Ok so it's now been 4 days since I've been home and my whole leg is swollen, bruised and throbbing in pain .. the hospital has given me dihydrocodeine tablets and paracetamol which doesn't seem to do a lot. I put the ice pack on throughout the day and do the excersises in the booklet . All my muscles are so sore and it feels like I'm going to get cramp ...the hardest part is trying to sleep I can find no potition that doesn't hurt ....it's so draining ...I'm really hoping things get better soon . Is anyone else going through the same ?
Buenos días
Estoy en una situación similar a la que describes.
Me operé el 13 de septiembre, toda mi pierna se siente como un calambre masivo que no puedo estirar lo suficiente para eliminar.
La noche es lo peor, simplemente no puedo encontrar una posición que me permita dormir más que una breve siesta.
Estoy tan cansado.
Los analgésicos reducen el dolor, pero se desgastan antes de que sea hora de la siguiente dosis.
Las pastillas para adelgazar la sangre me están dando náuseas y dolores de estómago intermitentes durante el día.
Estoy tratando de caminar tanto como pueda durante el día para esperar cualquier problema de coagulación y evitar que toda la pierna se tense.
Espero que algunas personas que estén mucho más avanzadas que nosotros tengan algunas sugerencias útiles
Hola Penny
Estoy a 5 semanas de la operación. Todavía inflamado, dolorido y con muletas, pero haciendo un progreso lento e incremental.
Las primeras dos semanas fueron muy duras y no estás sola en cómo te sientes.
Es una operación mucho más dura de lo que cualquiera aprecia. Donde estás ahora es doloroso, lloroso y frustrante. Busqué consuelo en este foro y otros, y el consejo clave es la paciencia. Todos se curan a su propio ritmo y pensé que ser más joven podría acelerar la recuperación. ¡Me equivoqué! De hecho, hay momentos en los que te preguntas si la operación fue lo correcto!
También no exageres con los ejercicios.
Mi pierna estaba más inflamada después de una semana porque estaba decidido a empujar a través del umbral del dolor, pero todo lo que hice fue retrasarme con la hinchazón.
Un poco y a menudo con algo de molestia, pero sin hacerse daño parece ser un principio sólido.
Ahora estoy empezando a dormir decentemente, de 4 a 6 horas, y eso hace que uno se sienta mucho más positivo.
¡Sigue así! Mejorará. Todavía me queda un camino por recorrer, pero es reconfortante saber que las cosas mejorarán.
Cuídate
Hi ...thank you for your reply I had my operation on the same date as you...I'm not on blood thinners but have the surgical stockings on instead . It was easier in hospital aswell as the stronger medications there was all the equipment to hand ...my husband has gone back to work today ( calling me frequently) I felt so sorry for him last night as I was trying to move around to get the damm leg in some kind of comfortable position...I don't think he slept too well...this group is great as only someone else who's had the operation fully understands...are you in UK ?
Hola, sí estoy en el Reino Unido, en las Midlands
Hi Mike , thank you for your reply... You get a shock when you return home from hospital !! I'm missing the liquid morphine lol ...I can't touch the damm leg as so painful and throbbing it's like having constant cramp ...I'm really hoping that in a couple of months I will be back to my previous self and able to do all the things I love ...are you in UK ?
Sí Stockport
A diferencia de nuestros amigos estadounidenses, el NHS básicamente te deja a tu aire con un folleto para tu fisioterapia y algo de paracetamol e ibuprofeno.
Sufrí con eso durante una semana antes de ir a ver a mi médico de cabecera. Me recetaron pastillas para dormir y tramadol, lo que significó que empecé a dormir 3 o 4 horas por noche.
Me he deshabituado de las drogas, ambas desde la semana pasada (cuando se agotaron) y ahora solo me las arreglo con paracetamol.
Tengo un coche automático, así que ahora puedo conducir.
La pierna está incómoda y todavía no puedo caminar, pero no es el dolor de las primeras 2 a 3 semanas. Ahora me recupero bien en términos de rotación y extensión, pero no me obsesiono con las estadísticas.
Saber que no estás solo y que otros están pasando por la misma agonía te ayuda a seguir adelante. Es tranquilizador saber que no eres tú el débil o blando. Es una experiencia muy tortuosa, pero espero que valga la pena al final.
Estoy bajo presión, al ser autónomo, para volver al trabajo la próxima semana. La clave será intentar no excederme y aumentar gradualmente, y afortunadamente tengo un trabajo más basado en la oficina.
Hi I too had my total knee replacement on the 13 September. Came home Saturday and feel like I'm in a worse state than ever. Pain is ridiculous, walking or resting, very teary, swollen like a balloon from toes to thigh, on 15mg mst morning and night and liquid oramorph but still not touching it and as for exercises ive got no chance cos of the swelling. Please tell me it will get better.
I'm in north yorkshire
Hi Pennypops
Very early days for you rest is very important take all the medication prescribed elevate your leg as much as possible ice packs as often as you can my tablets we're co codomol and ibrupophen when needed that was 12 months ago as for sleep i used a loose tubeagrip at night it will get better but cant be rushed
keep going and keep us informed your in a great group here lots of good advice take care.
Johnny.
Sorry to hear you are having so much pain. I'm in the UK and had a painful recovery from TKR, done back in March. Even if warned, you just do not expect how debilitating things can be. The pain meds either made me ill or did nothing and the GP expected me to be off meds after 2 weeks! Which shows how little they understand this surgery. Other kinds of surgeries I've had before the TKR were so much easier to recover from and indeed less painful.
The good news is that it all gets more manageable with time. We all heal at varying rates and I'm sure you will read/ hear of those who sail through with little pain or trouble, while others struggle for quite a time. You can always see what your GP suggests, as they will likely offer some more effective pain relief, mine are probably just the exception. Remember you have been through major trauma (controlled trauma but the body does not know this and reacts the same as if you'd been in an accident), you have had all sorts of meds and your survival was put in the hands of others for a while. Now all this pain arrives and you have lack of sleep to deal with. I recall thinking I would never find a comfortable sitting or sleeping position again. Expect to have good and not so good days for some time, as you heal, soon the good ones should outnumber the bad. Good luck and stay as positive as possible (I know that is so hard to do).
Thank you for your kind words my love ..I just keep thinking about the reasons why I had the operation ..as I was in pain, hobbling around work with a limp and had to stop all the activities I love such as lovely long walks, swimming, some gym stuff...I'm hoping to return to these activities soon
Hi there. To all of you that have commented on here. It WILL get better. Pain meds, exercises, elevate, ICE & rest.... I'm 10 months post now....in the beginning I wondered, "What was I thinking getting this done?" I can tell you know it is so worth it. I could barely walk before...now....I can walk & dance again. I go to the gym a couple times a week to keep the muscles active. The swelling, and pain will go away in time. This is a major surgery. It took years for our knees to go bad....give yourselves time to heal!! It takes patience, perseverance and a lot of motivation. Best wishes to all.
Here's some reading for you...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-post-operative-depression-604195
Click on my name or picture and the "See All Discussions"...lots more out there. Welcome to the club "Kneebie"...it's all normal!!!
Rest is important too. Especially as so hard at night. Just a short five minute walk each hour would be fine plus the usual exercises no doubt you have been given. TENS machine around 20 pounds worth a try for in between pain.
I don't think I even managed to get up for a walk each hour for the first couple of weeks...I was so wrecked!
The good news is it does get better and is worth it in the longer run!
Seperate beds for a while can help...threw my husband out of ours for several weeks and turned bed into a nest of pillows!
It continues to get better and better. I had a bit of trough at six weeks...realised I had not envisaged anything beyond six weeks beforehand and suddenly realised that between six weeks and three months seemed a long time. But once I accepted it was going to take a long time bit felt easier. Making a note in a diary of all the little steps of progress helps a lot. As does setting little but achievable targets, mainly from around the two month postbop mark. Good healing to you!
Your life will open up in a wonderful way, and you will look back and feel rather amazingly brave and heroic for the ordeal! It is very hard, but indeed, set your face like flint and invest yourself fully into healing and rehabilitation. One dsy at a time!
At just over six months I sometimes find a happy tear in my eye, as I realise I have just done something or thought something that I could not have done before! I am so grateful. I agree, when you start reaping the rewards, however long it takes, (and it varies from person to person), you look back and the struggle is a worthwhile investment.
Hi Jenny , I know ...I'm just thinking of the reason why I've had this done ..and know it will get easier in time ...it's nice talking to people on the forum at least I know I'm not alone ..
Yes, it is a helpful forum!
The sleep issue makes things very hard. Might be worth seeing if GO would give you some morphine if pain not managed too well. I got sent home with a bottle from the hospital. Never cracked it open in the end but it helped immensely to know it was there! 😀😁😃
Regarding sleep, I used to wake a couple of times with sharp or throbbing pain in my knee. If I took my medication before I went to sleep it helped significantly. I took all The medication I was given for the first three weeks.
People start to taper off the medication at different times. Around three month mark most people would probably be off most pain killers I should think, maybe just with occasional over the counter pills. But everyone is different.
You may like to go to my profile by clicking on the image next to my name. I kept a journal of my own knee replacement journey, and I have been told by several people they found it helpful to read, or skim through. It was written to convey the need for patience, something our culture in the western world is not really geared up to! It has a lot of useful suggestions and information.