I have shed many tears since surgery and have found the pain pretty terrible although it us improving. I wonder if it is to do with the fact that I had a phone call on a tnursday aftetnoon to go in the fo1llowing morning to have my surgery! Not only did I not have time to prepare but I also had it done under a spinal. No pain but very harrowing sounds.
Hello
what you are going through with the tears etc... Is part and parcel of this awful op ...but I can assure you these feelings do diminish in time
I'm now 8 weeks post op and feeling better each day ...I still get weepy and frustrated but nowhere near as much as I did
i too had a Spinal block but as I said I was scared the anaesthetist gave me a sedative which sent me so drowsy I never heard a thing
theres no getting away from it this op is horrendous and no amount of preparation makes the slightest difference
but honestly there is light at the end of the tunnel
hang in there
this site is wonderful for advice on all the different stages
take care and keep your chin up
Jean
Oh dear, you have gone through it. First of all let me reassure you that the tears are normal and have been experienced by most of us, including the men1 The pain is also normal and those of us who considered ourselves well prepared found that we were never prepared for the amount of pain. I suspect the suddenness of your op added to the shock factor which didn't help. Have you had physio? That is so important and if not get referred immediately. Also sort out your pain relief, you should have a lot. I am 7 weeks post op tomorrow and the nightmare of the first four weeks is gradually fading but I do know that the lack of sleep, the physical pain and the emotional pain will always be in my memory. It should start to get better from now on but even today I did too much and really suffered. Keep intouch with people on here. It really does help.
You said that your pain is improving, so try to be positive now. Even though you did have much time to prepare, you must have had your pre-op? A spinal is a strange experience to begin with but it is common for TKR these days and it doesn't take any time to come round after your op.
Things can only improve now, so start looking forward to what you will be able to do in the future,
I certainly would not dwell on what was, everyone here goes thru a lot of pain and hard rehab after these replacements.....I had a spinal for hip replacement and it was fine....move forward and keep on with the rehab program. good luck. and 4 weeks is nothing in the whole scheme of these replacements.....believe me....4 yrs later and I deal with a mess from hip replacement...and doing all to save my own knee.....can't imagine going thru this ever again. J
I can only reinforce what has already been said. Tears, feeling anxious and loss of self-confidence are all part of this most difficult operation. You are feeling NORMAL.
It is a long road to recovery, but you will get there. Pain control, icing the knee and, vitally important are your exercises and physiotherapy.
Stick with us on this forum. The help and support you'll get will see you through - promise!
Saw my consultant today about knee number two - something I couldn't have contemplated a few months ago.
Lynn 19 weeks post op
Thank you. I dont feel so alone now that I have found this forum.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thanks
You are welcome. Hope we have helped.
I guess it blows me away that so many YOUNG people in the UK do these replacements like it's nothing...here in the U.S. I know only 2 people who have done the knee and they were 76 and 60's I think....I hear 45 etc....don't you do all to save your own joints....I do at 76. Do you not do bone support supplements in your lives?
Just remember, we've all been in the same situation so understand what you're going through.
Look after yourself and try and keep your pecker up. 
x
Well, I'm not so young at 63.
I think you are getting a skewed view of what is happening in the UK regarding TKR. Thousands of people in the UK have these replacements each year with great success, most of us on this forum included. But the recovery takes a long time and we support each other until we disappear and get on with our lives.
None of us have this operation for fun. It is done as a last resort when the knee is in a bone on bone situation. All the supplements in the World can't do a thing about that.
Wow Joy
If you think we all go in for this TKR for the fun of it you are sadly mistaken
we have this op when the knee joint is bone on bone no matter what age we are our quality of life is the important issue here.
i would never wish this Op on my worst enemy...
you more than likely live in a far warmer and temperate climate than we do here in the UK
i suggest instead of criticising the people in the UK.... you find a site in the US to air your views
Jean (76)
Hi Patricia.....I think many of us TKR people get teary after the operation. The pain, the medication, the effectsof having such traumatic surgery can all take its toll on our emotions. I was very depressed with the prolonged pain, I hate to say it, but I even got in contact with a euthanasia group in case things didn't improve, but of course they did. I'm week 16 post op and I still have pain at night, not to the point of needing pain killers, but still nowhere near back to normal.
I had mine done under a spinal too, and the hammering noise was pretty horrific, no wonder we are in so much pain post op.
Remember, every week gets better, although there will be setbacks at times.
Take care!
I would imagine not many knee replacements are done in the US as you would probably have to pay thousands of dollars whereas we are more advanced in that we have a National Health Service!!
I see the difference between our countries and perhaps if we had 56Million population vs 300million+ we could offer more "govt" health care....we do our best and don't turn people away and help thruout the world....so yes, it probably keeps a lot from more replacements.....BUT, I've always had a mindset to do no surgery and if so an emergency or last resort....
I held off on this hip replacement and finally did it at 72 and it's been a lifechangiing experience for me and not in a better way....no groin pain but lots of other complications....like worse knee.....but I do all alternative protocols to keep a knife away from me again.....
Once burned, lots of fear there....same with pharma drugs,,,,I've been burned there and a family member too, so do all my healing alternatively....
It's good to hear from folks on the Alternative Board as we share a lot of the same mindsets.....fear of drugs and surgeries....
But, if you are all better in the long run, more power to you...once they are done, there is no reversing.... we hear that bone on bone mantra here too and I'm sure if I saw a knee doc now, he would say the same thing...I can bend the knee good, wear a support and use topicals and will most likely do a prolozone injections soon....but now working with a ligament/tendon supplement that contains MANGANESE which many many are very low in and needed for bone health.....I do a lot of work to get minerals into my body and especially for bone support. J
Thank you for your encouragement. It does help.
I can only reiterate what others have said - what you're experiencing is very normal! Even if you'd had more notice of the op I bet you would feel the same. I too had a spinal but was sedated so didn't hear a thing but I still got the pain and the emotions at your stage. Things do improve but very slowly so be prepared. I was also off my food for quite a time which isn't like me. This op has all sorts of effect on your body! This site is great for comparing symptoms and getting reassurance so keep in touch. Jen