June/JulyAugust 2012 TKRs

Helenbothknees

Hello, Steve, marrianne, Julia, pegleg, and anyone else I've missed out who's had a TKR (or two) in the last couple of months...

We've nearly all started separate threads on how we're getting on, and I know I tend to look out for how all of you are progressing. Someone (marrianne?) suggested keeping all updates on 'my' thread, but it never really happened - and why should it? But it seemed to me that it might be a good idea to have a new thread for we recent new knee people to compare notes.

Having said that, I'd like to make one rule, if I may. No comparing ourselves with others in a competitive way. Everyone heals differently, and that way lies despair, and we definitely don't need that. I don't want to either feel I'm not 'keeping up' with anyone else, or conversely, worry about posting in case it makes someone else feel inadequate. No need.

Of course, you don't have to post here, and you can start or contribute to other threads too. I don't make the rules, and I wouldn't try. It just seemed like a nice idea. And of course anyone else is welcome to join in, including any other new TKR people I haven't mentioned.

I'm going out to lie in the sun. I reckon sunshine cures everything. Maybe chat later....

JuliaHod12

Great idea Helen............i keep missing updates from you all :-) xx

marrianne

Hi Helen Julia and all the new knees and everyone else thats a good idea I dont like missing how people are,
hope everyone is ok ,my main problem at the moment is complete utter tiredness r/a flare and stiff neck , Marrianne

JuliaHod12

Hi guys
have had a rough couple of days with extreme pain and difficulty walking/ weight bearing, so got OH to take me to A & E....verdict is i need stronger painkillers and to rest up for another few days just doing bed exercises.

Hope everyone else has had a good weekend, specially Marianne, bless you xx

marrianne

Julia ,I am sorry you have been so poorly ,we keep forgetting its major surgery ,The physio was at pains to tell me when I felt I wasnt doing so well ,that not that many years ago we would have been in hospital for about 3 weeks ,never mind walking with aids within 3 days , So You take it easy listen to your body ,bed exercises are good to ,Do you keep crossing your ankles ? .....i DO a real bad habit I just keep forgetting ,Hope your feeling better once you get your meds right ,Look forward to a good week for you and everyone knees or not ,Marrianne

Helenbothknees

Julia and marrianne, so sorry to hear you're both having a bad time. Hopefully things will improve soon. It's true what you say, marrianne, someone else told me they used to keep people in for three weeks after this sort of op. We probably expect too much. I do a lot but I rest loads too, and do a lot of my exercises in bed. And now that I can sleep again, I think I must hold a record for hours slept!

Crossing ankles? Are we not supposed to do that? I got told not to cross my knees, but nothing about my ankles, so I do it all the time too. Oh well, if it's like crossing knees it's only the first six weeks, and I'm up to five now, so maybe it doesn't matter too much.

Does anyone know when we're allowed to kneel (or try to)? I keep getting conflicting advice....

marrianne

Hi Helen Julia Steve Kath,Peg,hope I havent missed any of the recent knee ganAsk,g ,and well just everyone else, Just hope your weeks getting of to a good start,Helen about kneeling I think its the scar tissue just makes it uncomfortable rather than it not being possible,Your pretty flexible re the yoga pre op so I would say once all is healed inside to,maybe ask your consultant ,I couldnt kneel before the op or ride a bycycle anything like like so my one real bonus at the moment is being able to walk standing up straight on the flat ,Hope your ok re that down pour and last night was good it sounded a lovely evening .Julia I hope your getting plenty of rest after that bad time ,think its like that for a few weeks good spells then a struggle ,getting the pain under control is really important for sleep exercise everything ,so keep us posted when you can love to you all and just keep strong this is such a great help understanding how everyone is copeing with different stages ,yes you can read up text book or internet but really its the first hand advise from people with old and new knees which is invaluble thanks to all Marrianne

pegleg

Hello , just seen this so I'll dip in now ! , had my TKR 4 weeks ago , thought I was doing quite well but had a rubbish physio session last week where she moaned about the bend and straightness not being enough despite the fact that both were better than the last time I saw her ! , oh well onward and upward lots of icing and rest and woke up on Sun to find the swelling had gone down a little more and both movements were much better , so hopefully next time I go physio (2 weeks) she will be happy ? . I've kept in touch with a couple of the (much older but fantastic) ladies in my bay in Hospital and one of them told me about an exercise where you lay on your front on the bed and let your operated leg dangle and gravity pulls it straight , painful but very effective ! , can only do it for a couple of mins but you build it up slowly .
I have days where I feel I'm going to be the only person who never recovers and will never walk properly again but I'm very impatient and being younger , 48 , I have to get back to work at some point so kind of feel pressured , but then I get a grip and realize its a marathon not a race and it will all come together xx

kathbee

Hi new knee(s) people and everyone else

Its 4 weeks since TKR and I still have pain and some swelling although nothing like as swollen as it was.
Nights are worse with the pain, but any kind of pain seems worse in the night I reckon.
I am using bio oil as I used it on my Hip replacement scar and it worked very well for me. Usually buy it half price off the internet. I do keep the scar moisturised plenty with aqueous cream as well.

Physios came to visit for over 2 weeks and now I am doing the exercises fairly well, although with discomfort.

I was told in hospital not to cross my ankles but thought that it was because of early days and to do with the blood flow.

As for kneeling, not sure that will be me at all, as I havent been able to kneel/lower to the floor etc for over 15 yrs now so not expecting to be so flexible. Will be happy if I can walk better and maybe do a bit more though. But good on you peeps who can manage to do that.

But I am lucky that I have a good husband who is such a big help and at 70 is fit and active and thank goodness doesnt have any health problems. My heart goes out to people who live on their own and I wonder how you manage.

I dont know whether I will go for a second knee replacement actually as I had thought it would be a similar experience to having a hip replacement but it is of course a lot more invasive.

Also the hospital ward I was in (I was there for 3 days and couldnt wait to come home) some of the staff have an attitude problem, especially a ward sister who managed to make my stay very unpleasant. Considered making a formal complaint but thought that if I ever have to be in there again then it might work out more difficult for me. And no I am not a troublemaker, just a none complaining quite laid back lady of 68 who didnt deserve to be spoken to as though I was a child or in a prison ward. My 'crime' was that I sat on my bed to eat soup for my lunch instead of sitting in the chair. One of the nurses 'reported' me and the sister told me off in front of the other patients. Wonder why in a busy ward the sister didnt have anything more pressing to be getting on with.
Dignity for the Elderly comes to mind. No wonder there is such a ooh haa about it.

Have a decent kind of day everyone
Love Kath

marrianne

Hi Kath and Peg alto use but do feel l knees ,Peg I have tried my leg over the bed,your right it does make it ache after a minute or to,I have short legs and a high bed so maybe it will do some good,kathbee,I hadnt thought about moisturieing the scar and the bio oil is pleasant w to use but my legs are very dry ,also I still cannot stand touching the scar very much ,I havent had any follow up physio since 3rd week not sure why ,they just said carry on with exercise at home all is well ,Peg I feel really mad at your bossy physio and kath what a nasty women to speak to you like that ,especialy so soon after your operation ,perhaps when your feeling stronger and well on the road to recovery you could report her then at the moment we have each other for support ,and your husband sounds so kind ,forget her , I am sure someone will put her in her place ,I kept getting told of for prefering the comfort of my bed never mind we are out of it thank goodness and every day is another day forward .Marrianne

SteveBurns

7 weeks now and still uncomfortable when sleeping.

90 degree plus bend now but still painful. Its the tendon between kneecap and lower leg bone that is the problem, that was disconnected during the op and then stitched back on (ouch)

I saw the registrar last week and my recent X-ray, took a good photo of the new knee X-ray, and show it off now

It is right that we are all so different and shouldn't compare competitively.

I'm sorry the Olympics are ended, looking forward to the new footy season now then paralympics

I am happy to keep posting on this thread but wish you lot would make up your mind

marrianne

here here sir all present and correct ,Pleased you continue to improve and hope that tendon problem resolves soon Steve ,Think we can all stick here now ............err hopefully Marrianne

Helenbothknees

Kath, the mind boggles. You committed the heinous crime of eating in your bed! I thought the NHS was overworked, and you get reported and shouted at for that!!! Madness. And ditto with peg's physio. What is wrong with these people?

I might try that lying on the bed exercise. The trouble is, I've now 'borrowed' so many exercises from so many places/people, that my exercise programme is getting a bit long, I think. So I sort of alternate them all. I could ask about it, but they seem to be working for me. My knees are improving slowly but steadily. However, after yesterday's 'dash' (typical exaggeration) through the rain in the evening, plus a day today at a writing course (too much sitting in one place) I'm extremely tired. Tomorrow I really, really must rest, lots!

Peg, I sympathise with the must go back to work pressure. I'm older than you, but I'm not completely retired, and as a freelance writer I have regular articles to do for magazines. I suppose I could have said in advance that I'd take a few weeks off, but I didn't, and tried to keep up. It wasn't actually a lot of work, and would normally only have been about a day a week...but that 'day' took me about a week as I couldn't concentrate for more than about an hour at a time. However, that's getting a bit better too, slowly.

Good to hear how you're all getting on. Keep posting.

JuliaHod12

fed up of Sussex here! :-(

blimmin awful pain from my lower leg (at shin) is causing me real problems.........cant weight bear and have been back to 2 sticks indoors since Saturday!
Was advised to take stronger painkillers.......and rest a bit more......nothing is blimmin working!
**** it, **** it, **** it!

Helenbothknees

Hi Julia,

Hugs being sent your way... ((((Julia)))))

But...I may possibly have something more practical. I have pain in both shins now, probably from doing too many stairs without sticks. I suddenly thought maybe Comfrey Oil would help. I've had some sitting on my dressing table for years, and it's helped with muscular aches, sprains etc in the past, but I'd forgotten about it. Anyway, I tried it last night and this morning and it seems to be helping a bit. Might be worth a try? Can't do any harm...except to your bank balance, and it doesn't cost that much.

Other than that, patience.... I know, I'm not one to talk! But nearly everyone thinks these ops work in the end and are worth it, so let's all hang in there.

And another suggestion....chocolate.

marrianne

Hi everyone especialy fed up from Sussex ,Julia sorry things are still so miserable ,I promise it will get better my 3 rd week was the worst to ,Helens comfry oil sounds good my favourite though is arnica jell as it sinks in without rubbing ,the pains in the shins are they like jabbing and then a dull ache I think it will get better with rest ,well its early days and nothing worse than lack of sleep due to pain , I wake at 5/am ........drink water take meds read book ...............then fall asleep until mid morning seems to suit for now I have chucked my stockings in the drawer I know this is wrong but I just couldnt stand then touching the scar ,we all have different ways of copeing and no 2 day is the same ,hopefully nice shower or standup wash in the bath ....... my choice ....... nice clean jim/jams into bed good book ...............maybe chocolate definately lots and lots of water ...........thinking of you Julia and everyone else ...............Marrianne

Helenbothknees

Yes, arnica gel is excellent. So are arnica tablets, homeopathic ones, 30C if you can get them, 6C OK if you can't. I've been taking them from the start, and I think they've helped. And I agree with Marrianne; things should start getting better quite soon.

JuliaHod12

me again, having yet another blimmin whinge! :-(

ruddy coco's (30/500) are making me feel so sick.........and completely exhausted...........absolutely no energy to do the walking i am supposed to be doing.............just a trip up and down the stairs indoors has me almost wiped out!
I MUST be doing something wrong surely? :-(

Helenbothknees

Julia, it sounds to me like you need to change medication or have something to counteract the sickness - maybe talk to your GP? As for the fatigue, sounds normal to me; mine is only now getting a bit better, but I couldn't believe how tired I got. And going up and down stairs is exhausting. I don't think you're doing anything wrong, and I think it will get better; be patient - OK, I know that last one is a laugh coming from me, but try!
Love,
Helen

marrianne

Hi Julia ,Sounds like the humidity is wipeing you out to ,especialy with the sickness ,I know you wont forget the meds for protecting the stomach ,I dropped the paracetamol as I find they dont help much with pain ,just one more thing for the body to cope with ,also are you drinking plenty of water as Helen says that terrible tiredness is par for the course 4 weeks on well Julia its nothing really you have done brilliantly ,I am still in bed writting this and boy do I need it so take heart ,you are well on course just normal ,it will be good and not so good days for sometime yet ,oh I ditched the amytripiline at night for herbal tabs instead not so groggy in the day time and Julia YES you still do need lots of rest ,Marrianne

Helenbothknees

Quick update....
Exactly six weeks since my TKRs. I can now managed stairs without crutches, both up and down, so crutches indoors have been completely abandoned. I was using one outside, but it was driving me nuts, and was only necessary for long walks and steps which didn't have a rail. So today I tried ordinary walking sticks, and found they were much less hassle and more manageable. My physio may kill me as she told me to use the crutches, but that was over two weeks ago as physio was cancelled last week, and anyway it's my body not hers. I can also have a bath quite easily, using my little stool as explained elsewhere. Legs are getting stronger, but thighs ache horribly today; I think I might have slightly overdone the exercising. However, knees are rarely swelling up any more - though I still use ice now and then as it feels good. And I got some Bio Oil, and it's really good for stopping that tight feeling on the scars. So...generally good, I think....

How are the rest of you June-August TKRs? Especially Julia, who I know was having a hard time. Been thinking of you and hoping you're having a good weekend...

JuliaHod12

sorry i've not been around much, or been much support, had problems with hackers into my email/ ebay and facebook accounts!

anyway, FIL's funeral tomorrow and internment of ashes on thursday.........so might not be on much this week either!

have physio session at 4pm Tuesday too.............just know i am going to be told off for not working hard enough........... :-( will have to take it on the chin!

Julia x

pegleg

Helen , you sound like your doing fantastically well . 5 weeks on Tue post TKR for me coupled with a physio app in the afternoon ,so hope she's not so grumpy . Swelling going down well now , still not sleeping much at night which is frustrating but I keep telling myself it WILL get better ! . Leg gradually going straighter , its about the same now as before I had my op so not sure if it will go any straighter (hope so) , bending well but not sure physio will be happy ! . Hope everyone has a good day xx

Helenbothknees

Julia, pegleg, and anyone else with physio-phobia....
You don't need to take ANYTHING on the chin! These people have no right to push you around, and if necessary you tell them so, quietly and with dignity. Only you know if yo've been working hard enough. If you have, let them know in a straightforward manner that they are mistaken, and don't get drawn into arguments and scolding. If not, then say so - you probably have good reasons. Either way, it's not a hanging offence. And we're not children to be scolded; they shouldn't treat us as such, and we shouldn't allow them to do so. They are OUR employees, paid for with money from OUR taxes. Never forget that.

Have a good day everyone. And in my update, I forgot to mention I'm still in pain, so still taking max doses of codeine, and either that, or the laxatives I take since the codeine makes me constipated, are making me feel sick in the mornings. So all is not perfect...I might try cutting down the codeine and putting up with the pain...

Take care, all...

marrianne

Hi Peg HelenJulia and everyone else ,Peg as Helen says keep strong dont let her push you around wait till all our knees are in full working order and we can kick ar$$e to ,Julia its good to see you again and we will be thinking about you its a difficult week for you ,try to get plenty of rest and yoianneu know we all send our love and condolences to you and your family ,Helen you are great and strong you wont let bunged up pipework bring you down drink more and more water usualy does the trick for me ,cant mannage to come downstairs properly its either one step same foot or like a crab side ways its an old habit hard to change ,the walk knackerd me yesterday ..just a little to far knees are burning ,might go back to the bio oil Helen for tightness then ........think its still £9,99p for 200mls ..........in a high street chemist .....boots can I say that ?...Marrianne

Helenbothknees

Ah, Marrianne, now I see where you mentioned Bio Oil.

I tried drinking lots of water; but it just made me pee more. Believe it or not, the bunged-up pipework feels like my main problem right now. I just took one codeine tab instead of two, so we'll see if that works. Besides, I'd like to cut back on them if I can, and it might stop me being a bit too gungho about doing everything. On the other hand, it might stop me exercising at all, which won't be good. Time will tell...