PKR Catkins recovery from PKR!

[JDinCT]

@catkin69 I'm jealous for the second time as you got to go OUT for coffee. I hope to maybe do a little cane walk outside my house this weekend.

My sleep is still "pretty good". But the pain fairy is still paying me a visit each night between 2 - 4 AM. To provide some context, I usually go to sleep between 10-11 PM... so that means I usually get 3-4 hours of good quality sleep before the pain fairy comes. My pain seems to be a throbbing pain and seems to emanate from just below the patella.

I normally manage to alleviate it by cranking up the ice machine for 1-2 hours and I usually take 5mg of oxycodone along with the icing. I am normally able to get back to sleep and get an additional 2-3 hours of quality sleep after having my oxy on ice.

Oddly enough, and relatively speaking to other experiences I have read about here on BS.... I'm fortunate to be getting good quality sleep.

FYI, I have adjusted my pain meds to only take 5mg of Oxycodone twice during the day. Then I take 10 mg oxycodone around 6 PM.... no matter how I'm feeling.... and then I take another 10mg at bedtime.... again .. no matter how I'm feeling. This has seemed to work for me.

I hope you can get into a good rhythm of sleep very soon.... otherwise you will be making LOTS of trips to the coffee shop...

 

[Lindylee]

Seeing 2 on the clock every night, not being able to get back to sleep and peeling legs brought back a host of memories. I seemed to see 12.45 and 2.45 every night for ages and then be unable to get back to sleep.It was a while before I found I would drop off again after 2 hours awake and have another 90 minutes or so. It wasn't until I tried the clingfilm wrap that I slept for longer so it might be worth trying. I used it for about a week and haven't had a problem since, although I can't do away with the pillow under my leg yet. Baby steps and short term realistic goals are the way to go. Mine at the moment is to walk a mile without my stick and/or be able to walk comfortably for an hour. I can almost do the first. At least I can walk for 20 minutes unaided, but not fast enough to cover the mile yet.

 

[catkin69]

@Lindylee I agree,realistic goals!!
It sounds like you doing really well. 20 minutes unaided sounds great. I'm proud of my 6 minutes from front door, round to the back door with 2 crutches.
I am intrigued about the cling film. I haven't heard of this.

@JDinCT I think I would have gone stir crazy if I hadn't ventured out for 2 weeks. I hope you manage at the weekend and enjoy it.

@Bionic my physio told me off for trying to reduce my meds so I am back up to the maximum with oramorph if I'm really struggling and the ice isn't helping. Sometimes I just can't tolerate ice.
It sound like you have got it all under control. Keep up the good work xx

 

[Jockette]

Sometimes I just can't tolerate ice.

Maybe try a thicker towel or something similar between you and the ice.

To be honest, I never liked the “ice” either. I used the gel pack that I had in the hospital. It was cool and flexible in the hospital but froze solid in my freezer. I always felt so stiff after using it, though I did continue for 6 months, though not as often.

I bought a bunch of different types but didn’t really like them much. I felt it was a necessary evil.

 

[catkin69]

@Jockette it’s gel packs I have. I have found if I leave it out for a while before I use it it’s more pliable and easier to use. I will try an extra layer the next time I feel like throwing it out the window!! Ooh 6 months sounds like a long time. 5 1/2 moths to go then

 

[Jockette]

You may not have to ice as long as I did, we are all different.

I had a major set back at 4 months, barely started to improve and had another weekend of overactivity (my son’s wedding) and was back to poor ROM and swelling again.

 

[Lindylee]

@catkin69 Here's the link to Josephine's article on wraps for the knee. I hope it helps.

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/night-pain-solutions-using-moist-heat-and-clingfilm.12794/

 

[julie1968]

@catkin69 your doing great. I went out this week for breakfast it felt so good to feel the sun and fresh air.
I started sleeping in my bed last night I did 5 hours. WooHoo. Have a wonderful weekend

 

[sistersinhim]

Is it normal for your skin to peel off.

Yep, my tkr leg and feet starting peeling and then my left foot got in on the fun. This happened probably the first month out. assumed it came from the swelling that stressed the skin. When I broke my foot and ankle the whole foot, even my toes peeled. Talking about ugly!

 

[Celle]

@catkin69 Here's the link to Josephine's article on wraps for the knee. I hope it helps.

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/night-pain-solutions-using-moist-heat-and-clingfilm.12794/

@catkin69 - I must add that you shouldn't use the cling film wrap until your incision has healed completely, with no scabs or open areas at all.

 

[Lindylee]

@Celle Whoops! I don't think all my scabs had gone, but I followed the video and wrapped kitchen towel round first, but maybe I shouldn't?

 

[snoots]

@catkin69 you sound like you are doing really well. It’s so helpful and comforting to read that someone else somewhere is going through exactly the same as I am.

The ice novelty is def wearing off. In hospital and during the first few days at home, I craved my ice packs. Now I almost dread putting them on as I have a clicky stiff knee after 30 mins of cold. Do you get those ‘mechanical’ type feelings in your knee?

 

[Celle]

I don't think all my scabs had gone, but I followed the video and wrapped kitchen towel round first, but maybe I shouldn't?

It's just that wrapping the clingfilm around your knee fore several hours is going to create a warm, slightly moist environment. It's probably best not to do that until your incision is completely healed.

 

[catkin69]

Too early to try the cling film then. Still scabby!
@snoots I haven’t noticed a mechanical feel but I had a partial so 2/3 is still mine!
I put a gel pack on at 4.30 this morning and fell asleep. I woke with a knee that looked more like mine! Short lived once I had done some exercises, showered and dressed but it was nice to see it

 

[JDinCT]

@catkin69 …. It's a VERY good sign that you are starting to see some muscle definition even if it is fleeting.... I too have the same experience.... but it seems to get better and last a wee bit longer each day.... I'm icing about 6-8 hours per day... after every session of PT throughout the day and sometimes a long session (2-3 hours) at night. I think this has helped significantly with keeping swelling in check and aiding in return of muscle definition.

 

[Lindylee]

Isn't it great when you see an improvement in the look of the knee? My unoperated one looks so lumpy and bumpy compared to the new knee. When I first saw the OS over 2 years ago, he said he could see I needed new knees just by looking at them!

 

[catkin69]

@JDinCT I would say more of my pre-op nobbly knee than muscle definition. I lost that a long time ago! I am a bit lazy with icing in the day. Late afternoon I need it and then an hour before bed.
@Lindylee, it is great. I had very little swelling before the operation. my other knee will be ok.

 

[catkin69]

Today I am 3 weeks + 1. It feels more like a lifetime
Yesterday was a disaster as I caught a tummy bug so spent the day in bed very close to the en-suite! No exercise was done and very little walking. On a plus I have very minimal swelling from elevating most of the day and night but a bit sore today as I didn’t keep my painkillers down.
Today is another day, I have managed a bit of breakfast, the sun is shining so I will take a little walk later.
Physio was good this week. I went to a knee class, 6 stations of gentle exercises. It felt good and I met a few others on the same journey. Flexi I was good. Extension comes and goes but it will get there when it’s ready. I have had about 40 years of putting a pillow under my knee for comfort so I’m guessing things won’t get fixed in a hurry.
On a different note did anybody else have to stop HRT pre-surgery? I was hoping to stay off it but night sweats are making my sleep disturbed nights even worse! If you stopped, when did you go back on it? It’s not a question I asked and reading up there are so many different ideas!

 

[zab]

I woke with a knee that looked more like mine! Short lived once I had done some exercises, showered and dressed but it was nice to see it

The only time my knee looks like my own is first thing in the morning, by the time I've walked to the kettle to make a cup of tea I don't recognise it!

On a different note did anybody else have to stop HRT pre-surgery? I was hoping to stay off it but night sweats are making my sleep disturbed nights even worse! If you stopped, when did you go back on it? It’s not a question I asked and reading up there are so many different ideas!

Can't comment on HRT but I've had to stop my HIIT

Apart from the tummy bug sounds like you're doing good.

 

[JDinCT]

@catkin69 So sorry to hear your got a tummy bug on top of everything else.... uggghhh…. insult to injury as we say here in the U.S. Hope you feel better today and make it out for that walk!