Hello everyone, this is an update on my knee surgery which I had on 23 March. In the end my partial knee became a total as the wait time meant it had deteriorated too much. I stayed in for two days (from the projected one!) and that was too short. I was sent home with a frame, raised toilet seat and cryo cuff. I still can’t transfer from bed to frame unaided. Yesterday I tried to cut down the opioid dosage (oxycodone 5mg) as it concerned me. It was too soon and I had a really bad day of pain and swelling. The hospital nurse gently told me off! She said a week would do no harm then I can tail them off gradually from then. Just have to hope GP surgery will prescribe a few more - I can’t even get a confirmed appointment for clips removal in 14 days.
Maybe some of you are more tolerant of pain but I can honestly say this is the most painful episode of my life - much worse than a hip. I bought an ice therapy machine and it’s a game changer for both pain and swelling reduction. Then I can exercise better. My knee bends to an of average 60 degrees.
Happy to help anyone through this experience.
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BonnieMagic
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Thank you for posting BonnieMagic . I had hip replacement last Feb and need knee replacement. I self funded the hip operation as the waiting list was horrendous and my sleep was greatly impaired. The surgeon is ready to do my knee replacement any time. Well he would at 15 k!
I asked my GP to put me on the NHS waiting list so we will see if I can last out I will take on board what you have said about the ice therapy machine. Can you tell me more about it please ?! ( Forewarned is forearmed as far as I'm concerned!).
Hello Jalla, poor you having to pay but totally understand why you had no choice. In my experience hip replacement is a totally different experience to knee - and I’ve had several different hip procedures over the years. I’m sure I won’t be allowed to advertise the ice therapy machine on here but I only found two on Amazon and one of them had so many add-ons that you had to pay separately for. Basically you fill it with water and ice, put on the knee wrap and this fills with the icy water. It comes with an automatic circulation system which is a bit noisy (even though it is described as a quiet machine!). For pain relief and swelling reduction it is great. The hospital supplied a cryo cuff which does similar job but is difficult to put on and is a one size fits all (so doesn’t 🤣). You may benefit from using a machine during your wait for surgery.
Thank you! I don't think that there are objections to mentioning brand names that have been found helpful. I've done it with blood pressure monitors , Magnesium supps etc. If you would rather not could you possibly dm me the machine that you found useful please ?!
Hi Julia, the machine is really good I use one at Physio I don’t stay in the UK at the moment im abroad so to purchase from Amazon from here would cause problems and they are not available in the shops here. But they are a great idea if you have the funds.
Hello. Just to say hang in there and take each day as it comes, you will have good days and days where you think it wasn't worth it, as the pain is unbearable.. it is worth it, I had a tkr in Dececember so nearly four months. Looking back I tried to reduce the medication but this really is the worst thing to do. You must take the pain killers to allow you to do the exercise and to push trough the pain. I can't stress that enough. Also exercise is so so important. Do it as much as you can. I did just 5 mins, 2 to 3 times a day. Hope this helps also I asked to have the staples out at where I had my op, they did as I explained the chances of a gp appointment is zero. Best of luck.
Hello Charlie thanks for your response. I so agree with you about the pain relief but I have enough to last me today and no urgency being demonstrated by my GP surgery. I reinforced to them this morning that I just can’t stop them!
They have however managed to book me in for clip removal so not all bad. And, crucially, I have a face to face physio apt next week too.
Am aiming for the exercises four times a day and trying to extend my walking time a little each day. Getting awful cramps though which make both difficult. Did you get those?
Hi Seems your doing the best you can. And yes i did have bad camps and still get them, if there bad I take regular paracetamol and ibuprofen. However I put the cramps down to general arthritis in surrounding bones and feet, also I need my left knee done. Swelling lasted up to about 8 weeks, the more I did the more it would swell, so u have to listen go Yr body and rest as its easy to over do it. Of course inhindsight. If you can try not to let the clamps stay in to long as the skin starts to attach to them and this can be painful when removed. I think I had mine out 6 week post op? If I remember it was about 6 weeks before I was 90 degrees. I'm 130 now. And yes all in all its a painfully op but moreso for me is the working time to gain recovery. All worth in my opinion.
Hi Charlie123123, I understand everyone is different with recovery but how long did it take for you to bend your knee to 90+ and did you have swelling and if so how long did it take for the swelling to go down.
Hi Charlie123123 I think your advice is absolutely correct! I had half knee done and was in a lot of pain post surgery but continued with the pain killers and exercises and it worked! Pain free and can walk no problem! I would reiterate to anyone having this surgery to keep up with the medication cause without it you won’t exercise and that is the most important thing to do
You're doing well it seems, have to "listen" to your body and do what you can bear.
My mother had a knee replacement and she tolerates pain well but said it was the worst pain she experienced so bad she put ff having the other done till no choice. Good thing was it wasn't as bad pain wise.
Hi BonnieMagic , thanks for sharing your update with us. That's great to hear you've been able to book your clip removal now as well.
All the best for the next steps and let us know how you get on!
Hi BonnieMagic
I’m 7 weeks post surgery, TKR on my left knee, pain killers made me like a zombie plus after reading side effects i decided to bin most of what I had. I have been lucky not in too much pain now so only on regular Panadol. The swelling and bending is my problem, im going through Physio CPM machine, ice boot, compression boot, hand massage, sports massage, lymphatic draining machine but nothing seem to be helping.
Getting a bit concerned now that the Dr may want to do MUA so trying to dodge him just now and see if Physio will help.
I used a walker for the first 2 weeks, Then went to a walking stick for 3 weeks now I walk independently. If I get up for the bathroom during the night I sometimes take the stick just for safety.
P.S. The good thing I remember is up to heaven down to hell. Always step with your good leg and downwards with you bad leg when using steps.
Good luck with your recovery. I must say getting the staples out was painful for me the middle was ok but the ends had went into my skin a little. At least I know what to expect when it comes to getting my right knee done in the future.
Hi sorry to hear your swelling continues but from everything I’ve read it can do so for three months. I’ve no idea what CPM means or indeed MUA so can’t comment.
The advice I was given is to exercise little, often and well and always 15-30 minutes after pain relief. The longer in between exercising or icing means my leg is like concrete and won’t move at all. My knee bending capability has gone backwards in the last two days - because I didn’t have enough pain relief (which was out of my control). I know that it’s a three pronged attack - pain relief, exercise and ice.
It was interesting to know that you had a walker for two weeks so that’s a good aim.
Seeing the physio on Monday so it’ll be interesting to hear their views and then, ouch, clip removal on Wednesday.
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