Hi everyone, I had my TKR in March and am now 7 months post op. I am glad I had this done and do need other knee done but mentally am not ready to go down the road again.
I have had a few issues with my new knee but all have turned out fine until 2 weeks ago. My knee gets sore achey and tired to the point I need to rest it along with upping painkillers. I have been back at work ful time for 7 weeks on my feet 8 hour a day as a classroom assistant. I know I am on my feet and walking round school a lot but don't know why all of a sudden it is achier and sore. one other change is I live in Northern Ireland and the weather has changed to a lot cooler over the past 2 weeks ...would this have an effect on new knee?
Has anyone else experienced anything like this...doing well then suffering agan. Thanks
Hi Sue - well done with your recovery. I am only 8 weeks out and all is going well but I have noticed the new knee feels the cold !! It is a great draft detector. Someone suggested it may be the metal cooling quicker than the norm ?
The increased activity is taking a toll on the leg. Try resting and regular icing as well as elevating (Sort of like starting all over again. I think the rest will pave dividends. You can only push the body so much and it rebels. Keep in mind Dr's will tell you it takes a year to own the prosthesis. Up till then it owns you.
I am 8 weeks and 3 days in. Right now my biggest complaint is the tingling. It even bothers me when I wear pants , just touching the knee. Also I live in upstate New York and the weather is cold which effects it as well. My dr ordered a topical cream for the tingling, has anyone used the cream?
It constantly amazes me how many variations there are on our common experience. maybe the tingling is the nerves awakening or blood flow normalising ??
I have an area right around my knee that is still very discoloured but it doesn't seem to be affected by it. I do have an issue if anyone tries to touch the area though - a protective force field is seriously in place !!!
Try Vit E oil. Massage it in twice a day. It is more of a deep healing treatment and not just a topical cream or a band aid approach. You probably had internal or hidden stitches and they have to heal just like the external. The material has to dissolve and this all take time and creates that alien substance in the body. Nerves can also create ongoing issues as they are the slowest part of the surgery to heal. Every time a nerve finishes the reconnect process it has to "fire up" again. You often times think this is over with then it will kick in again for a short period of time and go away. Personally, I've had them fire in one spot and suddenly 6" away feel it again and them maybe like a cluster it will pop up somewhere else. Its irritating but necessary.
Jen.....you will also find you may be a better weather forecaster than the people on tv will all the equipment. I can generally pick up weather change 24 hours before they actually arrive. The barometer changes create an automatic protection for the injured area and this of course becomes a swelling which hurts. I'm in the central part of The US and we get weather systems moving in and out quickly and unexpectedly which drives most peopled with joint issues completely mad. Spring and fall are generally the worst.
Everyone is so different and this surgery really magnifies the differences.
Hi, I am 55 and had this 5 weeks ago. I heard about all the people who didn't have any more pain than before surgery. I was not prepared for my experience.
Slept last night but I took benadryl to sleep.
I think most of my pain is from the nerves, I see my doctor next week and I am going to talk to him about this.
I also have the itching, it's a weird feeling.
People who do the second knee amaze me, I don't ever want this experience again!
I think the specialists (in my case anyway . . ) should be more truthful about the post operative period. Although logic told me this was not going to be a walk in the park, my consultant made it sound like a very quick and easy fix for the problem. I was not expecting not only the severe pain but also the anaemia, chronic sleeplessness, depression, agonising nerve pain etc. etc. But honestly Sandra, it does get better. you are at a really bad point now, about 8 weeks . . .and within a month or so I'm sure you will begin to feel better. At six weeks I was still saying NEVER AGAIN, but I suppose if I had to have it done, I would go back for the second knee. I wouldn't want to, mind you . . . . .
the nerve pain can be absoultely incredible. childbirth has nothing to compare with it! I do hope things imporve for you soon. In my case, the worst of the nerve pain disappeared by about eight weeks, but even now, two years on, my thigh, although numb on the surface, is very painful if pressed.
Thanks so much. Unfortunately things are still about the same with my wife. Making the rounds with Dr's and changing meds may be showing a little relief but it will take awhile before we now if its housing to help. She is more confused and I have to be with her every time she needs meds even though she has them in a pill dispenser. She started PT this week and the therapist (same one that worked with her this spring) told me she was shocked by how much my wife had failed in just 6 months. Her memory is gone when it comes to dealing with numbers and such. I saw some math she was doing on a piece of paper. Didn't take long to tell she was Trying to figure out how old her sister would be on her birthday next month. Sad part they are only 2 years apart and almost think as one. So many little things that are suddenly starting to become more worrisome. I, like most americans, will be so relieved when our elections we over in 10 days. All of the yelling, screaming, name calling and outright lies continually on TV just destroys someone like my wife. An hour show with 15 to 20 political commercials can have her tied in knots.........even if she isn't pay in attention the graphics are enough.
I just keep trying to stay positive as hard as it is to do.