Fatigue after knee surgery

[laurentynes]

I had knee surgery five weeks ago to repair a tibial plateau fracture, and I am having nearly identical symptoms.  I started doing PT one week after surgery, and I have excellent range of motion, but I am still under a no weight bearing order.  I have strived to stay active, but I have no energy and even small tasks are incredibly taxing.  I am a very fit, active 23 year old female, and this is becoming worrisome.  My sking often feels very overheated, and is hot to the touch, but I have no fever, and I nap around two hours almost everyday.  I returned to classes last week, and everything from attending lecture and lab, to studying and doing homework drains me completely.  I used to work thirty hours a week and carry a heavier class load with little problem, but now just with classes I find myself feeling impossibly tired everyday.  My surgeon surgeon also dismisses my concerns, but I feel like I've aged fifty years in the last five weeks.  My incisions have healed, and I have very little pain in my knee, but these syptoms (symptoms) remain.


This discussion is related to Fatigue after surgery.

[zambianlady]

I just joined this discussion board, and I know the post I am responding to is kind of old.  I am 28 and I had the fulkerson knee surgery which is similar to a TTT.  My surgery was 7.5 weeks ago and my pain is manageable but I get really tired and need to sleep.  I finally graduated off of the crutches a week ago and I am walking slowly and only for short distances.  I am also concerned with the fact that I get exhausted and worn out.  This exhaustion is worse the day of and the day after PT because I am now starting new exercises which are reawakening muscles that have been dormant since my surgery.  I attribute this exhaustion to new tissue build-up and healing though I don't know this for sure.  I get so tired that I sleep all night and pretty much all day and I am just dead tired.  I usually have trouble sleeping because its hard to get my leg comfortable because of swelling etc, but I don't think that explains the level of exhaustion I feel.  I haven't talked to my doc about it because like I said, I figured it is just my body trying to heal itself.  I feel comforted that other people seem to share the same experience as me, I just believe that as time goes by, I will get better.  Goodluck everyone.

[Happytobehere]

I had a fulkerson knee surgery 11 weeks ago.  I do PT 3 times a week.  I got off crutches for a second time 2 weeks ago.  This is my second knee surgery in about 5 month range.  So the muscles waking up is hard and painful.  I get tired from what seems like everything.  I stay awake all day but don't want to do anything.  The more I am up the more my leg hurts.  I feel like I have a rod in my leg and it feels like it is going to breakout at any moment. I was told my skin was hyper sesitive. My doctor gave me medication to sleep and that has helped.