I'm a 60 year old female, 4 weeks post op from TKR. Both doctor and PT say I'm doing great. But I still have pain every night and can't sleep. This is leading to depression. I'm just wondering if mentally I should be feeling better by now, or if I need to keep telling myself that I had Major surgery and recovery takes time.
Have a drink before bed....
Ho I am 48 male and I am 15 days post op. It is going to take a while 6 months to a year it all depends.depression is something that happens to people for me it hit me very hard last week. Called my doctor he gave me some medicine to help with that. This forum has helped greatly. People are so kind and always encouraging you. I saw my surgeon today and I ask about the pain, the stiffness, the sleeping, all will pass your body has been through a great deal, bones were cut ligaments were removed, muscle has been cut. It takes time for bone to heal up to a year, muscles need to gain strength. The best advice have gotten on here is listen to your body, stay on meds, rest, elevate, and ice, do your exercises to the best of your ability. But most of all stay positive it will get better, we will have good days and bad days remember everyone is different. And there is always someone to talk to on here. So good luck one day at a time
Thanks
Tom
Hi Linda!
Recovery varies with the person. Pain is a bigger issue for some more than others. Some have lots of swelling which makes bending and straightening of the knee pretty difficult for awhile. Depression sometimes sets in, sometimes not. Again, it varies with the individual.
Four weeks post op is still early in the game, but you may be noticing improvement now. Around nine weeks I was able to achieve a better sleeping position which helped me get a couple hours of rest at a time. Twelve weeks was even better when I FINALLY slept for six hours straight --a big improvement.
Healing is not always even, and it doesn't always come in a steady amount. Even almost a year after my first TKR there are really good days and a few achy days mixed in when I just curl up with a good book and rest.
For me I think about four months post surgery was me being able to walk better and feel more normal. Once my second knee was replaced I was able to move MUCH better.
Tom has many good suggestions!
Nice work, Tom!🙌
Look for small improvements. Don't worry about any SHOULDS because you are your own unique person. Your body will lead the way!
Come back here often. It will help you see that you have MANY who understand and can support you as you recover!💗
Hi Linda...I too am 60 years old and had TKR (right) 7 weeks ago! I remember at 4 weeks that I could not sleep but a couple of hours at a time. As time has progressed I am getting better with sleeping but still have issues. Pain is not as severe but I still have mainly inside my knee. Dr and therapist all say I am doing well. I have just started to drive (once) this week and did fairly well. No one told me that this surgery was going to be so painful or going to take so long to recover from. However, I will say that I do not believe that I would have opted to not follow through because I was so close to being unable to walk or do anything that I used to do. I had a Dr tell me in the hospital that he needed to create a patience pill for his patients such as me.... It is difficult surgery to get over but am told everyone is different. This page has certainly helped me to realize that I just need to take it one day at a time and keep on with therapy.Good luck to you as you recover.
Thank you! I know everyone heals differently. Was just looking for reassurances thst I wasn't lagging far behind!
Thsnks for the encouragement!
Hi Linda
Yes its very early days. Pain is normal at that stage. Give it a good few more weeks before it lessens but it will. Regarding depression I think we are all different. I had one person who took me to the hospital,visited me when I was in and took me out when i came out of 7 days rehab. But for reasons out of both of our control that stopped. That left me with nothing I didnt pay for. I certainly found out who my friends were. One friend visited me for an hour for the first few days,greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps. The others came nowhere near. To be honest i think my anger got me through. Forget family as far as im concerned. They didnt care and in most cases didnt know. If youve got good ones Linda be grateful love.
Sorry for the rant but I think youre well on course. Keep your chin up
John.
PS 7 months now. No pain meds,driving,walking unaided though i dont overdo it. Going swimming. Now theres a thought for the future. Wasnt too keen on it before,love it now
John
Thanks John! I understand the part about loneliness as well. Where ARE all these friends? Barely time for a quick text from a couple. Makes for long days. But I do have wonderful family, so I'm grateful for that!
Def my TKR in Nov 15...I neva got more than 2 hrs sleep per nite for BT 3 mths cos of terrible pain! It then failed just had a revision TKR n have slept no problem n am only 10 day post op!!! Hang in there x
Can I ask why they had to do a revision? That doesn't sound like much fun ! But I can't take this pain!
The MRI showed loosening n instability of the prosthesis causing me severe pain and inability to hardly walk. So a revision was urgently needed and was done 3 wks later.
Glad you're doing better and on the mend! I'm hoping I find a solution soon!!
Do you take pain killers and night meds. If not do so. That will help you GET to sleep, if you are waking in the night through pain, try and keep as still as possible, no lights, nothing. Soon the pain will ease and you will be able to move into a more comfortable position and, because you haven't engaged your brain, you should be able to drift back to sleep. It may become a bit repetitive, but you will/should be able to more or less do this without really waking and in the mornings not feel so drained.
This operation IS mentally draining as well as physically, but with help from friends and family and trying to get on with everyday life will help you beat the blue, try doing a craft or , or, or.... something to occupy your mind on the days when you just want to sit in a chair/on a sofa/in bed and do nothing because you feel so down it will pass, but you do have to work at it as well.
There is light at the end of the tunnel :-)
Consultant told me that realistically we're looking at at least 18 months for full recovery. I am 6 weeks post op on second TKR and off pain killers for two weeks now, or at least I was until last week when I hurt my back. I do not experience pain in the knee now but the bend is still poor. Not worried because the first TKR was rubbish as this stage and despite my consultants concern I am not worried!
Yes I take Norco and have tried Oxycontin, but the leg just THROBS! I toss and turn and end up aggravating my shoulder which has a torn rotator cuff, so they both fire up. Last night I got sooooohhhhhhh frustrated - just thrashing around! I finally gave up and had to walk around. I just want to be on a normal schedule! !
When you wake in pain your body is tensed up, creating more pain. If you can just lay still the pain will subside to the point you are able to move without it flaring up. Even if you are laying on your sore shoulder, try to bear with it. I know it is a hard thing to do, but after a couple of non starters, I am hoping it will work for you
I am 71 year old female and am 12 weeks from my tkr surgery. It took about six weeks for me to be able to sleep comfortably, but I am still in pain behind the knee and the left side. My knee still has a lot of stiffness and swelling. Doc says it will take at least 6 months before stiffness and swelling goes away. Don't get discouraged. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Some days will be better than others.
I hear what you're saying John, I had two close friends who were my support after my surgery in Sept. It was a standing weekly visit that I couldn't wait for. They had not experienced this themselves, but totally understood me and what I was going through. Not so with many. If you haven't been through this, you have no idea the intensity. Dr.s can say 3-4 months almost back to normal, 1 year back to normal, but there's no scale to determine just what normal is. I have found at 8 months out, that I now have a "new normal" it comes with things I'm just going to get used to living with - stiffness, numbness, a bit of pain on the inside of knee - not a big issue, and clicking. But it's all good. Just want it to last for a LONG time!! And I didn't realize at the time, I'm sure I was going through depression because I was in tears quite a bit, lethargic, not hungry, kind of in a survival mode mentality....just get through one day at a time. Then 8 weeks came, I was off cane, driving, and it's like I opened the door and saw sunshine.
Funny, I might see someone who looks like they've gone through the same surgery, and I'm tempted to ask how they're doing, whatever....but I don't because of privacy, etc.
To all who post on this site...I read every post, feel bad and wish there was something I could do to help, but I see where others have given their best advice and realize, I couldn't say it any better.
Take care,
Mary Ann
Hi Linda. Can your GP prescribe you some Or a Morph to help with the beak through pain. I have or a
morph and Zormorph for most open Meniscus repair. Next month I have to give surgeon my decision to go ahead with for as the arthritis is grade 5 . If you get your sleep you can cope a little better during the day. It's worth asking your surgeon if there is anything to help you. Hope you have some restful sleep soon.