It has been 15 months since TKR and it has been swollen like this since day one.And I am getting tired of hearing " It will be better after 6 months", and then "it sometimes takes a year", and now they say "it sometimes takes two years)/ Why do they keep on "Kicking the can on down the road"? I have not yet heard a reasonable explanation as to why I am experiencing more pain than before surgery and swelling and pain has notdiminished one bit. I am 6'1" and at 195 pounds went into this in very good physical shape as an athlete who does downhill skiing, rides a bike to the gym, works out diligently, and walks regularly. I am still in the same physical shape except for a problematic knee.
Dear @georgieb51
Sounds like it's time for some different doctors and therapists to take a fresh look. I appreciate your frustration because I had it in spades when my leg wouldn't heal for ten months. Everyone has different experiences, but hearing about them can give you clues about what questions to ask going forward. In my case it was soft tissue damage caused by a bad therapist early on, compounded later by an overly enthusiastic and optimistic therapist who pushed my leg faster than it could go. I ended up with bursitis and tendinitis all up and down the leg, and the dratted thing would swell if I even stood on two legs for five minutes. The pain and sleeplessness seemed neverending. Now I know that I also had an underlying condition going into the surgery that no one noticed, and it held back my recovery. Just keep getting doctors to look at everything --muscles and tendons can get repetitive strain injuries, and you sound very athletic. So maybe that's the place to begin exploring. Nerves can get compressed or injured in surgery. The changes in your posture from a joint replacement can cause all sorts of pain in muscles because you move and shift weight differently. It can affect your legs or spine. Also, if you have continued daily swelling maybe you will want to have your venous and arterial circulation checked. Or ask if your heart is pumping efficiently. The human body is so complicated that finding answers is a real journey sometimes. I got lucky when I tried two things: sonar shockwave to boost the circulation and speed up healing and posture exercises that changed my walk and helped me stop overstressing the surgical leg. Insomnia also held back healing for me. If you have trouble sleeping that could be an avenue to explore. There's just no telling what could be wrong, but keep trying doctors in different specialties to get fresh opinions. This is not a "suck it up and stop whining" moment. You deserve help to heal. Maybe even look at your exercise regime and consider whether you are overstressing your leg. You can't force it to heal faster by pushing it too hard. It could even be just one form of exercise that is doing damage. I found that the exercises prescribed by my therapist were causing repetitive strain injuries on the one spot where my circulation was weakest. You just never know. Maybe eliminate one exercise at a time to see if there's any improvement. I hope you find some answers and relief really soon. Don't quit looking for help. Best wishes for your recovery!
I am about 8 and 9 years post TKRs and my new knees still seem bigger than my old knees to me, but no pain and they work great. They took a while to heal 100% (year or more?). I don’t remember how long now but I felt better than pre-surgery within no time. I don’t even notice them 99% of the time. I hope that yours resolve as well.
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Dear @georgieb51
Sounds like it's time for some different doctors and therapists to take a fresh look. I appreciate your frustration because I had it in spades when my leg wouldn't heal for ten months. Everyone has different experiences, but hearing about them can give you clues about what questions to ask going forward. In my case it was soft tissue damage caused by a bad therapist early on, compounded later by an overly enthusiastic and optimistic therapist who pushed my leg faster than it could go. I ended up with bursitis and tendinitis all up and down the leg, and the dratted thing would swell if I even stood on two legs for five minutes. The pain and sleeplessness seemed neverending. Now I know that I also had an underlying condition going into the surgery that no one noticed, and it held back my recovery. Just keep getting doctors to look at everything --muscles and tendons can get repetitive strain injuries, and you sound very athletic. So maybe that's the place to begin exploring. Nerves can get compressed or injured in surgery. The changes in your posture from a joint replacement can cause all sorts of pain in muscles because you move and shift weight differently. It can affect your legs or spine. Also, if you have continued daily swelling maybe you will want to have your venous and arterial circulation checked. Or ask if your heart is pumping efficiently. The human body is so complicated that finding answers is a real journey sometimes. I got lucky when I tried two things: sonar shockwave to boost the circulation and speed up healing and posture exercises that changed my walk and helped me stop overstressing the surgical leg. Insomnia also held back healing for me. If you have trouble sleeping that could be an avenue to explore. There's just no telling what could be wrong, but keep trying doctors in different specialties to get fresh opinions. This is not a "suck it up and stop whining" moment. You deserve help to heal. Maybe even look at your exercise regime and consider whether you are overstressing your leg. You can't force it to heal faster by pushing it too hard. It could even be just one form of exercise that is doing damage. I found that the exercises prescribed by my therapist were causing repetitive strain injuries on the one spot where my circulation was weakest. You just never know. Maybe eliminate one exercise at a time to see if there's any improvement. I hope you find some answers and relief really soon. Don't quit looking for help. Best wishes for your recovery!
I am about 8 and 9 years post TKRs and my new knees still seem bigger than my old knees to me, but no pain and they work great. They took a while to heal 100% (year or more?). I don’t remember how long now but I felt better than pre-surgery within no time. I don’t even notice them 99% of the time. I hope that yours resolve as well.
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2 ReactionsThank u. It's been 12 months and mine is doing great. Like u most of the time I don't even realize I have I new one.
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