Knee replacement - would like to hear from anyone else

tinkerbelltoo

Hi - I'm new to this and just wanted to chat to anyone out there who's had a knee replacement. I had mine back in January, have now been signed off by both the physio and the consultant but am still having problems. Perhaps I'm being impatient and the discomfort I feel is 'normal' at this stage of healing, but, as my main way of keeping fit is (was) walking, I just long to be better at it. I've accepted that I may continue to need using a stick (actually find folk very kind and helpful, esp when looking for something in the supermarket) also that I may not be able to kneel down as before, so cleaning/gardening will continue to be difficult. However, it is the continuous tight feeling - like a wide band around the knee - and the tingling down my leg and esp in my foot - which is the most uncomfortable. (Fine broken veins have appeared on my foot and ankle but the swelling is less, so that's good.) I'm only taking 2 30/500 Co-Codamol a day now (one at bedtime and one in the morning) as anti-inflammatories irritate my IBS symptoms. I take my little dog for a short walk near home, going both up and down hill now but suffer for it when I get home - however, I feel that I must try to push myself forward and work through this.

Is there anyone who has (or has had) similar symptoms. Or anyone reading this who feels their experience of a 'new knee' may be helpful to me. It's certainly not been an easy ride and every day I'm looking for an improvement which is so slow in coming.

stickywicket

Hello tinkerbelletoo. I’m sorry your TKR hasn’t been straightforward. Mine were great but, reading this forum, I realise that is not always the case. If the surgeon and physios are happy, what final advice did they give you? I ask because, although walking is good, I’d guess you also need to continue with the given exercises which will bring different muscles into play. It’s boring, I know, but it might help. If not, maybe you could ask your GP to see a physio again. (Swimming’s supposed to be good too.)

elainebadknee

Hi Tinkerbelltoo

Im sorry youre experiencing these problems after your knee replacement..It has been just over 5 months so i dont know how long it takes for any sort of assessment to be made if whats happening to you is normal or not?
I myself am going in for TKR hopefully at end of this year and my main aim is to be pain free but also want to be walking more than I can and discard my stick and limp I have long since adopted..
Id love to hear from you as to how youre getting on and I sincerely hope things move slowly upwards for you..

Elainex

tinkerbelltoo wrote:

Hi - I'm new to this and just wanted to chat to anyone out there who's had a knee replacement. I had mine back in January, have now been signed off by both the physio and the consultant but am still having problems. Perhaps I'm being impatient and the discomfort I feel is 'normal' at this stage of healing, but, as my main way of keeping fit is (was) walking, I just long to be better at it. I've accepted that I may continue to need using a stick (actually find folk very kind and helpful, esp when looking for something in the supermarket) also that I may not be able to kneel down as before, so cleaning/gardening will continue to be difficult. However, it is the continuous tight feeling - like a wide band around the knee - and the tingling down my leg and esp in my foot - which is the most uncomfortable. (Fine broken veins have appeared on my foot and ankle but the swelling is less, so that's good.) I'm only taking 2 30/500 Co-Codamol a day now (one at bedtime and one in the morning) as anti-inflammatories irritate my IBS symptoms. I take my little dog for a short walk near home, going both up and down hill now but suffer for it when I get home - however, I feel that I must try to push myself forward and work through this.

Is there anyone who has (or has had) similar symptoms. Or anyone reading this who feels their experience of a 'new knee' may be helpful to me. It's certainly not been an easy ride and every day I'm looking for an improvement which is so slow in coming.

jilly

Hi Tinkerbelltoo, I am sorry to hear you are having problems with you TKR , i had my second one 6 months ago and have had the same problems , it feels very tight across my kneecap and i get pain down my leg more when i am resting. My first TKR is great , I have also had a THR which is also great. I dont know why this one is so different i have done all the same exercises so it must just happen. I am sorry i cant give you any advise and hope you manage to get some help with it .
I have been told by my GP it can take 12 months to sort as they do a lot of damage in the operation . Hope i have at least made you feel you arent alone with this, and time might sort it . ................jillyx

elnafinn

Hi there

I have had both knees done 2 years apart. I was told it can take 12 - 18 months and surgeon kept emphasising that it was a major operation.Both took around 9 months before we became good friends and the pain/discomfort ceased. I did get good mobility and knee bend early on but pain was something else. I can kneel ok but the surgeon did tell me that may not happen. Are you able to use an exercise bike? I got one off freecycle after my first TKR and I feel this helped me. I still use the exercise bike for 10 minutes or a little under that time, daily and do 3.5 km. Are you perhaps overdoing it? Do you rest with the leg elevated and use an ice pack or similar? Do you do the physio exercises on a daily regular basis?

I am a little surprised that you have been discharged from your surgeon and physio care if you are not happy with the situation. I am wondering under whose care you finished with first? Can you see your surgeon again, as you are not overly pleased so far with the end result?

Elna x

SteveBurns

I knew I shouldn't have popped in today

I'm booked in for my new knee next Tuesday, the surgeon is the best there is, or so I am told, and most people I know that have had a new knee are quite happy with the result.

They all tell me to do what I am told immediately following surgery and that is what I will do.

I am sorry tinkerbelltoo that yours is not right yet but give it time and hopefully all will turn out well. Was yours because of osteoarthritis I wonder? If so how does the pain compare now to what it was before?

I intend to come on here over the next few weeks or so to report on mine, if you all don't mind?

Take care

stickywicket

Of course we don't mind. It's always good to hear about these things. I've got a 31 yr old TKR and its counterpart was only replaced two years ago. Go for it. Just remember to rest, elevate and exercise.

caroldeeg

Hi
I had a TKR 8.5 years ago and will probably need the second one done soon so I know what u are going through. Even after all this time I cant kneel on the knee, its too sore but I must say that otherwise its been great. It was very painful at first and I had an odd clicking sound in it for a while which was the joint straightening when walking but I dont hear that any more and am very pleased I had it done, Its still working great.
Hope this helps
Carol

tinkerbelltoo

Hi all you folk who kindly replied to my first chat on this forum yesterday. Not sure yet how to reply individually to you and I'm trying to find out how to use images and also what URL means.
Anyway, would really like to have written more personally to some of you, but haven't worked out how yet. Will do so when I get myself sorted.

I just can't tell you how hearing from you has helped and I no longer feel that I am 'different' and that something is 'wrong'. It would seems that even the same person can have differing rates of pain/healing from one knee to another with a TKR. After nearly 5 months I am still doing the physio ex and pushing myself to walk up and down hill for a while each day - that seems to exercise and stretch the knee, which I hope will help to strengthen it. I am nearly 69 and have OA also in my hands/fingers (trigger finger on one and a Heberden's Node on another, which looks unsightly but no longer hurts). My R sterno-clavicular joint is enlarged and I had a scan, which showed that the OA has also got in there too - this means that my collar bone often 'clicks' when I raise my arm but I've got used to that now. Tinnitus is rather troublesome, especially at night if I can't get back to sleep - but at least I've always got my whistle to keep me company!!! I've tried having my MP3 on hand, but don't feel like listening to music when all I really want is to sleep - and it happens eventually.

All in all things could be a lot worse and reading posts on this forum have already made me feel more positive and the pain/discomfort I'm in now is much more liveable with than before I had the TKR. Let's hope the sun will shine for us all again real soon. Thanks esp to caroldee, stickwicket, SteveBurns - good luck to you next Tues, do let us know how you get on, elnafinn, jilly and elainebadknee and anyone else who has replied to me. It really is like being part of a support group and just what I was looking for.
tinkerbelltoo x

stickywicket

You are quite right, tinkerbelltoo. It is like being part of a support group. We do look out for each other on here and I'm pleased you no longer feel 'different'. You have a few things going on there so don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have. Or just join in.

diamond

Sorry bit late with this post.I also still have pain with first tkr seven months ago but i feel it is possibly because second knee is only seven weeks in recovery and i basically at moment don't have one great knee. I also have inflammatory arth and my heels are swollen and very sore, along with fingers.Will be seeing surgeon next week.I was also told that it can take up to a year to make a good recovery.We are all different and recovery can vary some are walking well with not too bad pain,others take longer to recover.I wish you well and hope you will be feeling better soon.xx