Hi everyone. Well, just a short note here on something that may of you have recently been asking me about. That is….knee swelling & a tkr. So here is my experience…
My tkr knee still swells up big time after I am done exercising. It does not hurt, though. It just is not a pretty sight.
It has been over a year since my total knee replacement surgery. My walking capabilities have improved 100%, but I still need to come home and ice afterwards. When I don’t ice, the swelling takes a very long time to decrease even a little bit.
Oh well. Hope my tkr blog post about swelling & a tkr helps others going through the same thing. What are your experiences?
Find interesting? Kindly share to help others…
AUTHOR NOTE: Booktoots Healing https://booktoots.com helps total knee replacement patients find support throughout recuperation and beyond. Its mission is for patients to understand they are not alone in their ordeal with either a tkr or other physicality concerns.
This multiple award-winning site is owned and operated by Marie Buckner, a published author, tkr blogger, and tkr patient who has been living with various health conditions for over 40+ years. She enjoys sharing her experiences to help others going through the same thing.
12 thoughts on “Knee Swelling & A TKR”
sharon
i am 10 mos post op and i swell yet but lately i am really swelling in my ankles. the knee feels good to go all day but then i take my shoes off and i have kankles. its not pretty. i am noticing the knee feeling better just in time for me to get ready for my revision on 6/18. oh well some time life isn’t easy right!!
I am now 10 months out from my tkr. At this point recover is quite good. I had thr March 2008 also so I battle both. Sometimes I feel I am not as stable walking when I first get up but that smooths out after about 10 or so steps and then I am good to go. Yesterday I wore heels to church, I have done this quite often over the past 6 months. That goes much better than I anticipated it would.
I wake up with a sore knee periodically, mostly weather related I think. Swelling to some degree is common at the end of the day. I take a fluid retention pill, Torsemide, about three times a week, which seems to really help, then it is necessary to take Potassium or I have charley horses somewhere in one leg or the other. Potassium sees to be a cure for them. Range of motion is not great, about 110 at best but I have no trouble climbing up and down stairs. I rock, ride the stationary bike, still do the exercises three times and walk 1.5 miles at least three times a week. All that seems to help. Having this done was the best thing I did for myself and I would advise anyone who has problems to go ahead. You won’t regret having either a tkr or thr.
My new knee is 6 months old today actually….and last Monday I was marveling at how good I felt, but come Tuesday morning, and every day since, I have had more pain, and more swelling. I told someone at work I thought I had a relapse…..today my knee felt okay, but I had a raging headache and came home 3 hours early from work. I do have ice on my knee right now b/c it’s very puffy and my scar looks a little red at the “tension” point where it pulls the most when bent. Also have a noticeable lump on top that didn’t used to be there.
So I suppose it’s just going to be 2 steps forward and 3 steps back at times…..but it really is annoying!
Debi
Vivaldi
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booktoots
Sharon: My ankles also swell up when I sit for an extended period of time. Good luck with your revision. 😕
Charleen: Great to hear from you again. 🙂 Kudos to you for wearing heels. No way I’d do that. lol
Debi: I agree. It’s totally frustrating and annoying to have these things happen. However, it does get better. Honest.
Thanks for all your feedback. 🙂
Keep the faith and good luck!
Diane
My TKR is two months old. With all the wonderful things being said about this procedure i went in to it thinking I would be well within weeks…However, after two months I am still in a lot of pain. I am religious about exercising and going to physical therapy and I see improvement with the movement and all but the PAIN…whether it be sitting, standing, walking or getting up…even in bed… I have pain. Is this normal?? I seem to hear everyone saying how wonderful this surgery is…but as yet I feel I was better off before…any comments…suggestons…HELP!!!
Tom G.
I had similar experience. Felt great, to point I forgot I had TKR. One day I get up from my chair and I can’t put much weight on it. Next day its better, happens a couple more times, my Dr. did a couple blood tests to make sure I didn’t have an infection.
His conclusion, I may have pulled a muscle or something and rest it, its doing better now, but like you, I felt I was definetly taking a step back.
booktoots
Hi Diane,
Thanks for your comment. At only two months post tkr, believe me, pain was my middle name. It does get better, promise. 🙂
Keep icing, it’s the best pain med available.
Janicejcm
I am 8 weeks post op TKR, have more movement than before,but get pain in the evening and when trying to sleep, also painful trying to come down stairs,but can bend leg at a push to do this now albeit slowly and carefully hanging on the handrail as I worry about putting to much weight on the new knee too quickly. Im doin exercise on the gymball, bike and crosstrainer and swimming, but scar is so painful it pulls like crazy still in the middle where the scar tissu is thickened, any suggestions ? thanks
Kavico
Hi Janice: Cocoa butter and massage. I’ve been ding this since Monday, and not much improvement yet, but some people swear by it. It has helped my scar look clean and healthy but knee still stiff and hard and no give in the knee area at all. Keep massaging.
MTSU Ice Hockey
Great Posting.
I am sure to check this website routinely for more great quality content.
Here is a comment I received from a reader that was inadvertently lost in the “Web world”….
Hello
4 months after TKR improving slowly I think but a bit concerned about swelling and pressure at the top of the knee mainly When I get up in the morning my knee feels it is improving
But when I am on my feet for a short while I can feel the swelling and pressure starting by evening it is very uncomfortable is this normal.
Neal C
i am 10 mos post op and i swell yet but lately i am really swelling in my ankles. the knee feels good to go all day but then i take my shoes off and i have kankles. its not pretty. i am noticing the knee feeling better just in time for me to get ready for my revision on 6/18. oh well some time life isn’t easy right!!
I am now 10 months out from my tkr. At this point recover is quite good. I had thr March 2008 also so I battle both. Sometimes I feel I am not as stable walking when I first get up but that smooths out after about 10 or so steps and then I am good to go. Yesterday I wore heels to church, I have done this quite often over the past 6 months. That goes much better than I anticipated it would.
I wake up with a sore knee periodically, mostly weather related I think. Swelling to some degree is common at the end of the day. I take a fluid retention pill, Torsemide, about three times a week, which seems to really help, then it is necessary to take Potassium or I have charley horses somewhere in one leg or the other. Potassium sees to be a cure for them. Range of motion is not great, about 110 at best but I have no trouble climbing up and down stairs. I rock, ride the stationary bike, still do the exercises three times and walk 1.5 miles at least three times a week. All that seems to help. Having this done was the best thing I did for myself and I would advise anyone who has problems to go ahead. You won’t regret having either a tkr or thr.
My new knee is 6 months old today actually….and last Monday I was marveling at how good I felt, but come Tuesday morning, and every day since, I have had more pain, and more swelling. I told someone at work I thought I had a relapse…..today my knee felt okay, but I had a raging headache and came home 3 hours early from work. I do have ice on my knee right now b/c it’s very puffy and my scar looks a little red at the “tension” point where it pulls the most when bent. Also have a noticeable lump on top that didn’t used to be there.
So I suppose it’s just going to be 2 steps forward and 3 steps back at times…..but it really is annoying!
Debi
??????? ??????!
Sharon: My ankles also swell up when I sit for an extended period of time. Good luck with your revision. 😕
Charleen: Great to hear from you again. 🙂 Kudos to you for wearing heels. No way I’d do that. lol
Debi: I agree. It’s totally frustrating and annoying to have these things happen. However, it does get better. Honest.
Thanks for all your feedback. 🙂
Keep the faith and good luck!
My TKR is two months old. With all the wonderful things being said about this procedure i went in to it thinking I would be well within weeks…However, after two months I am still in a lot of pain. I am religious about exercising and going to physical therapy and I see improvement with the movement and all but the PAIN…whether it be sitting, standing, walking or getting up…even in bed… I have pain. Is this normal?? I seem to hear everyone saying how wonderful this surgery is…but as yet I feel I was better off before…any comments…suggestons…HELP!!!
I had similar experience. Felt great, to point I forgot I had TKR. One day I get up from my chair and I can’t put much weight on it. Next day its better, happens a couple more times, my Dr. did a couple blood tests to make sure I didn’t have an infection.
His conclusion, I may have pulled a muscle or something and rest it, its doing better now, but like you, I felt I was definetly taking a step back.
Hi Diane,
Thanks for your comment. At only two months post tkr, believe me, pain was my middle name. It does get better, promise. 🙂
Keep icing, it’s the best pain med available.
I am 8 weeks post op TKR, have more movement than before,but get pain in the evening and when trying to sleep, also painful trying to come down stairs,but can bend leg at a push to do this now albeit slowly and carefully hanging on the handrail as I worry about putting to much weight on the new knee too quickly. Im doin exercise on the gymball, bike and crosstrainer and swimming, but scar is so painful it pulls like crazy still in the middle where the scar tissu is thickened, any suggestions ? thanks
Hi Janice: Cocoa butter and massage. I’ve been ding this since Monday, and not much improvement yet, but some people swear by it. It has helped my scar look clean and healthy but knee still stiff and hard and no give in the knee area at all. Keep massaging.
Great Posting.
I am sure to check this website routinely for more great quality content.
Here is a comment I received from a reader that was inadvertently lost in the “Web world”….
Hello
4 months after TKR improving slowly I think but a bit concerned about swelling and pressure at the top of the knee mainly When I get up in the morning my knee feels it is improving
But when I am on my feet for a short while I can feel the swelling and pressure starting by evening it is very uncomfortable is this normal.
Neal C