PKR 4 months post TKR, 1 year post PKR

[hbacres]

@jeano Deal!!

 

[jeano]

Tell you what, you just slip the mini and cart in your hip pocket, bring 'em here, and we'll get 'er done at the same time. BTW, its 59 and sunny. Think I'll go ahead and get out for a ride while the gettin's good.

 

[hbacres]

Boy, 59 sounds really good... I was just out doing chores and waited till it got up to 0 and the goats got up and out of bed.. we have goat TV in the house. I am excited the rain/snow is coming back so it warms up a little. You could start riding this way and I could start driving the mini your way and we could meet in the middle, hopefully where it is warm!!! I over did it a bit with the knee yesterday.. went to lunch with a friend and didn't have any ice or elevation time... so I am off to find my stack of pillows and fill my cryo cuff!

 

[hbacres]

I graduated out of physical therapy on Friday! They gave me my graduation t-shirt and sent me on my way to continue on my own. I am one month out! If I have any problems I can return. Of course, I over did it yesterday and I am iced and elevated today!

 

[Pjmc]

Congrats! Sounds like a nice company to work out with .
Less than a month since your surgery . You must really be doing great .

 

[hbacres]

Just thought I would write an update about my progress at 8 weeks. I went to the OS for my check up and release last week and all is well. We talked about surgery on the other knee and I got that deer in the headlights look and told him I was not ready. So, my other knee got a steroid shot and it is feeling better than it has in awhile. I am out and about and doing most of the stuff I was doing before surgery, I even pulled an @jeano and trimmed all the goat's feet and the horse's feet yesterday. I am having some deep achy soreness sometimes, but it is controlled with my etodolac, Tylenol and ice. I am not icing much anymore, only if I have that ache. I do have some trouble driving the stick shift and with the vibration in car, if I am in there too long. It does feel much better and much more stable than it did before surgery and I would say that after the first two weeks, I have been pleased with my decision to have surgery. I am not ready to go through it again yet, but I imagine I will be ready in a year or so. My doctor told me I appear to be a good scar former so he has me rubbing vitamin E in to the scar every day. I have also started to get those weird lightening bolts of electricity through my knee that everyone talks about, they don't hurt so much as they startle me. So, I just wanted to update.. I have not been on here much lately cause I have been out doing stuff!

 

[jeano]

@hbacres Wonderful! I will start working out the route and where we will meet in the middle. Eyeballing a map of the US, and not knowing exactly where in ID you might be, it looks like somewhere in KS. I like the eastern, hilly part of KS just fine. Lots of prairie, horses will enjoy that. Maybe shoot for the Diamond Spring https://www.legendsofkansas.com/diamondsprings.html on the old Santa Fe trail. We will explain to the current owners of the spring that we have traveled a long way and we and our horses are thirsty and would appreciate a drink. How could they say no?

 

[hbacres]

Hi everyone! I am back. I think I am about 10 months post PKR on my left knee. I was doing awesome.. I was back to normal and the knee felt great! Then I had a little accident. I fell on very hard, rocky type ground. I fell on both knees and my head. I got a mild concussion and was non-weight bearing on my right knee for a couple days. The ER said my knee implant was undamaged and to go for re-check on my right knee. My primary care doctor said I needed an MRI on my right knee.. but I told her I had one last year and the ortho was awaiting my Go to do a TKR on that knee.. so am MRI was probably a waist of money.. she agreed and I see my ortho on the 20th to schedule my TKR on the right. Well.. in the meantime.. my PKR knee has been acting up.. first there was popping in there, I know there was and still is swelling, and it aches and does not like to touch the other knee when I try to sleep.. I feel like I went way backwards in recovery on that knee and I am worried. Could it be that achy at this point and not be messed up.. or could this just be something that will go away with time? Any thoughts? By the way... my knee was awesome... I was so glad I had it done, even with my rocky start. I am very scared about the TKR, trying not to think about it.......
Robin

 

[kneeper]

Sorry to hear about your accident. How long ago was it? If it hasn't been very long, it's likely you just hurt your soft tissues which take a while to heal.

 

[hbacres]

It was only on Sept 20th and then I went to the state fair and walked for a week.. so no rest there.. so now.. that I am home and things are calming down, I am really noticing it.........
Do you know how I can change my thread name.. I don't have the edit thread button at the top....
Thanks!
r

 

[hbacres]

Hi, I am trying to set up my post-surgical page for my surgery tomorrow morning. I don't seem to have a Thread Tools button, and I wanted to change my title to Second Knee TKR, 11-12-14. Can you help me with this? @bottomshollow

 

[hbacres]

Back in myroom after tkr. Had or I guess have some problems with low bp and high heartrate. They don,t want to do a lot with pain meds because of this. I have ice and elevation and long and short term oxy on board. I have orders for dilaudid... but with the cardiac issues they are trying to hold off.....I am at a 4to5 but pain has stabilized. Hope my surgery day buddys are doing well.

 

[hbacres]

Well not doing so hot tonight....pain is bouncing up in the eight range but back down to fourish now. My nurse tonight is awesome...trying ti balance my pain meds with my blood pressure issues....

 

[hbacres]

I am now home from the hospital. Surgery was on Wed and I was released on Fri. I had some problems in recovery with my blood pressure and heart rate so they tried to go easy on the meds that would affect those. Eventually the got my pain meds works out for Oxycodone 5 to 20 mg every 4 hours and Robaxin every 8 hours. This has been working pretty well for me at the 10 mg Oxy dose along with Tylenol 3000 mg a day. I have my first PT tomorrow morning... other than the brutal PT in the hospital, which ought to be illegal. I have been doing ok this time around... maybe more emotional. My husband says he thinks I am getting around better and doing better than I was with the PKR in Jan. I am anxious for the pain to just be gone, the worry to be gone and to get on with life again... but I know, I still have many many hours of sitting here with my leg elevated and ice and waiting it out so I can reap the benefits later.
I had a little scare tonight when I thought my foot felt funny or numb... but I talked to a nurse at the hospital and my digital pulses are strong and similar.. so it is probably just from my ace bandage or position or something. I also had a little scare the other day when the stool I was using in the shower collapsed. It had a crack in the one leg, which I knew about, but I thought it would be ok.... it wasn't'... it started to bend and then broke. I landed ok, but tangled in the stool on the floor of the shower... it took some time to work it out, but I was able to get sorted out and up without tweaking my knee, so it was ok.
I have been keeping track of my surgery month buddies and it keeps my mind busy when laying here and not sleeping, like everyone else.
Robin

 

[kneeper]

I'm glad you're ok after your mishap. That must have been scary. A good reminder to everyone to check their equipment.

 

[hbacres]

Ugg... I am one week and one day after surgery and had my second PT today. It is not my regular PT as she is on vacation... she will be back next week. I did not have a fun time today... I rode the bike.. not the whole way around... then did some heel slides and straight leg raises... not really a whole lot of actual exercises, but he did a bit of massage and had me lay on my stomach with my leg off the end of the bed.. he supported a little, but not much. I pretty much had on my own 90 and 3 for my ROM.. but by the time I did ice and e-stim and got up to leave.. I could hardly walk. Finally got home and got to my chair and my ice and elevation and some extra oxy, but within the Rx range, I am doing better. I just feel that all the pulling, pushing, and massaging of the knee was a little much.. it didn't seem to be anything but discomfort at the time.. but put all together it was too much. I was frantic by the time we got in the house.. I had to stop for bloodwork after PT. Anyway.. hoping that I get some rest.. he did say my knee looked great and I was doing great. I don't have to go anywhere until Monday when I see my regular PT and talk to her about all of this.....

 

[hbacres]

Does anyone know about how long there should be irritation from the spinal? I am still having trouble laying flat on my back in the area where I had the spinal. I just feel like it really ought to calm down soon! My husband says the area looks fine and it doesn't bother me until I try to lay flat with my leg elevated then I have to put some padding down and tilt my back to the side.

 

[sandbar525]

@hbacres I haven't experienced any irritation from my spinal so hopefully someone else will be able to comment. If not, you may want to give your PA a call. Hope you get some relief soon.

 

[hbacres]

Thanks @sandbar525 , I go in for staple removal on the Tues... so I will write it down or I will probably forget to ask... I think I had this on my last one as well, so I just might not react too well to the needle in spine.
robin

 

[sandbar525]

@hbacres Won't it be great to get staples out? I go in Monday for staple removal. Good luck with resolving the spinal issue.