TKR 6+ weeks post op

[Hippalong]

Day 19! Nearly the end of the day, not so great pain wise yesterday or the previous night, however I got to physio 30 miles away (long story) thanks to the Hubby, they were pleased with my progress so far, got 90° bend and not far off straight leg so I'm pleased!! Straight leg raise still a no go, physio said its just time really. Wound looking neat and clean and re that, how long till I can start massaging the area and can I now get it wet? Thankyou

 

[Jockette]

how long till I can start massaging the area

There is no need to massage the incision area, it will heal fine without it. Some people massage too much which can cause problems from too much soft tissue stimulation.

Getting it wet depends on what kind of dressing you have. I never had any restrictions, other than no soaking in a tub, showers were fine for the dressing I had.

 

[Hippalong]

Ah ok I'll stick with that then, don't want to mar my recovery! I have no dressing on now, scar is healing and dry

 

[Hippalong]

Ah ok I'll stick with that then, don't want to mar my recovery! I have no dressing on now, scar is healing and dry

Day 24!! Feeling like I'm doing fairly well, pain meds literally cut to night time only, I do have a little pain on moving/exercise but it's minimal which I can cope with. I do have a concern though so help would be appreciated...as always! My scar is 'weeping' a little and it's a yellowy colour. I was a nurse a long time ago so I am used to wounds and possible signs of infection, and there really aren't any...at all? So I'm wondering if anyone else has had a yellowish ooze (which by the way is VERY minimal) Thankyou! Hope everyone is coping with their new Knees, big hugs to all on your recovery

 

[Layla]

Hi Hippalong
Happy Thursday and first day of August to you! It sounds like you're doing well.

The weeping you mentioned may be serous drainage if it's thin watery, with a slight yellowish hue. If so, it normally lasts a few days, but can continue longer depending upon wound size and how fast you heal, but can occur in the six weeks following surgery. Check in with your surgeon's office for reassurance and keep in mind the common signs of infection:
Fever
Unusual or increasing pain
The incision is hot to the touch
A change in the size of the incision
A change in the odor of the discharge
A yellow or green discharge that is increasing
Redness or hardening of the surrounding area
Excessive bleeding that has soaked through the incision

I hope you have a great Thursday and weekend! Thanks for the update.
@Hippalong

 

[Hippalong]

Hi Hippalong
Happy Thursday and first day of August to you! It sounds like you're doing well.

The weeping you mentioned may be serous drainage if it's thin watery, with a slight yellowish hue. If so, it normally lasts a few days, but can continue longer depending upon wound size and how fast you heal, but can occur in the six weeks following surgery. Check in with your surgeon's office for reassurance and keep in mind the common signs of infection:
Fever
Unusual or increasing pain
The incision is hot to the touch
A change in the size of the incision
A change in the odor of the discharge
A yellow or green discharge that is increasing
Redness or hardening of the surrounding area
Excessive bleeding that has soaked through the incision

I hope you have a great Thursday and weekend! Thanks for the update.
@Hippalong

Ah thankyou! It looks exactly how you describe it, very watery and slightly yellow but isnt constant, its only a droplet every now and then. There are no obvious signs of infection at all. I will keep an eye on it though as you say. Thankyou so much....again

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary, Hippalong! We'd love to hear from you. How is your recovery going so far?
Please let us know when you have a minute. Hope to see you around soon!
@Hippalong

 

[Hippalong]

Hi @Layla and anyone who's around! Thankyou for the month Anniversary wishes! I'm doing great thankyou! Had a few mini ups and downs but in the main doing well. My new knee is kind of the boss most of the time haha. It certainly let's me know what it likes or what it doesn't, it's a learning curve. But just perseverance really. Night's are hit and miss but haven't been the nightmare I expected. I'm getting in and out of car much easier now (not driving though) and pottering about within reason. No regrets here anyway

 

[Layla]

Seems you're doing very well. Hippalong! Thanks for the update.
Keep listening to that bossy knee and you'll likely do very well.
Happy Friday!
@Hippalong

 

[Hippalong]

Seems you're doing very well. Hippalong! Thanks for the update.
Keep listening to that bossy knee and you'll likely do very well.
Happy Friday!
@Hippalong

Thankyou Layla! I've just been for my nails doing after 5+ weeks so feeling more human again haha. Have a sore, stingy wound today though, think it was a bit strained getting into a low car yesterday! A rest day for me now I think

 

[Layla]

Have a sore, stingy wound today though, think it was a bit strained getting into a low car yesterday

So sorry....Ice may help with the sting?
At least you have pretty nails now.

 

[Hippalong]

Well here I am again, feeling fairly positive, I say fairly because I've had a couple of painful nights and my knee is quite stiff, following exercise. I've seen physio who say I'm doing well and I'm where I should be, I'm only on painkillers once a day, at night as I don't feel I need them. I'm down to 1 crutch indoors but still use 2 outside. My wound is neat and clean so I'm pleased with my progress. Still only 90° bend and knee not fully straight yet which isn't unusual I believe? Hope everyone is keeping well and happy

 

[Jockette]

I've had a couple of painful nights and my knee is quite stiff, following exercise.

This is quite common at 6 weeks post op. You might want to cut back on some of those exercises until you heal more.

If Tylenol agrees with you, you might consider taking that on a schedule for a while, until you heal more.

The most effective way to take Tylenol is 2 x 500 mg tablets every 6 hours, to a total of 4,000 mg (4 doses) in 24 hours. You need to take it regularly, to keep up the levels in your bloodstream. If you just take the odd dose now and then, it's far less effective.

Check all other medications you're taking, to make sure there is no Tylenol/Acetaminophen/Paracetamol in them. If there is, scale back one or two of your regular Tylenol doses, so you stay within that safe 24 hour limit of 4,000 mg.

 

[Jockette]

By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

How can I find my threads and posts?

There are a couple of ways you can find categories of threads on the forum. You are able to use links in the main forum toolbars at the top of the screen to quickly access certain types of threads: your own threads, threads with your posts in them, and watched threads. You can also use links...

bonesmart.org

Best wishes on your continuing recovery!

 

[Hippalong]

I've had a couple of painful nights and my knee is quite stiff, following exercise.

This is quite common at 6 weeks post op. You might want to cut back on some of those exercises until you heal more.

If Tylenol agrees with you, you might consider taking that on a schedule for a while, until you heal more.

Thankyou, I didnt do any excercise yesterday or today as I realised it could be that causing the stiffness. I will do as you suggest and take Paracetamol (Tylenol I believe) more regularly. Maybe I've been a little hasty in stopping all pain relief during the day. Thankyou for your advice and for moving my post, I couldn't find my original Thread!

 

[sistersinhim]

Thankyou for your advice and for moving my post, I couldn't find my original Thread!

Try bookmarking your thread so you can easily find it.

 

[Hippalong]

Well here I am at nearly 9 weeks! Can't believe it's gone so quickly! Sleep quite a bit better, ROM not much different but I'm keeping excercise going, although my new knee does not like the mini bike....oh my word do I suffer if I use that, so no more I'm afraid!! Pain does rear it's ugly head every now and again....mainly in bed, but I suppose that's fairly normal? I have a question:- My scar was a nice pale colour until I used bio oil, then it turned bright red and is now a purple colour. Anyone else experienced this please? Hoping all the July sparklers are doing well....along with everyone else of course.

 

[sistersinhim]

Better sleep is a blessing! I'm so glad you're sleeping better. It sounds like your knee isn't ready for the mini bike, so it's best if you not use that for a while. Nighttime pain is an indication that you are doing too much during the day. Cutting back on that will probably help with that. I never used anything on my scar, so I can't help you there.

 

[Hippalong]

Better sleep is a blessing! I'm so glad you're sleeping better. It sounds like your knee isn't ready for the mini bike, so it's best if you not use that for a while. Nighttime pain is an indication that you are doing too much during the day. Cutting back on that will probably help with that. I never used anything on my scar, so I can't help you there.

I agree, it's so nice to get more sleep, and I can get on my side now too!! I dont think I'm touching the mini bike ever again lol Also will maybe avoid the Bio Oil too for now anyway!

 

[sistersinhim]

Woo-hoo, side sleeping all ready! You go girl! (But not on the mini bike!)