I had a TKR on June 21, 2017. I am good at bending but my leg does not want to straighten very much and it is extremely painful when I do pt. Before surgery people told me at 3 weeks I would be feeling good. I will be 4 weeks in a couple of days and I feel I have to drag and pull myself out of bed in the morning. Everyone told me you will be so happy you did it and now if I would have known it was this long of recovery I don't know if I would have done it. I feel like such a loser and not up to par with where I should be. I think know I had unrealistic goals. I have had 5 pt sessions and I dread it when I have to go. It brings tears to my eyes with the pain. It helps to see how what everyone's progress is going.and I'm not alone. Thank you so much for this forum and the knowledge it provides as week as the encouragement!
I wouldn't say people lie, I'd give them the benefit of just being misguided. Feeling better is a matter of conjecture sort of like how do you know what rich is. You shouldn't set your 1st benchmark of recovery at less than 6 weeks. Drs should be more honest with patients. A good Dr will tell you it could/should be a year before you own the knee instead of the knee owning you.
You are way to early to have any kind of anxiety over your recovery rate. Just be patient and continue to do your exercises but don't fell like you have to become overly aggressive. Stay with this forum...they will help you as everyone has been through it and lived the ups and downs.
Oh Debbie...please please don't be discouraged (thank God for this forum). I had my TKR on June 20.. So I'm one day ahead of you. I've had some pretty down days and people here corrected and helped me in every way. I don't know where you are located but I am in Canada and do not even start with Physio until next Tuesday.. I've been working with all the daily exercises I was sent home frm the hospital with. Those are hard enough. There is no time limit... Everyone's recovery is different. I've heard around 6 weeks you notice more of a difference. I'm impressed you have been up to physio so early because I know personally I would not have been ready yet.. These exercises I received from the hospital physio have been hard enough to do!! No giving up ... You are doing fabulous !!! You got this girl!! Hugs!
Thanks for writing that , oldfatguy1! ! ..I'm so regressed in my recovery , that I feel very demoralised at times. External pressures , life ,previous history of surgery have contributed to it..but if as you say , it really is more like a year. .for the mind /body to own the new knee..then thank you for chink of light. .
I am petrified to get this surgery. I am overweight and I am going on day 10 with no bread. I have been swimming and I think I will start a leg work out. I feel my body is not ready. This forum helps me prepare more so thank you all for your help. I only wish you all recovery and great results. #itwillgetbetter
I'm so sorry you're feeling llike this Debbie. Take medication about 1/2 an hour before a physio session and that will help..Most of us here feel that we didn't have enough knowledge before our TKRs. Please come on over and see peoples' thoughts in regards to this.
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-before-your-tkr--601336
Come and see this discussion for others' thoughts. It might help
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-before-your-tkr--601336 
Sounds like you are doing an average sort of recovery, to be honest. I was told it is a 3month recovery and can even take a year or so to feel 100%, though you can get lucky and make a speedy recovery, while others take much longer to progress. I am in the latter category, though I am making progress it has been much slower and more difficult than I expected.
It is a complicated major surgery and everyone has a different experience, there is only the average statistics to go by, but it is best not to compare with others too much. The first 6 weeks tend to be difficult and we often feel we are getting nowhere at first, with lives dominated by pain, relentless exercising, lack of sleep, meds affect us and our entire body can protest at all this. I shed many tears which is not like me at all, but we should not be so hard on ourselves. If you ever watch the videos online on how this op is done, you can appreciate the healing needed.
Hang on in and just take one day at a time, on a bad day remember things may be much better tomorrow and the light at the end of the tunnel can appear.
Hi Bomber and Debbie.Op on 19th June so we are at the same stage and feeling much the same!! Tired and sore and frustrated at progress! This forum is fantastic at reassuring me that there is light at the end of the tunnel as jury still out on post op v arthritic pain!! Physio tomorrow - doing hospital exercises but hurt like heck! and havent got as much bend as I would like so am expecting more pain as she pushes the bend!! Still on Co codamol 30/500 three or four times a day.How about you two.
☺ it is not easy for the first couple of months in particular. Have a cry if you need to but fix your mind on as many good things as you can and resolve to love your new knee even though it is so demanding.
Take a peek at my profile and maybe visit my blog. I have devoted one of the pages to my own TKR story. It is very long. Skim reading recommended! But possible to just dip in and out of, as with this forum!
Everyone has very different experiences which vary in management from location to location, but I am sure we would all testify that the first six to eight weeks are a big challenge not just to the body, which has just undergone a traumatic major operation, but to the will. Decide to take this on and resolve to be positive. It will help you in the process off recovery immensely.
Hi Debbie, reading your post was just like my own story I had the same trouble trying to straighten my leg, but eventually it happened. I'm now almost 4 months post op and although I still have some pain I have come a long way. I know it's frustrating when you hear of other people who just seem to sail through. This forum has been so good for me, you begin to realise that you're not alone, everyone is different, please keep up with pt and take your meds to help you through.
i am so sorry you are having such difficulty. I had my TKR on 6/6. My PT has gone well, but I have had a lot of sessions. I had 4 weeks of inhome therapy 3 times a week. I am now on outpatient therapy 3 times a week. On days when I don't have PT I do the exercises at home and also take a short walk in the morning. Is there any way to increase the number of therapy treatments you are receiving? Physically I am doing ok, but having other issues like fatigue, nervousness and sleeplessness. I had been told, too, how quickly I would recover and that was so misleading. I am almost 6 weeks out now and didn't expect to be dealing with the side issues mentioned above. Nobody, and I mean nobody, told me they were a possibility. I am sure we both will be fine soon, and thank goodness we have this forum to talk to others who have had a TKR.
Hi Wanda
i had had my surgery on June 19th and like you my pt is going well but the fatigue depression and sleeplessness is totally surprising to me. See my doctor again this Friday for second check up but this forum has been so helpful because our doctors haven't been thru this. Counting on time heals all
Hi Debbie. I had Both my knees done together in Febuary, It was not until about 4 months before I could wake up and with a few steps on the spot holding on to something before I could get out of bed to use the bathroom. Up to this point I had to use a crutch and do a 15 minute cycle to wake them up and get some energy into them. I dont think the surgeons or the physio understand as they have not been through it. I know its hard as we all want our lives to go back to normal. But we have to take the pressure off ourselves they will get better and then the improvements come quicker and quicker
I just came from pt today and my leg straightening went from a 10 to a 14. So disappointed! The hardest hour have ever have done! I was put on a Octane XR byOctaine Fitness, I was on the machine XR, XR6000. It is a seated elliptical, Wow the machine was awesome.please let me know your thoughts on these, I would buy on if it helped me in my recovery. Thought or ideas.
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Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. It's tough to stay positive when you had now clue it was going to be this difficult!
Thank you so much Bomber 50. I am in Jefferson City, Missouri and I am just over whelmed! I think it's that people told me a month and you would be doing great and that is certainly not the case. At this point I don't have any choice but I will NOT do my other knee! Hugs back to you!
Maryedna21,
I have two different pain pills but they get me constipated so I try not to take them. I am 61 and feel like I am 100 and certainly walk like one! I have no problem getting old don't get me wrong! It is the constant pain and ability to be out and enjoying life. If I do go out it is small periods of time as the pain becomes unbearable. So I come home and get my ice, com machine and look out the window wishing I could be my old self again.
Cynthia89958,
thank you for your kind words!
Jenny80029,
i will read it today. Thanks