Post Total Knee Replacement with RA

[lala1958]

Hello

I would like to thank everyone that was supportive for my total knee replacement. As someone on this site said It’s a 🐻 bear and they were right. I had lots of nerve pain from when I woke up in recovery to now which is 11 weeks.

I have swelling and some pain, mostly nerve, however the knee has developed a rash on the right side of the scar. I googled it, found articles on Pubmed and it’s actually called Skinted. Sometimes a nerve gets damaged during surgery and this exéma like rash occurs or there is an allergy réaction to the metal or cement compound. I see my surgeon on Wednesday so I will ask him then but I suspect it’s the nerves. Aside from that, the pain that I had bone on bone is gone and I walk straight now which feels odd but good. I am happy that I had the surgery, felt that having RA might make it slower from a recovery prospective, but all in all feeling better all the time. I will wait for a year before I do the other knee. Again, Thanks for the support. This site is a Godsend 🙏

[Madmusiclover]

well done and thanks for update. I’m 5 weeks post arthroscopic knee. Surgery. They say 3-4 months to full recovery even for this. I’ve had hips done but understand knees are more painful!

[sylvi]

As long as you do the exercises you do the exercises you will be fine and may i suggest you keep doing them. It is good news the pain has gone. xxxxxx

[Slinkyminx]

glad you are over the worst. I’m week 12 now and I’m doing much more than before my surgery. Still swollen on a day that I’ve done too much and I wake up with hip pain but I guess that’s where I was walking incorrectly and now I’m realigned the hip is doing the same thing. Other knee scheduled for Sept. Not looking forward to it but at least I know what to expect. Did you have cramps when the nerves rejoined about week eight?

[lala1958 in reply to Slinkyminx]

Glad to hear Slinkyminx 😊I am also doing more than I was and still icing 3 x daily. I had muscle spasms but they dissipated more after I started swimming Physio every second day. No for me it’s about the nerve pain still and numbness.

[Slinkyminx in reply to lala1958]

I didn’t have much physio but can bend ok and straighten ok. The consultant warned me the left side (left knee replacement) would remain numb. It’s the only bit now that’s numb though. Not looking forward to the other. Ring done but you do feel the difference in strength from the tkr side. They say it takes up to one year to completely feel the benefits. Good luck

[lala1958 in reply to Slinkyminx]

I feel mor strength yes in my left leg as I think it’s not compensating for all the weight from the bad knee before surgery. Having said that, the left knee is not hurting at all even though it was not far behind the right kneeThe other thing I have noticed is I stand very straight now and that’s nice for me to correct my posture.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Glad you op is over keep doing the physio and icing it for the swelling. Also take some photos of the rash to show your surgeon or doctor when you see them.

[lala1958 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Good Morning Fruitandnutcase

Thanks for the advice, it’s helping for sure. The Physio program graduated me after week six so I swim sidestroke, backstroke and breast stroke for 45 minutes 4cx a week now. I started pool walking and marching at week 8 and did that until I felt I could do the breaststroke and sidestroke without pain. I have taken bi weekly pics showing size started one month after surgery and he will definitely see them on Wednesday.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to lala1958]

Wow! You really are working hard at it aren’t you. Good luck with Wednesday 😊

[Mmrr]

It's good to hear that you are on the mend.

[cyberbarn]

I had nerve damage when I had surgery on one of my feet. My background is neuroscience so I knew a bit already about how nerves react to damage, but I too a deep dive into the literature and found and wonder technical paper where they followed some mouse sensory and motor neurons that had been damaged and watched how they grew back.

It really helped me to keep going as I knew that it was going to take a long time, up to a year, for the neurons to repair themselves. Apparently, and this is in layman's terms not the researcher's terms, the head of the neurone calls out for the rest of the body, and the cut end of the body has to plough through all the debris and stuff in the way to make its way through to reconnect with the head. there are sort of Pacman type things that precede it trying to clear the way. Then once they make contact the protective coverings have to be remade, and that can take a while.

I had a numb and painful area in my foot where the nerve was damaged, but I remember the day when my son hit it accidentally and I shrieked with joy, saying those little Pacmen finally made it through!

Nerve damage can take a lot of time to repair, so take care of your body and hopefully the Pacmen will take care of the nerves!

[lala1958 in reply to cyberbarn]

Good Morning Cyberbarn

Thanks so much for the Pac-Man description of the internal healing of nerves after surgery. I had a great visual 👍 I appreciate your information and knowledge, I won’t be so down on my nerve pain as much knowing it’s just a process and not just me 😂 Thanks again.