Hello everyone - I've been away for what seems like ages!

sharmaine

Hi everyone

I haven't used the forum for what seems like ages. The last time I posted was in January - I think. I hope you are all coping ok.

An update. Since I had my TKR in February 2010 I've had problems under my foot. The specialist confirmed that it was plantar facilitis last week. I now have to wear sorbathane heel pads in my shoes. If anyone has had this and can suggest something that works for them I would really appreciate it. It's been jolly uncomfortable putting pressure on the foot.

I've also had a frozen shoulder (it wasn't arthritis - thank goodness) - the specialist gave me a cortisone injection and that helped to ease the discomfort.

My next TKR - the specialist wants to put that off for another year. I was quite relieved!!! I'm such a coward. This year I've been getting about a lot better. I can't kneel anymore but I'm managing to do some gardening by bending from my back. It's not ideal. He says that there's no guarantee the next TKR will be as successful and he wants me to hang on for as long as possible. He did add that I can 'phone him if I find the leg is getting worse. At least now I have one good leg to stand on ...it will be better once I get rid of this plantar facilitis problem.

Just lately I seem to be having a lot of back ache and I'm hoping it's just because I walk so awkwardly.

I get about without crutches - I use my stick when I'm having a bad day but otherwise I'm fine. I still find the flat surfaces in shopping centres and in supermarkets hard work. I'm exhausted after walking around them. I tend to get most things delivered and shop online.

I've cut down my painkillers - I only take one amytriptiline and one tramadol at night. At one time I was on 3 amys a night and 5 tramadol a day. Diclofenac was making me having stomach ache so I don't take it anymore. If I need more pain relief I take paracetamol.

I genuinely think that you need a good year to recover properly from a TKR.

Hoping to be on the forum a lot more!

PS Elna we've had so many family do's these past few months and I've been so thrilled at being upright and able to do so much more that I've been cathcing up on about 3 years of jobs that didn't get done because I couldn't do them. Drawers and cupboards are back to normal. Carl has to help me do the bottom cupboards but home is organised again. I've also gone with him when he's had jobs away.
I hope you're doing ok!
love
Sharmaine

Take care.
Sharmaine

skezier

Hi Sharmaine,

Good to see you and glad to hear things have settled for the hip but sorry about the feet and back.

The feet I use gel insoles and air tread shoes but it still hurt a bit but not as bad. Have they given Yul tendon stretching exercises for the feet as well? They might help. Just remember the pf doesn't last though it can be a while before it goes. You could ask to se a podontis maybe that would help.

The back could indeed be waking unevenly. I would ask about it though just to be sure.

Glad they have delayed your thr cus the other one does need a bit of time to really settle. My feet took 18 months and thir just feet.

It is really good to see you and glad your back. Cris xx

sharmaine

Hi Chris

It was a tkr not thr - I don't know which was is worse! They're probably as bad as one another.

I hope you are well.

I bought a School gel insole which seems to help. I think I'll get a couple more to put in my bedroom slippers. My back does ache - must be the joys of getting older!

Take care.
Sharmaine

skezier

Hi Sharmaine,

Sorry i gave you the wrong op there :oops: my eyes are not so good just now, well thats y excuse but it could be the brain

It might be one of the joys but it probably a good idea to get it checked out flower.

Hope the insoles work and still think you could maybe see a periodontist cus they might be able to help you a bit as well. Cris xx

stickywicket

Hi Sharmaine,

Sorry I can't help with the foot problems.

Would it be worth asking to see a physio about you back? If might be just that you're walking 'wrongly' with the stick. Plus, we all tend to create pain in one area by trying to ease it in another.

I hope you can get something sorted.

hileena111

Hi Sharmain
It could be just the way you are walking....as sticky says can you see a physio.....it will make a big difference if you are not walking or using a stick properly

Love
Hileena

dreamdaisy

It's nice to see you back, I am sorry to read that all has not been going well. I too reckon your back could be playing up as it is trying to take the strain of a (possibly) uneven gait. If a stick helps then surely it is best to use it. Even on good days I reckon we must all walk a little awkwardly - I rarely get those but without sticks I do walk strangely as I am fearful of tripping and that sets up all kindsa aches and pains. Take care. DD

sharmaine

Thanks for the tips

I'm going to give it a couple of weeks and if no improvement will ask for a referral or an x ray. I've been complaining about my foot since the operation over a year ago. I felt as if someone had taken a baseball bat to the bottom of my foot.

I have found putting ice helps and will continue to do this. I can't take diclofenac anymore as it upsets my tummy.

I might do a post regarding plantar facilities and hopefully I'll get some more tips/advice.

Regards
Sharmaine

tillytop

Hello Sharmaine

Sorry things have continued to be difficult for you.

Have just answered your other thread about plantar wotsit.

Sorry too that you have had to stop taking the Diclo. Were you taking stomach protecting drugs alongside it? Just wondered because, if not, it might be worth talking to your GP to see if you could try it again with stomach protecting meds to see if you can take it without a problem. Or perhaps a different anti-inflamm might help without causing the stomach probs.

Love Tilly xxx

tkachev

Good to see you again Sharmaine.
Just want to say I do some bending for gardening as cannot kneel and this gives me terrible backache. I also get a backache on the left side when walking out and about. I think that is connected to my left hip deteriorating as I used to get it right side before my right THR..I expect you have changed the way you walk since the knee op and this will put some strain now on different joints.
I stopped Diclo too after 6 months as rheummy didn't like to keep patients on it for any longer due to stomach issues. They were great when I first started taking them. I remember walking down the stairs on my own the first time I took them, something I hadn't done for 5 months.

All the best, goeasy on that gardening.

Elizabeth

elnafinn

Hi Sharmaine,

So good to see you back, hope you will stay a while. I had a little look and I think the last time you were on here was the middle of December 2010. :shock: Sounds like a-g-e-s ago and it is!

I am sorry to hear about the foot problem (have posted on your other thread) and to hear about your back ache. Could well be caused by the way you are walking.

I do remember you mentioning your bad shoulder and it is good that a jab of steroid has sorted that out.

I had to come off the diclo after a couple of years and was put on to Arcoxia (etoricoxib 60mg) tablets and been fine with them. I only take one per day now to help keeps aches and pains away.

Hope you continue to post, I've missed you.

Luv
Elna x

sharmaine

Hi Tilly, Elizabeth and Hileena

Lovely to hear from you all. The shoulder is a lot better. I have found doing stretches everyday helpful for my frozen shoulder. Apparently the muscles that attach to where the collar bone attaches to the shoulder are worn. There's nothing they can do about that.

I've managed to lose about 20lbs in weight since January.
Mind you this week is going to be tough as it was our wedding anniversary yesterday and we went out for dinner. I had banoffee pie for pudding.

I'm helping Carl paint the lounge today and hopefully I'll burn some of the calories off. We're going to have a take away tonight because downstairs looks like a bomb has dropped with furniture all over the place.

Tomorrow it's wallpaper day and that should be a bit cleaner. Can't wait to get the house back to normal!!! Carl attached the roller to an extension pole and I painted the ceiling. He's just had a chuckle at the state of me. He says all he can see is 2 eyes - I'm covered in paint splatters. It'll wash off. I'm so enjoying being able to help out a bit! Mind you I have to keep resting.

I hope you guys are doing well. The foot on my operated leg is still giving me trouble.
I'm wearing sorbathane insoles which help a bit but not as much as I had hoped. What I need is a pair of wings I'll be fine. Carl has given up asking me to relax - if I relaxed as much as he wanted me to I would be a corpse!

Love to you all.

Sharmaine