Hello All
I am 16 + 1 and my knee feels worse than ever in terms of tightness and pain when I bend (my bend was just over 110 three weeks ago).
My knee feels very rubber bandy and painful when I bend and there is terrible tightness at the back as well as the front of my knee and a constant tightness when just sitting. It is like
I am not taking any medication as I have no idea what to try now; my knee is still a little swollen and numb at the side.
My Consultant has said it is something to do with being a younger age (49)and my knee being in a rush to heal BUT REALLY??
Earlier this afternoon I did a few bends when I heard and felt a painful big crack in my knee :-0. This has made me feel very worried.
I last saw Consultant 4 weeks ago (next appt is 9th Feb) and don't want to be a pain to him but I am finding this extremely difficult to deal with especially (as discussed in a different thread ) I had to go back to work 5 weeks ago, etc.
Is anyone feeling the same at this stage? Is this just the healing process as I am starting to doubt it and am worried in particular at being stuck at 110 as using the stairs is painful and getting in and out of the car is difficult.
Thank you!
Hi Tracey, your not on your own. I am aged 45 and 3months after right knee replacement. I take naproxen and still wake every night at 3am and take codeine. My knee clunks like mad, paranoid something is wrong but told not to worry.
My bend is pretty good, on a proper exercise bike now and that really helps. Just can't walk! Thigh is killing me.
Roll on the new year... fingers crossed Tracey things will improve
Hi Tracey. I am just about 19 wks and what you describe is how my knee has been for several weeks. I was 54 last month and had waited for about 6 years for the op as the surgeon said I was too young!! The knee is still very swollen and the tightness gets me down. I have no idea what my bend is as I have not had physio since the beginning of October as the physio said the bend would not improve all the while the swelling was there - not sure if that's right though. Please don't be despondent. I have been told by the surgeon time and again that this op takes a long time to heal and we should be looking at about 12 to 18 months.Apparently all this pain and tightness is quite normal - I know that doesn't help much but we just have to try to carry on. I too have to go back in February and I'm hoping that at least the swelling is gone so that I can get a proper measure of the bend😊. Hang in there Tracey it WILL be worth it in the long run - I hope😉!!!
Hi tracey
your post is just as if you are describing my knee I'm a lot older than you and retired
but the tightness in the knee and pain is exactly the same as yours.
I'm 15 weeks post op tomorrow and I don't seem to be making much progress I've done all the exercises given to me and even bought myself a pedal exerciser.
i see my Surgeon on the 31st of this month and I can't wait to see if there's anything wrong with this knee.
like you I'm at a loss to know what else I can do.
you take care
Jean
Thank you all for replying, Ladies!
I just feel reassurance is essential and I don't feel that some of the professionals we are involved with are particularly good at it!
Nikki did they say what the clunk is or why?
Ruby my bend was hardly anything for first seven weeks then it started to improve once swelling started to go but surely they should be looking at your knee if it is still so swollen? Maybe you could ask to see your Consultant sooner?
Am trying my best to be upbeat and hanging in there but . .
I find it quite difficult when people ask how you are doing and expect you to be jumping around! I just lie now and say I am fine as cannot be bothered to talk about it. Seriously you need to have been through this to understand!
I have also been told the 18 to two year Mark to feel more or less as normal as possible but that was After the op and not before which would have been useful.
I have a set of pedals under my desk Jean - can't get all way round because of the desk but can go up and down to keep it moving. I do the exercises too.
I guess we are all going through the normal healing process and it is just more time!
Here's to hanging on in there and better days :-) oh and sleeping through a whole night!
My knee is still very swollen and bruised in just one place ...I saw my GP and all she says is ...it will go eventually ..15 weeks and still the same ...the only thing I'm pleased with is the neatness of the scar
and I was never told it was a long recovery In fact all I was told is it can be painful ...that's an understatement
i had just 5 group sessions of Physio and they discharged me with just over a 95 degree bend and said it would get better when the swelling goes down I can't wait for that day to come
Jean
No, but I will feel better after my next xrays in Jan. It's supposedly very common but eventually you forget about it... I just fear the bloody thing will drop off... ha ha
like you I like the reassurance. :-)
Hi Tracey. My GP refered me back to the consultant about the swelling saying she thought I might need it drained as it is so swollen. He just said "Well, didn't you expect any swelling? You have had major surgery". Sarkey git!! I felt 2ft tall. Hopefully he will be more understanding in February - although I doubt it. Maybe he should go through this before he passes stupid comments. Xx
That's awful what your consultant said. I think it should be compulsory for them to have this op themselves.
at 5 weeks post op I rang my surgery for some painkillers as I'd run out one of the GPs rang me and said. "You shouldn't be having any pain now"
reluctantly he eventually wrote me a prescription for the painkillers.
i feel unless they've had the Op they have no idea.
I am 15 weeks and feel almost the same as you... I can do all my exercises. . Bike .. balance ball. Resistance band. . Leg weight. .. I pay for it next day... I had no physio... just doing home exercise until a few weeks ago when I went privately. .. He says I have a lot of muscle wastage as I have had knee problems for 4 years... so my nerves and muscles don't know what to do with this straight leg!!.. I have been told not to do strenuous exercise every day... alternate days as it's too much.... I did expect to be much further on in my recovery. .. but will heal in its own time I suppose... .. I only get a decent sleep with muscle relaxants. . Don't take much other than ibuprofen for pain... hope the new year means whole new life for us
.
. Take care ..Mary
Meant to add... I am 55....stairs .. walking are a nightmare. ... although I have a great bend swelling down.... scar is really ugly i got staples not stitches..
Hi Mary
i still do the stairs one at a time....I can manage to go upstairs normally but very very slowly I wouldn't dare to try coming down them normally
one of the ladies from Australia was singing the praises of Lioton gel to rub on the muscles I couldn't find it in the UK so I ordered it offline ...it really is an instant pain relief ....I use it before I go to bed and find it worth every penny
Jean
hi jean ... yes, caz was the one raving about liotol. excellent to hear that it is working so well for you and so i am definitely going to be ordering some after a dreadful night. if it has your stamp of approval, it must be good. did you get some arnica c200? this would work wonders with your bruising and swelling. you can find it in any hollands and barrats or even a good boots. definitely worth the money.
You said you "tried a few bends the other day" I do 30 mins of preset exercise twice a day still and walk at least 20 mins a day, lengthy and boring I know but worth it even though I'm 5 months down the line. I don't know if you follow this type of regime but you really do have to work at it. I can't take most painkillers because of bad side effects so have to rely on good old paracetamol. You do get weird and wonderful noises and pains but are usually normal but if you're that worried talk to your GP or Physio and see if they think you should see your specialist again as I had to
hi tracey ... so you are getting the gist that a lot of us on here are feeling the same or similarly to yourself. i agree, dreadful. i had decided to decrease my medication (i am still on tons) at the beginning of the week and this morning i could hardly walk to upped the ante! i have absolutely NO idea how you do it without. i would be lying on the floor, a sobbing wreck!
i don't like the sound of your knee making a cracking sound. are you sure you shouldn't go and show your surgeon? and at the same time get some pain relief? the clunking i can reassure you is perfectly normal. once the muscles around the the new joint have built up and support the joint, then there will be less clunking. strangely, i have no muscles but also no clunking. but again, the cracking? not good.
whether or not you have swelling, you get tons of physio here in switzerland as it is absolutely imperative to keep the knee moving. they simply adapt the exercises and their treatment to the swelling but to use it as an excuse NOT to do physio had me gasping aloud! poor, poor excuse and i would be happy to slap your pt around a bit for that.
for the prices of a set of pedals, i would consider a second set to have at home to do try and gently do a full rotation. i got a new machine yesterday that looks like a pedal machine but is just a pushing machine really. initially i had my doubts about it but once i had done my required 20 minutes, my legs were tingling and i could really feel how everything had been activated which is soooo important. so now i have 2 machines at home, completely filling my living room. and today as i said i could hardly work so tingling = yeah! not working = nay! but as you said, it is all part of the healing process.
hopefully today is a better day for you.
Hi Britta did you get your other machine from Amazon?
Hi jean I'm interested in the product Lioton, but where would I get it from ? I have never used a rub on my knee but I think I would probably benefit from it. Had quite a few bad days which I have put down to the weather. I am 18weeks today , walking well and doing all my normal things but the knee pain and stiffness doesn't want to budge. Happy Xmas to you jean from tucks
i agree, diana, you really do have to keep at it. what i have also found, is that i have more pain when i don't exercise. exercising and stretching actually helps the pain in my experience. but then again, i am on lots of meds, tracey isn't. i am on the bendy machine for hours and now with the new machine, i should be doing 3 x 20 mins but i am aiming for 2 x 20 mins as i am out at work all day. it is a full time occupation. and exhausting. but you just can't give up at this point otherwise you would end up regretting it. or that's what i keep telling myself :-)
Hi Tucks
I went on Amazon and found it there
I've just ordered tube number 2 so I don't run out
the delivery is great ...I got mine in 2 days
happy xmas to you too
Jean
no jean, my surgeon prescribed it for me. i know, we are so spoilt :-( it is called camoped and there are videos on youtube. unfortunately i cannot give you a link here as it would be blocked. but there are demos in english. i wasn't really impressed initially but after i had done my 20 minutes, i could really feel it working. and it felt good!