I have a continual, deep pain/ache in practically the whole of my leg. I use ice on it (frozen peas!) a great deal of the time and I take my pain killers. At night I cannot sleep because there is nowhere New I can put my leg which does not become become equally painful within a few seconds. Anybody else have this problem? Also, I had to stop taking Diclofenac a few days before the op. How long before I can take it again?
Knee replacement 10 days ago!! It is such early days yet. I wonder if anyone/hospital gave you any information or idea of what to expect after the op?
I had mine 11 weeks ago now. I was seen at pre-op clinic, all info was given and an in depth booklet of information for before and after surgery answering 99% of the things that you might worry or ask about.
I would certainly mention the deep pain/ache in your leg to GP/Hosp just to rule out any problem. I can only go on my experience as everyones circumstances/recovery may be different.
In early weeks like you I felt quite a lot of pain and it would go down my shin bone but mostly pain was around knee itself. I found it hard to sleep for long I was in/out bed at least three times a night not knowing where to put the leg for total comfort. I found taking my painkillers at regular times was a great help and doing last of physio exercises about an hour before bed and then sitting with the Ice Packs given from the hospital on the knee to cool it down after physio - to help sleep I would lie on my "good side" put a pillow between my knees so the bad knee was comfortable or lie on back, put a pillow under bad knee its just comfort for a while but as the weeks go on it gets better. I only started to sleep without pillow at 8 weeks and was sleeping for about 4 hours now I am sleeping for approx. 6+ still a little restless. Each morning I feel like the knee has seized up and takes a while to get going but I do exercises bending knee etc and its fine after about half hour. If I sit for too long it seizes up and I have to stand for a second or so before moving off. I am still going to Physio as I don't seem to have enough bend on the knee and its still really painful to do also I cant go down stairs easily yet too painful. It is a long process so don't despair you will get there.
Are you doing leg exercises? use Ice pack or peas (can burn skin) wrap in a tea towel. Use after exercises it will take the swelling down and feels good.
GO AND ASK ABOUT THE PAIN IN YOUR LEG
wow thank s to both of you , in 5 weeks post opp and didn't attend the pre opp group because I was only given 4 days notice and only had time to get my pre med , I too have this same pain in the back of my knee I have worked hard at my physo and now have been discharged ,with an sos if I feel the need to have more in the next 6 weeks . I too have found sleeping hard not being comfortable on my side so have to sleep with a pillow , when I came out of hospital I didn't really have any information , thanks to you both I now feel the pain is normal .so ann it will get better ,it takes time and like you I thought after a short time I wouldn't have pain ,
Thanks very much Margaret and Debbie. I can now see that I was being very optimistic! I read all the stuff about what to expect but I still didn't expect this inability to sleep etc. I've spoken to the hospital and was told to take paracetamol and codeine 4 times a day and Diclofenac 3 times a day, and to put ice (not frozen peas!) on my leg for 20 min sessions. I've been doing that, more or less, anyway, but maybe an extra Diclofenac (I was only taking 2 per day) and ice instead of frozen peas, will do the trick!! Anyway, I now realise I was expecting far too much too soon. Thanks again, and it hope your pain disappears very soon.
hi ann , I understand where you were coming from because I did the same , no one said any thing to me about not sleeping , or the pain in my knees while I stand in a que ,or when I move in bed , I thought I was going to be stiff not painful and stiff , I did physo for 3 weeks with a different person each time they all said slow down its early days , my gp said the same ,it wasn't till I read yours and margarets that I realised that what people told me was right , so now I take time to relax and chill
Hi everyone - I had a unicompartmental medial knee replacement on 20th March. I am having real problems with the bending of my knee. They said at hospital that I had to have a 90degree bend before they would discharge me but I failed this target miserably and went home anyway on day 4. I have now been home a week and am still not quite reaching the 90 bend - it feels hot and like my knee will explode when I get to the limit of where it wants to bend to. On Thursday this week I have to have my staples removed and am really nervous about this - how did any of you find/cope with this? One of the really worst things I found in hospital was having the drain removed...did you find this??? Sorry to bombard with questions...
Hi Wendy. I can't help much about the 90deg bend as I wasn't required to do that before I left hospital after 3 days. My knee, however, was very hot and swollen for a long time. It still gets warm. Were you told to put ice bags on it? It's now gradually going down ( I had my op a week before you) but is by no means comfortable. I had stitches (allergic to most metals) and even tho I was concerned about what would happen, it was fine when they came out. My knee is gradually bending more and I'm sure yours will be fine after a while. Good luck
Thank you Ann - a little support from someone who understands goes a long way x
hi wendy , I too was supposed to have a 90degree bend and again I didn't when I left ,keep up with the ice and exercises , your knee will feel hot but not too hot as that could be an infection I did at about 10 days and felt rough . I had strange stitches with just a knot at each end ,so when the nurse came to take them out she just snipped each end , there was nothing else to see but over the weeks I can feel them tugging then snapping inside my knee ( this was not at all painful ) .so when you lose your staples you will find it I little easier evey day or so , take your time and don't rush it will come ,6 weeks on and ive finished with physo and do my exercises at home and now have a bend of 115 degrees , just don't be too hard on your self ,I am also only 52 and did 2 miles swimming every day to help before the opp , it will come xx
hi wendy again , forgot to say I don't know about the drain as our hospital no longer uses them for this opp ,and that also even though my movement is quite good dosnt mean that's not painful around my knee because it is ,am told that it takes up to 6 months for that pain to go because of all the stitches inside you knee where you have had muscle cut and stitched up again , hope you feel better very soon xx
Hi Debbie - Thank you - I am 50 and used an exercise bike beforehand. I hadn't realised about all the internal stitches. I'm definitely feeling better than immediately after. I will just be glad when Thursday is over. Please keep posting your progress xx
Hi Wendy I had my TKR 6th December 13 Yes they do get you out of bed asap and doing physio its got to be done. Your knee will feel very swollen/tight for a while mine is still tight in the bend now 12 weeks post op. I am still having physio working on the bend. I seemed to be doing ok but then slipped back a bit and I was told by physio that a lot of patients stop when they feel the stretching/pain when doing physio but within reason you need to push through this pain so you get further each time to achieve maximum bend. I am just working on coming downstairs and how best to kneel. But even now every morning my knee feels like its gone three steps back and is tight and some discomfort until I get moving and do first lot of physio. I also still have an odd shape around the kneecap but was told that "they only have certain sizes and it may always be slightly different than the other"!
Taking staples out - nothing to worry about slight twinge on maybe one or two if they are tight but certainly not pain. You will feel more comfortable after they are out. I still struggle a bit getting my left TKR into passenger side of car- don't physically lift your leg in - do it with muscle power, use them or lose them! Getting into bed can be painful- Sit as far onto bed as you can, at an angle towards the top of the bed- so that your bad knee will be first onto the bed- this way your Bad Knee will be nearly on the bed up to your thigh already and a bit easier to get onto bed fully. When dressing always put bad knee into trousers/underwear first. When sitting try to remember to bend the knee don't sit with it straight out 'cause you think it will hurt. Take a little bit of something from all of us and you will get there good luck it takes time.
Thank you Margaret. I had such a bad night last night the hospital are taking the staples out today. Onwards and upwards! It is so helpful to hear how other people are progressing, it has stopped me worrying when professionals are saying that I should be doing things that I can't yet...
I had all 27 staples removed today - it really stung and pinched but a big relief to get them out. I had to have several steri strips put on as my scar is a bit of a mess. It is all puckered and different heights at varying points on either side of the wound. Also at a couple of points it started to pull apart slightly...so even longer until I can shower. I measured an 80 degree bend so not too bad as I can straighten and lift with no problem.
well done ,my scar was the same as yours 4 weeks ago its now starting to look better , and your bend seems to be doing ok too , so your defo on the right track , I have my follow up tomorrow appointment , and ive been swimming today that was hard but im sure it will be worth it ,so keep doing your exercises . x
Hi all, am I glad I found this forum. I am 7 days post op having TKR on 28th March, I have been feeling really
down in the dumps today because of the pain and stiffness in my leg. I had been to GP to have dressing
changed and felt I had over done it with the walking today.
All the conversations on here have reassured me that patience is a virtue, I was beginning to think something Was wrong!
I have so much swelling and bruising pariculary on my operated legs foot, my ankle is swollen and black with bruises. Behind my knee is painful and I am still unable to lift leg up from a sitting position, I can manage
about 3 inch of the floor. I am able to bare weight on my new knee, but am still on crutches to walk about. My hip on my unoperated side is also painful. So I am popping the recommended dose of tramadol and
paracetamol checking the time for my next dose.
I have had disposable sutures in which will fade away by next week. I am also in my early 50's and usually
very active and am finding it difficult to come to terms with my current disability.
I hope that each week I improve, I am doing the exercises given on discharge but am still waiting for my Physiotherapy appointment to come through. I was discharged on wednesday 2nd April, so I take it this is still very early days for me and I should just improve?
I have had very emotional day and been really upset with the pain, lack of mobility.
Thanks for listening and your support.
hi ,I found that after the first 2 weeks that every day I was doing some thing extra that I couldn't do only days before , im now 6 and a half weeks post opp and have been going out without a stick,got back driving and been swimming , I still have pain and down days but over all feeling good ,still wake up in the night with pain but every night its a little later and even found my self sleeping on my side for a while , some thing ive not been able to do and sat on a chair for a good few hours without putting my leg up ,another thing I havnt been able to do . had my appointment with the consultant yesterday , he was very pleased with all my movement and progress , I asked about the pain around my knee and the stiffness and evey thing else I asked , he was very nice and said all that I asked was the normal and not to forget they have cut through nerves and,muscle all of which takes time to heal its a big big opp even the stiffness should go in time so he reassured me and I went home feeling a little pleased with myself and looking forward to the next knee , so keep it up it will pay off x
ps pegs , when I was still in hospital I couldn't lift my leg either ,the physo told me to use my other foot and carefully put your toes under your bad foot ( leg ) and just use your toes to help ,I did this and soon got the hang of what to do and realised that I wasn't relaxed as I should be ,I was very quick once I worked this out ,it wasn't a problem after 2 or 3 times , good luck hope this helps with the lifting x
Hi Pegs - I am now into week 3 and just beginning to feel human again. Don't rush things too much you have had a major operation - in between doing your exercises try and get plenty of rest, that is when your body recovers the best. I realised I could walk a few steps without my crutches yesterday and being the all or nothing person that I am, I really over did it!!! So take care ... Best wishes
Hi Wendy /Debbie
Thank you both for your replies .
It is so reassuring to have someone to "chat too" who knows what Im going through .
I have had a couple of comments made to me re my pain and stiffness intimating that i am putting this on and that "by now i should be walking /sleeping pain free after a week" as they were after their TKR . So as you can imagine i have dwelled on their comments and wondered if i should be!!
So listening to you all has reassured me.
I am currently on my 3rd wake up and pill stop of the night and its only 1.30am.
I do try and push myself but struggle afterwards .
I am still using the ice as my swelling is still painful .
I would appreciate if you would log your progress on here which i can build too this way i will have a goal to work too.
Thank you both again hope you sleep well.