TKR Knees 1 AND 2 up and running

sheliac

graduate
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Messages
622
Age
67
Country
United States United States
Gender
Female
Hi all! I'm so happy to report I'm 6 days post new knee! I was in a bit of a panic (to put it mildly) the day before surgery. My last post in preop area showed a terrified me. Then the site went down ! Probably for the best because I didn't stop panicking until I arrived at the surgicenter at 9 AM on 8/23. I was very honest about my fears to anyone and everyone, including housekeepers, maintenance men, and the patient in the next bed! Thankfully, the staff was very supportive and liberal with the versed!

Despite my terror of spinal anesthesia , I had it, with heavy sedation. All I remember is the sweet nurse who held my hand while they inserted the spinal.

I woke up in PACU, then went to my room. The spinal wore off within 6 hours and I walked with a walker to bathroom, got into my own jammies, and slept all night. I woke up with mild pain (they gave me tramadol every 4 hours). I had a dose of Dilaudid before 6AM PT, which was just assuring I could use walker and climb 5 stairs. By 730, husband and I were on the a way home (all that practice getting in the car-- I just scooted in).

I've spent the last 5 days on the couch, with toes above nose and my wonderful ice machine. I'm getting up and walking at least every 2 hours. I've only had breakthrough pain once and responded to an extra dose of oxycodone. My pain has been 0-3 , but I'm taking 5 mg oxycodone every 4 hours while awake, alternating with Tylenol . I am able to go up 14stairs to bedroom for sleep, then down in the morning. I've had one in home PT, and she firmly believes in the Bonesmart mantra! I'm now using a cane, which I forget at times.

So far, so good! I'm so grateful that this has been not anything close to what I feared. I attribute that to the info Ad support here, and my outstanding care team. I secretly thought I would not have my second knee done, after the preop terror of the first one. But I'm still on the schedule for knee 2 on 9/20. Again, thank you all so much! Today is my first day home alone. It's kind of nice.


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 9/20/2016
 
Blimey - congratulations on your recovery so far! Long may it continue.
 
Oh soooo glad to see you checking in. I've been thinking about how you are doing. Hope you continue to do well.
 
I was worried about you while the site was down! So I'm thankful things went well, you are able to do the stairs and you have a great therapist! It is nice to be alone at first after being looked after so much. Keep it up!
 
It sounds like you are having a smooth recovery. Wonderful to hear.
 
Well done. Now here's some reading to keep yourself occupied!

First is the reading - everybody gets a free copy of the recovery reading!

Here are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

Next is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.

And here are some very crucial articles
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs

Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Activity progression for TKRs
Heel slides and how to do them

Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it

Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling

Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
 
Hi @sheliac Welcome to recovery, you did it! I'm so pleased it wasn't as bad as you feared. Sounds like you've made a good start and keeping on top of the pain will make all the difference. Don't forget you have had very major surgery and will have good and bad days but you are doing really well so far. I hope it continues.
All the best.
Tabby xxx
 
Glad to hear from you, and a smooth start too, the best news. I'm going to be broadcasting too, tomorrow. I will ask for the nurse who holds my hand!
 
So glad to hear from you, looks like you are doing well!!!
 
Hooray, Shellac! It sounds like one of those times that one's fears were not as bad as reality... It sounds as if you are well on your way to recovery... enjoy the reading here and how cool that your PT is a Bonesmart believer!!
 
Off to a great start!!!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Thanks! Today is my one week anniversary. I think I'll have an extra prune to celebrate .

Home PT just left-- yes, I am blessed that she is young and of the "no pain" school. We did some stretching exercises but nothing that hurt. I can now go outside and walk with my husband, starting at 10 minutes. I can ditch the cane in the house and basically do whatever doesn't hurt. My ROM (flexion?) is 101. She said that is good. My swelling is down 2 cm.

My ice machine stopped working on Sunday and the new one won't arrive til this afternoon or tomorrow. I can really tell a difference -- I miss it tremendously! The ice packs work but not nearly as convenient.

I notice a little clicking feeling when I walk- not all the time. The therapist said that is normal for some, but it is kind of creepy.

This has all gone so smoothly, I keep waiting for something bad to happen. I don't seem to be able to relax and enjoy my good fortune. The therapist warned me the second knee may be an entirely different experience, so I guess I can focus on worrying about that


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 9/20/2016
 
Don't borrow trouble, because the pt is absolutely right. No two knees are the same. I am glad this has been an easy recovery so far, but little issues may pop up, you never know.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What a wonderful recovery you've had! Oh, except for your ice machine. They help a lot, don't they? I think I'm addicted to mine!
 
I notice a little clicking feeling when I walk- not all the time. The therapist said that is normal for some, but it is kind of creepy.
Your therapist is correct. It happens becasue, instead of the relativley softer bone adn cartilage, you now have hard metal and plastic bits moving over each other.
Clicking/clunking knee joint after surgery

My right knee, revised in 2011, still clicks and clunks, but my newer, left knee does not. I have no idea why, but since it doesn't hurt, I don't worry about it.
 
Thank you, all. I will figure out how to reply with quotes one day, but until then, please know I appreciate every response and use every bit of info you provide. You all are my touchstones in this recovery journey. I hope to be able to give back one day!

Today is day 8, post op. I've been getting up at 6 so I could shower and get downstairs before husband leaves for work. Yesterday the therapist cleared me to do stairs on my own! So I slept in ! Got my shower and dressed and came down on my own. I feel like such a grownup! Husband had new ice machine set up and waiting. It feels good to be more independent. The stairs still intimidate me - I don't have pain doing them, but they are steep, and I have to do one foot at a time.

I am feeling hungover when I wake up-- very foggy. I'm wondering if it is the gabapentin I take at night. It makes me sleep like a log -- best sleep I've had in years, but I don't like the slow-brain I have these days. I've stopped the narcotics except for breakthrough pain, but I'm still very foggy and my short term memory doesn't seem normal. For instance, last night I bought a new book online and was enjoying it for about 2 chapters-- then realized I had already read it. I checked my purchases and found I bought the book online last week! It's scary-- I am hoping it is residual effects of anesthesia and meds. I know my BP dropped very low in PACU and they had a hard time getting it back up. My fear is that I had a stroke during that period of low to no BP. The only deficit I am aware of is memory loss. I can't remember a lot of things that happened last week and I have blank spots-- like, I know we watched a Netflix series called Stranger Things the week before surgery. We binge watched it and really enjoyed it with son-- but I could not, for the life of me, remember what it was about. I finally had to google it. Once I prompted my memory, it came back -- but I don't know what else I am forgetting? Is this normal?

Otherwise, I feel fine. A little sensory- deprived. I'm home alone all day (I don't have friends/support network here yet). Husband is great (and was excellent nurse that first week!), but I worry that I am enjoying my isolation too much. I'm watching a lot of TV, it's still a novelty for me. But I need to push myself to go outside and make an effort to be more active. All I'm doing is my ADL's and a little light housework (cleaning kitchen, folding laundry ).

Again, thank you all for being here. I feel connected thanks to this site.


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 9/20/2016
 
Don't feel afraid about your mind not reacting like normal. That's all part of the energy drain. It affects the mind big time, too. It was about 2 months before I could go back to teaching Sunday School because I just couldn't concentrate. And I wasn't on heavy meds, just Tramadol. Oh, and my checkbook was a mess! I still have fixed that completely. So, Shelia, you are completely normal. Don't worry about it. Just laugh at yourself, knowing your mind will be functioning back to normal when the awful energy drain is over with!
 
Brain fog is unbelievable. I am a reader, I downloaded several books planning on reading in the hospital. I couldn't even carry a conversation! Then I went to transition care, I could converse, but couldn't concentrate to read at all. I tried different genres, with no luck at all. All I could read was my Bible. Interesting, huh?

I don't remember having visitors the three days in was on the hospital side, nothing, it's as if I lost 3 days. I remember having to use a bed pan (mortified), nurses getting me up, dressed, being in pain, getting a shot of toradol and my BFF wheeling me out to the solarium and outside. That's it for three days. Don't remember my family visiting, conversations, nothing. I share his because I don't want you to worry about a stroke. I think it's just the energy drain and brain fog.

Have you watched Downton Abby while in Africa?
 
I am so happy for you! It sounds like you are doing amazingly well. I think gabapentin is the same thing as Neurontin. (don't know if I spelled that right) If it is then it definitely could be giving you that groggy feeling and maybe even contributing to your memory issues. My son was on it a few years ago for nueropathy pain. He was probably on a much larger dose than you are, but he was like a zombie, in a fog all the time.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,167
Messages
1,596,864
BoneSmarties
39,356
Latest member
JanieMarie
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom