I had a knee replacement last Tuesday 13th December and I can't get my knee to bend back to far been trying but aggrevates it. I'm in bed at mo its 2.09i can't sleep get annoying poking pains in the calf and top of knee .. really annoying just cant sleep. Hope this eases off soon . Painkillers I'm on are really strong taken my appetite away and make me quite down . At first I was really happy on them ah well I'm sure I am not the only one suffering I think it's all to do with the healing process .. any advice would be great x
It's only 9 days since your TKR. Very major surgery you don't get over it in a few days. Do your physio and exercise as often as possible , take your medication to control your pain, don't forget to ice and rest. Watch a few videos of the op on youtube and you will realise how serious the op is. You need to be patient you will get there in the end, but everyone recovers at a different rate. Don't worry if you appear to be taking longer than someone else, you will probably be doing better than some others. It's worth it in the end and you should have many pain free years to look forward to.
Hi , you are early in too worry with anything at the moment, i and 6 weeks post op and will tell you ice needs and should be your BEST friend for the next 2 months, icing and elevation will help with that sharp poking pain. Stay on the pills if you can, try and eat something with them when you take them...
It's very early in the process yet. Your knee won't bend much because of all the swelling. That's a major surgery you just came through. The important thing at this stage is to keep it elevated with ice on it constantly.
I am 4 weeks since my tkr and I'm still on pain meds and still not sleeping.
Keep exercising it but don't push it to the point of pain and keep the faith that with time it will get better.
Way way to soon to worry about bend! Do what you can and follow the advice of pain meds and ice. It gets better but takes a long time. Sleep is not easy so grab it when ya can. Eventually, you can use a pillow between your knees but that's still a ways off so you can sleep on side.
Hang in there this is a huge journey!
Read around the forum as well as the answers you get. There are many pages to it and if you go to the main page you can select pages going back over the years.
You certainly have a lot of other people who can share your experience!
Be kind to yourself and your knee.
Are you in UK?
Have you an exercise booklet to follow and are you going to have a physiotherapist visit and physiotherapy sessions, or is the system different where you are?
Ps, for the first two weeks I could do hardly thing! It's the worst time...it will get better!
Hi there Smithers, I agree with everyone else, it's far too soon to start worrying about the bend. With exercise & physio that will come, you just need to concentrate on the exercises when you can do them. Little & often is best & quality over quantity! When you rest & ice your knee try to lie down & get the knee above your heart, it really does help get rid of the swelling if you do it regularly. I used to build up pillows to rest my leg on with my head & back flat on the bed. Never, ever compare yourself to someone else, you are you & your recovery is not going to be the same of another persons. Look up Chico's link on the bell curve. It really does explain how different each of our recoveries can be.
Also try not to get down, I know only too well how difficult that is, but try to think positive. You will get there but it is a long, long journey to full recovery! Not one that can be rushed or shortened. Know that we on this forum will always be with you, should you need to rant or a shoulder, or just for a chinwag!!
All the best to you, have a wonderful Christmas
Marilyn
XX
Hi jenny thankyou for you support I thought we had to do the bebding straight away but i am finding it difficult. I have to stop as my body won't allow me to go too far back at the moment but j do exercises wen i can. I am in the UK
Hi Marylin
Thankyou for your reply this certainly helps to speak to others going through the same. It is hard and I knew the road is long after all they ripped our knee out put a meal one in.. been told to take co codamols instead of the realm strong ones as im off the planet on them they make me feel sick too . So I'm going to do what the nurse said this morning.
You have a great Xmas too x
Hi robin
Was pumped into my head in hospital about bending but it adds yo the pain I am already in and the swelling is making it stiff you know all this anyway lol but j will do little and often as that makes more sence. Going up our stairs to the loo is an exercise on its own ha ha thankyou for your advice too it's so helpful glad I found this site x
Hi Bobby
Thank you it all makes sence it will take a lobg time I know but in the end all worth it will take all the advice everyone is giving me too thank you x
Thankyou it's the poking pain that's so annoying lol specially at night it comes in the back of my leg and my front of the knee but long process thankyou for you advice
Hi david
Thankyou for all your advice I'm looking forward to pain free ha ha but I am strong person been through worse inwill get there its nice to speak to thers on here too
It's 19½ & 17½ years since my ops, I was off work 6 months each time. Have had no problems and still going strong. Remember recovery is a journey, not a race.
You are just starting this journey of recovery. Follow the exercises that the PT and surgeon have suggested. I have just seen my surgeon for my one year anniversary appointment. Be patient. It really takes a year to get through this brutal surgery. I can walk miiles, up and down stairs easily, in and out of car and pretty much everything I did well before my TKR. I never thought I would be pain free. I never thought I would be walking without a cane. This forum has been my lifeline. There is someone always here to listen to you vent, understand the tears and give you support. My suggestion: eat a muffin and watch Christmas movies on TCM. AND DO YOUR EXERCISES.
Ellie
My TKR was on Oct 10th this year. I was shocked at the level of pain I was in for the first week to 10 days but then week on week it has improved incredibly. What worked for me was taking the pain meds religiously, ice as often as possible and keep it elevated as much as poss. The only time I feel uncomfortable now is when I first stand up to move around but just for a few steps as it feels stiff but wears off quickly once moving and no more problems thankfully. I’m now waiting for my other knee to be done early in the New Year. Good luck 😊
Eases off soon? Ten days post op? Probably very little chance of that. For almost all of us, the first 30 days are right out of Dante's Inferno... Here's some light reading...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-post-operative-depression-604195
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591
Somthings to help...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-power-of-rest-some-great-strategies-to-try-on-a-tkr-617892
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
For the vast majority of us, this takes a year. It will be hard...it will be slow. The best thing to realize is that it gets better as you go along with definite personal milestones whose timing can't be predicted in advance. Everyone's different. And if you think that this will be a continuous, linear improvement, just dismiss that thought right now...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-reality-of-a-tkr-recovery-in-one-picture-626038
Take your meds, ice, elevate, eat healthy, hydrate, do your ROM work...throw a party on your one-year anniversary because you'll be dancing again by then.
Hi thankyou for the links I will look through I already know it takes a year or longer to get were you want to after all they ripped my whole knee out . But hey ho I have been through cancer I'm strong so will be for this too I will do as i am told and one day will be at my goal I know a coupke people who had it done and are Ok now but over a year on .. thank you for your support x