Well, I'm now 26 weeks today po for my new plastic knee cap and metal trochlea......and boy what a journey it has been. For the past 6 weeks I've been very, very weepy, suffering anxiety and panic attacks and literally thought I was going insane, but funnily enough my knee seemed to settle down a lot!. I'm 56 years old and GP has now prescribed me HRT and suddenly I feel so much more like myself.
As well as this, my knee muscles seem to be strengthening well and I'm continuing to use exercise bike. Unoperated knee seems very tender but I think that's because it's perhaps compensating for my other one.....I hope so, I can't face going through all this again! From 1st October I'm hoping to do a phased return to work and although I'm very apprehensive, I'm ready to get back to my "normal" world. However, can I just ask if anyone out there at perhaps same stage as me who gets any pains in their legs, feet and toes? Some says I'm fine but some days everything feels tight and my toes are painful, a bit like cramp. GP says this could be due to low oestrogen, but I just wondered if any pkr/tkr folk are suffering anything similar and it's all connected to the operation and recovery?
No problem with the toes, but the knee itself still feels a bit tight (eight months). Glad the HRT has improved your other symptoms . . sometimes it's easy to think everything is the fault of the knee. . glad your GP has sorted you out a bit!
Yes, I used it for about five years . . now i'm past all that thank heavens, although the aching joints which arrived with the menopause have never left me! Or the sleepless nights . . . but not more hot flushes!
I am 22 weeks post op and I get tightness in my lower leg feet and toes and the knee of my operated leg. I have put it all down to the recovery. Maybe I should be asking questions. I am having second TKR in two weeks time, so I will get the opportunity to ask questions when I next see my consultant and hospital physio.
You are still early days with your recovery, the tightness could be a fluid build-up, try to elevate as much as you can + gentle but firm massaging from ankle up towards your knee. It may help..................
We'll, just a little update from me. Am 28 weeks po tomorrow and my knee is definitely feeling more like my own, although still very stiff first thing in a morning and late evening. As ivecalso mentioned before, my unoperated knee is a bit twangy, but I think (hope!) that's just from over compensating for my operated knee. Am also two weeks into my HRT patches and feeling brighter in myself with no weepy periods during early hours, although anxiety still not completely gone. I was hoping to do a phased return to work and reduce my hours, but unfortunately reduced hours are not an option so I've now taken the decision to retire. I'm 56 years old so will have access to my pension, but it's still been a big decision.......one that six months ago would not have entered my head. But, I've come to realise that my health is more important than anything so in the next few months I'm going to do my best to fully recover and then perhaps look for something new to do......as my good friend said to me "Pam, the world's your lobster"!. I will continue to post on this forum on my progress but would like to take this opportunity to thank you all, wherever you are in the world, for your kind support and invaluable advice over the last six months......I would have been lost without it. X
What a shame you couldn't do a phased return. I think in the UK that the company involved would be in trouble. You have made a big decision. However if you feel better about things in a few months you could return to the workplace. I too resigned from my job. I can't get my pension until I am 64 so hopefully I will get back to work at some point. Please stay in touch. I am now 24 weeks post op and have my other knee operated on on Thursday this week.
I thought you were Pam, but when you said that a phased return wasn't on the cards, I thought I was mistaken. What an awful way to treat you after all those years. As you say, their loss!