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TKR ACK! OMG! TKR on May 29th

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Elisea! How can you be behind anyone when it's only been four days? Those numbers are silly and meaningless at this point. You are exactly where YOU are meant to be right now, because it's you, not some one else. Watch your progress against yourself, no one else! And we'll be cheering YOUR progress:yay: There's no race here. :friends:
 
Silly billy elisea of course you are not behind you are doing great and some swell more than others so get plenty rest you are lucky to be able to sleep well so take advantage and sleep as much as you can and keep up the good work
 
I was in the hospital 4 nights! Getting out after 2 is WOW!
Don't worry about numbers now, that should be so far in the back of your mind!
The first week you just regroup. Will visiting nurses be coming? I had them for 3 weeks, also included in that were visits from a PT which were great. They started home PT in the second week, very gentle.
Rest, sleep, meds, ice, elevate. No other worries!
 
1ELISEA said:
[ I knew this was going to be hard, but OMG this is hard....

I only had surgery on Tuesday afternoon and I already feel I am behind everyone else that had surgery. Like flexion / extension should be at least 110/0. I am lucky to get it to bend enough to seat down. But the leg is hugely swollen so that doesn't help.
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Relax!!!! You are just hours out of surgery, don't even THINK about numbers. Don't do HARD, do EASY. If something is too much ----- don't do it. If even thinking about doing something is too hard, don't do that either.

Think (if, see above, it's not too hard) about all the relaxing you should now be doing, for ages.Watching telly. Having someone fetch the remote for you. Having someone push the buttons on the remote for you.
Well, time for my nap. I am not having problems sleeping at night like others have reported. I am having problems staying awake long enough to take a nap between sleep periods. :th_heehee:
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:yes 4::thumb: Keeeeeeeerrrreket!!!

Don't stress the falling asleep between naps before you have to go to bed. If you doze off waiting to fall asleep, this is good.

It's even good if it happens in the middle of a senten...
 
Please do not compare yourself to anybody else---you are not llike anybody else and you do not heal in the same manner as everybody else. this healing/recovery is a journey that takes some time, so, after four days, you are just getting started.

Of course your leg is swollen! consider what happened to it--it was cut open and two bones were sawed off---you have to expect it to be swollen---for some time!

Hang in there and be patient---this recoveryis a road that takes quite a few steps---and you have just begun!
 
Bless your sweet heart. If you are feeling ok, you re doing great. Thank goodness for family. Take care!
 
Oh my I am tired, and swollen. I think I was out of the hospital too early but the dr thought I spent a day too long. Total time in hospital 2 nights.

It wouldn't be so bad if the pain was gone, but it's not. I am Hydromorphone 2 mg, 1 or 2 every 4 hours. Interspersed with Hydrocodone / acetaminophen 5/325, 1 or 2 every 4 hours.

Josephine, what do you think of the dosage, I go back to the drs midweek and can ask/ demand more if not enough. @Josephine:

Also, I can't take a lot of NSAIDs so the BS Cocktail is not something I can stomach (a pun) right now. But I can take more Tylenol if needed.

I know they had a hard time in Pacu controlling my pain, finally said she had given me twice as much as anyone else and couldn't give me anymore and sent me to a room. Ummm, ok, except that I was still in pain, but they were giving me good doses in the hospital after returning to my room that worked pretty well.

It hurts where they operated and it is so swollen it hurts when my leg bends to get off the bed. OMG. Hope this was the right step (yes even in pain I am making puns) to take.

And no home health care, my OS is hardcore and doesn't believe in it according to the person checking me out of the hospital. He thinks you should do everything for yourself. Including giving myself Fragmin injections, which I actually don't have a problem doing as a nurse showed me a painless way to give them.
 
Hi Elisea,
Can you call your OS's service and ask for help to control the pain? I may be naive, but I don't think that you should have to wait a few days for that. They must have something that they can add to help you be more comfortable. Keep on them. If you don't speak up, they will just assume that you are doing fine on what you have. Let us know what works.
Take it easy. I love that you still have your sense of humor!
 
I'm sorry you're having a hard time right now. Are you taking your medication on time? First night in the hospital I was 2 hours late asking for my medication, didn't worry about it because I was feeling pretty good. Well that didn't last and it took me quite awhile to get the pain back under control. After that I set the alarm on my cell phone and asked for meds every 4 hours. I'm still doing that at home too. I don't have any one here to help me get through by giving me a little morphine if I'm late with my meds.
Even with this being my second knee I still have to think about what I'm doing when I stand up and it still hurts. But it will get better. Be kind to yourself and be patient, you’re going to do great. And keep that sense of humor! It does help.
 
I do hope you are able to get your pain under control. It says much about you able to make jokes and feel so bad.
Hope you feel better soon!
 
Hi Elisea,
You shouldn't be in so much pain, I hope that you can get some help with that. Don't worry about ROM and such, This is a long process and patience is the key to a healthy recovery. Just try to ice, elevate, take your drugs on time, and sleep when you can. I had 5 days in hospital before coming home.
So remember early days. You have weeks and months to reach your potential.
 
Hi Elisea, it is of utmost importance to get your pain under control, so that your body can relax, rest, sleep and do it's healing. I do hope that you can get help with this very soon.

Hang in there! Keep us posted. We care. :friends:
 
Elisea- I had to call my OS' office and request additional pain meds in the beginning, although I was on dilaudid 4mg (1-2 every 4 hours)- initially that was not enough.
Then they put me on 10 days of oxycontin interspersed with the dilaudid. So ask for extra pain meds now, because the first month is when they are necessary.
Good luck!
 
Keeping that sense of the ridiculous even in the face of pain! You are a wonder!!!!

But don't wait 'til mid-week. Call first thing tomorrow and get a script for something that will take care of the pain. You do not have to be miserable and should not have to be. DEMAND DRUGS!!

I'm really so sorry that you're having this problem--it really isn't fair and it shouldn't have happened. And, of course, you're asking yourself, "Why did I ever do this?" When you get the pain thing under control and have a coupe or three weeks under your belt---you'll know why.

Take good care of yourself and keep us posted. We care.
 
What makes you think the pain is going to "be gone" in the first 5 days? That's expecting miracles! You don't mention elevating and icing. That's an essential part of your pain management. Where pain meds aren't cutting it, ice and elevation can often make a significant difference.

I'm not too familiar with hydromorphone so really can't comment except to say that if your present prescription isn't doing the job and your OS isn't sympathetic, go see your GP instead.

Of course, you could try not taking the hydromorpone and take 2 of the Hydrocodone/apap instead and see if that works. Sometimes you do just need to juggle with pain meds and find out what works and what doesn't.

As for coping on your own, what's to stop you getting help off family and friends? He might be 'hardcore' but that doesn't mean you have to listen to everything he says - especially in this as he has it dead wrong!

If it helps any, you might like to read My knee recovery - UK style as I had to go it alone. It's quite doable providing you don't bother about washing up, major meal prep, dust bunnies or anyone else's requirements!
 
are you saying that the pain comes back between doses, it doesn't touch the pain, or you always have some pain?

i think having some pain (not bad) is probably to be expected,but if it's going up to a 6 or 7 even while the meds are on board, then something's not working well.
Definitely call the doc's office tomorrow--early--because you know it can take while to get a call back.

It's terrible that they sent you home so early--evidently before they had your pain properly managed. Resting, icing and elevating is your "job" right now. Your "hardcore" OS should have just a few hours of post tkr experience to get a clue. :hissyfit:
 
Thanks Josephine. OK, unrealistic expectations I guess. I read about these TKR's who stand up and immediately know that the original pain is gone and all that is left is healing pain. So I was naively expecting that to happen. Not the case for me apparently.

As for elevating and icing, yes constantly. I have it in the CPM machine which elevates it and then last night I elevated it a good foot above the rest of me, and it's still pretty swollen. And ice, yes lots and lots and lots of icing going on.

The Hydromorphone is aka Dilaudid in the USA and is stronger than the Hydrocodone. I am changing out between the two, but I'll up the dosage and call the OS tomorrow about getting more.

Josephine, I reread your saga about going it alone and realize how brave you were to do that. Right now I am staying with family and they are cooking and helping with everything including keeping me supplied with ice. Don't know how I'd do it on my own.

I'll hang in here and hope that it gets better but trying to understand it takes time.
 
Ok, I am taking a nap and trying again later Kneeper. I answered your post and then blew it away.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 
Hi Elisa!

Welcome to the other side. Don't worry about flexion and extension, they will come when the swelling goes down.

I am glad to hear you are at your sister's!:thumb:
 
I was on dilaudid (Internet sez 5x stronger than morphine) and MS Contin for three months. Last 2 months only. What I did was use 2mg more frequently instead of the 4mg of Dilaudid. Breaking the cycle of pain is essential.

I hope you find relief quickly.
 
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