OP
OP
TKR Approximate 2 year update
- Thread starter wings
- Start date
swmrgirl
senior
OP
OP
wings
senior
My older son and his wife came for a long visit. It was great seeing them. he saw my adult coloring book and asked if he completed one would I hang it on the refrigerator 
. He worked on it for several hours and it is not half completed. Guess that book will last through both knees.
Another day of icing, elevating and 3 sessions of CPM machine. Sometime Friday, my knee swelled a little more, but by last night the swelling had diminished quite a bit. Pain level was more tolerable and it was no longer challenging to go for 6 hours.
I had my first shower yesterday, complete with shampoo! Great!!
So far the TKR experience has been much less painful than I imagined. I am diligent in the icing and elevating. I want to mention that I am using a Game Ready for icing. My insurance is not covering it so It is out of pocket. I read about Game Ready on this site. After purchasing a nonfunctional Cothere Vpulse on eBay, I decided with two knees to be done to look into a GameReady. Any future TKR's might want to include Game Ready on their investigate list. It is possible to rent from the company. Some PT depts use them.
I have a 6 pm appt with PT. hoping it goes well.
I also wanted to mention, I was not happy with the nursing care I received. frequently there was more than an hour between my request and action. Thankfully meds were delivered on time, but icing was a big failure. I went a day with essentially no ice. I would be given lukewarm gel pack. Supposedly I had three packs which were to be kept in rotation for my use. After first day, I never received a cold ice pack. No one offered a regular ice pack. They seemed tied to using gel packs even if they were warm. I was not given a reason as to why mine were not cold. During that experience, I ordered a case of 24 instant ice packs for less than $18.00 to have available for my next surgery. More disturbing was when I noticed the ice packs were not labeled with my name only the outer bag. There's no way to know why my bags were not cold, but they could have been used in other patients. I asked to speak with director of nursing to express my disappointment and concern. Any future TKR's might want to pack some instant ice packs in case of staff failure to deliver.
Hopefully this information will be helpful.
Have a great day fellow smarties!
. He worked on it for several hours and it is not half completed. Guess that book will last through both knees. Another day of icing, elevating and 3 sessions of CPM machine. Sometime Friday, my knee swelled a little more, but by last night the swelling had diminished quite a bit. Pain level was more tolerable and it was no longer challenging to go for 6 hours.
I had my first shower yesterday, complete with shampoo! Great!!
So far the TKR experience has been much less painful than I imagined. I am diligent in the icing and elevating. I want to mention that I am using a Game Ready for icing. My insurance is not covering it so It is out of pocket. I read about Game Ready on this site. After purchasing a nonfunctional Cothere Vpulse on eBay, I decided with two knees to be done to look into a GameReady. Any future TKR's might want to include Game Ready on their investigate list. It is possible to rent from the company. Some PT depts use them.
I have a 6 pm appt with PT. hoping it goes well.
I also wanted to mention, I was not happy with the nursing care I received. frequently there was more than an hour between my request and action. Thankfully meds were delivered on time, but icing was a big failure. I went a day with essentially no ice. I would be given lukewarm gel pack. Supposedly I had three packs which were to be kept in rotation for my use. After first day, I never received a cold ice pack. No one offered a regular ice pack. They seemed tied to using gel packs even if they were warm. I was not given a reason as to why mine were not cold. During that experience, I ordered a case of 24 instant ice packs for less than $18.00 to have available for my next surgery. More disturbing was when I noticed the ice packs were not labeled with my name only the outer bag. There's no way to know why my bags were not cold, but they could have been used in other patients. I asked to speak with director of nursing to express my disappointment and concern. Any future TKR's might want to pack some instant ice packs in case of staff failure to deliver.
Hopefully this information will be helpful.
Have a great day fellow smarties!
OP
OP
wings
senior
Just finished my second OP PT appt. They are very happy with my progress. My flexion is 90, extension 0. I was able to walk unassisted with an almost normal gait. I go back Wednesday.
I have had some popping in knee and sometimes pain when weight bearing. PT says not to worry.
I have had some popping in knee and sometimes pain when weight bearing. PT says not to worry.
Slainte
post-grad
Very nice! I know how great that shower felt. Sorry that your nursing care was not up to snuff, and kudos to you for letting the powers that be know about it. Might help the next victim. You are doing great!
Wanttobebiking
graduate
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Thosee gel packs are worthless in the beginning when the knee is so hot. That is terrible that the hospital did not provide ice, which is so important in the beginning. I used a cryocuff and was instructed to bring that to the surgical center and lived in it there and at home for the first week.
So glad your pain is under control and that PT is going well. Sounds like you will do fine.
American white pelicans are moving south.
So glad your pain is under control and that PT is going well. Sounds like you will do fine.
American white pelicans are moving south.
OP
OP
wings
senior
@Wanttobebiking, I'll be on the lookout for the white pelicans.
Braunzie
graduate
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@wings - Just catching up from the weekend. Sounds like you are doing GREAT! Walking unassisted already? That is amazing! (at least compared to my experience!) Good for you!!! 
And I remember getting my first shower after surgery.... It's another "step" in the marathon! 
I'm going to update my thread on my weekend.. Got some pics, but .. got reminded that I still need more recovery on my knee.. I think my hopes were a little too high.. - but there will be more opportunities in the future..
And I remember getting my first shower after surgery.... It's another "step" in the marathon! I'm going to update my thread on my weekend.. Got some pics, but .. got reminded that I still need more recovery on my knee.. I think my hopes were a little too high.. - but there will be more opportunities in the future..
OP
OP
wings
senior
@Braunzie, I'm feeling so good. I only walk unassisted at PT with the safety strap around my waist. It was fun. First I walked with walker, then I walked with cane and then it was a lap around PT on my own. My therapist said I'm doing extremely well, but to not absolutely not do this on my own. At this point to always walk with a cane. So I ordered a cane last night.
The stretches I do at PT really relax my leg. I can now make it 6 hours between pain pills.
That first shower is ahhhhhhh moment.
Can't wait to read all about your weekend. And regarding chiggers, may all your knowledge be book knowledge. Chiggers love me.
The stretches I do at PT really relax my leg. I can now make it 6 hours between pain pills.
That first shower is ahhhhhhh moment.
Can't wait to read all about your weekend. And regarding chiggers, may all your knowledge be book knowledge. Chiggers love me.
I beg to differ. I found they produced more cooling than the machine used in hospital.
I used gel packs exclusively and found them very efficient. I had 4 and kept them all in the freezer, except for the one in use. Each frozen gel pack would cool my knee for about 45 minutes.
Of course, a luke-warm one is worse than useless.
Wanttobebiking
graduate
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My knee must have been really hot then, because they gel packs were warm after 15 minutes in the beginning. Now they last 45 minutes or so and I find them much more convenient than the cryocuff. With the cryocuff, every half hour I would have to empty the sleeve and refill it but at least the container of ice water remained cold for about 8 hours. But like I said, I lived in my cryocuff for the first week or two. I would have needed a dozen or so gel packs to do what the cryocuff did.
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OP
OP
wings
senior
Day 8 post-op.
I had OP PT again today. It went well. My flexion today was 96. PT is pleased with my progress.
Today after taking a shower, I had to elevate my leg for 30 minutes to get the extreme swelling down.
Have really lost my appetite. I'm taking Norco 2 every 6 hours. Sometimes before the six hours I have pain at a level 4 or 5. Icing has taken that pain away.
Hope everyone is having a nice evening.
I had OP PT again today. It went well. My flexion today was 96. PT is pleased with my progress.
Today after taking a shower, I had to elevate my leg for 30 minutes to get the extreme swelling down.
Have really lost my appetite. I'm taking Norco 2 every 6 hours. Sometimes before the six hours I have pain at a level 4 or 5. Icing has taken that pain away.
Hope everyone is having a nice evening.
Braunzie
graduate
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@wings - I think I spent the first 4 weeks "resting, icing, and elevating" about 85-90% of the time... whenever I wasn't doing PT or my "home" exercises... You got through the first week wonderfully!!!! I also didn't have an appetite AT ALL for about the first 4 weeks.. and not much after that.. until recently.. I lost 20 pounds, now I'm trying to KEEP IT OFF!!! (sigh.. I was editing some cooking pictures I had taken before my surgery today.. and they looked SO GOOD!!!! I can tell the days of "no appetite" are lost.. DARN!! 
)
)
OP
OP
wings
senior
.My recovery has gone smoothly so far. I am so thankful for that and hope it continues.
Braunzie
graduate
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I hope it continues too!!!!! 
Texasez
new member
Wings.
Can you tell me any info on how the game ready is doing for you? Did you get the articulating knee sleeve? How hard is it to set up and keep it running or do you have to get someone to do it for you. Are you renting from the Game Ready company, a local company, or buy? Can you use anything other than ice in machine like maybe a reusable gel pack.
I assume from your posts that you are in the coastal area somewhere. I am in Lubbock and having my tkr October 20th.
Any info you can give me would be appreciated regarding the game ready system.
I am not a bird watcher but have been an outdoorsman for all my adult life. That said, there was a Artic Gyrfalcon that came south with the geese a few years ago and perched on the water towers here and feasted on the geese. I went over to see him and was impressed with all the people there watching him. They even let me see him through their spotting scopes. Cool bird.
Can you tell me any info on how the game ready is doing for you? Did you get the articulating knee sleeve? How hard is it to set up and keep it running or do you have to get someone to do it for you. Are you renting from the Game Ready company, a local company, or buy? Can you use anything other than ice in machine like maybe a reusable gel pack.
I assume from your posts that you are in the coastal area somewhere. I am in Lubbock and having my tkr October 20th.
Any info you can give me would be appreciated regarding the game ready system.
I am not a bird watcher but have been an outdoorsman for all my adult life. That said, there was a Artic Gyrfalcon that came south with the geese a few years ago and perched on the water towers here and feasted on the geese. I went over to see him and was impressed with all the people there watching him. They even let me see him through their spotting scopes. Cool bird.
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OP
OP
wings
senior
Hey @Texasez, I really like the Game Ready. I am using the straight knee sleeve.and it is working great for me. The articulating sleeve might have been better since I'm also doing the CPM machine, but I did not have that option as I bought mine used with the straight knee pad and then bought a new sleeve for it. The way my recovery space is it is not easy for me to set it up myself post surgery. However I think if you have something to elevate it as high as your recliner or bed it would be self-doable. My husband has been assisting with it. I use 7 or 8 small 9 or 10 ounce frozen water bottles in it at a time. I suggest having at least a set of three. Those bottles will keep the water cold for about 5 or 6 hours (I initially chill the water that will be going in the reservoir).
I'm not sure what the company rental on this is. It seems I read $300-$500 for a 2 week period. My insurance BC/BS does not cover any of the icing equipment, but some companies do. I'm having both knees done and one of my sons has knee issues so I knew the device would be used. After purchasing, I found out the PT center I'm using has a Game Ready for icing their patients post PT. that machine is in high demand as many patients like it.
I also like that you can set it to meet individual criteria. I'm using the auto 2 program which is on for 30 min, medium compression then off for 30 minutes. I've had a time or 2 where I got behind on pain meds and pain hit 7 or 8. I could quickly bring down the pain with the Game Ready.
I recommend checking local PT departments to see if any use the GameReady and if they would be open to letting you see how it works.
Good luck on your surgery! If I missed something let me know.
I'm not sure what the company rental on this is. It seems I read $300-$500 for a 2 week period. My insurance BC/BS does not cover any of the icing equipment, but some companies do. I'm having both knees done and one of my sons has knee issues so I knew the device would be used. After purchasing, I found out the PT center I'm using has a Game Ready for icing their patients post PT. that machine is in high demand as many patients like it.
I also like that you can set it to meet individual criteria. I'm using the auto 2 program which is on for 30 min, medium compression then off for 30 minutes. I've had a time or 2 where I got behind on pain meds and pain hit 7 or 8. I could quickly bring down the pain with the Game Ready.
I recommend checking local PT departments to see if any use the GameReady and if they would be open to letting you see how it works.
Good luck on your surgery! If I missed something let me know.
OP
OP
wings
senior
Day 9 post op
Today I moved the CPM machine to 105 degrees flexion. I'm averaging 4 hours a day in the CPM. Pain meds are still 2 Norco every 6 hours plus 500 mg Robaxin every 6 hours. Pain is well controlled. I'm icing all the time except for time using CPM machine. Appetite is returning.
Hope all bonesmarties are doing well!
Today I moved the CPM machine to 105 degrees flexion. I'm averaging 4 hours a day in the CPM. Pain meds are still 2 Norco every 6 hours plus 500 mg Robaxin every 6 hours. Pain is well controlled. I'm icing all the time except for time using CPM machine. Appetite is returning.
Hope all bonesmarties are doing well!
