seat-belt.... I think it's going to be a BUMPY ride.
Thanks EVERYONE for your support.
well do the best you can with the pillows. i had to sleep on my back for a few weeks, but give it a go. I think anything you can cope with and works is ok. x
Early days I'm sorry to say. The first 6 weeks are hell but then things gradually improve. When your scar is no longer open and looks fine massage with Aveeno or bio oil. Behind the knee massage in voltarol it helps before bed time. The important part is rest and listen to your knee. Am now preparing for my second knee to be done so good luck patience so rest ice elevate meds. Good luck x
Oh Ann, after knowing what you know and having all that pain you are having the 2nd knee done? I cannot IMAGINE having to go thru this again. It seems incredible to me that a Dr. could do what he did to "fix" my knee. This is 2019... haven't there been ANY improvements so this surgery is less barbaric? Less painful??? I have yet to look at a video of the surgery. But have been told if I looked at what they do to your knee I would understand why I am in so much pain. Hope your surgery goes well with minimal pain.
I feel for you but there is no going back now you have to move forward. Everyone is different and it is impossible to predict exactly what the recovery period will be like. When I had TKR 7 years ago I could not wait to get back in the swimming pool. The consultant said I could go back when I saw him at 6 weeks post op. It is so much easier to do the exercises in water. Things will improve hopefully but I do wish doctors and consultants were more honest from the beginning about the hard road to recovery. I was lucky mine was extremely honest with me. Take care and keep in touch. Sarah