First I would like to thank each and every one of you for your information and support you have provided me these last few weeks..I've never posted but I read daily feel like we are family..I just turned 50 in march and had my TKR July 17 after a year of gel shots arthroscopic surgeries etc..some days I cry other days I'm ok..wow the pain.it's really bad in my lower legs aches all the time?? And in my hip area??doc told me I was going to have to have MUA cuz my rom was only 90..I got it up to 100 in pt am able to ride bike 20 minutes and do exercises..I feel like I'm taking care of a baby my whole day is consumed with thoughts of this knee did I do enough exercises dud I stretch enough etc...is this all normal I still try and be active like before surgery but I feel that life is gone..my youngest son is 15 and he needs his mom as do my other kids.does anyone else feel this way??any encouraging words or help would be apprecitaed..thanks for letting me vent..if you haven't gone through this it's hard to understand..best to all of you..
You vent all you like, we've all been there. I had new plastic knee cap and metal trochlea (the bit behind it) on 24 March. Had long wait for op as considered too young before (Im 56 now) and have now got muscle wastage. Am working hard to correct this. It does feel like all your time is spent exercising, elevating, resting, icing and it is an horrendous journey, one which I didn't quite bank on. You'll see numerous posts on this forum, all of which will make you realise you're not suffering alone.......it's been my life saviour. I'm also menopausal and suffer pain in both my legs, this can be due to lack of oestrogen so I'm off to docs next week to discuss HRT.
Keep up with meds, don't suffer in silence if you need something stronger then ask for it. Dont force exercises, if you dont feel like it then have a day off and just rest, ice and elevate. And remember to drinklots of water to keep hydrated.
Cry wen you feel like it......I've sobbed buckets, even today when I've had hubby and granddaughter with me. I just can't help it and am just going to go with it, it's a great release some days. I've no doubt we'll get through it.....although exactly when is currently unknown, but at some point we'll get our life back.
If "old fat guy" (should really be named "old wise guy"
responds listen to everything he says.......he's bloody marvellous and has a very calming influence......and he's been through goodness knows what and makes me feel a wimp! God bless him.
Sounds to me like the Dr was jumping the gun a bit. Can't imagine at less than a month our talking mua. I would hate to think the guy was trying to scare you into the proceedure. Even at a young age like you, progress is not going to happen overnight. Stay with the program......don't get excited and hurt yourself moving too fast. Slow steady and correctly is the word. You'll be at 110 in a couple of weeks. I wouldn't expect less than 125 in 3 months.
Four weeks is very very early days all sounds normal and in another four weeks will be different. Even at seven months I've had a bad day today. It takes some longer than others and hopefully you'll be fine. Don't overdo it, keep icing and elevating. It's normal to cry and be frustrated after all you can hardly ignore your leg! Spoil yourself occasionally and read this site you will see it's a roller coaster and you have are going to be up and down for a good few weeks or even months. Take it one week at a time
Thank you so much..I know good days are ahead..just gonna be a bit of a struggle..it feels great to know I'm not alone and I can reach out at anytime to awesome people like you..best to you and your recovery.
Thanks ..it was the first thing he said to me at my 2 week checkup..my jaw dropped ..it took a lot of work just to get dressed and into the car for the appt..I don't like scare attics at all so I am out to prove him wrong and I won't need need MUA...today I took the day off from everything no pt no exercises nothing..took my med and just relaxed.
I appreciate you and your response
I sure DO know what you mean about this knee process becoming all-consuming!
I am retired, but I have felt like I am BACK AT WORK with a full-time job! Meds, exercise, everything taking SO MUCH LONGER due to having a walker, then cane, maybe also crutches. Showers with a shower stool, taking FOREVER to either go up and down stairs OR having to tell family members what you need or how to DO stuff...Crazy hard!
Maybe try getting on the floor or couch and literally putting both legs STRAIGHT UP against the wall or one of the arms. I do this in my upstairs hallway, and it feels GREAT! Our son is an elite athlete who does Ironman Competitions, ULTRAMARATHONS, and Crossfit Competitions. HE does this EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I figure if it works for HIS overworked legs, it certainly will benefit MINE!
TRY to relax. Your body is an amazing creation, and it will do what it needs to do IF you listen to what it NEEDS. Do not let SNYONE bully you into ANYTHING that sounds bizarre or dangerous.
Keep us posted on your progress!
There are so many knowledgeable people here who are travelling a path much like you are. It is like this BIG CLUB for KNEES!
Wishing you much success!
Easy for me to say but I would ask for more time before having an MUA. Your too new for that. You sound like you're doing brilliantly to me. I was still with operational bruising and swelling at 8 weeks, I appreciate that mine was by no means a 'normal' TKR but still....I think any talk of an MUA prior to 12 weeks when you can get to 90 is ridiculous.
MUA's aren't for everyone. I went in for mine and was told that whilst my bones are healthy, they are too slim to cope with the pressure. It turned out it wouldn't of worked anyway as I have issues with the ligaments....luckily my surgeon went in with a camera first as if he hadn't my leg would've broken.
Keep going. You will get there x
Just as a reference point, what country are you from. I'm from the mid central U.s.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I got my TKR February 2015. I now walk for miles, run upstairs and wear high heels. I go to the gym and can do squats. You will be active again especially as you were before. I'm 63 and had hardly been able to walk for the pain. Google kuck
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I got my TKR February 2015. I now walk for miles, run upstairs and wear high heels. I go to the gym and can do squats. You will be active again especially as you were before. I'm 63 and had hardly been able to walk for the pain. Good luck
hi tanker and welcome to us bunch of tkr the pain in your lower leg and even your hip would be to do with surgery all that banging and the rest of what goes on while having the knee replaced its a huge op after the op when you are getting back on your new leg its hard to walk properly for awhile as your foot to ground is not quiet the way it should be as you probably favour the other leg more than you realize having your hole day consumed by this knee i think we all feel this way i myself have had two and a half years of constently thinking of these knees im just coming up to 12mths post revision and only now can honestly say i dont have to think of the knee all the time now .you seem to be doing really well getting up to 100 in pt and riding the bike for 20min sounds fantastic you are well on your way the next 6wks will tell alot with you if you keep improving like that dont worry about tears we have all spilt many and with all our tears we could sail a ship !!! its only people that have went through a tkr truely understand how we feel just yesterday i met my sister i have not seen her for two and half years (i know hard to believe i have not seen her in two and a half years and we live 2 miles away )first thing she said to me was it was your own fault your tkr was caused by sport they havent a clue and i wouldnt waste time telling her about it , she didnt even visit me when i was in hospital for the bi lateral and revision she didnt think it was a big deal
wow you sound like dynamite in 6 mths !!!! fantastic not many get to that point so soon well done
I'm so sorry that your sister is unsupportive of you and all you have gone through with your TKR. I am discovering that some people find it IMPOSSIBLE to empathize with ANYONE but themselves. It just isn't in their skill set!
It sounds like you DO HAVE what you need to pull you through this hard journey and that you are coming out the other side RENEWED, STRONG, and CONFIDENT.
I am here clapping for you!
I know others are, too.
Maybe one day your sister will be able to learn what YOU have learned.
You GO, girl!!!!!
Sorry to hear of your sisters lack of sympathy. Not very sensitive but maybe she couldn't cope with seeing you incapacitated and suffering so she was defensive instead and blocked it out in her mind as something you brought on yourself so she didn't have to assume any responsibility for your care - some people just don't cope with illness or hospitals sounds like she is one of them.
thanks cheryl i know its sounds awful but ive made it through i have 3 sisters and 4 brothers (being irish back then it was all large familys !good catholics haha )one of my brothers died a few years ago with cancer and one of the other brothers is in dublin the other side of the country but keeps very much in touch ,so i had 2 brother in cork and 3 sisters in cork and none of them came to visit me in hospital the first time for bi lateral i was in for 12 days with severe complications and in icu for two days since then ive had to go back with broken cement removed another 4 days in and no visit from them and last year revision and 4 days in and no visit from any of them ive gone through some bad depression during my 2 yrs and alot of it from lack of support from family but as they say what dose not kill you makes you stronger ! my husband was amazing i must say i couldnt have done it without him but no point being bitter time will tell with them all as we are all growing older im not holding my breath with things improving but im stronger now and im getting on with life please dont feel sorry for me i think its them i feel sorry for
Very sad when families aren't there for each other. My family is all deceased but my wife's family has really stepped up and it is truly a blessing. My kids are good but let's face it, they have lived and families so you really don't expect much. You hang in there and as you say if it hasnt put you down it will give you strength in the long run
thanks OFG i will life gives us all lessons
One other aspect....there are those that are comcomfortable of being around people with physical ailments. They just don't know what to say or do so they don't even try. I've seen the pain on faces of that sort and you know the I brains are tied in knots. Sometimes it's more of a negative than a positive anyway. We have one close relative that comes to visit and starts talking about her family's infirmatives the minute she walks through the door till she leaves. Who needs that when you are in pain and mentally down
Hi I'm in United States beautiful California!!