I had tkr 3 weeks ago. Does anyone else have problem sitting or riding in car with legs hanging down. I can only keep them down 10-15 minutes and start getting pain.
Yes it's very uncomfortable to sit after only 3 weeks. You don't know whether to sit .lay down. Walk around. It will get easier as time goes on. Be patient
Yes! 2 months after my L.TKR, it was still very uncomfortable riding in a car for an hour or more. Hard to get my knee in a good position. Since I was the passenger in the front seat, I put the seat in recline and stretched out....that helped.
Yes...I am 4 wks post op & find it agony! It's really difficult to keep them down & I feel every bump & bend. I have tried taking a pillow & putting it under my leg but it's still very painful. Have an unavoidably long journey on the weekend so intend taking my full quota of painkillers including Oramorph just before we leave. Plus may sit with my legs up on back seat.
Hi Linda I'm in week 5 and I put 2 pillows under my feet and put the seat as low as u can and it's more comfortable but having said that I can't sit for longer than a half hour and then it gets uncomfortable
@ 3 weeks you shouldn't be doing that anyway. You should be elevating. Sitting with your legs down is like trying to walk a half mile....its very unwise. When you bend and hold like that you are cutting off circulation and that is slowing the healing. I know there's time when shoe trips cant be avoided but lea e it to that for a few more weeks.
@ 3 weeks you shouldn't be doing that anyway. You should be elevating. Sitting with your legs down is like trying to walk a half mile....its very unwise. When you bend and hold like that you are cutting off circulation and that is slowing the healing. I know there's time when short trips cant be avoided but leave it to that for a few more weeks.
Try the following, take foam pillow and fold in half tie up with string.
Ask the person who is driving to hold this whilst you get into car.
Move seat back as far as it will go and then pop pillow under your knee/ leg.
If it's a 4 door car, hope in the back seat and lift leg up on to seat.
Travelled like this for good 6 weeks.
Hope this helps.
Sue😊
Hi Linda!
Oh YES! It took me several days to recover from a five-hour round trip in the passenger seat when I was three weeks post op with my first TKR! ( I am eternally grateful that I made the trip, though, because it was to attend the funeral of a dear friend, and I was going NO MATTER WHAT! )
Those early days and weeks were challenging in many ways. I had TREMENDOUS swelling for weeks! It just takes time!
My second TKR about three months later was completely different. Minimal swelling, bend came MUCH faster, second knee felt better from the beginning after surgery, one day less in hospital etc.
You can't predict how things will go!
Just do what you MUST do, learn what works for YOU, be patient with yourself, and keep on keeping on. You will make it through. Really!
(TKRs June and October 2015)
Thanks
Thank you
Thank you I will try to be patient
I will try that
I thought I was way behind. The therapist acts like I am I’m o my at 90 degrees bend. He acts like I should be doing more so I’m walking everyday 1 mike and doing my exercises
Ok I will try that
Thanks I just don’t know where I should be. Have a hard time bending a lot of pain and swelling. I just want to sit with ice on my knee but everyone tells me to get moving
Yes, ice is SUPPOSED to help. For me it just made me COLD!!! I iced then got up and did some laps around our first floor. I tried to make a challenge for myself by increasing walk time before I iced again.
You are EXACTLY where you should be! Your body will determine when it is healed. It takes awhile. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your progress. Compare yourself to YOU. Keeping a journal will help you see that you ARE improving a bit each day. Be ready for good days and days where you feel like you are on a plateau. If you have a rougher day than usual, know that your body is doing its best and just needs you to be patient.
I was told never put a pillow under your knee while you are in the healing stage.
Hi Linda, at 12 wks I still have a lot of swelling making it hard to bend my knee. So going to my doctors appoiment is so uncomfortable. Coming back home is even worst. So I so feel you.
Hi
Yes when I had my TKR I had the same issue spent the first month mainly on my back or side in bed as this, icing and hot baths were my only way of having some pain relief.
As I had bought tickets to a race meeting with music for my wife. I tried to go in a wheelchair 10 days after my TKR even with drinking I only lasted 2 hours, with so much pain. Also evelating my leg as much as I could.
Your leg needs more time to heal, some are very lucky to sail through this.
More normal is 3 to 4 months with unlucky persons much longer,
Good healing