terryd and knees

terryd

Hi everybody,
I was diagnosed with OA of the right knee in July 2007 and told the OA was so bad I needed a Unicompartmental knee replacement. I am 56 years old.

In October of 2007 I had my operation.

Recovery was OK up to about three months when the pains started to become bad again.
I also now had pains in my left knee which I think was due to over loading that knee to take some load off the right knee. X-rays showed OA in the left knee.

The knee replacement has technically been successful but has not relived the pain.
My surgeon as offered me a Arthrosopy to look for the cause of the pain.

My GP has been very good. I am now on Gabapentin and Co-Dydramol. I also use a TENS machine which I find useful when the pain increases between doses.

I am still driving and working. Driving is painful and the pain increases at the end of the day but I can recover enough to face the next day.
I can also still walk about 30 minutes and exercise using weights which I find helpful.

Has anybody had a part or full knee that has not relived the pain and what treatment did you get after.

I can only admire all of you who have had years of pain and carried on with your lives.
Best wishes to all of you.

Terry. :roll:

elnafinn

Hi Terry

I am sorry to hear about the problems you are still having after your partial knee replacement. I had a total knee replacement 15 months ago and after a lot of initial pain but excellent mobility, all is well, besides the odd day but I can cope with that.

Do you think it may be to do with scar tissue? Did you have a good physio therapist after the op?

Am I right is thinking that a partial knee replacement is performed if the damage is just in one place in the knee?

I was offered a partial but eventually declined. Two or three years later I had a second opinion and was told I was no longer eligible for a partial, a total was the answer.

I need a new knee for my other one too but that comes as no surprise to me.

Will you go for the arthroscopy so the surgeon can see what is going on?

I hope it is sorted for you soon,

Elna

frogmorton

Hey Terry
I admire YOU for working when in such pain - recovering overnight!!
You are doing great, but I have no experience of new bits and pieces yet, so can't help there.
Sure others like Elna are the best to answer your query.
take care
Toni x

terryd

Hi Elna,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I did have good physio after the op, did the exercises three times a day at home.
The surgeon ruled out scar tissue.

It was just the inside of my knee that was damaged the other side is still OK.
I found out after the op that a partial can cause more problems than a full knee.

I also have OA in my other but not to bad.

I am hoping that the arthroscopy will find something easy to fix there and then, what do you think?

Have you any experience of the meds I am on.

Terry

alicea

Hi terryd, I had a replacement knee last july and to be honest i am still in quite a bit of pain , it as healed really well but i have pain walking and resting. I have got OA in other joints and also had a hip replacement on the other leg. I think I had to have my knee replaced because of the extra strain from having my hip done, that left me an inch shorter and i think that has a lot to do with it but i dont have any pain from my hip it is great
. I was'nt offered any physio after my hip or knee ops there is a waiting list of 6 months here. If you are anything like me you are feeling was it worth all that pain having it done if you still have to have pain. I hope yours sorts out pain gets you down and just make life hard work . I was warned that knees are a lot more painful and take longer to get over , i am glad i have good pain meds .....................all the best alicea

lindalegs

Hi Terry and welcome to the forum,

I had both my knees replaced nearly nine years ago now (TKRs). I was in pain afterwards but nothing like the debilitating pain of before.

I must admit pain has never really left them entirely (till lately - I'll explain that in a mo) but I put this down to being a rheumatoid and my weakest spot has always been my knees. Although they get rid of the diseased bone you can still get inflammed tissue around the joint - but as you're an Oesto I wouldn't have thought this was your problem - although if anyone knows differently please put me right.

My Rheumy, in Nov last year, discovered I had a Vitamin D inadequacy and has since put me on Calcichew Vit D Forte and since then my knee pain has gone for the first time in 23 years :shock: :shock: Now this could all be coincidence or psychological - but who cares so long as they don't hurt. I will add that my RA is extremely well controlled (touch wood) with MTX.

It could be worth you discussing this possibility with your consultant 'cos all it takes is a simple blood test to find out.

I sincerely hope you get it sorted soon as you want to make the most of your new knee.

Luv Legs

elnafinn

Hi again Terry

Yep, I would go for the arthro and hope like you, your surgeon will be able to rectify the problem there and then.

You will have the choice to go for a total knee replacement if all else fails. :shock: if you can bear it.

It really must be a great disappointment to you as it has obviously not gone to plan. I would have been gutted and I really do sympathise.

I have not been prescribed either of the meds you are on. Before my op I was on 8 co proxamol a day, which were excellent for me, with no side effects but unfortunately that med has been withdrawn, not because it was decided it was harmful to patients but due to a few people overdosing on it. I also took 2 slow releasing inflammatory pills daily. The latter, I still take, for my unoperated knee.

I really do wish you the very best and hope the problem is solved for you in the very near future so that you can get on with your life.

Look after yourself,
Elna

terryd

Hi all

Thanks for your best wishes and encouragement. Just waiting patiently for my arthroscopy. Didn't know when I had the op that knees took so long to recover from, if I had I might have taken more time over my decision.

It's nice to be able to compare notes with people who have had the same or similar problems. This site is a useful form of info.

Thanks again for your comments and I hope those of you who are still in discomfort recover soon.

Terry

colinone

Hi Terry

On Wednesday 8th April we are going to try and set a new record for most people being online at the same time on this site. I think the time is set for 6pm if you can join us please let BADGER know. If you cant locate him have a look on CHIT CHAT FORUM under are we going to break the record. We need your help to do this so please join us.
Colin

terryd

Hello again,

As you might have worked out I’ am new to all this stuff.

Is there any way of slowing this down.

I have been told to keep moving and exercise as much as possible.

Does anything else work

Terry

elnafinn

I totally agree Terry, use it or lose it

Trouble is when it starts to get closer to the last resort of a metal and plastic prothesis being inserted, it does become very difficult to "use it" because of pain and discomfort and we don't like that much do we? Maximum medication only does so much in the end. OA is wear and tear so I see the affected joint getting nothing but worse with use/no use, in time.

But in the meantime, keep on keeping on, I say.

Beautiful day here today - will be out mowing the lawn soon after putting the washing out.

Best wishes,
Elna

terryd

Hi Elna,

Just come back from my lunch time walk, very nice day here to.

As you say none of us like the pain but use or loose is what we must do, and I do find the exercise helpfull, so while I can I will.

Back to gp tomorrow for review of meds what should I asking or telling.

So upward and onward get the guitar out and forget OA for a while.

Best wishes

Terry

greyheron

Hi Terry and greetings from another 'knee-ite'.

I had problems with my left knee following a fall in my teens (now in my early 60s) and had a TKR last November following an arthroscopy about 18 months previously.

I was sorry to read about your problems and hope that they will improve in time.

I was surprised that you weren't offered physio. The Arthritis Care website has some good advice about helpful exercises, they're not complicated and you don't need any special equipment so can be done at home. But obviously you'd need to check them out with someone medical first.

Well done for 'keeping going', I'm sure that is the right thing to do as far as you are able - but do take care.

Best wishes

Wendy

terryd

Hi Wendy
Nice to hear from another ‘knee-ite’ as you very nicely put it.

Was your op successful did you have a quick recovery.

I did get Physio, at first the exercises were very painful but I am still doing them.
Thanks for the website advice I will have a look to see if there are exercises I am not doing that might help.

I am going for my arthroscopy on 21 of April and hoping for a quick fix.
The surgeon offered me a full knee but I was reluctant to go there
as the half knee is still so painful, anybody been down that road.

So as with all of us I will keep going and hope for some relief when the warmer weather gets here when do you think that will happen.

Best wishes
Terry

greyheron

terryd wrote:

Hi Wendy
Nice to hear from another ‘knee-ite’ as you very nicely put it.

Was your op successful did you have a quick recovery.

I did get Physio, at first the exercises were very painful but I am still doing them.
Thanks for the website advice I will have a look to see if there are exercises I am not doing that might help.

I am going for my arthroscopy on 21 of April and hoping for a quick fix.
The surgeon offered me a full knee but I was reluctant to go there
as the half knee is still so painful, anybody been down that road.

So as with all of us I will keep going and hope for some relief when the warmer weather gets here when do you think that will happen.

Best wishes
Terry

Hi Terry

Sorry I misunderstood about the physio.

Four months down the road, I am very happy with my new knee. I can now walk without pain much further than I could pre-op, and going up stairs is pain-free whereas before the op I had to go up stairs 'toddler-style'. Coming down stairs is harder but improving, very deep stairs are still a bit of a problem but that is due to weakness in the muscles which I am working on via exercises, shallower stairs are fine and again pain-free.

I still get some pain and stiffness as part of the healing process (I am told this takes 6 months) and I am still hoping for more improvement in the bending of the knee.

But all in all I am glad I had it done.

Hope your 'next steps' work well for you - keep us posted!

Wendy

sharmaine

Hi
I have OA in both my knees. It is very bad in my left knee and it seems to be creeping its way into other areas: fingers, shoulder etc.
I'm sorry to hear about your knee op. It may be worth going for this other op in the hope they can put it right. Pain gets you down - I've had the longest period ever of feeling unwell (about a month) and today I feel good and realise how good it is to be alive.

I had to give up my job and I only drive short distances - how do you manage to work? I find it hard just coping with things around the home.

Take care and I hope someone out there comes up with an answer.
Sharmaine

terryd wrote:

Hi everybody,
I was diagnosed with OA of the right knee in July 2007 and told the OA was so bad I needed a Unicompartmental knee replacement. I am 56 years old.

In October of 2007 I had my operation.

Recovery was OK up to about three months when the pains started to become bad again.
I also now had pains in my left knee which I think was due to over loading that knee to take some load off the right knee. X-rays showed OA in the left knee.

The knee replacement has technically been successful but has not relived the pain.
My surgeon as offered me a Arthrosopy to look for the cause of the pain.

My GP has been very good. I am now on Gabapentin and Co-Dydramol. I also use a TENS machine which I find useful when the pain increases between doses.

I am still driving and working. Driving is painful and the pain increases at the end of the day but I can recover enough to face the next day.
I can also still walk about 30 minutes and exercise using weights which I find helpful.

Has anybody had a part or full knee that has not relived the pain and what treatment did you get after.

I can only admire all of you who have had years of pain and carried on with your lives.
Best wishes to all of you.

Terry. :roll:

terryd

Hi Wendy

It is nice to hear your new knee as improved your pain. None of us like pain. I hope your new knee last a long time.

I to still have problems with stairs I think that's what they were made for.

Keep doing the exercises and I am sure you will improve.

I will keep you posted.

Have good week end.

Terry

terryd

Hi Sharmaine

Have you not been offered treatment for you painfull left knee. My own op did not go to plan but most do.

I also have pain and clicking in other joins mostly shoulders and
elbows and I find exercise helps.

Hope your good spell last a long time and you can keep that good to be alive feeling.

I am very lucky and have a sit down job and an understanding. employer. The pain does increase at he end of the day but with the meds and rest I can cope at the moment.

You to have a good weekend.
Terry