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TKR Acceptance and Understanding<

At my 2 week visit, my OS told me a story about a patient he treated after a TKR. This was years ago, I guess when he first started doing TKR’s. More than 20 years ago. This patient complained of constant pain, my OS listened and gave him prescriptions. Evidently it turned into a misuse of opioids prescribed by my OS because he believed his patient was in extreme pain for months. It came back to haunt my OS because the guy was hooked on drugs. My OS said to me he learned a tough lesson. And since then, he prescribes the bare minimum. 3 days worth of meds after surgery,then you have to call his office and basically beg for 5 days step down prescription of lesser potency, and then OTC Tylenol for all after that. So that being said, I was fortunate to have gotten 30tabs-50mg Tramadol on the 2 week visit after listening to his story. I still have a couple left and am saving them for bad nights. Even though they don’t work well on my pain level, they take away a little of the tremendous pain I do have on those sleepless nights. Of the 5 knee surgeries I’ve had since my 20’s, this has been the most painful, tear soaking, leg rubbing, god pleading, sleepless, and pillow-in-my-face crying surgery I have ever had. I hope tomorrow it’ll be better because that’s how I get through today... hoping that tomorrow will be better. Strength and Peace for now.
 
I wonder how often he has told that story to patients to justify a really insensitive practice. Too bad he can't have this surgery and be give three days worth of pain meds and see how he feels about the opioid crisis then. Disgusting. Hang in there @Needhope.
 
I wonder if your own doctor/PCP would be more helpful about pain medications, @Needhope ?
 
@Celle My pcp doesn’t like to step on other physicians toes. Especially when it comes to prescription meds. He prefers them come from one source only, and being that my OS did the surgery he prefers my OS handles the medication part as well.
 
If your doctors won't help you with pain control, then you have no choice but to just do the best you can. You will make it through this!
 
I’m trying @SusieShoes . I’m walking around in the house carrying my cane but not using if I don’t have to. I’m walking with a limp which I didn’t have that problem with my RTKR. It’s because the pressure hurts on my left when I put my weight on it. When I see someone walking outside or on tv, it makes me jealous. I want to be like them. It kinda sends me into a brief sadness because I’m trying so hard to put the pain in the back of my mind, I tell myself to stand up straight, walk heel to toe and don’t limp. It doesn’t work. Limp limp limp. Ugh. So I sit down, take a brief break, recompose myself and try it again. I think once the pain is gone, I’m hoping the limp will go away as well. I don’t know, hopeful thinking I guess.
 
I live in a sketchy neighborhood and refuse to walk down the street. So in the house is where I walk.
 
Can you get one of your daughters to walk with you? Or a neighbor? Just up the street or down and back. Walking keeps the joint limber. :)
 
That’s a good idea except my daughter gets home in the dark and I don’t know or trust these people around here. There are frequent visits by police and ambulance to this neighborhood. I’m grateful for my daughters dogs to keep me company if you know what I mean. This is a temporary address for my daughter, close to college until she gets her RN diploma and moves to a nicer, secure neighborhood. But for now, it’s convenient to the highway to get to clinical at reputable hospitals during her schooling. We all do what we have to to make it work until we have the opportunity to make it better. Right?
 
My other daughter lives 45 min away and doesn’t come here. I don’t blame her. She’s got a baby to take care of.
 
I wonder if you went to the ER if they would give you pain meds? Probably an absolutely stupid idea, but it just popped into my head. It might be something for you to think about if your pain levels get really bad. My goodness @Needhope you certainly have a full plate. And daughter who is studying to be an RN can get lots of compassion and patience training in helping her poor old mom get through all this. I'm just sayin'.
 
My feelings are the ER is for emergencies. If my knee was ready to explode, and I had a high fever, I might consider going there. But it’s tempting @mlwreader. In my experience, a stranger gets more empathy and patience than the mother of the RN-to-be. Living with me 24/7 since both my TKR’s may have calloused any “feel bad for you” feelings. I don’t blame her. It hasn’t been easy for her or me.
 
Needhope said:
At my 2 week visit, my OS told me a story about a patient he treated after a TKR. This was years ago, I guess when he first started doing TKR’s. More than 20 years ago. This patient complained of constant pain, my OS listened and gave him prescriptions. Evidently it turned into a misuse of opioids prescribed by my OS because he believed his patient was in extreme pain for months. It came back to haunt my OS because the guy was hooked on drugs. My OS said to me he learned a tough lesson. And since then, he prescribes the bare minimum.
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It was probably the wrong thing to do, but I prayed last night that your OS would have to have a TKR. Maybe he would be more compassionate to those who do!

Needhope said:
I think once the pain is gone, I’m hoping the limp will go away as well.
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You are limping because your knee hurts. It's just a natural reflex. When the pain diminishes, your limp will, too.
 
Needhope - I'm cheering for you and praying for you. I had my LTKR February 19 and have my RTKR scheduled for June 4. Just the thought of starting all over again is........not fun. I hope that by June 3, I'll see you saying that you feel so much better and can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Hang in there!
 
Needhope said:
I’m walking around in the house carrying my cane but not using if I don’t have to. I’m walking with a limp which I didn’t have that problem with my RTKR. It’s because the pressure hurts on my left when I put my weight on it.
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If you are limping, you need to keep using your cane until you can walk normally. Some people keep using walking aids for months. There's nothing wrong with doing that.
Needhope said:
When I see someone walking outside or on tv, it makes me jealous. I want to be like them. It kinda sends me into a brief sadness because I’m trying so hard to put the pain in the back of my mind,
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You will be like them one day. But, goodness, it's still less than a month since you had your TKR. You are expecting too much, too soon of yourself and your knee.

Complete recovery from a TKR takes a full year. This is still very early days.
 
Interesting fact I stumbled across while reviewing my prescriptions from my TKR’s. Both TKR’s were performed by same OS. But not one prescription had his name on the bottles that were prescribed to me. They were either from hospital doctors or from his colleague he has his practice with. I’m wondering if it’s possible that he was stripped of his ability to prescribe because of a prior incident, maybe the story he had told me about when he over prescribed and caused a patient dependence on them. I don’t know but it seems strange to me his name didn’t appear as the prescription prescriber physician. Hmmm.
 
That can happen that physicans lose their rights to prescribe scheduled drugs ( narcotic type) .
 
@Needhope, that's very interesting. There might be another reason why your OS won't prescribe your pain meds. I'd try your PCP, if I were you. Tell him exactly what you just wrote. He's bound to be more understanding.
 
It’s been 4 weeks. It hurts badly to stand on my knee. Is this normal?
 
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