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TKR 1 week post op, new forum member

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Maybe mild heat on the calf before stretching.
 
Hi and happy you don't have a clot.
Early in recovery there will be pain. But won't be the kind before the knee replace. Lord knows I've felt some weird pains and had weird sensations.

But I know it's a part of healing. Xxx


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015
 
Hi @mimi_frog my calf ached as well as the back of my thigh and the back of my knee which is the worse. I massage my legs as much as I can and if nothing else it makes me feel better. The swelling has gone down a lot even if I'm still achy. The pain behind the knee is still there, they think it's a Baker's Cyst and hoping it will drain itself. I see the OS on Thursday. Like you, I so want to go out. I'm going to try to go out for lunch on Monday figuring the crowds won't be as bad. It'll be 2 weeks for me on Monday. The restaurants are real close, so I'll be able to come back and elevate, ice and rest immediately after. My birthday was last Monday and I wanted to go out for an ice cream sundae. I just couldn't do it, so we brought them in. Still tasted sweet!! One small step at a time. We can do this!:tada:
 
@momweb Happy Birthday!! Glad you got your sundae!

My calf pain has significantly improved over the last few days, and walking is much easier than its been. Fluid needed time to drain, but, boy oh boy, was that a painful time for me!

As my PT says - ice, ice, ice. Walk, walk, walk - that's what helped for my calf pain.
 
@mimi_frog That's great. Wish I felt the same. The pain behind my knee is still intense. The only time it feels good is when it's under ice. I can walk slowly which is a good thing. To look at my knee the swelling is down dramatically. Can't wait for Thursday to good-by to these staples!
 
I'm having staple trouble! My nurse has come by twice to try and take them out, but she couldn't. She got about 9 out before I had to stop her due to intense, tortuous pain. It was the worst pain I have ever felt!!! She stopped by this more to try again, and she tried two. I saw stars.

She says they're not quite ready. I'm heading to my GP tomorrow for her assessment. I can safely say that unless they numb it or give me something, these staples are staying put for now. I'm 2 weeks, 3 days post op. Anyone else experience something like this?
 
@momweb you will feel better, I promise! Keep icing and do gentle stretching. The swelling will go down.

How's your nighttime pain? I'm not sleeping well at all and experiencing severe pain at night. Would kill for a full nights sleep!
 
@mimi_frog ...the staples over my knee cap area were very painful to remove, burnt like fire, they had alot of scab around them, bled pretty bad when removed. The pain continued for awhile after they took them out (45min or so). Take good dose of pain meds, and just go for it, althought I know its terrible!!!
 
Those staples are so darn painful. On my first surgery, the nurse removed them so fast and aggressively that I snapped at her to slow down and take it easy, I'm not one to say much...but I couldn't take it! The nurse laughed and told me that she had seen grown men cry from staple removal.....ummmm.....maybe there should be some sympathy here?

With my revision, I got super glue and I think I'm liking that just fine!


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@mimi_frog My staples were fairly painful to remove. They're probably a little embedded as they've been in a long time - possibly too long. Mine were removed after 15 days, the longer they're left in the more they become embedded (skin etc grows over them). As kmann says, you've just got to go for it and get them out.
 
Half the incision area was and still is completely numb so no problem with those staples. Of the staples I could feel coming out maybe 2-3 pinched a little. Sure didn't like seeing them removed though!
 
Cindy knits said:
On my first surgery, the nurse removed them so fast and aggressively that I snapped at her to slow down and take it easy, I'm not one to say much...but I couldn't take it! The nurse laughed and told me that she had seen grown men cry from staple removal.....ummmm.....maybe there should be some sympathy here?
Click to expand...
What an insensitive nurse! There's really no need for staple removal to hurt much at all. Yes, it could sting a bit, but serious pain is unnecessary.

I used to love removing staples when I was on the surgical wards. I used to be proud that my patients weren't in much pain. There is a knack to doing it so that it doesn't hurt too much. Obviously, that nurse had never learned the knack.
 
It shouldn't hurt to remove your staples. It sounds like that nurse doesn't know what she is doing. You can't pull them straight out, you have to rock from side to side to get each prong out. I don't think you should leave them in any longer, they'll get embedded. Your knee will feel so much better with them out.
 
Most people are somewhat fearful when it comes to having the staples removed---but, in reality, it is pretty simple and straight-forward, as well as quick.
 
When my staples were removed the nurse used a special tool to extract them (given to me by the hospital). She said that if l hadn't of had the tool, it would have been very difficult to remove them.
 
@mimi_frog that's not a good thing about the staples. Mine are due to come out on Thursday. I can't wait. Now, after reading your post, it makes me a little nervous. I've had pins removed before and they were uncomfortable to remove. I have 28 staples, that's way too many to have pain with.

I also have pain behind my knee and to the outside. I believe it's muscular of some kind. I haven't slept well in the past week. Even during the day it is painful. The doc originally thought it was a Baker's Cyst, but I don't think it is. It's not confined to behind the knee. I really think it's in the muscle. The Physical Therapist should be here shortly and I intend to talk to him about it and see what he says. Then I'll be bringing it up on Thursday when I see the OS. A friend said I should call the doc and ask for muscle relaxants, but I hate to self-diagnosis, what if it's not muscle? If it weren't for this pain, I'd be doing really well. Our surgeries were real close, mine was just 3 days after yours. Keep me posted.
 
I had 37 staples - about 4 hurt when they were extracted but the rest were ok.
 
My OS' PA gets the staple removal duty. For the first knee other than one staple spot bleeding a little, all I had was some fleeting stinging. The next time I don't think the PA was quite as good, but still it wasn't more than stinging/painful for a short while. I wonder if your nurse doesn't have a good technique?
 
@momweb i thought my calf pain was muscle too! It felt like my muscle was tight and twisted. After an ultrasound to rule out a clot, it was fluid. Definitely talk to your doc, get an ultrasound if you want. That will answer your questions.

The staples are out! My GP got the rest out no problem. I'm guessing my nurse wasn't very good at it.
 
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