I am 75yrs old and I underwent TKR 4 weeks + 2 days. I have never had a good relationship with tabs etc and only took Paracetemol if it became absolutely necessary. After my op I was immediately given heavy painkillers which I was unable to tolerate, so they withdrew them and as I wasn't in pain, chose to do without. I do the exercises to the best of my ability although I do find them quite hard. I can walk around the house without my sticks and can manage the stairs ok when I need to use the bathroom but have the advantage of having a double handrail on the stairs which is brilliant. I manage to do little things in the kitchen mostly things whereby I can do sitting like loading the washing machine etc or peeling potatoes. My problem is that when I am sitting, I have no pain or discomfort whatsoever, but once I weight bear, after a while it feels as though the lower thigh, knee and upper calf is held in a vice and I can hardly move, but through severe discomfort rather than pain. This happened today when I went to shops for first time and slowly walked for about half a mile in all using both sticks, I really struggled to get back to the car and was so pleased to get the ice pack on my knee after the ten minute journey home. Am I doing something wrong, or is there another answer.? I would be most grateful for any advice.
hi Doric this sounds like your knee stiffening up??? this also happens to me when I get up to do owt lots of people on this site have rec that I drink more water and I must say it REALLY helps so perhaps you need to take more fluid onboard as it helps the muscles etc??? tonic water is also excellent because it contains quinine which is good for muscles so might be worth a try but just leave out the gin lol x
Hi Doric. I am nearly 9 months post op and this vice like feeling is unfortunately, normal for TKR. I still get it on and off even now. I know when I first experienced it I was straight on the phone to my GP as I thought there was something seriously wrong!! She explained that it's all to do with the healing of the tissue etc but advised drinking plenty of water to help with the muscles healing - lots of cutting went on during the op lol.
hope things feel better for you soon. It does get better - just very slowly😫 xx
Hi doric, I think you are tryinf to do too much to soon. I am 65 years and had TNR 8 weeks ago and you look as though you are doing a lot more than I did at 4 weekis you need to let your body heal itself take things slowly and do not push yourself to hard. I think if your are doing what your are doing at this early stage it is great- just take things slowly and at your own pace.
Thanks andrea for taking the trouble to reply to my posting. I drink loads and loads, even during the night when sleep is often difficult to come by, which of course usually results in extra visits to the bathroom. I really did underestimate what this was going to be like at the very beginning and not sure that I would embark on the same journey again. Although before the op even though I was in trouble, I managed to lead a fairly busy life helping to looking after gt.grandchildren and seeing them off to school etc, but now feel totally incapacitated and this task along with many others has fallen to my better half, bless him. Being so dependent on others now, I find myself becoming tearful and down when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. I go back for physio on Monday and I am really worried that with this stiffness in my knee/ leg, I won't be able to manage the tasks and that the physiotherapist will not be happy with my progress. I can only hope that things really do get better.
oh bless you doric it really is early days for you and it affects most of us the same way. I think you need to give yourself more credit and maybe slow down a bit rest and ice more as well. im 56, 8 weeks post op nearly 9 and im not even back driving yet??? il give it a go next week but even then only one day a week as im still very tired from lack of sleep. Dont worry ul get there just take each day as it comes its all we can do??
Thanks Ruby and Maggie for listening to my woes, I appreciate your input and if this is the case how do you cope with it in the meantime. A friend of my daughter-in-law is back to work now after 9 wks and I am sure she thinks I'm a 'wuss' !!! Will the physio still go ahead with exercise regime if this stiffness still has me in it's grip - this will be my second visit to see her.
Oh thanks Andrea for your kind words, I am normally a very patient person, but taking on board all the comments, perhaps I am trying to run before I can walk, so will try and do what you say and take one day at a time and see what happens. Good luck with your driving and hope you manage it ok.
Hi Doric, I too am 75 and though this is my second TKR it has been more of a struggle than the first done 8 years ago.. I am 8 weeks post op, I can bend the knee and sitting at the table or sofa, computer desk my knee is relaxed as if normal. The tightness I also suffer with when I stand , in fact today it has seemed a very big struggle to just walk, maybe I have tried to do the exercises too often. Will rest tomorrow.
Take it easy on yourself.
It sounds like you are getting some good advice. Isn't it helpful knowing that this is "normal" and you aren't alone? I've just passed my 6 month mark, and for some reason, I thought when I got here is would all be normal. But out of nowhere my right knee (I had a bilateral TKR) has started having some serious pain...I really struggled walking down the ramp of the plane this past week. We've almost all questioned whether we would do it again. I think most on this forum agreed that life before TKR was no way to really live. Yes, we still have some pain, but it's different. I would say that you might want to gradually build up to standing and walking for a longer time. Walk around your neighborhood, starting with going around a block or two, depending upon the size. Sounds like you are in the US (based upon your saying the total distance was about a 1/2 mile). I am from the US too, but living in India. I was told to start with about 1/2 K (1/3 mile). And afterwards I would indeed have to ice it. Best of luck.
Hi Hazel, That is about it exactly, whilst sitting I have no pain and feel very normal until I come to stand and after I have been on my feet for a short while the tightness really takes over, yesterday I thought I would try and walk a little further, so went with hubby to the shops and managed the walk from the car park without too much difficulty, but by the time I had walked the arcade and back to the car park (about 1/2 a mile in all, and made the 10 minute journey back home, I had virtually seized in the seat and had to be almost carried into the house. This really upset me as I thought I was doing ok'ish apart from finding the exercises a bit hard to accomplish and wondered if this was the reason why I was seizing up like this. I knew it would be hard, but had no idea that the 'feeling of normality' would be a long long way off.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me.
Hi moandrieu,
Thanks for your advice - this is what I tried to do yesterday thinking that I would extend my walking distance, as in the house I don't have too many problems, but then we are only talking about yards and of course the stairs. Anyway, yesterday I really become unstuck and feel that I have gone backwards which has upset me a little. However, I did exactly what you suggested and iced and rested and today I feel a little more comfortable but have to face physio on Monday which I am really dreading. I live in the UK by the way, so I think our 1/2 mile might be slightly longer than your 1/2 K, not sure. Anyway again thanks for your advice and I am taking all what everyone on this forum say on board and hopefully things will soon improve. Best Wishes.
It is still early days, maybe you are expecting too much too soon.
I had TKR 3 yeasrs ago so am trying to go back and remember what I was like at this point.
I think I got stiff if I wss itting with it in the same position for any length of time and ws actually better if I was weight bearing.
Hope this helps
Sarah
Did the doctors try you on slow release oxycodone ? or Patches that last 7 days. How you are coping with this with only paracetamol is beyond me. I would be talking to them about alternatives. My mother cannot cope with much apart from panadol, but she was ordered Fentanyl patches which she tolerates really well.
Hello Sarndra, Thankyou for reading my post. After my op I was given three lots of tablets three times a day + the injection into the tummy. Unfortunately the tabs made me violently sick so they stopped them with instructions that I needed to let them know if I had any pain, then when they removed the drainage tubes, the site where they were bled heavily with the bed having to be changed several times. Docs instructions were to also stop the injection and I was ok after that. In all honesty I didn't have pain only discomfort, so when they were asking if I wanted pain relief I refused. I have never had a good relationship with tablets and only took Paracetamol as a last resort. When I was discharged three days after my op, they gave me Paracetamol 500mg, Ibuprofen 400mg and another very strong painkiller which I think might have been called Nefram along with a pain management regime. As I have said I am not in pain, but in the beginning thought that perhaps if I took the Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, it might ease the stiffness problem, but after several days they made no difference whatsoever. I currently take no medication and doing ok'ish as far as getting around the house and up stairs etc. I do find it extremely hard doing the exercises because of the vice like symptoms in my knee/leg and have to face physio in the morning which I am not looking forward to one little bit, so it remains to be seen what she has to say about things then.
Hi Dori , severe discomfort is pain. If you are finding the exercises difficult you really need to find something that eases these sensations to allow you to do the required exercises. I did not experience 'pain' following my bilateral knee replacements but I did & still do require a slow release medication combined with paracetamol 2 x three times a day that allows me to push myself further with the flexion of my knee. As the earlier meds caused you nausea etc, patches may well be the way to go. The injections you received were anti-coagulants to prevent clots. Discuss with your physio & your doctor. Keep in touch.
doric, I really feel for you, each and every one of us has experienced that awful feeling of helplessness being dependent on others is really hard when you are used to being independent,it will get better but slowly, please do not despair, do what excercise you can and no more,sleep whenever you can , but above all be kind to yourself. Best wishes to you