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TKR 1 day post-replacement.

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Welcome to the "Other Side",Part II---it sounds like you are doing quite well!

Clipless said:
I decided I prefer the feel and ease of thr gel packs.
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skigirl said:
yes, I know that some folks just love then--but I am a gel pack girl myself!
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I also love the gel packs---I still keep them down in the big freezer in the basement and use them for bumps, bruises, strains, etc.

I ended up getting the very same gel packs used by the PT folks---I bought two of them---they looked like this:
[Bonesmart.org] 1 day post-replacement.
They are roughly 18" X12". I had great success with them after my BTKR, andI can still get use from them today.
 
Glad the nausea is better. If you're steady and don't feel you're straining the knee, don't worry about the cane. But if you're unsteady or you can't walk with a fairly normal stride yet, a walking aid is helpful.
 
Well, the nausea seems to be better. It's been here and gone the last couple days, but today none !
Pain at night is my only problem now. My flex is about 100, and extension is 0 and since it's just 10 days post, I think that's great. A million time better than the other knee last year.
I'd been pleading with my ortho's staff for a script for different pain meds. I've got the 7.5 mg Norco and directions to take one or two every 4-6 hours as needed. They make me nauseous, but much worse, the dingle time I tried taking 2 at the same time, I started pouring sweat, shaking, seeing dark spots and got too dizzy to sit up.

Even after reporting that ,they won't give me a different pain Rx. Instead I was to take 2 tablets one hour apart. Does that seem wacky to the rest of you? I'm afraid of that reaction reoccurring.
Any insight would be welcome. I can't sleep at night with this pain and just icing isn't adequate.



TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
Yes, that seems wacky to me. Could you call your gp and explain the situation?
Do you ice before bed (and even in bed?)
 
kneeper said:
Yes, that seems wacky to me. Could you call your gp and explain the situation?
Do you ice before bed (and even in bed?)
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Kneeper, I have been icing like crazy. My husband sets up the Polar Ice machine at bedtime and during the day I use gel ice packs. It helps to ice it a lot.



TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
My OS is not terribly flexible about ordering pain meds. I decided to try the suggestion from his office of 2 Norco taken an hour apart. It takes longer to get relief that way, I think the combined meds finally kicked in about 30 minutes after the second pill. But the relief lasted almost 6 hours and then I just took one pill and was able to go back to sleep.

This is the fun I forgot from last year when I had the other knee replaced.


TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
Hi, I just happened to see your thread and stopped by @tmwilla, so sorry to hear you are uncomfortable. I certainly hope you get the pain relief that you need!! Not certain why your OS is a little stringent with the medication. I give you a lot of credit to have both knees done. Hang in there and feel better soon. :loveshwr::loveshwr:
 
tmwillia said:
Today is one week post-op and the first day without nausea. Yay! Fatigue has been catching up with me and if I didn't know better I'd go back to bed and stay there for the day. .
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Terri,

I had my right knee done 7/28/14 and everyone tells me that I was lucky. I am taking my time getting the left knee done, as I didn't feel that lucky. I have read from many on here, like your's, that for what ever reasons the 2nd leg seems to go a little easier. I am glad your's seems to be following that same path. I plan to keep up with your recovery and hope that it give me the courage to bite the bullet to get my other one done as well.

Good luck with your recovery and keep that positive attitude up there! Rest/Ice and relax.
 
Had a really good day today, walked around the back yard cleaning up after my dog for close to an hour. Felt really good to have that autumn sun on my face. Didn't need any pain meds till almost bedtime and then just one Norco did the trick. Slept well for about five hours till that pill wore off. Now I'm catching up on Bonesmart while waiting for this pain pill to kick in.
I'm Grateful for no more nausea and enough pain meds for my needs, and ROM that's improving a tiny bit every day. Getting my staples out in 2 days, with plans to drive my self in to the OS office.
I'm Feeling optimistic at nearly 3:00 am.





TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
It is a milestone to get those staples out. I'm surprised you'll be driving already.
 
Help! I think I might be in trouble here! Everything's been going really well, my knee has just been feeling so good, at least during the day. I've been walking quite a bit, at least enough to grocery shop and clean house. Nighttime has been harder, but between icing my knee and taking Norco every 4 hours at night I thought I was on top of the world.

This morning I realized the calf of my (operated on) leg was achey. Like too much exercise. So I iced today for hours and now my ankle has been really itchy and my leg from my knee down is super swollen. I've had some edema in the surgical leg since the surgery which I was told was normal, but this is a lot more. My ankle has disappeared and my foot looks all rounded.
Please tell me this is normal and will go away. How do I make it go away??


TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
I think you should go see your doctor.
 
@tmwilla, sorry to hear about the swelling and calf pain. I'd definitely consult with your OS. Especially due to the swelling. Were you checked for blood clots? I had calf pain (still do at day 12) but an ultrasound in hospital piece to discharge revealed no clots but a bakers cyst. The bakers cyst is behind the knee and so far asymptomatic. I do empathize wit you, I was on an upward trajectory until day 9 when out of the blue, while walking with cane (released by home PT due to great progress at that time) I felt a pain down the left side of my left operated leg that seemed like a large iron rod had been plunged down by shinbone. Ive been essentially off my feet for 3 days since, getting up only for potty breaks and a very short and painful walk around my first floor. Only gentle ankle slides comprise my exercises. I've seen minimal improvement. It's hard I'm sure to be on the up when for no reason, things come crashing down. Please keep us posted on your situation. Sending good thoughts your way.
 
Just back from the hospital ER. They did a Coumadin level check and it's in the therapeutic range so no problem with that. They also did a Doppler ultrasound and found no blood clot. My ankle is hugely swollen and a brilliant purple and so is my calf, but the doctor there thought it was largely due to the Coumadin. They put a compression bandage on it and said I should get a second ultrasound in the next 5 days.
I'm relieved that there doesn't seem to be a clot, but don't understand the swelling and bruising.




TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
tmwillia said:
I'd been pleading with my ortho's staff for a script for different pain meds.
Click to expand...
Ask you GP/Primary care. Sometimes they are more accommodating than the surgeon!!
tmwillia said:
I've been walking quite a bit, at least enough to grocery shop and clean house.
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Well, you should NOT be going to the shop or cleaning house yet. Far too soon! Did you read the articles Kelly left you in post #2? In there is one about Activity Progression. Go read it!

I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!
[Bonesmart.org] 1 day post-replacement.
) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that)

Note:
If you're not familiar with this, it goes like so:
1 lift of a 500kg bell bar = 1 rep or repetition.
Doing 5 reps and then a brief rest = 1 set of 5.
And doing 5 sets and finishing = a session.
 
From the time I get up (around 5) in the morning my pain has been 0-1. At around 3:00pm I start to get achey everywhere, my thigh, calf, hip. The pain is around 3. I have been taking 1 Norco 7.5-325 at 3:00 pm, then another at 9:00 -10 pm.
I haven't been icing my knee the last couple of days, but I do elevate my leg while lying on the couch. I get up to throw dinner together or put some laundry in the machine. I started driving last week (week 2) to get my staples out and to go to the lab for Coumadin monitoring. I've gotten groceries twice, but nothing hurt. I walk around outside in the back yard or to get the mail. Last week I had my last in home physical therapy and out patient therapy doesn't start till next week. My knee is at 0 for extension and 104 for extension.

I asked my OS what I could or couldn't do when I saw him last week for the staple removal.he said I should let me body tell me. The only restrictions were no running, jumping or kneeling.
I am as surprised as anybody that I have do little pain. The most pain I've had was sort of burning, which I iced or a weird zapping sensation, like electricity which seem to have gone away. Yesterday, my leg swelled up, esp. my ankle and bruises all over my leg started appearing.


TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
I haven't done any pt for the last several days. Just stretches and straight leg raises when I'm on the couch watching tv, and curling my legs under when sitting on the kitchen chair.


TerriM 10/28/13( RTKR)
10/14/14 (LTKR)
 
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