MUA Aussie Icy Pole (popsicle)

[Reebok]

Just take care!

 

[kneeper]

I know I sat at one measurement for a while and my PT got me all upset--and I know better. Then, sure enough, I began gaining. What was different? The swelling was better. I was doing the same exercises.

 

[Lovestoread]

@dovemck, sounds like your head is on straight! That doctor doesn't know what he is talking about. Has he had TKR? I think you'll be better off at home (and another place for out-patient PT) where you can be in charge of your recovery. Please continue to post and let us know how your recovery is going….I have a feeling things are going to change for the better once you get out of there!

 

[tiredwife]

@dovemck Good for you! Speak up for your knee, no one else will protect it! Hubby didn't even hardly do any exercises with his old new knee for about 2 weeks and his flex went up 6 degrees and his extension went from a 1 to a 0. Flex and extension will improve with just everyday use for a year or better. As long as you are swollen they can't get an accurate read on it any way. All of our therapist have said because the bones they measure from are so big, the measurement can be off as much as 5 degrees.

 

[bottomshollow]

I'm packing up my toys -including my shiny new knee -and going home!!!

@dovemck, that you're doing this. I've been worrying about you---now I can relax, too.

Remember always that

 

[Jamie]

@Reebok You will notice that I have edited your post above slightly. Please do not post the photo you mentioned as it would also be unacceptable for the forum.

 

[Reebok]

@Reebok You will notice that I have edited your post above slightly. Please do not post the photo you mentioned as it would also be unacceptable for the forum.

Agreed, no issues from me (suitably chastised)

 

[Jamie]

Not chastised....by any means!!! I appreciate your strong and very appropriate emotion for the situation!!!

 

[dovemck]

I've been home for four days now and been taking it very easy, the swelling has gone down a bunch and now I'm beginning to feel muscle stiffness. I'm happy with that! I can work through stiffness but wasn't able to do anything with the swelling.

I have my first outpatient rehab appointment in a couple of hours. I'm praying that they have some decent people there and it's not a repeat of the drones at the inpatient rehab I've come from.

I see my doctor tomorrow to get my prescriptions straightened out. The doctor at rehab said I had enough drugs for about 4 weeks. They gave me a big bag of prescription goodness and a chart telling me what to take and when. Come to find out there isn't even enough of some drugs to get me through a whole week. When I left hospital my blood pressure was still low and they were still witholding my BP meds, but the take home pack said to get back on them, take them with breakfast and if they made me dizzy I should lie down for 2 hours. TWO HOURS, WTH?? Needless to say I haven't started back on them yet. I feel like I made a lucky escape that place.

Good to be back and chatting, can't wait to catch up with everyone.

 

[Reebok]

I believe that they dont want to release you with too many meds, as some others have not used theirs, and passed (sold) them on to others. Australia has a really restrictive view of 'protecting' us.
Having said that, how are you going to get a prescription for more without being present? And you are housebound for some time.
In my case, i stopped the endone after a short time. But I have had my moments when a few tablets have made the difference between being comfortable and being in lots of pain, so any spare tablets came in handy at that time.
Really only having four panadol a day, at evenings, but probably should have more. Thirty years of painkillers make me reluctant to take too many more unless really needed.

Just dont push it too far too soon, there is plenty of time.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[NetballKnees]

@dovemck ... so glad you are now home and can do things your way and happy your swelling is decreasing. You will be able to get so much more from your recovery as the swelling goes down. You may have had your outpatient PT by now and I hope it was exactly as you wanted it. I will be recovering myself soon as I have the other knee done tomorrow.
Just make sure you keep your pain meds up so that you are not chasing the pain. Your own GP should be able to help out with some pain relief ... maybe Tramadol or something similar? Mine did give me a second prescription for Endone after the first ran out, but when I first asked him for it, this was the look on his face as he explained over and over again that it was morphine and it was addictive.
Take Care dovemck and I hope your recovery proceeds steadily and with no setbacks for you.
Hugs ... Ellen

 

[dovemck]

So far so good on the new rehab place! My physio Imelda was keen to understand what's going on with my knee, how I got to where I am. I showed her pictures pre-surgery so she could get an idea how crooked the leg was. She was eager to see the scar - commenting how the curved part must have been very tender and how extra clips would have been used to close that part of the incision and how they would have made some of the rehab uncomfortable. Although it wasn't required, I brought my long-leg xray along and she put it up, studied it and made notes in my chart about how I must have been compensating.

She's not a bully, she's gentle and doesn't think I'm headed towards an MUA. Appointments are an hour and the patient / physio ratio is 2:1. Ortho has it's own gym, residential separate from outpatient. Cardio and neuro in their own gyms. There were all of 6 patients being treated whilst I was there - last place would have had 20+ patients in the same space!!

I've done almost NO exercises in the last 4 days since leaving the hospital, keen instead to get the swelling down. My knee is no longer a furnace kicking out heat, I can make out the outline of a knee cap and my ROM was 5 degrees better (60 passive) where my best at the hospital was only 55 using my body weight to force it and 40 passive.

It's all good.

 

[tiredwife]

@dovemck Sounds like you have a good therapist, that is half the battle, good for you!
Glad the swelling and heat are going down. keep us posted!

 

[dovemck]

@NetballKnees @Reebok - I should have been more specific about the drugs, I have enough Targin, Endone and Pandol Osteo to last a couple of weeks easy. What they shorted me on was Celebrex anti-inflammatory and Eliquis / Apixaban - blood thinner. Crazy right?

 

[dovemck]

Day 23 - Had a lousy night. It was the first day I didn't nap and my knee was achey all afternoon.It was nearly dinner time before I realized I missed my mid-day pills. As predicted, if you don't keep up the pain gets ahead of you and you spend all night scrambling to get ahead of it.

Lesson learned.

 

[tiredwife]

@dovemck Hope the pain didn't get too much out of control! Try to get some sleep!

 

[dovemck]

Day 24 -flexion 68 - two crutches.

My rehab place has a 'challenge' garden which I got to walk through today. First up is a cobblestone path (there are plenty of cobblestone roads and paths here in Melbourne Australia), then a section of big pebbles, small gravel, a ramp up, tan bark (thick mulch), down ramp and some sensory 'bumps' that are put on surfaces to help the blind navigate. How awesome is that????

 

[tiredwife]

@dovemck That is great!

 

[dovemck]

Okay, what is with the itching? Not just at the incision line but further on down the shin too. I want to scratch but the skin is still tender and delicate. Is this from after & lingering effects of swelling?

 

[tiredwife]

@dovemck Hubby says his itched all over. I think it might be from the nerve endings healing. He even rubbed a spot a little raw on his first knee. Ice might help the itching some. There are so many things that go along with recovery from TKR.