TKR Susie’s recovery thread

[susie2f]

i can’t believe it’s taken me so long to check in after my surgery. It’s really hard some days to stay focused and all.

I’d been doing well overall my first week home. Slow going but making some progress. Of course just when I think things are looking pretty good, I end up with a UTI. I had to go to my local dr. and get a urine test, and of course it came back positive. Since I’ve been going through tons of laundry and towels and all I knew I must have an infection. So it’s been hard to stay on track with everything some days. I cancelled PT yesterday with all that is going on. I’m slowly feeling a little bit better, but drinking lots of water still causes lots of accidents. I hurried so much on Wednesday holding a towel on my bottom, that I didn’t notice until I was sitting on my commode in bathroom that I didn’t have my walker. Obviously my brain said, hurry to bathroom. Hubby rescued me and brought the walker so I could safely walk back to my recliner.

Rest, ice, stretch, toilet, walk repeat... my daily boring life. I’m going stir crazy for sure. It’s is so hard to be so limited...

 

[Pumpkin]

Welcome to the other side!
Sounds like you have had a rough week with the UTI, hope the antibiotics are helping and you are feeling better.
It is OK to skip PT, just keep up the walking you do around the house.

Here is your copy of the Knee Recovery Guidelines, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Closure​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds


We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[FitGal]

Hey fellow July Sparkler! We had our surgery on the same day! Sorry to hear about your UTI - uhhh. Hang in there - you and I have pretty much the same boring schedule right now ! Keep us posted!

 

[jeffjob]

I understand completely! With my first knee I kept forgetting to allow extra time to get to the bathroom. I was always known as someone that could hold it forever, but now that I am 60*, I need a clear path.

Having your knees done can bring up so many other issues. Stay positive and know that they will all pass.

I am so much more active now and no issue getting to the barn room in time.

Be well.

 

[luvcats]

Ugh. Just what you didn't need on top of surgical recovery. I hope it sorts itself quickly.

Many of us spend the first two or three weeks parked in front of the tv. Do you have any streaming? Would you like some recommendations on shows to help keep you from losing your mind to boredom? I found it horribly frustrating that I couldn't just read books with all my 'free' time. I couldn't concentrate enough to follow a plot! lol

 

[susie2f]

Fitgal, right with you through this recovery. If only my brain would sharpen up a bit to read, oh well, rest time
Jeffjob, yes I now set a timer for every 30 min. to go to bathroom, ugh!
luvcats, like you reading is out right now, but I’m watching TV and on my iPad, no streaming here,

I’m changing my antibiotics today since my UTI is still screaming! Hopefully it’ll clear up in the next few days, this has been a real pain in more ways than one. I haven’t brought my commode to my recliner yet, a bit more than hubby is ready for I think. Just lots of laundry. I would have purchased diapers if I had known I would be struggling all week. (Fortunately my laundry machines are right in my bathroom.)

Who would have thought that just sitting around would be so hard. I had thought, Wow, now it’s the time for me to put my feet up and have others doing things. It’s nuts though, I feel like a prisoner stuck in my recliner forever and ever and ever.... I did try sleeping in bed once, didn’t work at all for me. Oh well, time.....

 

[luvcats]

I understand feeling like a prisoner. All I can say is, it's definitely NOT forever and ever. It's early days yet but from my one experience and conversations around here by week 3 many people are starting to feel more like themselves and while you'll still definitely be in recovery, I was off the narcotics and able to drive by week 4, since it was my left leg. I know I'll be trapped longer when I have the right leg done.

 

[susie2f]

Thanks luvcats for the reminder that it’s only temporary. I of course thought, oh what fun having hubby and grandsons around to help. It is nice and all but not as enjoyable as I thought it would be.

My UTI is much improved thank goodness. It has been a long week dealing with it all, but good exercise I tell myself.

When I had my knee done the surgeon told me it took longer than usual. He said my knee was nasty and he had to fix it up right. I knew it was bad when I couldn’t straighten it and I limped constantly. I’ve come a long way.

My Dr. checked on me in recovery and also again the next morning. He told others that were with him that I was a tough one. He knew I had been in a lot of pain and still was out and about before surgery. He saw that I hadn’t had any OxyContin yet and mentioned that I might not even need it. I was just on tramadol.

So in my avatar picture is my mom in her wheelchair and me behind her with my sunglasses. Mom and I were very similar in personality and all out of her 7 kids. Well, she had been an alcoholic earlier in her life after divorce from my dad and all. She finally quit those terrible days and eventually just might have a glass of wine. So, I decided to not pick up my oxy the day after surgery. If I really needed it my hubby would pick it up for me. I found that icing my knee almost full time the first week was the key for me. The hospital sent me home with an iceman, and I was in love. It amazed me how much the back of my knee still ached like before surgery. But my iceman got me comfy. I’m one of the lucky ones for sure. Hopefully my right knee will behave as well.

Hugs, Susie

 

[susie2f]

Looks like my 2nd TKR will be next week on the 15. I wanted to have them close together so I can rehab them at the same time. Hope all goes well on my next knee,

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I wanted to have them close together so I can rehab them at the same time

You *may* find it difficult for the first while, but your overall recovery time is reduced by months.

 

[susie2f]

Roy, thanks for reply. That’s what I was thinking too.

You *may* find it difficult for the first while, but your overall recovery time is reduced by months.

My right knee is pretty bad too, so I thought it best to get it done now. Shorter, by harder, recovery. I’m ready!

 

[FitGal]

@susie2f - I am super impressed you are getting a second TKR so soon after the first! That is so awesome and SMART! You go girl!

 

[luvcats]

Oh my goodness! That is close together! My surgeon wouldn't let me do less than 8 weeks between mine. I won't get my second done until Sept 4. It does seem like the right thing when you know they both need to be done. Just get it over with. Although, I never would have been able to manage the stairs without one decent knee, so there is that.