Hi, I am due to have my right knee replaced in 2 weeks time. I have heard different stories from different people about the time I will be off work after my op?, ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months!!!
obviously I know it's an individual thing, but generally can you give me your experiences?
i am a staff nurse on a busy ward and most days I don't even get a break!! Any nurses had it done???
Seven weeks for me. I teach and would try to do as much sitting as I could. Half an hour of standing at a time would be enough. I would ice it half way through the day as well. It's actually not about just the knee by that stage. The joint is actually solid, it's the whole leg and the swelling around the knee. The whole leg would get very tired. From ankle to half way up the thigh. I don't think I could have worked on a busy ward at seven weeks.
Thank you Gloria, I don't think I will be back at work after 7 weeks either!! Thank you for your advice though will bear it in mind! xx
I am a midwife and had TKR last December. Because of the nature of my job,I had almost 6months off sick and am still on phased return.
Wow that's huge Nicky. May I ask what symptoms u still have at 6 months? I function quite well at 3 months but it is uncomfortable with tightness and stiffness. No marathon running etc of course. I still lightly medicate and find nights a bother if I can't take something stronger.
I am due to have my knee replaced in approx 7 weeks and I have been told I need to have 3 months off work and I am in a job where I am sitting down most of the time. Good luck x
Thank you everyone, x
My ROM isn't great,the joint clunks as it moves and I still have ?ligament pain(burning and pinching),although USS and X-ray show nothing abnormal :0(
Hi
I had TKR 12 weeks ago and am still off. I have swelling at back of knee which needs further investigation. I have a follow up with surgeon in August so until then am not allowed back.
Like you i also work in a hospital albeit Im not a medic i work in procurement so spend a lot of my time on my feet walking on wards and in Theatres.
I find standing too long my leg gets tired and equally sitting it goes stiff .Occupational health rang me re my return to work and have suggested phased return also the hours i have to agree with my manager .
Good luck with your operation and stay positive .
Thank you Pegs girl, sorry you are having a few issues with your new knee? Hope time helps with the recovery process for you?
Thank you for replying, I do appreciate hearing others experiences!! xx
I've just had my 3 month post op TKR check. It seems that my return to work at 7 weeks, my bend and my stretch is better than average. I asked about the patches of swelling, the heat it still gives off, the tiredness of whole leg with bouts of standing, the numbness of patches in whole leg, the tight constricting rubber band feeling of knee which is constant but very much worse at night, the stiffness after sitting and sleeping and he said this was pretty normal and could last 8-12 months. I wanted stronger meds for night time use but he was loathe to give it so I got it from a GP. I know how I feel after all. I also asked about how the pain etc of a TKR compares with something like a hip replacement and was told it is much worse so that's good to know as it justifies feeling so much pain at the time. All in all I feel much better knowing that the continuing discomfort despite no pain any more, is normal!! Hope this helps others to feel better about what they are going through. So the good thing for me is that there is an end to the discomfort down the track
How else could u describe burning and pinching nicky? Could u also describe it as a rubber band constricting the flesh/ skin around your knee? Or severe discomfort at times to do withe the skin and flesh around your knee joint?
Thank you Gloria, that's amazing you went back to work after 7 weeks!!! Good luck with the next few months and thank you for replying.
The burning/pinching feels like a nerve being being caught. The constriction you describe is exactly how the whole knee feels.
gloria. I have just read your post after beeing off work for 6 weeks and beeing frustrated and a little guilty for not feeling that I am up to going back yet. Your description of what went on with you matches what is going on with me exactly and much more eloquently described that I am able. Thank you so much
hi Biggus, I am 9 weeks and stil off. I am a teaching assistant and consultant said to be off a minimum of 12 weeks as i am on my feet all day. I know at the moment I could not go back and stand all day, hopefully in a few weeks all will be better. best wishes fr your recovery.
Hi, I had my surgery 2 weeks ago. I went back to work (I'm an office manager) on the 10th day. I worked only for a few hours a day. I did my first full day back on the 14th day after surgery. I still have a lot of swelling and pain, but it feels better to move around. I started PT on day 13th after surgery.
Good luck to anybody that has this, I had a ton of pain the first week after, the nerve block they gave me didn't work on me, so I struggled a lot in the beggining, but that probably help me deal with the pain after I got out of the hospital. I'm glad I did it, but I wasent so glad the first week. It gets better with time.
Hi Sue- I've just read your post from 5 months ago and wondering how you got on , when did you return to work and how you've coped once there? I am having a knee replacement in 3 weeks time and I am a full time teaching assistant in a reception class- 4-5 year olds! I want to help out school as much as possible by giving a realistic prediction so they can arrange a temporary replacement for me.
Any advice gratefully received!
Thanks
I had a PKR of my left knee on July 20, and went back to work on August 22. I am an administrative assistant. I was told all I needed to do was get up and walk around every 45-60 minutes to keep knee from stiffening. Unfortunately, after my 9-10 hour work day, my leg was swollen from my knee to my toes. Two of the days I went from work to physical therapy. I ended up taking 2 weeks of vacation to give my knee more time to heal. I also underestimated how tired I ended up being by noon each day. It definitely takes your entire body time to heal. Take the time your doctor gives you before going back. My doctor gave me 8 weeks.
I just got a PKR on my right knee 17 days ago. This one has been much more painful. Sleeping at night without pain meds hasn't been possible. Pain and hyper sensitive skin around both knees tends to wake me up every 2-3 hours. My doctor has given me 8 weeks again, and while I doubt I'll need that much, I definitely won't go back after 4 weeks. My husband suggested I try spending increasing time sitting in a desk chair to get my knee prepared before I go back.
Take me care and good luck with your surgery.
I feel better reading these posts as I was beginning to think i was the only one who is struggling so long after the operation. I had TKR 20th July and fully expected to be back at work in 6-8 weeks because thats what i was told. Still off and struggling every day. pain, swelling, the tight band, numbness, can't walk far, can't sit long. Am totally fed up and feel like I will never get back to normal.
Reading the posts and talking to people I have met since it seems that several months and up to a year is a more realistic period of time before you can truly say you are back to normal/fully recovered. I keep trying to do normal things but physically am tired so quickly and with limited bend and movement in the knee everything takes 3 times longer.
I feel better for getting all that off my chest anyway!