HI Everyonre
new to all this so please bare with me
Post op TKR 10 days ago and I have swelling of the ankle bone is this the normal thing......I'm getting around on sticks no problem but having difficult with the bending exercises . The physio says I should have more bend than I have
Can anyone tell me at what stage they were after 10 days .... I know it's a marathon not a sprint and have read a lot of the posts on TKR
MANY THANKS John 1964
Hi John...I am nearly 5 weeks post op and at 10 days can remember hardly bending my knee at all have had to do all physio on my own and am getting better but not fantastic...not had swelling of the ankle I'm afraid but maybe elevate leg as much as possible. I decided to try walking with no crutches indoors all day yesterday as had gone down to one....bad mistake my leg feels like I went to the gym and knee is massive...oh well like you say it is certainly not a sprint this operation and recovery....good luck and keep doing what you are doing....Sarah
Hi John, I too had ankle swelling and still have. Generally its transient and will disappear at night whilst lying down. Are you wearing embolism stockings? Don't worry about knee bends at this stage. I presume your knee is swollen? If so this will restrict your ability to bend. I couldn't raise my leg for 8 days. Physios were not sympathetic at all. It raised when the body was ready to. This forum will tell you that we are all different. No rules. I am 9 weeks post op with a 110 bend. It's a marathon and not a sprint. All you can do is take regular meds, ice, exercises, elevate and be patient. Sleep will be difficult. All of us have suffered. I would drift off at 5am. Cat naps during day. Only now am I managing 5 hours. Stay in touch with the forum. It's a life saver. It will give you information and support that even the professionals can't give. Hang on in, it will be worth it and keep, in touch. Wishing you an easy recovery.
Robert
Many thanx Sarah
Cheers Robert
I know its early days ... The physio made it sound like I was miles behind after my 1st visit after 7 days
Reading the forums it has put my mind at ease quite a bit
Many Thanks
Hi john
ten days is nothing. At 10 weeks my bend is 92 and my physio is happy with me. At 10 days i barely knew which way was up!! Pain was horrendous, sleep non existent and exercises torture! I have come a long way. Walking with one crutch and muvh more active. Ankle still swollen as is the rest of my leg. Stick with this forum you will get a lot of support. ( at all hours)
Many thanks Sally
so uplifting reading the posts !!!!
Ten days is early days! At ten days I was a total wreck, feeling past my sellby date, and ready for the knackers yard! My theory is that the ankle pain and swelling (I had it too) is probably caused during the operation when the knee is in traction. they must fit something around the ankle and the thigh at that stage I imagine, although thank god I didn't see it.. .At ten days I was WAY behind schedule. Anaemia, sciatica, cistitis, lower leg swollen like a balloon . .agony to put my foot to the floor let alone try to walk And here I am at six weeks, walking two and a half kilometres a day, climbing stairs properly, almost managing to go down properly but still with GREAT care, walking unaided in the house although I still use one crutch outside . . So, it IS hard at the beginning, keep taking the painkillers even if you don't feel you need them because once the pain gets a hold of you there's no stopping it. . .and although you do have to persevere with thebend, remember to work on the extension as well . .just as important! don't let them bully you . .they have almost certainly never had this awful b . . . y operation!
John....during the surgery they generally put a tornequet around the knee to control bleeding
Blood can pool in the ankle and other parts of the leg causing great discomfort for some time. Try elevating the leg every time you sit or lay. This will help blood flow and relieve pain to a degree
Stay with you pain meds on the prescribed level. The only red flags that need mediate attention, unusually heavy drainage from the wound and unusual heat in the calf or thigh. As far as your therapist, he's regurgitating school speak. You are far too early to be concerned about bend. Just keep excercisong, icing and get as much rest as possible. Your body has been through a lot and will heal at its pace. Don't let outsiders, those that haven't been through it, try and be your advisors. Just keep plugging away and try to stay comfortable
Many thanx for your info and knowledge
I did too much about 10 days after my first op and my foot and ankle swelled up hugely. I'm thinking you are not raising it enough. Just a thought 
John, I'm 14 weeks out and my bend is only 98 I have swelling below and above knee but I know in time it will go away. Elevate and ice, also I was with walker for 31/2 weeks then cane so don't rush
Hi John,
I am 5 weeks tomorrow post op and I can tell you that at 10 days I was worried that I had made a big mistake. I am 47 in a week and very young for the TKR but I have had issues with my knees for 10 years and have had 6 ops including a Uni (half knee) on my right knee 6 years ago. The full knee is far more painful than any other op that I had but I can tell you its just gets better. I can walk unaided with only a hint of a limp and have done for 2 weeks. You can get set backs if you overdo things like yesterday I went to watch my son play football and stood for 1 hour 20 mins in the freezing driving snow. I was walking about to keep moving but when I got home my knee was really stiff and sore. I did not push it last night but this morning I have done my exercises and have walked around the block no problem. It will get better as you gain confidence as a lot of the bits that get you down are because of fear. Fear of falling or pulling something or doing damage. The joint I am told is almost unbreakable its the muscle and tendons that need to improve. Keep positive as it does get easier I can assure you. I am hopeing to drive to work later this week (140 mile round trip) everyone is telling me to take it easy and not do too much too soon. I will be careful and keep the forum updated on how I get on with the commute. I usually do this 4 days a week but I doubt that I can handle that so soon.
Good luck.
Mike
i had my tkr on the 5 of march 2015 and am in a gt deal of pain, i have tried to do the exercise but cant bend the knee and find it very painful i cant sleep and feel very low, the codine they gave me for the pain makes me sick so i try not to take them, i will have my staple taken out on the 20 th of march and is a bit worried about that, and i hopping when they are out it makes it a bit easier i can walk up and down the stairs but the swelling and bruiseing is quite bad, i use ice packs and this help sometimes,can anyone tell me how they felt as im worried i cant get the 90dec bend
'Hi Helena. . nine days post op . . what you are feeling is absolutely normal for this time after the operation. Nearly all of us were in a lot of pain, couldn't sleep, couldnt bend the leg or get it dead straight etc. etc. Being without any pain medication is a disaster . .if the codeine makes you feel bad, ask them to try something else. Maybe tramadol wouldn't affect you as much, although it is a derivative of codeine. . If no good, at least paracetamol, which doesn't do a lot but does help a bit! I'm afraid you do still have a very long way to go. Please don't worry about having the staples out. Most of them you'll hardly notice and maybe one or two will just give a little twinge, but it really is NOTHING to worry about! As for the bend, just keep trying even if you don;t achieve hardly anything. . don't totally give up, or you will perhaps have problems. At nine days I was actually still in hospital, swollen, in a lot of pain, anaemic etc. . . and by six weeks I was walking well, bend of 90 (not wonderful, but I still hope to improve it. . . ) , no more crutches and past the 'agony' stage at least! I must say the tramadol was a great help and if you really are unable to take any of those strong painkillers it will be a little harder . . Stay with the forum! I'm sure you'll find it a help! I did . . still do!
Hello please do not worry about the bend. It will come in time. You are in the early hellish phase of this brutal op and you just need to take everything gently. You definitely need pain relief. I was sensitive to codeine so doc gave me anti sickness tablets. I also had oxycodone short release which were a godsend as they knocked me out for 2 hours at night and really hit the pain. I am 13 weeks now but i remember every awful minute of that time. Its about doing whatever you can to be comfortable. I didnt hit 90 degrees till 10 weeks and now i am 115. So do not worry!
sally I was really interested in what you say about beng at 90 at ten weeks, and now at 115 . . How did you manage to progress to 115? Was it phsyiotherapy or your own perseverance? did you need to use a lot of force to get there? I know I'm just a little over nintey at nine weeks. . hard to measure exactly, but pushing with all my strength I don't seem to be able to get it much further back, and unless I do it every day, like an elastic band, it goes back to 85 or so . . .It's not exactly painful . . just solid!
Helena ... Just over 4wks post op a lot of pain and discomforts earlier
my knee has really settled down found a great difference at the 3wk mark. I didn't have staples only internal stitches and steri strips( a very clever Surgeon) which has made things a little easier
Took it easy with the exercises and got about 85 degrees and improving all the time !!! Down to one stick and walking quite well
Just purchased a set of foot pedals for exersise and can see a difference in movement and other muscle groups in 2 days
Just stick in and persiver it will improve slowly but surely