8 weeks post op TKR , is exhaustion normal still

@skakle Yard work in not a "normal activity" after joint replacement - it is well down the road to total recovery! I would like to personally shake every surgeon or their staff member who tells you "You'll be recovered in 6-8 weeks" when what they mean is "Your surgical wound will be healed and the path recovery to normal will be underway in 6-8 weeks."

Joint replacement surgery is a BIG deal. You undergo anesthesia, they cut into your flesh (wound), they move your muscles and tendons around (irritation), they cut your bones (trauma), they mess with the nerves (irritation/inflammation), they cut and pound on your bones (more trauma) and introduce metal and possibly glue (foreign bodies.)

Now, reread the previous paragraph, take a deep breath, and give yourself permission to recover at your own personal pace. After my first hip replacement, I was only 54 years old. I went back to work from home at 2 weeks, into the office at 4 weeks. It was tough, but I was young, dumb, and "on a schedule" so I had my second knee replaced at 6 weeks. I was in a BAD way for 3 months! Lesson learned.

If you read much here on Connect, you will understand that from 4/6 weeks until 4/6 months after joint replacement surgery, fatigue and discomfort from PT or pushing too hard is completely NORMAL as your body heals fully. Give yourself grace to heal at your own pace.

When to be concerned? Sudden back-sliding in the absence of overuse or a fall. Sudden swelling without any apparent reason. Lack of progress in PT.
Does this make you feel any less frustrated?

@sueinmn Thank you for your response. I think everyone has a different “normal”. I wouldn’t consider weed whacking for a half an hour anything remotely difficult or energy draining but it knocked me out. I have been physically active all my life and an avid hiker. with a fair amount of energy and vitality. Thank you for the words of support. I’ve been trying to understand why I’ve been getting so knocked out and have to lay down in the middle of the day. I’m 72. Many of my friends are 65-80 and are mountain climbers and long distance cyclists. I just want to get back to my old self and don’t know when enough activity is enough for the day. How do I know when to push a little more and when to stop? That’s the question I keep asking myself

@skakle What a great question? As an active person and a hiker, you are accustomed to pushing yourself and having your body adjust. Now, in healing phase, your body is unable to accommodate you because it is using a great deal of energy just to HEAL. And your PT, even though it seems like it should be easy compared to what you are accustomed to doing, takes a lot of energy. Finally, if you are like many people after TKR, your sleep may still be disrupted by discomfort, so you are more tired during the day.

35-40 years ago as winter hit I would switch to training on a treadmill, and increase my time, speed, or elevation by 10% each week, and my body adjusted just fine. So a few years ago, I tried fast-paced walking after long illness, and attempted to use the same endurance plan - oof! It did not go well. At the same time I was working with an excellent PT to manage chronic pain, so we talked.

Here was the PT's advice (you and I are in the same age range):
Healing & recovery time increase as people get older.
Find your current maximum "non-crash" activity level, and do it for 2 weeks, then increase by 5% and see if you tolerate it. Do it 5-6 days a week if you you can, otherwise every other day .
After 2 or 3 months, try a hard push and see how your body responds - if you need a nap or have a day of fatigue, you can continue to try to challenge yourself. If you have a crash, go back to the conservative plan for a month and try again.

Does this sound reasonable to you?

You probably lost a little bit of blood during the procedure and are anemic. Ask your doctor and perhaps start taking an iron supplement until you get your hemoglobin built back up. On both of my total knee replacements, my hemoglobin went down even though the surgeons both said, I did not lose any blood. But apparently I did because when I had my lab work done, first TNR I was only at 8 and second TNR my hemoglobin was 10. my normal hemoglobin is around 13.

@judycat
My surgeon did NOT use a tourniquet. According to his post surgery report the estimated blood loss was 100 cc.

After Both of my TNRs I was anemic....just ask to have lab work. If your hemoglobin is low, take some iron for a month or so . My surgeon also said that I did not lose any blood....but the lab work showed otherwise. My first TNR, I was very ,very tired...no wonder,.... my hemoglobin was only 8.
My second TNR, my hemoglobin was 10...just a little low. I was somewhat tired but not as much as the first TNR.

Absolutely! Your body’s trying to recover . Rest and stretching are so helpful. Be patient most doctors will say it takes a year at least to get back to full strength