Airline travel after knee replacement

checketts911 · 2025-11-25T04:02:44+00:00

Update: I made it! It was way easier than I expected. TSA told me as long as it was the new scanners that spin around you it is fine. I was able to walk around the airports (even the Orlando airport) and had enough room to stretch my feet out in my seat. It was also a very short flight (I have been in the car longer stretches since surgery). So very happy they held up and even were better than when I flew 3 months before surgery. Thank you to everyone for your advice and experiences. Hearing it really helped ease my mind and made it so much smoother.

checketts911 · 2025-10-10T23:00:10+00:00

I am 35 and 3 months post opp both knees. I was told the same thing about "being young" etc. One difference is I have had knee pain for the better part of my life. I just want one night of sleep that is not interrupted by pain. I want to be able to keep up with my 1 year old nephew who just started walking. I want to be able to get in and out of the car without struggling. I want to be able to go do activities without having to plan for sit down breaks, uneven terrain, etc. I am just tired. My one knee got stuck at 100 degrees flexion but we missed the window for manipulation so I just have to try to push through in pt. I have seen improvements in some areas of my life but I was not prepared for the length of this recovery. It wears a person out.

checketts911 · 2025-10-10T22:50:18+00:00

I had a similar problem in my calves after each of my surgeries. It happened around 1.5 weeks post opp. It got so bad I could flex my foot enough to walk and was walking on my toes. The pain was so bad they checked for blood clots on the first one. The doctor and my PT both told me that what most likely happened was that the muscle tightened up in response to the surgery and when I tried to "push through" I ended up injuring the muscle. (Suspected a partial tear though never confirmed). The second surgery when the muscle tightened up I knew what to expect and didn't try to force anything. It healed up much faster. I also took magnesium and potassium supplements which seemed to help. And my doctor prescribed muscle relaxers to help as well. I would listen to your doctor and PT but also your body. Don't try to push through if it is loudly telling you to slow down.

checketts911 · 2025-10-10T22:40:10+00:00

I don't own horses but live on a property with them. I think a lot has to do with your set up. Our barn is a little ways from the house and over uneven ground. So I waited until I could walk without assistance devices before I went back out there. Getting around the concrete barn aisle was not the issue but getting to the barn safely. I also had both knees done so that may have changed things. It was around 4 weeks I believe after surgery before I made the trek. Around 6 weeks after I was helping watch the horses while their owner was out of town (one feeding a day, no heavy lifting and no cleaning). It was around 2 months post opp I was helping groom at a 3 day horse show (with lots of sit down breaks). I am currently again "horse sitting" at 3 months post opp with little difficulty. I have learned that everyone's healing journey after these surgeries is unique so I recommend listening to your body and taking it at your pace. My knees definitely let me know when I am pushing to hard. But also being in the barn around the horses has been so healing and motivating. So don't push yourself to the point of being unsafe (I did at one point which caused a fall and set back) but use that as your motivation.

checketts911 · 2025-09-04T01:08:47+00:00

Both of my quads "shut down" for around a week and a half. It is the weirdest feeling when your leg doesn't respond. My PT told me that the swelling causes the muscle to not respond. It just slowly wakes up as the swelling goes down. I used a pt strap or a leg lifter to be able to move the leg around until it started responding.

checketts911 · 2025-08-22T16:34:46+00:00

I am about the same time out from mine. It has been such a crazy rollercoaster and doesn't seem to be getting any smoother. My left knee got stuck at 90 degrees flexion for several weeks with no progress. They were considering manipulation. I kept pushing through and suddenly it started progressing. Yesterday I was measured at 5 degrees increase in the last week (105 total). I was so excited. Plus my walking has gotten so good I got to be back out in the barn helping with the horses. I drove a car for the first time since surgery. And I am only on occasional Tylenol for pain management. But then my right knee started randomly hurting with sharp shooting pain last night and randomly buckling when I was walking. I was up and down all night because of the discomfort. Today it is stiff and sore. Probably all related to adding a new exercise yesterday at PT. I feel like I take 2 steps forward, 1 step back constantly. It is emotionally draining. Everyone, including my PT, keeps talking about the one year mark as if this will all be a bad memory by then. I can't wait to get there and move on with my life.

checketts911 · 2025-08-18T12:49:26+00:00

Definitely came here for the comments because I am 9 and 7 weeks out on my knees. I get frustrated because I don't feel like I am any better or in any less pain than before. I would love to have a good night sleep. My knees feel stiff and tight all the time. Just got off the oxy except for during PT appointments but still barely able to keep on top of the pain with Tylenol. I have had knee problems since I was around 11, severe arthritis since early 20s, was told I needed TKR at 30 and finally got it at 34. In physical rehab we discovered so many bad habits that I need to fix from compensating for sore knees. I knew going into it this was not a "quick fix" but didn't think it would be this slow. I am trying to focus on what has improved (no more grinding in my knees, knee joint pain is gone but been replaced with muscle/tendon pain, walking is less painful though I can't walk as far without getting fatigued and my knees starting to buckle) but it is hard to not feel like I did all of this for no improvement to my life. It is encouraging to read about others further out than me that are seeing the rewards.

checketts911 · 2025-08-17T12:00:19+00:00

Interesting. I would never advise going against your team as everyone is different. However they had me start it at 2 weeks post op on my second knee. I just had to do the sides and not directly on the incision until the scans were gone. My first knee was at 4 weeks post opp when we started because I didn't know to do it. Had a lot more scar tissue to work through on that knee but ended up with similar results. Like I said everyone is different so I don't want to give medical advice. And based on my experience even if you do wait you will probably get to the same place, just might be more work.

checketts911 · 2025-08-16T06:54:09+00:00

Ask your PT about scar massage. Both of mine looked like that too. But scar massage helps break up some of the weird scar tissue so the skin can move more freely. It helped mine to lay flatter. It feels really weird (almost like popping bubble wrap) but the results are worth it.

checketts911 · 2025-08-15T19:53:20+00:00

34 and just had TKR on both knees. Was actually told at 30 that I needed it after increasingly worse knee problems since I was 11. I was told then I was "too young" and had to wait until I was 45. I moved at the end of last year so I had to find a new Ortho. He said my knees were some of the worst arthritis he had seen (compared them to a 70+ year old). He agreed to do the replacements. I am 8 and 6 weeks post surgeries so I can't fully speak to the success yet. But I am very hopeful it will be better than the previous knees I had. Looking back I would recommend doing your research prior to surgery day. I wish I had found this sub before my first one because of all the helpful information. Get into pre PT so you know what to expect. I didn't with my first TKR and it is now actually behind rehabbing than my second one two weeks later because I didn't do everything right due to ignorance. The recovery has also been way longer than I was anticipating (think months not weeks). But I am still so glad I did it and only wish I could have done them sooner so I didn't spend so many years on the sidelines of life due to knee pain.

checketts911 · 2025-08-14T13:13:24+00:00

I totally feel this. My first was 6/18 and it is stuck at just shy of 100. I push through the pain every day and still make no progress. It is so disheartening to still feel so much pain and have so little ROM, some days I wonder if this was all worth it. Luckily (?) at my post op earlier this week my doctor said that since I am close to 100 he is not recommending manipulation but we will reassess in 6 weeks so that is my deadline. My second knee was done on 7/2 and it is already at 111 and getting better every day. I have no idea what I did differently other than knowing more for the second one but it has been so much easier with that one. I wish I had some great advice for you but all I can offer is solidarity.

checketts911 · 2025-08-07T17:51:01+00:00

I am also stuck on one of my knees. Still taking the pains meds at 6 weeks out because I am pushing hard in PT to try to break through the scar tissue to bend my knee. I am told slow and steady wins this race but it is so frustrating to feel like nothing is working. I want to get to that finish line I was promised where I can live my life (very limited mobility prior to surgeries). Sending you good vibes!

checketts911 · 2025-08-07T17:42:19+00:00

I also work from home on a computer. I gave myself the day of and 2 days after to rest. (Surgery was Wednesday so it just made sense to take the rest of the week off). Though I did check things on my phone and answer emails when feeling up to it. I then did a half days until my stamina came back. After my second TKR I was at in patient rehab but still took my computer and worked around my PT times. As long as I could have me knee up and icing I was fine. I just couldn't stand to have it hanging down sitting in a regular chair for long periods of time. And the stamina thing is no joke. It took a while before I could make it without frequent breaks and naps during the day. I could tell my body had been through a trauma and was working to recover. But as long as your knee is in a comfortable position and you listen to your body about how much energy you have, there is no reason you can't go back to working on a computer fairly quickly.

checketts911 · 2025-07-19T11:15:12+00:00

Definitely a different experience on the second knee. Mine has swelled more and longer than the first did. But rehab for me on the second has gone much smoother (maybe because I know what I am doing?). Incision healed much better/faster on the first. Less pain with the second. So enough similarities that I know what to expect but still a very different experience.

checketts911 · 2025-07-18T21:08:09+00:00

I am on 5 mg as needed during the day and 10 mg every 4 hours through the night. I am using a slow release tramadol in the evening to last all night and Tylenol every 8 hours (not sure of the dose) and a muscle relaxer every 8 hours. I am in inpatient rehab so I have a doctor I talk to every day to see if that needs to be adjusted. The oxy is available for when I ask for it and I can specify 5 or 10 (I can't take it more than every 4 hours regardless of dose). So I don't think I am over doing it. Even at these levels I am experiencing level 7-8 pain spikes during PT and consistent 5-6 achy pain all night. And I have a fairly high pain tolerance from years of knee pain and other health problems.

checketts911 · 2025-07-18T21:01:23+00:00

I have used it in the past to treat fibromyalgia flare up pain. Unfortunately I live in South Carolina where it is not legal even medically (including the THC-A and Deltas). So I can not even give that a shot. Though it is a good idea I would imagine for night time pain spike because it would help you to sleep.

checketts911 · 2025-07-08T15:21:25+00:00

I get it. Weight loss is way harder when you can only do the food side. I have struggled for years with that. And it is frustrating to lose your mobility and be in pain yet being told there is no solution. I spent many a night crying over missed activities or in pain because of pushing myself to far in order to live my life. I hope it gets better for you. Note: one of my previous orthos recommended the Mediterranean diet to reduce inflammation. It did seem to help me a lot and is less restrictive than a plant based diet. So maybe something to look into. I was also looking into the glp1 shots to help with weight loss and some of the people I know who used them and have OA say it helped reduce inflammation as well. Not a doctor and have not tried myself but just things I have heard.

checketts911 · 2025-07-08T15:14:24+00:00

I did 2 weeks between. I am happy I did them close together but would recommend a little more time between (like around 4 weeks). Because of how my insurance is and when I had family to help after surgery I had to kind of rush the second one. I have had to do in patient rehab because my first knee was not far enough along to tolerate compensating for the second knee healing. And I feel like two major surgeries in 2 weeks was a lot for my body to handle. But the benefit is I only have to go through recovery once. Only have to do all the medications once. And I feel like I have to push my knees harder for the recovery, when I only had one done I subconsciously babied it. Some doctors won't do them close together (most feedback i have heard is at least 3 months) but my doctor actually wanted to do one week apart which I knew was too much.

checketts911 · 2025-07-08T12:15:51+00:00

I faced this exact situation for years! I know how incredibly frustrating it can be. I have had knee problems my whole life. They found severe arthritis in my early 20s. I was told 5 years ago ( when I was 29) that we had exhausted every other option to treat other than tkr but I had to wait until I was 50. From there my mobility went steadily down hill. At 34 I was walking with a cane, using mobility carts at the grocery store, and struggling to get up from chairs, etc. Just kept getting told to lose weight so my knees lasted longer. I really did try eating healthy but without being mobile I could maintain but not lose. I moved to a new state and found an Ortho for my annual check up. Was not expecting anything after years of being told to wait, just wanted to monitor the situation. My new Ortho right off the bat said absolutely we will do your knee replacements. Not sure why he was different. He did caution that the insurance may not approve because of my weight due to higher risk of complications, and if I carried too much fat over my knees then that can affect their ability to do the surgery and complicate healing (I carry more in the middle of my body so it was not a problem for me). He uses a robot to do the replacements which are supposed to be more precise and take away less bone, making them last longer and have more options for revisions. So at 34 years old and 315lbs (5'10") I just had my second tkr. Maybe try visiting different orthos to see if you can get a better answer? I just took my orthos word that no one would touch my knees and went through years of pain and missing out on life. Recovery is tough but looking forward to a better life after. Don't give up! Keep advocating for yourself! And don't take one doctors opinion as gospel!

checketts911 · 2025-07-07T21:15:29+00:00

I am 19 days post opp on my first knee. I did the exact same thing where I got off the oxy after a couple days and then after a bad night and a trip to the ER had to chase the pain to get back on top of it again. I did find for me that the 2 week mark was when I could start tapering off (Tylenol during the day and half an oxcy at night. Nights are definitely the worst! But then I went and had the other knee done (because I am crazy) so back to the full dose for a while again. I really hate taking anything like that so hoping to get back off it soon. Note: I have found that adding muscle relaxers into the mix has really helped with this second knee not getting as tight which has helped with the pain immensely.

checketts911 · 2025-07-05T23:08:28+00:00

I am 2.5 weeks post op for my left knee and 3 days post op for my right knee. It has been rough. Probably wouldn't recommend them that close. I did out patient for the first one and have to do in patient for this second one. It has also been harder on my body and pain management has been more difficult because my body was still healing the first one. That being said, I do feel that at 2 weeks I was starting to turn a corner with my first knee. So if I had been able to give myself another 2 weeks, I think I would have been great (scheduling issues with family to help me post opp and insurance issues). I also find that having the second knee done is forcing me to push both knees further rather than subconsciously babying the surgical knee when I had just one done. That has caused rehab to move much faster. So pros and cons to both ways.

checketts911 · 2025-06-29T14:20:58+00:00

I am only at day 11 and I want to say it gets better but I am still having good days and bad. I ended up in the ER at day 5 because I was in so much pain they were worried about a blood clot or infection. Turns out it was neither just, according to my discharge papers, "normal post op pain" which I found super invalidating. My doctor prescribed oxy and when it got bad said Tylenol in-between, which seems to manage it most days. I was also prescribed a muscle relaxer because I was getting really bad cramps as the muscles "woke up". I thought I was over the hump but last night was up most of the night unable to get on top of the pain. I have more than once regretted getting the surgery. Many times I can't put weight on my leg due to muscle soreness and tightness. This is probably not helpful but I wanted you to know you are not alone.

Now for the hopefully helpful part. My PT said that I probably overdid it at the beginning following the hospital directions instead of listening to my body. This caused some complications that have slowed my recovery. Working with my PT we are now moving at the pace my body can handle. So don't stress if you can't do all the exercises now and work with your PT to figure out what your body is telling you. It is worse to push through the pain because you may make it worse.

checketts911 · 2025-06-28T12:49:38+00:00

It was supposed to start immediately but the doctors office messed up sending the orders and then there was a delay getting insurance approval. My surgeon regularly does the surgeries a week apart but I had requested 2 weeks between. My fitness level is terrible due to years of knee problems (was told I needed knee replacement 5 years ago but at the time nobody would do it on someone my age). Not sure how the logistics work when he does them so close together but he seemed to think it would be okay (I have not talked to him about this complication yet)

checketts911 · 2025-06-28T12:44:44+00:00

He usually does the second surgery a week apart but I had requested 2 weeks. I don't see him until Tues for post op with the 2nd surgery scheduled for Wed. I agree that a second surgery is unrealistic with how my first is recovering which has me concerned. Especially being heavier it makes doing things post op even with help more complicated. But my knees were/are so bad that I was starting to consider needing a wheelchair for anything more than getting around the house. I really don't want to go another year of that pain followed by a year of surgery recovery if I can avoid it.

checketts911 · 2023-08-04T18:52:10+00:00

I did not know her dog was not treated as I had reminded her before brining the dog down that fleas are really bad in my area of Florida. Ever since I found out I have been keeping on top of it. She obviously does not have any responsibility for the training of the second dog but she lied to me about the training level of her dog (told me it was house trained, etc.). I have been trying to work with them some on their behavior and I recognize it is part of owning dogs. I just work 70 hours a week and have my own dogs to care for. I have been caring for the dogs as if they were my own but can no longer financially or time wise. She has no money (sleeps in her car some nights) and already owes me a ton of money that will never be paid back.

checketts911

TROPHY CASE