Hello Everyone!! Just had a question for anyone that has had knee replacment. My mother had it done 11 days ago and is doing ok. The first week she did amazing and was walking and doing the exercises like she was a rockstar. The past weekend it was like she went backwards a little. The pain was horrible and almost unbearable. The pain meds usually kicks in 15 min after taking and this weekend it was over an hr before she felt better. Has anyone experienced that? Also, the pain shes having is BEHIND her knee and not the actually knee itself. I know everyone heals differently but how long has anyone here thats had it done until they found some relief? Any info will be helpful. Thank You all 
After about 1 week I also started to feel Increased pain and became a bit discouraged. I checked the medication I was taking and decided that I was experiencing possible side effects so requested to change my pain medication which did help. Also, about this time the constipation became problematic and that is when I started searching the internet and found this marvelous forum. The next medication I used for about 10 days and then changed again. It took a while to find the right combination. I wish I had thought to consider the medication the problem earlier. I hope this helps and best wishes to your mother.
This does help thank you!! I was starting to think that it was the medication. A few times I checked her sugar an hour after taking it and her sugar level went sky high, like to 348! I called her PCP which isn't in today but she has a follow-up apt in a couple of days with her Surgeon and I will discuss it with him. She is getting discouraged but I have to keep reminding her that the doctor said up to 3 weeks before she can get some kind of relief. I mean i can't balme her or you or anyone to feel that way after surgery. Thanks for the advice on th medication!!
I am a month out and this past weekend has suddenly become unbearable. I too have pain behind my knee as well as my shin and my knee. It is so painful I can't do my exercises or put ice on it.
I have an appointment with a pain management doctor today for different pain pills as all my surgeon who is 150 miles from me can prescribe via phone is Tramadol which is doing essentially nothing.
I have found that the pain does travel.
As you know everyone is different n terms of recovery but 11 days in my opinion is totally normal for her to feel the way she does. I also think setbacks come with the territory.
The pain is pretty terrible with this operation, and when you think about it, the pain will not really be in the knee itself, as the knee is now made of plastic and titanium what hurts are the muscles, nerves, flesh etc. which have been hacked about by the surgeon's scalpel. Increased pain a week or so after the operation could be caused by the fact that she is beginning to try to do a bit more, and also because certain nerves which may have been so damaged that they were not responding at all, are now trying to recover and that is a painful process. I hope she has decent pain control, and it is no good waiting for pain before she takes it. it must be taken regularly to avoid the pain taking over. Once that happens it is very difficult to get it in hand again. As for how long, that will depend on the person. Most people feel that there is an improvement around week six, although pain certainly persists well beyond that time. the first six weeks are usually the worst though, and from then on things should improve very gradually, but but both you and she need to understand that this is a very long recovery period, abnd most people do not really feel that the knee is 'theirs' until around a year has passed.
Have heard this a lot. People need to understand that TKR recovery is NOT a linear process. There are advances, setbacks and plateaus (the worst). First: give up ALL expectations of what this will be like...everyone is different...every day is different. Somewhere in the 2-4 week area, she'll start the PT work and that will REALLY start making a big difference to her ROM. All that scar tissue has to be broken down; unfortunately, it hurts...but worth it. I went from -14 / +84 to -1 / +123 in 10 weeks of PT and home heel slide exercises. This takes work and patience.
These may help...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-recovery-bell-curve--563756
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
Lots more out there. Click my picture, Discussions, See All... Good luck.
I hadn't seen your comment re the blood glucose levels. That is pretty high, and if the fasting levels are also high then perhaps an endocrinologist could suggest a different treatment plan while she is on this medication. Not knowing if she is insulin dependent, type two diabetes? My husband is insulin dependent and when he was on certain medications for cancer, his levels went through the roof. While "highs" are ot as bad a "lows" it still needs to be watched carefully . . .
I just read all of the links and thank you so much for your insight and inspiration. I REALLY needed it today.
One day at a time. I'm 15 months and have been through it all...even spinal stenosis at 8 months post-op. Had that fusion this March so now it's back to rehabbing my knee AND my back. You have to take what The Universe gives you, laugh and move on. Don't think about it too much...not worth it. Just make the best of every day...it will get better...really...
If she's 11 days post-op and was given a steroid as part of the op, it could explain the high sugar levels. I'm a Type II diabetic and I have to constantly ask docs before a procedure if they will be using steroids before they close to help with the post-op pain. Had a spine fusion 3 months ago where I was on a decreasing steroid for 8 days...took a lot of insulin manipulation to handle that. 348 is high but sky-high is like 500. That would be bad. I controlled it with constant testing (5-8 times a day) and extra insulin to keep it controlled. Don't overdose and then crash. Easy steps...watch the diet...hydrate a lot.
I am on my 5th week post op. The pain is starting to decrease but I'm still taking Advil as needed and Advil pm to sleep during the night. I also take Celebrex in am and pm. I worked hard in pt, have reached 117 degree knee bend but the pain and swelling continues. Some days are better than others. Most people I know who have had a tkr say the knee will feel better at 10 weeks.....
Yup...you start feeling a lot better once you get your ROM back from the PT work. Most people look back and see a major change at 3 months and then again at six. I'm 15 months and don't even think about it anymore.
6wks seem about average. Remember, more you do, more swelling can happen, more pain can follow but ...after your exercises dont ice for hours,ice 15-20min. Constriction of blood vessels keeps swelling happening. Elevation right after always! Break up day. Walk rest,exercise in small amounts-it will feel like your doing it all day long but this stops overdoing at one time where you feel like POOH the next day-rest again. Im 7months out bilateral pkr. Right knee is awesome w only small amount of swelling after being on feet all day (work). Left knee had arthroscopy for a bone spur that grew after surgery almost 6wks ago. Fighting some scar tissue and intermittent pain around/under knee cap. I Dont medicate just stretch. It swells a lot after on my feet all day.
Chico is right. No matter what hits you, i call knee surgery a roller coaster as u have highs n lows and they keep coming when you dont expect them, plow thru.
My faith gets me thru. I take a deep breath and keep moving, or resting. I just worked 13hrs a day for 2 days and only got 30min to put my feet up. Im tired, i wear my hose to help reduce swelling, but i focus on the positive. I AM not in pain with my hips,calf,Achilles tendon on left, They were very tight from me guarding my walking at work. I stretch, i preach stretching, because it has helped me more than any meds! Plus no side effects!
I wish the left would catch up to the right. Everyone waiting for their other knee faces this.
I take 400mg ibuprofen once in am once at night on work days, and only at night non work days.
Its great ur there for ur mom and researching what helps!
Best wishes
They gave her vicodin because shes allergic to other pain medicine. She doens't need insulin for her diabetes, shes on a pill for it. Her PT yesterday said it could be from the meds and the pain that she was in at the time that I took it. She has a follow-up with the surgeon tomorrow so she told me to talk to him about it. I've checked it a few times and it's been at her normail level. Shes been drinking to much water, a lot more than shes used to but she knows she has to, haha..So weird..Hope you are feeling better!!
Thats exactly what happened to her this past weekend!! It's crazy that the week after you do so good and then it goes backwards a little.
oh man that stinks, hopefully they can get you something asap!!
She hasn't said the pain has traveled yet, maybe thats to come..
The surgeon had said 3 weeks before she feels relief, hopefully we are in the home stretch for relief, lol
My mom is a tough cookie and stubborn at the same time, lol.. she waits for the pain to take the medicine and I've told her and so has the PT that when she starts to feel uncomfortable to take the medicine because when she starts feeling uncomfortable the pain is going to follow and there is no sense in waiting so she's working on that, lol. We know its a long process and have prepared ourselves for it, its just difficult to see someone who is non stop all the time and was taking care of my dad 24 hours a day before he passed 3 months ago to just stop and struggle to do certain things. Sucks to see someone in pain 
It is a painfull process. I keep telling her that is for the best. She was in SO much pain before and I keep reminding her that a few more weeks of pain and she will be pretty much as good as new, lol. She waited too long to have it done because my dad was really ill and he needed 24 hour care so she put everything off to take care of him. He passed 3 months ago so she is NOW taking care of herself and everything she needs done.
Thank you for the links, I will check them out tonight with my mother!!
Its been high a few times. The PT seems to think it could be from the medicine and I checked it around the time she had a lot of pain so that couldve have contributed to the increase in sugar level. She told us to speak to the surgeon tomorrow when she goes for her follow-up apointment. She is not on insulin, she just takes a pill daily.
Thats great news for you! 117 is awesome!
My mom started at 85 then 90 and back to 85 from the rough weekend she had but her PT said that was completely normal and she was happy with where she is in progress. My mother is the type that wants to see results fast, shes Portuguese and thats just how they are, lol
Thanks for all the info and encouragment. When shes just sitting on the couch she moves her leg around and keeps it active so it doens't get stiff. She notices a difference when she doens't move for a while, it takes a little to get moving again so she tries to keep moving as much as she can without over doing it, lol