1week post op. I knew it was going to be painful however I did not expect it to be constant. I thought it was only me who had problems at night but from what I can see most of you are having difficulty sleeping. Can't sit, lie. Stitches out next Monday n physio on 31st. Not sure how much I should try n do or if I am doing damage. It's all very depressing. Can't wait to say it's 12 weeks post op. Also just diagnosed with osteoporosis. I am 53 so but scared what mobility n old age has in store
Maura, I know exactly how you feel. That's what I thought, I knew it would be very painful but had no idea it would be constant. I am 16 weeks now and would say everything's about perfect. Still doing my knee bends to keep flexible and wouldn't really be able to do lots of stairs yet going down anyway without practice. At the beginning, I cried a lot and wondered if I should have even done it or not. Each week got a little teeny bit better and better and better and better. By six weeks I had definitely turned a corner. Eight weeks was so much better than six weeks and 12 weeks with so much better than eight weeks. Trust me it gets better and better all the time. I slept on top of my bed at night, even though I didn't sleep much, but couldn't stand the covers on me and it was really hard getting up to go to the bathroom at night if I was under the blankets and comforter. We had a raised toilet seat on the toilet in the master bedroom but it was so hard to get out of bed I didn't always make it. The best two things for me at the beginning was my meds and ice. Last night and many nights I have trouble sleeping because of my hip. I'm going to get a Cortizone shot soon in my left hip and eventually a surgery. I was thinking laying there last night, my knee doesn't hurt and if I have my hip surgery eventually it won't hurt either. My heart goes out to you, hang in there!
Maura, there is a very good osteoporosis site on patient info, so I'd suggest joining that. You'll ideally want your hip and spine scores to know where you are on it and what action you decide to take. I hope you feel better with your knee soon! I know it varies hugely from person to person and even knee to knee in the same person! From what I've gathered though, the important thing is to start bending straight away to avoid scarring limiting the knee bend. That seems to be where the biggest damage is done - people not doing the exercises they've been told to do. I hope you've got pain meds if you need them? Also, keep it elevated and iced.
Good luck to you! One day at a time. Somehow we all make it.
Don't worry it will get better, don't get down if you can help it, it does drag you down the pain but try to get out and walk and do heel slides if you can also try to sit in xhair and get it back towards the chair leg it does help, but don't push the exercises tooo much. I was in a hurry to get going, but some days I just felt as if I wanted to sit in a corner and cry!! take pain killers regularly to stop the pain becoming too intense. the nights are literally a "nightmare" can't get comfy, can't sleep I spent night after night watching my IPad for hours. but you are not the only one, I'm 10 weeks now and feeling much better make sure you ice it and raise it. NO ONE TELLS YOU how awful you are going to feel, but there is light Inhooe this helps, message me at any time xxxxx
I'm three almost four weeks out and those darned heel slides are plaguing me. I have a really sharp pain in the left side of knee in the joint. Just can't get past that pain.
I know we have to push doing the slides but how painful should it be.
I have exact same thing when I try to bend my knees on a stair step. I do it till I can't stand it and hope it eventually gets easier. I'm 8 weeks out. Lord I hate this!!
I always wonder what's normal. My PT says it's ok, that I'm bending 100. I knew there would be pain but wow, ....
I know just what you are going through but keep up with the exercises you will only be in more pain. It is not a pleasant recovery. Mine is still stiff when i have sat and when I get up in the morning. I keep thinking it will be better tomorrow haha. Chin up.X
I get slight pain on the lower inside of the knee doing those on the bed Duckfan, but never have been able to get nearly the bend on those that I can from the chair. I don't get the same pain doing the heel slides on the floor either, do you? But it's this trapped pain in the back of the knee that's terrifying me now, when I get the bend between 115 and 120. I'm terrified that it's impingement. Anyone had experience of impingement in the back of the knee?
I know. It's frightening if you don't know what's going on. What does your pt say?
Dear Maura, I am 75, had s TKR 5 year ago and 1-10 weeks post op. First one , I remember the first 3 months ,although I did it have any pain, I was very stiff and hadn't expected that. I was deflated and d pressed. I turned a corner though after 3 months and the rest is uneventful since all is well. This one has and still is very stiff but I've adjusted to it. The pain is anywhere from 0-3. However, I took oxcycodone for almost a month with Tylenol at night to sleep. Constpation got me off the oxcycodone. I have always iced . I hope you are also. Please do your PT exercises. That and icing will get you through. Oh, take your pain meds and if you become bowel slow, take a laxative.?Good luvk
Bless you Maura, I remember feeling exactly like you. I'm now almost 7 weeks post op and things are better than they were but still some days are bad. I had another crying day today, it's mainly because I feel so useless and can't get my bend past 103 as it feels like if I did my knee would burst!
My appointment with my consultant is next Thursday so I'm crossing my fingers that he says all's ok and these pains and stiffness are normal for my stage.
Chin up my lovely, no one apart from fellow TKRs can even come close to imagining how painful and depressing this massive op is.
Big get well hugs xx
Thank u Nancy for your response. Can I ask u if it is the hip on same side n did u have probs b4 in your hip as it was my right knee n since yesterday my right hip is sore n I am hoping it's just a sympathy pain with knee 😝
Mine aches aswell but I think it's because I'm walking very ungainly and not distributing my weight correctly x
I'm 69 and a year post op. THIS IS GREAT!!! However...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
Welcome to the club, Kneebie...
Hi I had left tkr Feb 2015 right Nov 2015. My left took a lot longer than my right. Left had awful swelling. I can honestly say that it was the best thing I have had done. I walk around 10 miles every other day. My bend is fantastic. I like you felt at the time I would never get better? My advice is do all exercises gently 3-6 times a day. Exercise is the key to recovery. WOnce you are recovered you do forget the intensity of the pain. Good luck x
Like my surgeon said, don't let the pain get ahead of you. I was prescribed pain medication ever 4 hrs., so we set a timer to wake me up during the night. This helped to keep the pain under reasonable control. Ice, ice, ice! Every hour for 20 minutes for the swelling & inflammation. Do your PT.
It's very important. Things do get better. I'm 3+ weeks out, had a setback with sciatica but won't cave in & you won't either. Good luck.
Duck fan, 12 weeks. I get pain there constsisrently. Started in the early days and never got rid of it. I get it mostly with heel slides but also while walking. It is not that bad that it concerns me but I may have become complacent.
Hi Maura, I just want to encourage you that you will feel a difference every day past 2 weeks. The 1st 2'weeks is challenging. I am 2 months a feeling really good. The sleeping takes a little longer than 2 weeks but that too gets better. Hang in there. You will be glad you had the surgery.
robin