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TKR At home TKR recovery questions<

Did you see your PCP? He can prescribe pain meds for you if the OS won't.
 
No I have not seen my pcp as I thought that only the os would be able to do it.
 
If your OS isn't helping it can't hurt to ask the PCP. How much elevating/icing are you doing and does it help?
 
I ice as much as possible throughout the whole day and night. Elevating not as often as it tends to start hurting on the leg wedge pillow.
 
I would try pillows then if the wedge is hurting. I'm 2 months out today and I still get aches and pains, especially is I overdo. Whenever I'm sitting in my recliner, I'm icing. I also elevate at night, but found I can only ice for a little while at a time because I get too chilled. The wraps work pretty good at night. They stay cold just long enough, but don't freeze me up! It sounds like everything you're going through is completely normal. It's aggravating, isn't it?! But, in the end it'll all be worth it.
 
Bebita said:
leg wedge pillow.
Click to expand...

Ya know, I bought one of those in anticipation of my upcoming surgery, but found it hard and uncomfortable even before surgery, so figured it would be even worse after.

What I did instead was make a pillow stack, pinned together with giant safety pins from amazon. It's soft, comfortable, and provides just the right level of elevation while allowing just a slight comfortable bend.

Take a look, hope you feel better

[Bonesmart.org] At home TKR recovery questions<
 
Sometimes I elevated on the ottoman with pillows and sometimes I didn't use pillows, but my leg was rarely down. If I was horribly swollen (dinner and the theater) I'd elevate and ice by laying flat on half the sofa, then propping my legs up on the sofa arm. That got my knee higher than my heart and brought the swelling and pain down. It actually felt good.
 
I will definitely have to try the pillow idea. That wedoesn't pillow is definitely hard and uncomfortable. I have to locate those safety pins on amazon. Will also be doing the sofa thing you mentioned.

I'm glad this is all a normal part of the healing process because I start thinking it's just me going through some of the things. What is the usual amount of time that someone would be out of work following this procedure. I know it varies per person but just wanted a rough idea.

Was pondering the idea of attempting to drive in my complex parking lot to see I'll be okay with it as I have not driven in about 5 weeks now. Also wanted to go to Walmart but my husband does not think it's a good idea and says I will pay for it later. I'm sure he's right.
 
I agree with your husband, Walmart is not a good idea. I believe you need to really take it easy until the pain is under control. You're 5 weeks out and really shouldn't be out shopping. Make hubby a list. I'm including the activity progression chart from the library. Even though I wasn't on BS during my TKR, I found that I followed the activity chart pretty closely.

My OS told me to take 12 weeks off work, I thought I could do this in 2 months/8weeks. So when I wrote my letter to the school board I was planning on returning at 8 weeks. That didn't happen, I went back at 12 weeks and I went back part time, mornings only. My OS wrote the script, so there was no budging from it. Even at 12 weeks, part time, I was tired and went home to ice, elevate and nap. I went back full time 6 weeks later, but the tiredness continued for about 5-6 months, a bit less every week though.

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-tkrs.14334/
 
Thanks for the activity list. I guess it's that cabin fever feeling taking over where I start getting stir crazy. I really just want to go for a bit but know that you are right.

As for work, I am assuming that you are a teacher though I could be wrong. I work full-time in the main office at an elementary school. Though a secretary is known for sitting at their desktop typing etc. Far from the case for me, I'm jumping all around the office, nurses office, occasionally a classroom etc. Again my wishful thinking figured I could have the procedure done while off in summer and would be okay to go back to work by the 2nd to last week of August like I'm supposed to. Now I am concerned that it will not happen as I planned. Even pictured bring an ice pack with me that I could leave in the freezer in the office.

I'm proud that I'm doing good and my rom and extension are good as per os but at the same time frustrated that I can't do the rest yet. Patience is definitely not my virtue.
 
I was/am a teacher. I decided to retire after 38 years this past June. I taught elementary, but specifically 1st grade for 37 years. If you feel you need to go back with the beginning of the school year, I'm sure they'd approve a few weeks of part time/half days. I know what goes into the beginning of a school year. I went back to school with a bum knee, planned on getting it done Oct. 29th instead of August or September, because of the importance of setting the tone of my classroom for a year.

When I returned I did take ice packs with me, sometimes using them on the drive home and sometimes in class. I totally get cabin fever, as I was recovering in the middle of the Polar Vortex. When the weather permits (heat) sit outside with your leg elevated and iced in the shade. If there's a theater with those lovely recliners take in a movie. We'd sometimes stop for lunch or breakfast after Drs appointments (I saw my OS twice a week for a while) but I always made sure to prop my leg up. Theses little things helped me cabin fever and feel a little normal.
 
Thank you for the helpful tips. About a week or two ago we took the grandkids to the movies with those new recliner seats. Of course I was like well that went pretty good and then cooked dinner. Yeah that was a mistake. Have to keep reminding myself that because I did one think doesn't mean to push till I can't anymore. One small step at a time, I have to keep saying.
 
Thanks for the link for the large safety pins. I ordered them today and will set up the older pillows like displayed in your picture. Hoping to get some rest as knee is kicking myself butt right now. Hope you all have a nice evening.
 
Not much luck for me lately. I woke up with one eye totally red with gunk. Yup, pink eye. Don't know how I got it, no one sick in house. Just adds to my fun.
 
Oh my goodness, if it isn't one thing it's another. I pray you heal quickly from both of your problems!
 
I don't know if it's me feeling stir crazy or if I'm going backwards. First I went to take a shower today and while I was attempting to shave the none operated leg, I got totally lightheaded, feeling like I was going to collapse. I yelled for my husband who got the shower chair for me while complaining about me attempting it alone. Figured I should be able to do it already without help. Maybe because all the weight was on the operated leg.

I don't eat normally since the surgery. I am pretty sure I've lost weight (something I'm not complaining about).

Knee hurts when bent for a period of time and feels swollen when bending. At night when I am attempting to rest with ice pack on me I will feel a pulsating throbbing pain in my ankle and foot. Is that normal? Everytime when I think I have one thing figured out and how to deal with it something new pops up and starts to bother me.

I don't like relying on people to help me. I like being the one helping others. Sorry down on myself and miserable
 
Oh, dear, Bebita, if you're still taking meds they can cause lightheadedness. I had to be very careful when getting up in the AM and if I bent down.
I can't say what your throbbing night pain is but lots of us have various night pains, throbbing, electric shock type sensations. Your body is repairing nerves and tissues.
I had no appetite for a long time. I was sensitive to smells and the look of food....it went on for a long time. Yet I didn't even lose any weight!
A lot of this is normal. See if it's the same sensations, or do they differ.

I totally relate to the dependence issue. But try to remember it's only temporary.
 
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I often felt lightheaded in the shower. I thought it was the combo of warm water, standing for a period of time, bending up/down and meds. Have that shower chair handy for the next month. Eating wasn't normal for me or many others for a while also. My appetite wasn't there and I craved weird combinations of food.

I had to learn how to ask and accept help from family and friends. It's difficult, but necessary. It's also good to understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of help. I think it made me more sympathetic, understanding and patient when others are recovering. I never understood why my friends were so tired after a surgery. I mean weren't they just laying in bed in the hospital? Why couldn't they read while recuperating? I totally get it now. You can't hurry the healing. Our bodies need time, rest, sleep to heal.

This recovery is a roller coaster ride, up and down. As far as night pain, be sure you're not skipping pain meds at night. If you were too active during the day your knee may be telling you to settle down. I hope you were able to get some rest.
 
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