Hi, I am four months post tkr and returned to work 2 weeks ago. I do a fair bit of driving and lately my knee has become very painful and when I stand from sitting or walk up and down stairs it has started to almost give way. Today walking down steps I reached the bottom step and it went from underneath me. I managed to stop myself falling but the pain that shot across my knee was excruciating. Tonight it is slightly swollen and painful and is making me feel like I have gone back to the six to eight week mark. I was doing so well too!
That doesn't sound very good. I would get your consultant to check it out.
I doubt you did any damage to the joint itself but just the scare had to be traumatic. I hope you took the liberty of pain meds and icing as well as rest. If it shows any negative effects by morning, a Dr appointment would definitely be in order
HOW ARE YOU???
Betty
I hope everything is ok, but, I would most certainly get it checked out soon. It is an artificial limb and things can certainly go wrong with it. And the last thing you need is to have a fall and do damage with ligaments or a fracture. Be very careful and take it easy.
Hi!!!! Finally getting my head cleared a little. Just posted a long boring update. Its been different and its going to be a long grind . both occupational and physical therapy are starting to help but make me realize how terribly out of shape I was in. I'll probably be in the rehab unit another 10 days then go home to see how I can get along. How are things going with you? Hope you are still continuing your upward progress
My knee collapses and the doc said it was tiredness in the muscles. Use one crutch or stick. Stress also makes it sore. Up the painkillers a bit as well to get over it. Get some biofreeze pads to put on at work. Cools it and numbs pain for an hour and helps things settle.
Thanks Caroline, I will try the bio freeze pads. I have a day off today so am currently sitting with my old ice pack. Seems like this will go on for ages. I was asked to consider a phased return to work but said No. How I wish I'd said yes!
You can still adjust your return to work. You might need to. I did 3 hrs every 2nd day, first week, 4 hrs for the next week, every day and now back to Full time. Good luck
It does sound as if you've pushed yourself too much too soon. Try to adjust your hours now perhaps. Do you still manage to exercise? Perhaps your muscles need some strengthening. It must be hard to fit them in when working as well. I'm sure you're right to ice and rest too. Hope things improve for you. Jen
Hope things improve for you. Look after yourself.
Jen
How are you getting on, Betty? Ok I hope.
Jen
Omg, you have so been through it, puts things into perspective a bit, I have a day off today, so will get the old ice pack out again, thought I'd finished with that. How are you? You have had months of it, hopefully they have fixed it this time round. Knee brace must be hard. Hope the pain isn't too horrendous! How you remain so positive is beyond me. Well done x
Hello my freind sound like you should get that knee looked at as soon as possible. My consultant said to me your knee has been cemented in and remember how strong cement is. Please get doctors opinion ASP and take it easy for a while you have achieved so much already.
Hi Jen,
I'm getting on OK - if I told you my knee is still numb and soreness in the surgical area and still not completely straight yet, where I still feel "pulling" when I walk, I would sound like a whiny cry baby compared to OFG and others on here 😁 so I'm doing pretty good, thanks for asking 😁
Really, I'm doing as well as can be expected I think. Gotten lazy on the exercises but try to get a walk in each morning. How are YOU doing my friend? Back to the routine now after your nice holiday? Watching your grandchildren keeps you busy too!
Did you & hubby walk to your pub last night for corned beef & cabbage 😀 maybe that's something only us silly Americans do on St. Patricks day!
Always happy to hear from you Jen and hope you are coming along well too! Lynn is having her TKR as we speak 😞
Take care, Betty
Hi Betty, glad you're doing ok. I know exactly how you feel. I was only thinking earlier I must start telling people how I really think I'm getting on well now and nearly back to normal. But I know I'm still not right. The sciatica type pain is a lot better but I still get a lot of stiffness in the muscles at the back of my leg. It is a lot stronger though and walking and standing are much improved.
I haven't walked to the pub again since and, no, we don't do the beef and cabbage thing - sounds fun 😊
i'm enjoying looking after the grandchildren and find I'm a lot more confident picking them up and carrying them so, yes, I am doing ok too 😊
i still do some exercises, mainly for this piriformis muscle as I want to be rid of that tightness/pain.
i feel lucky too when I read about OFG's troubles and feel so much sympathy for Lynn going through it all again.
Look after yourself,
Jen xx
Prob best not to go back even phased. It's physical and mental fitness that takes time and energy. Focus on recovery and even a hobby I'm learning Greek at home and if I'm off longer am going to relearn French! Spoil yourself too. X
Jen, can you talk a little more about the sciatica pain. I've heard others mention this and I think it's what I've been dealing with for the past 5 months. My doctor and PT just say to wait it out. And it has lessened, but just when I think it's gone, it strikes again. It's never encouraging when people remind me that it can take up to two years to feel normal...but I guess when I think about where I was on the pain scale 6 months ago, I am in a better place. And that's what I need to remind myself about.
I've found it doesn't take much to overdo it. It is definitely frustrating. But try to look at the advances you've made and celebrate those. And yes, I do get so tired of the swelling and numbness. But, I keep hearing there is hope at the end of the tunnel, thank goodness for friends who have gone through it ahead of us.
Hi, my sciatic nerve pain is not sciatica I'm pretty sure. I have suffered that occasionally in the past. My pain is caused by a tight piriformis muscle (in the buttock). I can feel the tightness sometimes this presses on the sciatic nerve, causing pain and tightness all down the back of my leg. Sometimes it feels like a knitting needle twisting around behind my knee. Generally it's not bad when I'm resting but I feel it when I move about. I'm doing lots of exercises and have had some acupuncture. It's getting better but I still get bad bouts. It just gets me down as it's hard to ascertain how good my knee is because of this other stiffness.
I don't really know what's caused it. I think I might be the realignment of my leg. It was very bent before the op.
I've heard others mention sciatica. I don't know what you're experiencing. Sciatica is caused by a problem in the back I understand.
Hope my description has helped.
Jen