Revised PKR to TKR 12 months later but can’t find my thread

[shelli22]

I was released from hospital on Saturday, day five. It is now day ten. I can walk heel toe without a stick. I do however take the stick with me when I go anywhere. Each day I have needed something from the shop. I manage this quite well but ensure I go straight to the shop buy what I want then leave straight away. When I get home I ice and elevate.

One of my dogs peed on the floor. Gross. I think it may have been the arthritic one Karma. I stepped in it so off came the stockings and everything washed at 4.30. Floor cleaned then washed twice. Did the dusting while I was at it. Now icing and elevating. Thank you puppies for the extra work. Lol.
@SusieShoes I bought a bamboo pillow and so far I love it. My heart rate is still up there 95-120 bpm. I have made an appointment with my GP. The physician wants me to have thyroid test and check hormone levels. I’ll update after my appointment

 

[sistersinhim]

There go doing those ADL!

 

[Jockette]

I thought the same thing!

 

[shelli22]

Better than physio exercises, however today may be a bit much. I’m in the ODIC I think. However I have run out of tramadol and only have tramadol SR. I think that is affecting my pain levels somewhat. And here we go again begging for pain relief. That’s one of the worst parts of this recovery. Counting tablets so you can space them out and not run out. The dreaded phone call to the PA and the fear of being told your taking too much or your pain should have eased by now or a straight out no. But too bad I’ll be calling in the morning. I’m not doing any formal PT other than heel slides and attempting to straighten my leg but I give up on that fairly quickly because it increases the sciatic pain. I do do things around the house but I trade that off with the rest of the day spent on couch icing and elevating. The discharge nurse told me to ice but only ice ten minutes at a time because the knee will get too cold. I honestly had to stop myself from breaking out laughing. What on earth will ten minutes do? Sigh. Oh well. Filed that info too [emoji23]

 

[sistersinhim]

The discharge nurse told me to ice but only ice ten minutes at a time because the knee will get too cold.

It's the cold that helps to numb the pain! Where do these people get their knowledge? Certainly not from hands-on experience! So, I say to ice as long and as much as you can! I could always tell when my ice was melted because my knee would start aching. Fresh ice is like a great pain pill, but without the brain fuzzies!

 

[shelli22]

Actually I’m just wondering about the pain meds. I have no idea what to ask the dr for at this stage. He has given me slow release tramadol and OxyContin one in morning and one at night. Then he has given me tramadol six hourly 1-2 tablets but they’re finished. Then endone one or two four hourly, but there are only 20 In a pack so I already had to ring for more which he did and I’m now taking ones four hourly so they last longer but it doesn’t quite cover the pain. Paracetamol 6 hourly. Aspirin 300 mg 1 a day and lyrica twice a day. Once the endone has gone I just realised I’ll only have the slow release tramadol and slow release OxyContin, plus lyrica and paracetamol. It will be day ten. I don’t think I can cope until Monday on slow release paineelied with nothing for break through pain. @Josephine could you please advise?


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[Josephine]

slow release Tramadol and OxyContin one in morning and one at night
Tramadol six hourly 1-2 tablets but they’re finished
Endone (oxycodone) one or two four hourly
Paracetamol 6 hourly

The one thing you've not told me is how much of each you are taking. Like how many mgs in each dose

 

[shelli22]

@Josephine. Sorry here you go

Tramadol SR 100 mg
OxyContin 10 mg
Tramadol 50 mg
Oxycodone 5 mg
Paracetamol 665mg x 2


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[Josephine]

Oh dear - I should have said "and when"!

 

[shelli22]

Tramadol SR morning and night at 6
OxyContin morning and night at 10
Tramadol 50mg 6 hrly 10,4, 10, 4

 

[shelli22]

Oxycodone 4 hrly 1 at 8,12,4,8,12 then when I wake up I Amy take
Then nothing until 8 next morning
Paracetamol 6 hrly at 6,12,6,12.

 

[shelli22]

Well today was disgusting. I did nothing but rest and ice and elevate and walk around a bit. Didn’t even do a heel slide. The pain was horrific. I had run out of one of the prescribed meds and I didn’t think it would be an issue because he gave me an assortment of meds.

Obviously there was a method to his madness because my pain score sat at about eight all. Suffice to say I emailed his PA and gave her a list of what I was given and the prescribed doses, and then how long each box would last. One lasted two and a half days. Another five days. Luckily he wrote a new script for all the medications I’m on to get me through until I see him Monday. I rather not have another day like today. That resulted in tears and not knowing what to do with my knee and wishing I hadn’t done this again as I’m fed up with pain.

But if you’re new and you’re reading this, I have done this three times now and I’m hoping this time the issues will be resolved. The surgeon wrote another script and after taking just those I had run out of I have now got on top of the pain. The thought of running out of pain relief scares me as I have done so before and the pain goes from a bearable 2-3 to an unbearable 7-8. Anyway all is well that ends well I guess.

But then came the matter of getting the script filled. My sons partner had already driven around for me all day to pick things up so when I said I got the script I said it could wait until tomorrow. Mistake number two. I was messaging her on the phone and said I was in agony this evening. She put the kids and the dog in the car, went straight to the chemist and picked it up. All i had to do was transfer the money while she was there. She dropped it off and left. If it weren’t for her I’d be climbing the walls in agony and then called a taxi and gone to emergency.

Moral of that story - don’t be a hero and try to manage without. It’s only been a week Saturday since I was discharged from hospital. That wasn’t the brightest of choices I made but I did ring for more medication. Tomorrow had better be a better day lol

 

[Jockette]

And this is one if the reasons why I don’t want to redo my surgery! At least you got the refills. I read that’s not always the case here in the US.

I’m sorry that you have so much pain at this point. Yes, it’s temporary, but still.

Hugs and prayers for a better day today!

 

[shelli22]

@Jockette my stubbornness was the issue in my case. My surgeon said to me if you need more medication you can ring and we will fax it through as you live on the other side of town. I was scared that people would think I was addicted so tried to make do without. That was a huge mistake. No one can blame the surgeon. Both times I asked for meds the script was faxed immediately he received the request. It was entirely me and my insane fears. Really who cares what people think. I am dependent on this medication because I have pain so I can’t do without it but I am not addicted to it. The second mistake was my not wanting ti out people out. That is also my fault. People are usually happy to help.

If I’d just asked for a script when I ran out and asked someone to fill it for me none of that would have happened. Lesson learned.

Thank you for your support but please don’t let my stubbornness or fear of what people think stop you from having surgery which may change your life for the better xx

 

[Jockette]

From what I read on here, getting refills is very hard in the US.

For my current recovery I stopped the prescription medications on Day 11 because my vision had changed drastically the day after surgery and I was told it could be the pain medication, and my mind was probably messed up because of the pain medicine and I stopped it pretty much cold turkey and only had one very emotional melt down. I managed after that by alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen.

I understand not wanting to ask for help too much, I don’t like to inconvenience people either.

More hugs to you, and to all of us recovering, the price for a better working body seems very high!

 

[shelli22]

@Jockette. It does but I believe that the outcome will benefit me and I’m hoping this knee is done now. But if I’m wrong I know I’ve done everything possible. We can only hope that in the end it was all worth it no matter how long and difficult the journey

 

[shelli22]

@Josephine. I answered your questions about when I took the meds. I have another question. I’m having the weirdest nerve issues. My leg will jump my stomach tightens and spasms. Same with my lower back. Both legs kind of spasm and kick out. Is this just in response to all the surgery ?'tmm

 

[Josephine]

The stem is really long. I had a look at the X-ray. I wonder why.

As in how? Can you get a copy of the xray?

Actually I’m just wondering about the pain meds.
Oxycodone 5mg 4 hrly 1 at 8,12,4,8,12
Then nothing until 8 next morning
Paracetamol 665mg x 2 6 hrly at 6,12,6,12.

This regimen is not at all good. You're taking all your meds between 8am and midnight which means you are going 8 hours with no medication at all. Considering that these medications only last in the body for about 4-5 hours, that means you are going 3-4 hours with no cover at all. No wonder you are waking feeling all stiff and horrid!

You need to change your routine to include a middle of the night dose.
Plus the paracetamol is inadequate. You're only taking 665mg when it should be 1,000mg.

 

[shelli22]

@Josephine the paracetamol says 665 x 2. It’s Panadol osteo.

 

[shelli22]

@Josephine I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see it but I do have a not very good photo of the X-ray I took in hospital. It at least shows the stem thing I’m talking about.

And the nerve issues?? Is that normal. I asked in previous post. The easiest way to describe this anomaly is it is like when you are dozing off to sleep and you dream you are falling off a swing and you get that jumpy startled sensation that wakes you just before you land. That sensation is the same as the nerve feeling in my legs, stomach and back. Thanks.