I'm 15 weeks post op (new plastic knee cap, metal trochlea) and its been a long, long journey and is ongoing, but I think (hope I've not imagined it lol! ) that in the last few days some of the tightness has not been as bad.
However, tonight hubby and I are babysitting our 18 month old granddaughter. She lives in a house with her parents, we live in a bungalow..........and boy oh boy I've just realised how bad I am with stairs. It has really shaken me and stupidly I've been upset, not only because of the stairs but I'm also not confident in picking her up. I seem to have days (and nights) when tears are never far away and the simplest things seem to set me off..... this is one of those occasions.......stupid or what!
Hi pam.... I totally understand how you are feeling. Do not beat yourself up about not being able to do so things. You have to remember ypu have been through a serious operation and it can take a long time to recover. We all have goid days and bad ones. If you want cry then cry it's fine yo cry it's better out than in. I am a couple of weeks ahead of you but I've had 2 setbacks due to falling over a lot. This forum is great for letting off steam and it's a place where everyone understands how you feel. Nobody unless they have been through it know how painful and debilitating thus surgery is or how inadequate it makes us feel. You are not stupid and you will find tge confidence but it will come in your own time. Ive had a hip replacement 2 years ago too and still to this day I have problems as I have cracked the cup part. Sometimes I jusst sit and cry and feel so low thinking there's never going to be an end to pain or I'm never going to be able to do some of the simplest of things but...I just have to learn a new way of life and get on with it the best I can and so can you! If you can't do it today then...so what there's always tomorrow and the next. You are an amazing person you have been through hell and back....be proud of what you have achieved. Stand tall and be proud of what you have achieved now not stress over what you haven't YET achieved. ...you will one day! X
I'm 14 weeks post op, and still struggle with stairs and steps, almost fallen a couple of times when my leg hasn't lifted high enough for a step, just started driving again, still pain, the stiffness is horrendous, and I will never get a 90 knee bend, yet the surgeon tells me this is all normal and it will settle down in time ?? I can only hope, I too get very upset, as I can't walk my dog yet, not confident on rough ground, it certainly affects your self confidence. Let's hope we improve with time. Take care.
Hi Pam. It's not stupid at all - sometimes I think I'm keeping Kleenex in business!
Hi Pam
You are not stupid.....
We have all gone and are still going through the crying process, it's the body,s way of recovering from such a major operation.
i also think that anyone who has had knee surgery has their confidence knocked down a bit?
Don't punish yourself too bad, take each day as it comes,your confidence with your granddaughter will come back sooner than you think.
With regards to the stairs situation can you ask your GP to refer you to a physio to help you with some exercises to address this situation.
Most of all don't beat yourself up, try and take each day as it comes, knee surgery is a major operation and it will take time, a lot of patience but you wil get there. Gill x
You are not stupid pam, we all have things that set us off.
Regarding stairs. If you are concerned is it possible that your husband could carry gradchild up and down, then you would not have to do the stairs at all?
Otherwise can you just do the stairs without having to think about carrying child as well?
A plastic knee cap aye? My knee caps used to dislocate so i had one of them removed many years ago. No plastic one in it's place just simply no knee cap.
You can live without them.
Take care and keep in touch
Love Sasrah xxx
Honestly this will improve. I am seven months now and still experiencing new things that are getting better every day. The stairs I was having so much of a problem with over the last month have got better. I am suddenly able to walk down my own stairs quite normally now. It will come I can assure you, it all takes time. Early days for a lot of people and expectations are high. This is a long recovery operation. I am still recovering and no two days are the same. Be patient and don't get disheartened xx
No definitely not stupid welcome to the club!
It does get better and then oops you break a mail trip over a matchstick then bang floods of tears.
I'm hopeless I am always looking down at the ground as I walk as I have a fear of falling now, and I trail my leg a bit, one of these days I will walk into a lamp post, I think I am getting better, stiffness and tightness wasn't as bad this morning, so a good sign, it's been a long hard haul, so pleased to chat to others that understand it, sick of hearing miracle stories of 6 weeks post op and climbing mountains !!!
I was like that. ..climbing stairs and driving really early but wish I'd never boasted about it as I'm feeling older everyday and stiffer no matter what I do. Only time I'm pain free now is when lying on my couch but then everything stiffens up so it's like fighting a losing battle x
I thought it was only younger people who recovered quickly but I am 75 when you think about it, they mostly do the op on older ones, I have spoken to so many about their recovery, and so different, some did all their excersises and are no better, some did none and are great, it's a long healing process, getting in and out if my car is a problem for me, hopefully we will both feel better soon.