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Knee pain, swelling after surgery
Almost four months after surgery, I am still experiencing massive swelling and excruiating pain with inflammation. I was having a great recovery for the first ten days, then BAM! My leg, knee and ankle swelled to gigantic proportions. My doctor has said only that I have arthritis in my knee and I have to be patient. On at least three occasions, I have been in tears in his office and asking what to do about it. He still tells me be patient. This is surely not normal. I went to another doctor last week who sent in his PA to tell me that they "don't like to tread on another doctor's territory" and won't see me again, but the PA prescribed Prednisone 6 day dosage that seemed to give me some comfort while I was taking it. The day after I completed the dosage, the pain and swelling was back in full force. No one will see me without a referral because this certain doctor operated on me. What am I to do? I am so frustrated after four months of extreme pain, all I do is cry. I've turned into a big crybaby and that is not me! Help, somebody!
hey just wondering how you made out with your knee i walked like that for 8 months after my surgery infact i didnt think i would ever walk right again untill i got pissed one night cranked my knee hard around to the left and something went back in to place my back hasnt gone out sense the swelling went down and now the only time i have a problem is when its cold out my knee swells and i start limping again im working on getting second opion
hey i was just wondering if you found anything out i had a meniscus surgery over a year ago my knee has hurt worse then the injury the pain and swelling has not gone away if i go outside when its cold my knee swells so bad i start limping again and im in so much pain i gotta put the heat right back on it i can only be outside for 2 mins when its cold out do have the same problems have u found anything out yet
Hi I Had a total knee replacement four years ago. And I keep having alittle pain but I could always take ibu an sora keep the swelling an inflammation. My knee was still slightly bigger then the other one. I had blood work done three Weeks ago an my doctor told me my liver enzyms were really high an my cholesterol was 319 any way I have to get my liver enzymes down an one of the things she told me was no ibu no over the counter pain meds at all so what the heck do I do for the pain now, I have not taken anything for pain in three Weeks. I worked last night when I went to go home it was all I could do to get my knee bend to get it in the car. My knee is swollen the size od a grape friut What do I do
To You and to Many of the personal blogs I have read,
As an RN and a Patient I can empathize with your pain. For 6+ years I have had continuous pain of my "knee-replacement knee" ~ Total of 4 surgeries and a possible 5th.
#1 > Partial right knee replacement in 9/2006
> 6mo later, in 3/2007 due to failure, I needed a #2 >Total Rt Knee Replm.
Due to acute/chronic knee pain > I sought a 2nd opinion with a highly recommended Knee Ortho Specialist from Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD By physical exam he said I needed a Revision b/ c spacer was too small.
#3 surgery >Revision of Right Knee!. After months of post-op PT and hoping to finally have Pain Relief....the same sharp knee pain Persisted!!
I consulted w/ my Physical Therapist to determine if more PT would relieve my pain > i had 3 months of PT without any pain relief. I returned to Specialist at Sinai Hospital b/c of increasing, sharp nerve-like pain. His diagnosis for my continuous pain was a Neuroma in knee area.
#4 surgery > Removal of 3 nerves w/ neuroma. Finally, hoping for pain relief >"Not" and so discouraged!
Along w/ Fibromyalgia, which was diagnosed years ago, and my knee pain,
I have been seeing a Pain Specialist for three years. i have been treated for 3 herniated discs and bilateral hip pain. I have had many procedures for this issue.
(I was hoping that I should be able to condense my blog, but it seems somewhat therapeutic to mentally-verbalized all the pain I have had now for almost 7 yrs).
Recently, it was recommended by Pain Specialist that I have a Trial of Cortisone Injections for this knee pain. In retrospect, after 2nd cortisone injection in this knee, I realized that the increased pain & swelling started in mid-Oct. First Inj was mid-Sept and the 2nd Cortisone Inj was Oct 8th!
(Before these Steroid Injections, it was confirmed by office that they "did not use the lab" that have recently had life-threatening infections from Steriods Injections) So I proceeded...
SINCE MY 2nd CORTISONE INJ IN EARLY OCTOBER, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WORSENING PAIN AND SWELLING > so much pain that I have been needing to use a walker all the time :(
Early Dec I consulted w/ a Johns Hopkins Ortho Specialist. He ordered a. BONE SCAN OF RT KNEE to rule out loose prosthesis > done 12/26/12. He also ordered an INDIUM WBC SCAN to rule out an infection > done on
Jan 3. I received both reports (per my Request) from the hospital where I had both scans done. It states : Probable Infection.
My Appt with Johns Hopkins Specialist is this Thurs Jan 10th
According to Indium Scan > I have an Infection. Not sure what Rx will be??I I have been googling a lot & have found this blog site to be very helpful in allowing me to tell my story and...HOPE THAT MY SITUATION MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE.
I will post after my Dr Appt in Re:what the follow-up treatment or possible surgery is needed.
As an RN and a Patient I can empathize with your pain. For 6+ years I have had continuous pain of my "knee-replacement knee" ~ Total of 4 surgeries and a possible 5th.
#1 > Partial right knee replacement in 9/2006
> 6mo later, in 3/2007 due to failure, I needed a #2 >Total Rt Knee Replm.
Due to acute/chronic knee pain > I sought a 2nd opinion with a highly recommended Knee Ortho Specialist from Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD By physical exam he said I needed a Revision b/ c spacer was too small.
#3 surgery >Revision of Right Knee!. After months of post-op PT and hoping to finally have Pain Relief....the same sharp knee pain Persisted!!
I consulted w/ my Physical Therapist to determine if more PT would relieve my pain > i had 3 months of PT without any pain relief. I returned to Specialist at Sinai Hospital b/c of increasing, sharp nerve-like pain. His diagnosis for my continuous pain was a Neuroma in knee area.
#4 surgery > Removal of 3 nerves w/ neuroma. Finally, hoping for pain relief >"Not" and so discouraged!
Along w/ Fibromyalgia, which was diagnosed years ago, and my knee pain,
I have been seeing a Pain Specialist for three years. i have been treated for 3 herniated discs and bilateral hip pain. I have had many procedures for this issue.
(I was hoping that I should be able to condense my blog, but it seems somewhat therapeutic to mentally-verbalized all the pain I have had now for almost 7 yrs).
Recently, it was recommended by Pain Specialist that I have a Trial of Cortisone Injections for this knee pain. In retrospect, after 2nd cortisone injection in this knee, I realized that the increased pain & swelling started in mid-Oct. First Inj was mid-Sept and the 2nd Cortisone Inj was Oct 8th!
(Before these Steroid Injections, it was confirmed by office that they "did not use the lab" that have recently had life-threatening infections from Steriods Injections) So I proceeded...
SINCE MY 2nd CORTISONE INJ IN EARLY OCTOBER, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WORSENING PAIN AND SWELLING > so much pain that I have been needing to use a walker all the time :(
Early Dec I consulted w/ a Johns Hopkins Ortho Specialist. He ordered a. BONE SCAN OF RT KNEE to rule out loose prosthesis > done 12/26/12. He also ordered an INDIUM WBC SCAN to rule out an infection > done on
Jan 3. I received both reports (per my Request) from the hospital where I had both scans done. It states : Probable Infection.
My Appt with Johns Hopkins Specialist is this Thurs Jan 10th
According to Indium Scan > I have an Infection. Not sure what Rx will be??I I have been googling a lot & have found this blog site to be very helpful in allowing me to tell my story and...HOPE THAT MY SITUATION MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE.
I will post after my Dr Appt in Re:what the follow-up treatment or possible surgery is needed.
thank you for posting this! i am giving this a try! I had surgery three months ago to repair torn meniscus and have been in pain since. Still can't walk without a walker, and only a few steps alot of days. my knee is still very swollen and stiff. It feels like a wooden leg. I have had the "three month" kne injection two weeks after surgery, and also the series of three injections within the last month. Still no results. I go back to the same doctor in two days, and something's got to be done, or I'm going to see someone else. God bless you too!
I had athroscopic surgery on March 9th of this year stemming from an accidental injury on November 29th of 2011. The first orthopedic surgeon I saw determined that I had completely dislocated my left knee cap, torn my ACL, torn my MCL, fractured my left ankle, and severely sprained my right knee and right ankle. The ER sent me home with crutches and an immobilizer and said I had "probably torn some ligaments."
The first surgeon wanted to treat my injuries coservatively through bracing and physical therapy. The crutches were out of the question because both of my knees and ankles were injured. My parents ended up renting a wheelchair and ramps. I had to move home with them because they live in a ranch and I could do steps in my condo. It's not handicap accessible.
After 3 months it became apparent that my knee was still badly dislocated. The doctor wanted to wait until the swelling had gone down before he sent me for an MRI. I had an MRI on February 9th, which confirmed the doctor's suspicions. He said it was the worst knee he had seen in 31 years of practice. Because he was retiring soon, he rederred me to one of his colleagues for surgery.
I had surgery March 9th of this year. I was kept in the hospital overnight because the surgery was difficult (they had to us a donor ligament and 2 screws to keep the knee cap in place after a failed lateral release. The had to shave the bone on my knee cap to make room for it). I also reacted badly to the anesthesia.
I did five months of traditional physical therapy. They released me because it was no longer considered medically necessary because I had full range of motion. But I still had crippling pain (6-7 daily on a scale of 10) and stiffness. And Instill hadn't met my goal of returning to work.
I was in a wheelchair for five months and had to use a walker for another 3 months. I am now using a cane. My surgeon says that at this point my pain was most likely due to arthritis and not the surgery, even though I've had the same type of pain since the surgery.
He recommended that I get 3 Euflexxa injections, which were supposed to help with pain and inflammation. I'm done with the injections and they haven't touched the pain. I also had one cortisone injection, which didn't help much. He then wanted me to do a work hardening program.
I researched work hardening programs, and could only find one that would take my insurance. Most of them only deal with workmen's comp or auto insurance. I've been doing that for a month now.
I'm still using a cane, and my employer won't allow me to return to work with a cane. I've been out for almost a year now, and I'm scared they won't hold my job beyond a year. I applied for SSDI in August, and it can take up to six months to find out if you get approved or not.
So in spite of all the rehab, my pain level is still a 6-7 daily. I still need a cane. I seriously question if I'll be able to return at all, because I have to be on my feet for 8 hours a day. I can't do a lot of major functions of my job. I just wonder if I will ever recover at this long.
The first surgeon wanted to treat my injuries coservatively through bracing and physical therapy. The crutches were out of the question because both of my knees and ankles were injured. My parents ended up renting a wheelchair and ramps. I had to move home with them because they live in a ranch and I could do steps in my condo. It's not handicap accessible.
After 3 months it became apparent that my knee was still badly dislocated. The doctor wanted to wait until the swelling had gone down before he sent me for an MRI. I had an MRI on February 9th, which confirmed the doctor's suspicions. He said it was the worst knee he had seen in 31 years of practice. Because he was retiring soon, he rederred me to one of his colleagues for surgery.
I had surgery March 9th of this year. I was kept in the hospital overnight because the surgery was difficult (they had to us a donor ligament and 2 screws to keep the knee cap in place after a failed lateral release. The had to shave the bone on my knee cap to make room for it). I also reacted badly to the anesthesia.
I did five months of traditional physical therapy. They released me because it was no longer considered medically necessary because I had full range of motion. But I still had crippling pain (6-7 daily on a scale of 10) and stiffness. And Instill hadn't met my goal of returning to work.
I was in a wheelchair for five months and had to use a walker for another 3 months. I am now using a cane. My surgeon says that at this point my pain was most likely due to arthritis and not the surgery, even though I've had the same type of pain since the surgery.
He recommended that I get 3 Euflexxa injections, which were supposed to help with pain and inflammation. I'm done with the injections and they haven't touched the pain. I also had one cortisone injection, which didn't help much. He then wanted me to do a work hardening program.
I researched work hardening programs, and could only find one that would take my insurance. Most of them only deal with workmen's comp or auto insurance. I've been doing that for a month now.
I'm still using a cane, and my employer won't allow me to return to work with a cane. I've been out for almost a year now, and I'm scared they won't hold my job beyond a year. I applied for SSDI in August, and it can take up to six months to find out if you get approved or not.
So in spite of all the rehab, my pain level is still a 6-7 daily. I still need a cane. I seriously question if I'll be able to return at all, because I have to be on my feet for 8 hours a day. I can't do a lot of major functions of my job. I just wonder if I will ever recover at this long.
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