You sound just like me. You keep thinking that it will all get better as the days pass by. But no. It really puts you back to square one and it is disheartening. My knee pain at night is off the charts. Still have ICY HOT patches on from applying them at 4:00 am. I would really welcome a good night's sleep. Got sleep to heal, right? Well, how does that work I ask? Go easy on yourself. Its great you can leave early some days. Also try and put your leg up during the day.....Scar tissue is the worst!

Hang in there. All docs need to tell us it is NORMAL to slide backwards from time to time for no apparent reason.

Had another follow up today (16 weeks since my partial knee replacement) - have been having a lot more pain since last week while walking, intense sharp pain where it stops me in my tracks. I'm back to using a cane when walking to make sure I don't fall. My surgeon said there is nothing wrong, it's just normal postoperative pain and that I'm a "straggler" when it comes to recovery. He told me to up my neurontin to 2 a night to see if that helps so I can sleep, about once a week I've been taking one of the hydrocodone I have left just so I can get one night of ok sleep a week. Otherwise, he said I just need to keep at it. My flexion is "excellent" according to him, which was really good to hear, but he still isn't happy with my extension. Still doing physical therapy twice a week to get work on that. This has been so trying and wearing on me, I'm not even the same person I was before this happened. I was started on an anti-depressant about a month ago. My surgeon could tell this is really challenging me in a lot of ways. He spent a lot of time just talking to me and encouraging me. Because of the pain in my right knee, my left knee is now starting to bother me (I had been told I have osteoarthritis in that knee as well), and I'm very concerned about it - I don't want to have to go through this again with that knee.

welcome to the club. Its been 5 years. knee is still swollen, aches, especially after exercise. My other knee was worn out so went to stem cells. Due to get a booster shot this spring to keep arthritis away. I did not want another nightmare experience of having another tkr. I do know people to have good luck with there tkr. Not sure why some have no problems and others suffer.

I would've loved to do stem cells instead due to my age and knowing I'll need at least one revision in my lifetime, but insurance wouldn't cover it and I don't have the money to pay for it out of pocket. Before doing the PKR I also tried to get insurance approval for a cartilage transplant, but that wouldn't be covered either. So now I feel stuck. I remain hopeful though that eventually things will even out and get better, just was hoping to be a little further along at this point, and not having to take time out of work for physical therapy still.

I hear your pain and frustration.....I am now 3 months out and the night pain is so unpredictable. Sometimes tolerable, and sometimes off the charts. I always ask myself what I did differently either at home or at the gym that day. I can walk okay but slow. Not my usual pace. I too have been so so disappointed at my results for a TKR. I am still at the gym 3 days a week. On leg press, 30 minutes on a tall bike where my knee is almost fully extended, abductor and adductor machines, and really anything to make my quads stronger so I can work on a better leg extension. I am religious about this routine. If I had it to do over again, I would never have had this done in winter. Not a time for healing and feeling better. Thats for sure. My other knee was done in late April, 9 years ago and recovery was nothing like this. I was so positive and hopeful going into this and now I doubt my actions. PT 2 days a week is over, and it was sheer torture every visit. I wondered if that keep me from healing. Keep the faith. You are lucky. You have more time under your belt with your knee than me.

Thanks for your comments. I am nearing my 3 month mark and escaped  manipulation, thankfully I am now switching to strengthening exercises and have 2 more PT visits.I feel I have turned the corner at night, having slept 6 hrs uninterrupted past 2 nightsHoping to get back to golf this seasonDeb

@kibe75, I completely understand your frustration. I had a TKR in 2006 when I was 19. My initial recovery was quite frustrating and difficult. I had to have two manipulations from aggressive scar tissue formation. I was battling an atrophied knee joint from end-stage arthritis that started when I was nine years old. The muscle and ligament atrophy combined with aggressive scar tissue formation made for an extremely difficult recovery. It took well over a year that included manipulations, pain management, and physical therapy to get to my new normal, which I am happy to report is 0-110 degree ROM. I know the frustration you are experiencing, but it can get better, even if it doesn't seem like it will.

Thank you for sharing I applaud your courageDeb

@JustinMcClanahan what did you dibun terms if pain management? I think that is my biggest frustration right now, I'm on diclofenac twice daily, 1000 mg tylenol every 6 hours and neurotin at bedtime and it just isn't enough, my pain is still constantly at a 4-5 resting and 6 or so when walking, exercising.