TKR Barnmom22's recovery thread<

[Pumpkin]

Is that where I should be five days after surgery?

That is great ROM only 5 days after your TKR! All you need are gentle Heel slides and how to do them and
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it .
Glad to hear your PT has a gentle approach.

 

[tjcteacher]

It sounds like you are doing great! Sleeping/nights have been and can still be my most difficult time. It does get better but it takes T I M E . At this point ice, elevation and rest are your best friends!

 

[sistersinhim]

Good job on talking to PT and letting them know where you stand. Stick to your guns!

 

[tjcteacher]

It sounds like you are doing great! Sleeping/nights have been and can still be my most difficult time. It does get better but it takes T I M E . At this point ice, elevation and rest are your best friends

 

[Happydale]

Good for you! I'm so glad your PT is nice and she sounds understanding. Mine promised not to push on my leg too, which was a relief to me. My flexion was 78 at my first PT visit the day after I came home from the hospital. I don't think she measured my extension. Especially considering all the pain you've been in, that sounds great to me. As of today I'm not supposed to have my knee bandaged. I absolutely hate having to face looking at that thing, but oddly it's reassuring not to worry that it has popped open when I bend my knee.

How are the pain meds doing?

 

[sistersinhim]

I was afraid to look at first, then I kept looking. It was fascinating to realize what went on under that incision!

 

[Josephine]

I waited until the end and sweetly asked her if she was familiar with Bone Smart. She was not. But she is now! She said its my knee and I am in charge and she's not interested in any pain inducing stretches or exercises.

Well done you! You appear to have struck gold with your PT! Terrific!

She measured 84 flexion and plus 5 extension. Is that where I should be five days after surgery?

For 5 days out that is amazing! Just keep resting it and all the rest. No exercises yet awhile, okay?

 

[Suz]

I waited until the end and sweetly asked her if she was familiar with Bone Smart. She was not. But she is now!

PERFECT-!!!

 

[Happydale]

I'm anxious to hear how your night went, but I'm hoping no news is good news!

 

[Barnmom22]

@Happydale Thanks for asking. The night was ok but I woke with a lot of soreness and pain. I was also anxious because the PT was due back at 8:30 am. I regretted letting her come back so soon. She said the right things but I can tell her goals are swifter and loftier than my own and than the bone smart mantra. She did try to push my knee and I told her that if she pushed it it didn't count. She said I was wrong. I let her show me some exercises and left. Next appt on Wednesday. Did you ever hear the line :"something wicked this way comes?" That's what goes through my mind when I hear p t.

After she left I had a healing two hour, Percocet enhanced nap. Managed to eat an egg and am still hoping for a visit from the poop fairy.

How are you doing?


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[uva55]

@Barnmom22, my PT is not bad, but I still would rather do it myself...I do my exercises at least 2x a day and I think I have improved since last week, I see her tomorrow, it's going to be a fun day, doctor and PT, I know how to live on the wild side.

The poop fairy needs to be fired, she is not doing her job very well, hahaha

I'm glad you are doing fairly well. Did you set your alarm for your pain meds during the night?

 

[sistersinhim]

I pray that poop fairy hurries up and visits you. It is such a relief once that's accomplished!

 

[Happydale]

That's a pretty good report, I'd say. I enjoyed your PT label - Something Evil This Way Comes. I wonder if the PT's know how we talk about them on BS! My current strategy is to avoid overdoing the PT exercises. I plan to do just a little more than the last time so I don't find out too late that it was too much. And I know what you mean about the PT goals being loftier than yours. I just want to be able to walk pain free. Most of the PTs seem to be avid athletes, and I think they assume we're trying to get back to playing basketball (by next week!).

I took a nap too, and fell asleep before my 2:00 pills. That was a mistake! Other than that, I'm doin' o.k.

 

[Barnmom22]

Having a rough afternoon. Experiencing higher pain, nausea and dizziness. Called Doctor. Spoke to PA. They outlined a regimen to give me relief. I worry that I am on the wrong Meds. I am taking morphine 15mg twice a day. Then Percocet half of 10 mg tabs as needed. Until today that kept the pain tolerable. I guess intentional torture is the price we pay for pain control. Any and all advice would be appreciated as I am misery personified.

 

[sistersinhim]

I am so sorry you're having a bad day. Can you get something for your nausea? I use anti-motion pills for my nausea. They make me sleepy, but we need to sleep anyway!

 

[newlybionic]

I'm sorry that you are having some problems with pain and nausea. I agree with Paula that you could possibly need something for the nausea. Any narcotics make me sick. I had a prescription for Zofran which I took around the clock. Once you can eat a little more you might start to have less dizziness too. I was taking 2 5mg Oxycodone every four hours during the first week or so.

 

[Josephine]

The poop fairy needs to be fired, she is not doing her job very well, hahaha

Are you taking stool softeners daily? You need to.

my PT is not bad, but I still would rather do it myself...I do my exercises at least 2x a day and I think I have improved since last week

Then fire your PT and do it yourself. And as for the "at least 2x a day" you need to read this - it proves that once a day gives just as much benefit if not more, than doing it two or three times! TKR: Evidence shows that less really is more when it comes to exercising! Though personally I did it zero times a day!

I worry that I am on the wrong Meds. I am taking morphine 15mg twice a day. Then Percocet half of 10 mg tabs as needed.

Your medication is a type known as the multimodal approach. Nothing to be concerned about except is it working for you?

I guess intentional torture is the price we pay for pain control.

What does that mean? Are you referring to your PT? If so, did you forget our mantra "if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you".

Because of this, I'd like to ask you some questions if you don't mind, and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine)

2. how swollen is your leg compared to these?

3. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

4. are you icing your knee at all?

6. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home: (how many sessions each day)
enter exercise then enter number of reps and sets
etc., etc.

At PT (how many times a week)
enter exercise then enter number of reps and sets
etc., etc.

 

[Happydale]

@Barnmom22, is the torture to which you refer the dizziness and nausea? If so, I guess someone who knows about these things needs to figure out if your nausea and dizziness are coming from the pills or some other cause. I wonder if it could be in part due to constipation? I'm SO sorry, my friend. I'd about rather have pain than dizziness and nausea. I hope it helps to know This Too Shall Pass.

 

[uva55]

@Barnmom22 I had nausea for the first 9 days, and I was on Zofran, I don't have nausea but I don't have an appetite and sometimes when I'm eating it sort of feels like the nausea is coming so I just stop eating. I am at 2 weeks today and I feel so much better. Hopefully you will feel better soon also!

 

[Barnmom22]

I guess intentional torture is the price we pay for pain control.

That was a typo. I meant to write intestinal.

1. When laying down with leg elevated and icing the pain is 1-3. When i swing leg onto floor to get up to go to bathroom searing pain at 4-7.

2. Moderate swelling

3. The pt measured it at 84 two days in a row. And plus 5 extension

4. Icing constantly

6. Elevating all the time.

6. My family is taking care of all household work.

Ankle pumps. About a dozen times a day with ice and elevation in bed
Ankle circles same
Heel slides in bed but I don't get far with them
That's it for exercise

PT came twice. Had we walk down a long hall and back. Wanted me to kick out bad leg. I could not. She did try on her second visit to push knee. I told her to stop. I told her it doesn't count if she pushes. She said I'm wrong. She's coming back tomorrow


Well thanks for any advice. I’m going to reread your recovery blogs now