it's been 4 weeks since operation .went to physio today and from a 90 degree movement it's down to 56 .can't bend my leg properly .whilst sitting in waiting room couple of ladies said that I should be able to bend it by now .as they had friends who were on their feet in no time and back to normal .I feel like a failure .I've done the things asked by pt.wont deny I was ill a little while so I did miss some excersize.but it hurts like he'll when .I try to pull it back .Any one give some advice please
Everyone is different and heals at their own pace. I have had a tkr in each leg and they were not the same at all. Don't listen to those folks telling you that you should be farther along. Trust your pt and ask lots of questions. It will hurt like hell, I just told myself no pain no gain and just tried to think of a happy time, my pt told me to think of the pain as leaving your body. Ice a lot, don't give up, cry when you need to and yell if it gives you strength. By the way, what is normal?? You can do this, hang in there.
First, stop listening to idiots like that!!!!!
Second, you're only four weeks, post-op!!! This takes a year and everyone goes through it differently. Just keep at it and you'll be fine.
Next time someone says "You should...", club them with your cane!!!
Sure it hurts but if you take your meds before the exercises then it may be tolerable. First and foremost we gotta move the knee. No one can tell you where you should be. But you need to be doing sliding and exercising and be doing them regularly. All the necessary recovery takes time. One day you will feel much better. x
If I had a dollar for every time I heard "my friend was this or you should be that-aarggh!!!. Take no notice-this is your recovery. You will have noticed by now, there are good days and then there are BAD days. At four weeks there are still more bad days than good-on these days the swelling is telling you to back off and no matter how much you bully-the knee will win. You may well find on a good day your bend will be at ninety, but when the swelling takes over there is no way you will get the bend you may have had the day (or week) before. Just know, if you are doing the exercises (gently, even if the knee is chucking a hissy fit ) you are doing all that is required-only YOU can answer whether that's the case. Yes, we do have to push ourselves.Stay strong and above all- be kind to yourself. Every day is one step closer in the journey and we all know, the tkr road can be an arduous one. Hang in there.
The 4 posts above are all 100% EXCELLENT advice! I am 3 weeks post-op & if anyone deigned to tell me such discouraging opinions I, too, would be extremely disheartened! You have experienced major surgery & need kindness & encouragement not some stranger's sanctimonious opinion. Chico Marx--who, in my opinion, offers great advice said it all very succinctly. Everyone's recovery is different; try your best to be patient & kind with your progress. Accepting that there will be setbacks can be difficult--but you will get there! Anyone who says "You should..." and is not a an orthopedic MD is not only unqualified to spout off such nonsense they are arrogant blowhards who aren't worth the powder to blow them to the nether regions!! Erase them from memory. Each new day is a day further in your progress! Work as hard as you can while always, always telling yourself that you will get there. "Keep your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you".(Walt Whitman)
All the replies are excellent. It is very easy to feel discouraged and down in these early days. Keep doing heel slides in particular and keep pain under control too. Is it swollen? Are you icing and elevating? Getting swelling down as much as possible is vital.
I iced five times a day for around half an hour a time....I moved the ice pack around the kneeevery 20 minutes so that it was not on one area more than 20 minutes. Anti inflammatories are good too,
What a wonderful quote kathleen-one well worth remembering.
Glad you found the forum. Ah I see it's the same old story - a friend of a friend. hmm. As if they know the truth from the person. I never told a friend how terrible I felt. Best advice from me - don't listen to these people, they don't know anything!
Me to its 4 weeks ,I have Learned don't listen to nobody everybody was there an opinion everybody feels at the old rate this is what I learned here at the site .
of course it hurts . My knees are killing me to have to question through
Times actually feels like Electric shocks going throw my knee.
but everyone says it get better.
I'm sorry you feel discourage. Don't be. Those two idiots don't know crap about TKR, they don't know that your knee has been cut off into 2 pieces. When I was at 4 weeks, I was at 95 bend. Your knee is still swollen and that's why you couldn't bend and that's why you need ice, ice, ice! If you feel pain, back off and rest for a day, next day get back to exercises. I'm now at 15 weeks and am at 118 bend. It takes a long time for your knee to repair all the nerves, ligaments, and muscles after it's being chopped off. Don't worry because I was in the boat as you are now. Take it easy. Take anti inflammatory meds as it will help decrease swelling and pain meds for pain. And ice, ice, ice while elevate. Take care. Let us know how you're doing in the weeks to come.
thank you
thank you .must admit I was furious .
thank you for your kind reply It's good to hear how others dealt with this .as I'm all over the place right now. 8 weeks before tkr they had me in and had to repair a torn ligament in my knee .i will try what you have said and thank you for giving me hope again
thank you I will .make sure i do that
thank you I will hang in there
thank you and I wish you all the best of luck in your progress to .This site and all he kind comments have helped me realize that there is a lot of people in the same boat as myself .And healing not every one is the same .I love the quote below your page .
I'm icing all the time . always taken my meds .and thank you for your reply .
thank you in not going to listen to them .I know I will get there in my own time .
thank you sue for taken time out to reply