TKR 2nd tkr; end of my OA!!

Hey Doodle, @doodlebug60
I've been lurking and watching your progress. I am getting soooo much info from you! you are really helping those of us coming up with all the detailed info that you are posting. 8/25 for me. Thanks for sharing a timeline of arriving at the hospital. Please keep posting often. Thankyou! PS. Did you have a nerve block ?
Moriah; hi, yes I had a nerve block and general anesthesia both. Nerve block was put in my lower back. when they rolled me into the OR.; they asked me could I help them with rolling me over onto the table. I was numb from the waist down. I told them no; that I couldn't feel anything. After they got me on the table they gave me general anesthesia, and told me it was time to go nite-nite. I woke up in recovery 2.5 hrs. later. Nerve block started wearing off around 6PM.

It is 5 days post-OP now. I am doing good pain wise. I take my meds. on a regular basis. You don't need to wait until the pain hits. You want to keep your levels up in your body.

Also rest,ice, and elevation I cannot stress enough. I didn't take PT with my 1st tkr in February, and I'm not going to take any this time either. I'm using cpm for the first 3 weeks like a did the first time. I like the cpm; it helps me with my Rom. It has been 5 days and I'm at 80deg. and 1 on ext. you don't need PT to get Rom you need rest,ice,and elevation. I use my breg ice machine every night with elevation.

I take Seroquel 100mg. for sleep. it works good but I was taking it long before surgery. You need a prescription for it. I'm lying in my bed with my legs elevated at the present with ice on, and doing just fine.

Let me end this with this remark. As Bonesmart moderators say; everyone heals different; don't let others dictate how you all heal. Let your knees dictate it. They know how to rehab theirselves. Hope everyone has a great recovery. Doodlebug
 
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I almost forgot; make sure you do ADL's daily. that's activities of daily living. walk around with your Walker a little every so often and try to concentrate on your gait. heel to toe and push off. this will keep shin splints to a minimum also. walking is the best way to PT.
 
ya'll are not going to believe this. After only 1week post RTKR I'm able to drive. My nephews needed a ride to work and my wife was to sleepy to carry them. I told her I would try to drive but I couldn't guarantee anything. I knew I couldn't drive her car because it is a Honda civic and sits real low to the ground. I got up in my pickup and adjusted my seat and it wasn't that bad. I drove them to work 20 miles. It wasn't that bad since I use both legs, right for the gas and left for the brake. My knee swole up a little but I iced and elevated when I got home. I'm just so happy that if I have to drive I can. I'm not going to make it a habit of driving yet. I still have until the 12th before I get my staples out. Changed bandage 2 days ago and incision looked good. No drainage and no pain. No Pt. just rest,ice, and elevation works wonders. cpm machine for about 4 hrs. a day and ADL's is all I do. To all; don't push it, let it come naturally and I promise you it will!!! Don't compare your recovery to mine; everyone heals different. I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones. Prayers for a speedy recovery; Doodlebug
 
@doodlebug60 , quite an achievement driving but ..... Has your surgeon released you to drive and are you taking any pain meds? If you had to stop suddenly could you do it safely and if any accident happened whether caused by you or the other driver it might not be covered by insurance without that release from your surgeon. You are doing awesome so enjoy the progress wisely.
 
hi Leejaa; No I haven't been released yet to drive. I didn't want to drive yet; I just had to get my nephews to work so they wouldn't lose their jobs. I was just elated knowing that I was progressing so well. I don't plan on driving any more until I get released from my doctor. I was just wanting to let others know that it doesn't take PT to recover from tkr just rest,ice, and elevation and a whole lot of patience . Thanks for the reply Leejaa. I'm sitting here in the recliner at 1:30am watching The King of Queens and trying to stay awake to finish this post. Hope everyone has a good night.
Doodlebug
 
Happy to hear of your success. I hopped in the car yesterday and drove a mile to get my grocery order. I was ecstatic. Won’t make a habit of it, but it is a huge relief a little over two weeks out. Some kind of normalcy.
 
@doodlebug60 Ha ha, my honda civic was given to my kids to learn to drive, they drove me yesterday, forgot how far down you drop getting into that honda, super glad I have a different car. Its awesome you drove in a week ! Don't think I will try that but good to here how quickly you are functional. Very optimistic !
Just found out, no person allowed with me at all in the surgery center due to COVID. Drop off and drive away. My hubby is my rock, thought he was staying overnight with me. :gaah:
Can you tell me, did you only have hydrocodone for pain leaving the hospital or other pain meds too ? what was the milligrams ?
 
Moriah; Let me start out by saying I'm driving my F150 pickup truck . I wouldn't even think about trying to get into my wife's car. I couldn't hardly get in and out of it before the surgery.

In answer to your question; when I left the hospital on the 31st July I was on Hydrocodone 10/325. I take 1at 0630 with 1000 mg. Tylenol. 1 at 12:30pm with 500mg. Tylenol; 1 at 6:30pm with 500mg. Tylenol; and 1 at midnight with 500mg. Tylenol. This schedule seems to work pretty good for me. If I miss a dose I could tell it because my knee would start getting that dull ache feeling. My pain is getting better. I'm not needing as much Hydrocodone now.

I go for my 2 week follow up Wednesday the 12th. Hopefully they are going to remove my staples then. Hope this helps you out with your pain management. Doodlebug
 
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@Moriah, you need to talk to your doctor about your own pain med schedule. What is good for them is very possibly bad for you.
 
@doodlebug60 and @Moriah -
We prefer that members do not give advice about medications to one another.

Medications should be prescribed for each individual by their own surgeons. You cannot follow another person's schedule because what suits one person may not be appropriate for another person.
 
@doodlebug60 and @Moriah -
We prefer that members do not give advice about medications to one another.

Medications should be prescribed for each individual by their own surgeons. You cannot follow another person's schedule because what suits one person may not be appropriate for another person.
sorry about that celle; I wasn't meaning it to sound like I was telling her what meds to take. I was mainly showing her how to get on a schedule to take her meds so she would have a better recovery . please accept my apology. Doodlebug
 
Apology accepted, @doodlebug60 . No harm done. You didn't know you shouldn't do it and nor did Moriah.

I posted what I did so that other people would also know.
 
Went to the OS yesterday and got my staples taken out. No drainage or redness around incision; thank goodness. PA put steri-strips over incision and OS said he would see me again in 6 weeks. Walking without assistance. going up and down stairs using arm rail for assistance. Did a lot of walking yesterday and boy do I know it now with swelling. Sitting here in my recliner at 12:23 am with legs elevated and ice wrap on to reduce the swelling. Knee is sore at present. Time to take meds. Rom is 95 and ext. is near 0. Doing good I think for 2weeks out. That's all for now; hope everyone has a great recovery; Doodlebug
 
You are doing great. Congratulations on staple removal which is a big milestone and feels so freeing once they are gone. Good recovery with ice and elevation after the walking. Our bodies do yell at us when we overdo a bit or more. Have a great day chilling.
 
Staples out and on your way! :walking:

You say you're walking without assistance--do you have a cane or walker? Usually they like us to use something early on even if you're *able* to walk without one, a walking aid helps take some of the strain off and keep us steady.

Keep up the good work with the :ice:
 
Been lying around all day just icing and elevating. Can't seem to get the swelling down. I'm 15 days post-OP today. Had to start driving at 1week out. Knew it was to soon; but my nephews don't have any other way to get to work. Knee is staying swollen and I know it's because I'm overworking it. When I get back home I rest,ice,and elevate pretty much all day. Rom and straightening is good at 95/0. Just sore from all the swelling. That's about all I have to report on for now. Prayers for all for a great recovery; Doodlebug
 
You're miles ahead of where I was at 15 days. The knee is swollen in part because you're doing a lot, but also because for most of us it's just going to be swollen this early. Your knee and surrounding tissues have been through a trauma with the surgery. They don't just unzip the knee and plop a new one in. :heehee:
Hang in there and be kind to yourself.
 
Kneeper; Thanks for the post. In answer to your question; yeah I have a Walker but I don't use it to much. I can get around pretty good without it. You're right though; I should be using it more, I sure don't want to fall. That wouldn't be a good thing. Hope this finds you doing good. Doodlebug
 

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