To want to hide from the world after my knee replacement?

[MissCherryCakeyBun]

Had a full knee replacement on Tuesday and despite planning, getting support equipment and reading up etc I'm shocked at how much pain I am in. I'm taking the painkillers provided and using the ice packs as suggested.
I'm not a wimp about pain and always get on with things but this is another level. I just stood on the stairs and cried when coming down this morning. DH is great and being very supportive but I feel awful about the tearfulness.
Should I just man up and get on with it all or can I hide and do my physio as prescribed and stay home and hide until I feel less like a crybaby?
Anyone else been down this horrible road?

Family friend had this done recently and was so traumatised by the recovery that she cancelled the other one being done. She said it was so much worse than she'd been lead to believe and really struggled with post operative pain. Go easy on yourself, it's very early days.

It's very early days op, don't push yourself

Hi op I’ve not been through this myself but nursed a relative through it. m
you are being so hard on yourself, you had surgery Tuesday and it’s only Saturday! AND you are already going down the stairs!

You dont need to be rushing back to normal but don’t hide completely at home. The best thing I found with my relative was going for short walks. The first walk we only got as far as garden gate. Next day was 50 metres further etc.

do the physio, all the time you can.

resist the temptation to spend all day in bed. You need to be sat up as much as possible to let gravity do it’s thing and take the swelling off your knee.

the best thing you can do is move frequently but little bits at a time. So do the physio and take short walks, to the kitchen, to the toilet etc. and remember the physios instructions on going up or down the stairs.

It really is very early days.I used a Cryo -cuff -fills with iced water -for weeks gradually tapering off use .It was brilliantly soothing.Really the first 2 weeks were the worst.And yes I cried either pain about day 6.And I think I'm pretty tough after 3 caesarians! But it does get easier.And so worth it.It now seems a distant memory.Good to hear your DH is being supportive.Hope you feel better soon.

After the wound had healed, I went to gentle aquarobics classes at my local pool.

I had mine eight years ago. So glad I did, but God, it was painful.

Remember the pain is a lot about inflammation and pressure, the knee is a complicated and enclosed joint so there’s nowhere for it to go, so ice and elevate it as much as possible. Massage the skin too, there will be nerve damage so be prepared not to get full sensation back.

I kept a note of the amount, type and timing of any medication I took because frankly I was so out of it in the early days it was easy to lose track. I loathe exercise but I did the ones I was given religiously. Initially I could barely get my leg off the ground, but in no time I had rebuilt the strength I’d lost.

I was told to expect as good as it gets after twelve months. Actually it was two years, but the mobility it restored to me was worth the wait.

And yes, you will trigger the scanner alarm at airports!

I have also heard that a knee replacement hurt way more than a hip replacement.
I hope you will feel better soon, OP!

I'm 10 weeks post op. The first few weeks I really did shut myself away just to concentrate on my recovery. I echo what others have said, rest up, do your exercises and use the ice packs.
You will start to notice small improvements each day, although some days you might feel as though you've gone backwards.
Weirdly I've had hardly any pain at all which is a different experience I had to when I had the other knee done 8 years ago. So glad I've had them both done now and can live life pain free again.

And yes, you will trigger the scanner alarm at airports!
I never did, and I went to the trouble of getting an official card stating I had the replacement as well!

I have had both knees replaced. So so worth it. I am completely pain free and no longer limp. Trick is to always take pain relief regularly you keep it topped up. I had paracetamol and codeine.
it gets easier every day.

@MatildaTheCat
I was discussing knee replacement with my physio recently (I will need them done at some point) and she said some surgeons do both together, send the patient home on the same day and then they basically stay in bed for a week or so because it’s so painful. It’s very early days so take it really slowly and be very kind to yourself.

That is very dated advice from your physio. No surgeon worth their salt would do both at the same time. And no patient is EVER advised to stay in bed for a week. DH gets his patients up as soon as the anaesthetic has worn off. Most go home the same day.

knee replacement is brutal and very painful. Much more so than hip replacement-& technically harder to do. 10% of patients do have ongoing pain after surgery.

Take your pain killers regularly use ice and/or heat which ever helps most and exercise regularly. The quicker you get your full range of movement back the better.

And cry if you need 💙

Friend in her sixties had a knee replacement and her nurse said to her (before the op) that you’ll wonder why you’ve done it because initially the recovery is so very painful. Friend made sure she that was on top of pain relief, kept moving gently and did the physio religiously.

It will get better and no shame in tears and hiding away until you feel up anything more.

I had a knee replacement at 48 and it was more painful that all of my 3 childbirths put together. But now, I am so so glad I did it.

The two weeks after the op are horrendous. The pain made me cry and I never cry. I'd say to really push the physio exercises and make sure you get the bend back no matter the pain.

I echo taking the meds on a schedule so the pain doesn't get to you first.

I'd also suggest taking painkillers before they take the staples out.

Still completely worth it.

And yes, you will trigger the scanner alarm at airports!

I never did, and I went to the trouble of getting an official card stating I had the replacement as well!

Interesting, I do every single time. Mine’s good old NHS, wonder if that makes a difference?

So's mine. I had mine done in 2011; I wonder if yours is made of different stuff?

The implants are the same whether that be NHS or private. Surgeons don’t put in “better ones” for paying customers; they put the ones in that a) they are trained with so are good at b) have a good outcome rate for patients c) reduced revision rate. All joint replacements are reported to the nation joint registry and as such are a measure of how good (or not) your surgeon is. No surgeon wants poor results because no surgeon wants to be stopped from doing joint replacements because of poor results.

but yes-implants change over time as there are research groups working on making them better. As there are with the method of doing surgery such as computer navigation or robotic technologies which improve the placement of the implant, which obviously impacts on how it works/how long it lasts.

I’m more than happy with mine, whatever it’s made of. I realise all these tales of excruciating pain may be alarming to the OP, but pain can be managed if you get ahead of it. A successful TKR is life changing.

My understanding is that over the years they have changed what the knees are made of. As for putting them in mine was Robot assisted 🤖 which was a plus point for me as I am entertained by such things

Today has been better I didn't cry on the stairs and have felt more in control which really helps. All the support on here has been so good stories both good and bad are what helps me through the day.

And agreed far more painful that the "natural" childbirth I went through 32 years ago and that was horrific.....

The best thing today is being able to stand up straight and have a proper hug from DH

I'm planning a trip to the hairdresser on Friday as we only have an over bath shower so no hair wash since last Tuesday morning. Really looking forward to that.

MissCherryCakeyBun ; I managed to have a shower by wrapping my leg in a plastic bin bag. You can also buy special waterproof leg covers.

@sueelleker it's the climbing into the bath and out again that's the issue, if I had a free free standing I would be okay as the dressings are showerproof. The physio gave very strict instructions about climbing into an over bath shower as being out of bounds 😂