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TKR Am not dead!

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Are you walking 'heal, toe, heal, toe'? That's one of the best ways to improve extension.

[Bonesmart.org] Am not dead!
 
Congratulations and welcome home! I can't imagine getting this flu at the beginning of my recovery. I GET what you are saying about getting comfortable. I think that was more of my problem during my first days. My comfortable haven was my recliner. I am grateful for everyone that suggested a recliner. I love it and even slept in it for the first 3 weeks. Happy healing!
 
I went home on crutches instead of a walker. I knew I was ready to graduate to a cane when I kept leaving my crutches around. You sound like you are doing great. Ignore the ninny's who tell you the lie of ROM. Let your knee heal and exercise accordingly. Less now while it is tender, more later wihen it is more healed.
Make sure you aren't short-changing yourself on pain meds. You must be comfortable to make any progress in this recovery.
Best of luch to you!
Sandy
 
Nope.. Connecticut! It's crazy, isn't it? One doesn't usually take these things into account when planning a big surgery..and I could tell the hospital was freaked out by all the sudden admits. The fact that one of the isolation wards was on the orthopedic floor scared the living **** out of me. That paper gown they wear into isolation was not at all reassuring.. I too had heard stories of people who had gotten infections or viruses which went to the new joint and required a re-do. Just the thought made me want to hurl myself out the window (but ha ha! I was crippled, so no hurling was possible!). I was clinging to sanity by a thread anyway because of all the pain I was i,, so once 72 hours at home had passed and I didn't have anything..boy was I happy!!
 
I see my surgeon tomorrow to get my staples out and I plan to have the big pain management discussion with him then. I have not had anything below a 4 on the pain scale since I got home and it's wearing me out. After PT I go up to 7 or 8 and have a hell of a time the rest of the day. ALL my pre and post op concerns/ questions/discussions had to do with pain, (since I have fibromyalgia and am already tired from being in that kind of pain all the time). I discussed them with the surgeon, his PA and anyone else I could think of..and being proactive like this did exactly nothing..I got yessed to death, then received the same protocol as everyone else.
 
I sure hope that your doctor visit goes well tomorrow and that you get better help with your pain management. Hang in there!
 
Yes, give them heck! I hate it when I find out that I wasn't listened to on something important - and for goodness sakes, your story was hard to forget! Seems like they need a lesson in really listening.
The last 15 - 20 minutes of my PT they are elevating, icing, and putting the TENS unit on my knee so I'm in no pain or discomfort at all when I leave. Are your people doing anything like that for you, or just expecting you to do it on your own when you get home? Frankly, I wasn't expecting them to do this but I have to say it's a nice surprise especially when I'm faced with either a long drive home or back to work afterwards.
I'm also going to be doing aquatic therapy once per week, but that may increase when we're finally able to get my extension where it needs to be. Is that an option for you? And Josephine, that proper heel to toe is what my PT kept stressing being so important even if I don't exercise when I'm a home, I should always be mindful of that.
 
Lovin' my Vicodin, for sure, coupled with aspirin (DVT prevention) and alternating V with plain ol' Tylenol. I take half a Vicodin, not a whole, as I would just sleep all day. And night. 7-8 after PT isn't good.
 
You're lucky that Vicodin works for you..it doesn't do a whole lot for me at all. Even the Dilaudid, unless I take 4mg,it's pretty useless. I toss in Tylenol and an Rx muscle relaxant as well..and even so pain only goes down to 3 for two hours at best. Grrr!
 
My PT does ice me down right after therapy but I don't have a TENs unit..I don't think my policy cover's one and they're like a thousand dollars a month out of pocket. right now I still have PT at the house..I don't think I could drive anywhere if my life depended on it..as my Grandma used to say, I feel weak as a kitten!
 
Doing much better this evening..I got my staples out today, but more importantly I got put on meds that actually address my pain and let me do my PT. I can even concentrate enough to read now.
My surgeon's PA apologized to me for not having an order in place to increase my pain meds after my nerve block was removed. My first question to him was what the hell happened there, since I had discussed this concern with him long in advance. Hearing that he pretty much forgot was not reassuring, but now I am on Oxycontin every 12 hours with Dilaudid for any breakthrough pain and I feel human for the first time since they removed the nerve block, so I shall move on and forgive.
 
Good to hear that you let them know where they dropped the ball and that they've got your pain managed a bit better. Forgot about you still having at home PT, so is why I made the comment I did earlier on. Like you, the vicodin doesn't do much for me, but it does take the edge off. Don't know that it's much better than an OTC, but I'm taking it. Also, it doesn't seem that much different than the oxycodone. I know that it's a controlled substance, yada yada, but frankly I don't notice a difference when I take it. Mine must be a very low dose, because I don't see what the big deal is or what would cause me or anyone to get addicted. The Oxycontin is a heavy-duty variety, I think? I'm surprised that you've got something strong enough to control your pain really well that still allows you to concentrate enough to read. When I was in the hospital, I found it impossible to read with whatever they were giving me.
 
I've never understood the excitement about Vicoden either, but I have always needed more of anything than most people do. Also, for several years I was on Percocet 10's for my fibromyalgia..2, a day and a third if I had to function in the evening..so I am used to opioid medications. So that's probably why I can function pretty normally on these things.I went off the meds 5 weeks before surgery, so things would be more effective afterwards but it didn't seem to help.

Now I'm on Oxycontin every 12 hours and if I have breakthrough pain, I have Dliaudid. I'm so relieved..my pain hasn't been below a 4 since the hospital, and after therapy it was usually a 7 or 8 for the rest of the day.

I think the people who abuse these drugs have never had any kind of long-term chronic pain. Everyone I know of who takes pain meds for ongoing pain management would never dream of abusing them..we need them to work too desperately to even think about using them for anything other than their intended purpose!
I can't believe you had both knees done so close together! Where did you find the courage?
 
Ms fixit, you are very early out from your surgery (if you can put your surgery date in your signature it helps) so you are too early to be doing this yet. But when your OS gives you the OK (mine wanted my incision with no scabs). I highly recommend the pool as a wonderful way to improve your extension and stretch. My leg has not been straight for several years, and I found the water walking in the pool and the stretching afterwards in the warm whirlpool, to be the absolute best exercise to develop and improve my gait and increase my ROM. It is low impact, is a wonderful exercise if you have other joint issues or fibromyalgia and is just the best all over body workout as you work against the water resistance. I can't recommend it enough and hope you have access to a pool. I go to the pool 3x a week and I walk the best after I leave.
 
Thanks Lisa! I tried to put my info regarding surgery etc on my profile(it was left knee, Jan2nd this year), but I see it didn't register, so I'll try again.I just registered for PT at a facility today..but I don;'t think they have a pool. It sounds ideal though from a rehab standpoint so maybe they can direct me to a facility.
I never thought I'd be glad to have muscle spasms in my sleep, but thanks to them, I now have full extension! I woke up my second night in the hospital and that leg was rigid and straight as a board. Why the pain didn't wake me I'll never know because relaxing it from that position was very scream-y and shriek-y.
Anyway, thanks much for the swimming suggestion,I'll be sure and look into it.
 
You might find this chart useful as it grades the different meds in order of strength and in comparison to the usual standard dose of morphine - you will see that NSAIDS are right down the bottom there!

[Bonesmart.org] Am not dead!
 
Click on your name at the top of the screen and select the menu item called Signature. Then just put whatever you want and save the changes. I hope you find a pool. You might look for a county rec center but hotels also often let you use poll for a nominal fee.
 
I second the swimming suggestion. I did an arthritis class at the warm-water pool today, and it was perfect. The pool's run by one of the local hospitals but is open to the public for a fee. I did an ai chi (like tai chi) class last week; also great. Google "therapy pool" and your city and see what pops up. Or I bet your PT knows. It sounds like you're doing great; keep it up.
 
Aha! 'Therapy pool!' Excellent google idea..thanks very much.
 
I am glad you are on some decent pain meds now, and can concentrate on what you need to do. Not being in pain makes a big difference, I hope everything goes forward for you here on out:flwrysmile:
 
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