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TKR 3-17 RTKR and Totally "On Course"

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It is becoming more and more the case, Phil. They figure the quicker they get you home, the better you'll be (true), the less likely you will pick up a hospital bug (true) and they'll also have an empty bed to admit someone else into!
 
Hi @Phil75070
Thinking about you with your surgery coming up on Monday. I am shocked that they would have you go home the same day. That seems crazy to me. Just coming out of the anaesthesia is exhausting enough and they usually want to be sure you can walk before you leave. You are tough but it may even be a stretch for you!

I hope that you recover as quickly with this knee as you did with your first.

I'll be keeping an eye on your thread to see how you are.

Have a restful weekend!
 
@71Beetle It does seem strange that it would be done on an outpatient, day surgery basis. Especially true since I did go to a orientation at the hospital last week and they were talking about CPM machines, doing PT to include going up and down those training stairs, etc. It may just be that the pre-op nurse didn't have access to my doctor's "orders" and the woman at the OS's office was more of a receptionist than a medical person and doesn't fully understand the difference between a TKR and arthroscopic surgery which, I think, is probably done on an outpatient basis. Also, during the orientation, they talked about bringing one's maintenance meds along as this is a small hospital (21 beds) focused more on day surgeries and their pharmacy does not stock many long term maintenance drugs but those focused on addressing the surgeries performed there. Then there are the drains, catheters, Q-Ball (femoral block) that all have to be removed over time.....

Found this and didn't know that a "lexophile", not knowing what it is, unlike a "pedophile", is a good thing to be. :loll:

Lexophilia
"Lexophile" is a word used to describe those that have a love for words, such as "you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish", or "to write with a broken pencil is pointless."
A competition to see who can come up with the best lexophiles is held every year in an undisclosed location. This year's winning submission is posted at the very end.
.. When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.
.. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
.. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
.. The batteries were given out free of charge.
.. A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
.. A will is a dead giveaway.
.. With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
.. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
.. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
.. Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
.. Did you hear about the fellow whose entire left side was cut off? He's all right now.
.. A bicycle can't stand alone; it's just two tired.
.. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
.. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.
.. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
.. When she saw her first strands of grey hair she thought she'd dye.
.. Acupuncture is a jab well done. That's the point of it.
And the cream of the twisted crop:
.. Those who get too big for their pants will be totally exposed in the end.
 
Good luck on Monday Phil! I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the speediest of recoveries!
 
[Bonesmart.org] 3-17 RTKR and Totally "On Course"
[Bonesmart.org] 3-17 RTKR and Totally "On Course"


Good luck Phil. With your operation tomorrow. You'll be "playing a round" before you know it x :heehee:

Seriously, going to wish you good luck for tomorrow and a speedy recovery so you can get back to your beloved golf.

Btw .... So love the jokes x x x

All the best Phil
Love Nana moon 27 x
 
Things have gone really well so far! I am here as an inpatient getting pain mess on schedule, using the CPM 2hours at a time. This knee so far has been a piece of cake compared to my right knee with pain being more soreness and at a 3-4 level.

Food services are pretty good. They provide a menu with a very broad selection of items to choose from. This facility is only a few years old, had only 19 beds as it is mostly a day surgery and Orthopaedic hospital. Like staying on a luxury hotel.

Thanks to all for your well wishes! More jokes will come as I document the recovery of this knee. :)


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My OS just topped by. My deformity (varus) wasn't "that bad" so my PCL was kept which he indicated leads to a more "normal feeling" knee down the road.

I didn't know this but he asked about itching which can be a side effect of the spinal and apparently can be pretty bad. I have had some but nothing as bad as he indicated it could be.

My pain meds are Norco every 4 hours and Toradol injections every 6 hours. Zofran is being given for my nausea. Catheter is out, oxygen will taken off and Lovenox injections start today.


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Keep up the great work Phil! Glad you're 'enjoying' your hospital stay. ;-) Congrats on getting to keep your PCL, I know how attached you were to it. Haha, get it? :heehee: Very glad your pain is under control!
 
Happy to know that everything went well, Phil. I'm hoping for a great recovery!
 
Glad to hear you're doing well, Phil!

Just to refresh you memory, here's the post-op reading list:
First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lie down!

Next is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.

And here are some very crucial articles
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Activity progression for TKRs

Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling

Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

And then some wise words from members who have shared their experiences ...
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Five “P’s” of knee recovery
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Recovering a knee - from one who knows!
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's worth the wait for ROM

I'm sure you'll remember a lot of it!

If you want to, you can have a separate thread for your second knee - or you can keep posting in this one. It's up to you.
 
I may have spoken too soon regarding the pain. The spinal has completely worn off and the pain in the knee is getting pretty bad. We switched the injectable pain med from Toredal every 6 hours to Dilaudid every 4 hours. Sorry, can't tell you the strength of any of these. Whatever it is I may have to ask to "up" it.

The thickness of the dressing is such that ice doesn't help - can't feel it at all. I am hoping when the drain comes out there will be a thinner dressing so I can use ice with some affect.



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Aww Phil, I was worried about when your spinal wore off. :-( Hopefully your pain gets under control soon. I had my knee wrapped and the drains in for 2 days (I had a LOT of drainage). I think the evil night nurse finally pulled them (literally) the 2nd night. Knee was unwrapped on day 3 and then I could start feeling the ice.

I don't remember you using a CPM machine on your 1st go around, did you? Keep your spirits up and your eye on the prize. It will get better (sadly it will get worse before better, but you can do it!)
 
The pain Tuesday night was pretty bad but the night nurse didn't have to be called once so we got ahead of it. Today I had 2 Norco at 6:00 and two more at 12:00.

Checked out at about 1:30 with three prescriptions, hydrocodone 5/325, colace and Lovenox injections. Took one pain pill at 6 and plan on 2 at bedtime.

@DogLoverx3 yes I am still attached to my PCL (or is it the other way around?). Lots of differences with this knee. Kept PCL, staples instead of stitches and glue, extension seems much better and flex ion not as good by comparison to my right knee. Last time the pain was in calf and hamstring while this time it is the knee itself.

Being primarily a day surgery and Orthopaedic hospital with only 19 beds they have a small pharmacy focused on stocking drugs needed for surgery and recovery. So I had to bring in my maintenance meds and, wouldn't you know it, forgot to collect them on the way out. My wife went back and got them a few minutes ago as fortunately the facility is only about 5 minutes away. She is taking good care of me!



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How was your 1st night at home @Phil75070 ? Very impressed that you're able to get by on so few pain meds! I can't even imagine. Interesting that so much of this procedure is different than your last one. Same surgeon, correct? I wonder why you got staples this time around? I'm sure keeping the PCL has something to do with the extension/flexion differences, but staples vs stitches? That's a head scratcher.... Keep up the great work and follow the mantras!
 
@DogLoverx3 I asked my OS about the staples and he just said that no two operations will necessarily go the same. He may remove the tourniquet sooner rather than later in some cases.

Surprisingly the pain has not been above a 5 and that is when doing exercises or changing positions.

Home Healthcare nurse was here this morning and PT this afternoon. Measurement confirmed my suspicion about better on extension this time. Measured at 3-5* vs starting out at 22 on the right knee.

Flexion not as good but better than it felt like it was when she measured. I thought I was lucky if I got it to 60 and she measured 75.

Pain meds at home to date:
1 5/325 hydrocodone at 10:00pm, 2:00am, and 6:00am. Took 2 at 1:00pm just before PT. level right now is a 1!


Next big hurdle is having the first BM.

[Bonesmart.org] 3-17 RTKR and Totally "On Course"



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