TKR Beachy in recovery<
- Thread starter beachy
- Start date
United States
OP
OP
beachy
supremo
@Neehutchy
The Sunday stumble combined with pt the next day and pain meds not helping were a recipe for my wake up call.
New prescription is for dilaudid.
I cancelled pt this week and postponed outpatient indefinitely.
How goes it with you?
The Sunday stumble combined with pt the next day and pain meds not helping were a recipe for my wake up call.
New prescription is for dilaudid.
I cancelled pt this week and postponed outpatient indefinitely.
How goes it with you?
You are so right. Well, about bad PT, that is! Only a PT that knows how to rehab a knee replacement should ever treat a knee replacement patient. We have heard some really bad horror stories on how a bad PT harmed a newly replaced knee. It's heartbreaking because I know it is so unnecessary. The knee knows how to rehab itself without 'working' it!
OP
OP
beachy
supremo
@sistersinhim
Amen to that. And I truly think 1 week after TKR is too soon, don’t you?
Amen to that. And I truly think 1 week after TKR is too soon, don’t you?
Cementless
Insider
Neehutchy
member
Acceptable. I was never one to worry about little stuff, now all i do is worry about stuff...I managed to get hives all around my knees, most likely from arnica gel or the special soap i was sent home with. Caladryl lotion and Benydril. Still swollen...I got compression socks today, that feels much better!
OP
OP
beachy
supremo
@Cementless
How's it going at 3 weeks?
How's it going at 3 weeks?
Cementless
Insider
OP
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beachy
supremo
2 weeks today.
Had a good night and morning so far. Pain is managed. Now I feel like I can do anything, but will continue to be patient. No ODIC for me.
Good Stuff
Pain is very tolerable.
Sleeping in recliner to let hubs catch up on his sleep. I'm very comfy and sleeping well from day 1.
No pt until I say so.
Had a good night and morning so far. Pain is managed. Now I feel like I can do anything, but will continue to be patient. No ODIC for me.
Good Stuff
Pain is very tolerable.
Sleeping in recliner to let hubs catch up on his sleep. I'm very comfy and sleeping well from day 1.
No pt until I say so.
OP
OP
beachy
supremo
@Cementless .
I will definitely catch up on reading your thread!
I will definitely catch up on reading your thread!
I think the knees need at least a month to heal before starting PT. Just doing the daily living things is enough for a new knee.
OP
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beachy
supremo
Have you ever seen a travel tv show or something similar where a person is about to make their first jump from an airplane? They have someone at the open door "helping" them out of the plane.
That's what this whole tkr journey is like for me. All the planning. Getting your mind set to go. Flip flopping back and forth. And you jump. Then BOOM! You wake up in recovery.
That's what this whole tkr journey is like for me. All the planning. Getting your mind set to go. Flip flopping back and forth. And you jump. Then BOOM! You wake up in recovery.
OP
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beachy
supremo
Week 2 is history
Week 3 begins today
I try to read different threads to see where various people are at 2-3 week post op. It's all over the place and I know I shouldn't compare my recovery to theirs. But, I'm not really comparing.
I'm looking for reassurance that I'm doing the right thing. Not too much, not too little.
I mainly ice and elevate most of the day. I'm awake all day. Not much, if any napping. Occasional drowsiness. Sleeping a solid 5-6 hrs.
Medicating with Hydromorphone 2mg. 2 tabs every 5hrs. It was every 4 hrs after trip to ER. Now stretching to 5hrs and seems to be ok. Will eventually stretch to 6 hrs. Tylenol 3x day
When I leave my recliner nest to use bathroom I walk around for 10 min or so concentrating on heel toe and standing straight. I can fix a sandwich or feed the dog or put clothes in washer.
I can stand unassisted to take a shower. Hubs spots me.
I can walk down the interior hallway of our apartment building to lobby. Not sure how many steps that is. I don't do that walk everyday. Knee feels strong and that grinding searing bone in bone pain is gone.
I do a few heel slides throughout the day. If any of these activities hurt I stop and go back to recliner nest.
I'd love some feedback. You won't hurt my feelings by telling me don't do this or that. Is there something else I should be doing? Or not?
Week 3 begins today
I try to read different threads to see where various people are at 2-3 week post op. It's all over the place and I know I shouldn't compare my recovery to theirs. But, I'm not really comparing.
I'm looking for reassurance that I'm doing the right thing. Not too much, not too little.
I mainly ice and elevate most of the day. I'm awake all day. Not much, if any napping. Occasional drowsiness. Sleeping a solid 5-6 hrs.
Medicating with Hydromorphone 2mg. 2 tabs every 5hrs. It was every 4 hrs after trip to ER. Now stretching to 5hrs and seems to be ok. Will eventually stretch to 6 hrs. Tylenol 3x day
When I leave my recliner nest to use bathroom I walk around for 10 min or so concentrating on heel toe and standing straight. I can fix a sandwich or feed the dog or put clothes in washer.
I can stand unassisted to take a shower. Hubs spots me.
I can walk down the interior hallway of our apartment building to lobby. Not sure how many steps that is. I don't do that walk everyday. Knee feels strong and that grinding searing bone in bone pain is gone.
I do a few heel slides throughout the day. If any of these activities hurt I stop and go back to recliner nest.
I'd love some feedback. You won't hurt my feelings by telling me don't do this or that. Is there something else I should be doing? Or not?
Rhodyrhody
senior
Just my humble opinions...am sure there may be differences...
One thing I've learned is that it's always going to be easy to find someone doing better, and just as easy to find someone not doing as well. The normal range extends far and wide and not always in a straight direction..
Also learned that "10 minutes or so" can go by really quickly...unless you are actually timing it, in which case, 10 minutes can be a REALLY long time.
I've also tried to stop looking at moments where 'things happen', like "prangs" (love that word!), tweaks, PT mishaps, etc., as 'setbacks.' I'm thinking I can't get too concerned about something happening if the medical people aren't concerned. Not sure that just because something happens that makes it so you have to chill for a day or two or three that it should be considered a setback. To look at it as a setback, I think, is to say, "if that hadn't happened, I would have recovered three days sooner"... not sure there's any way to really know that. I prefer to look at it as a re-set or re-calc point, since we know even beforehand that it's not going to be a predictably straight line recovery.
Sounds like you're doing great @beachy !
Go Red Sox!
OP
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beachy
supremo
Thanks @Rhodyrhody
I'm not comparing though it may seem like it. I'm almost wondering if I should be doing more. Maybe it's me wanting to get back to my life. I'm pleased so far. Especially now that pain is managed.
Yes, prang is THE word for Oct. LOL
Back to la la land for tonight's game. Sox are on a roll and peaking at the right time.
I'm not comparing though it may seem like it. I'm almost wondering if I should be doing more. Maybe it's me wanting to get back to my life. I'm pleased so far. Especially now that pain is managed.
Yes, prang is THE word for Oct. LOL
Back to la la land for tonight's game. Sox are on a roll and peaking at the right time.
Hi, Beachy Great going. You and I are about the same. This is all I did for the first 2-3 weeks. I am starting week 4 on Monday. Each day I do a lot of resting during the day. I feed the dogs, make tea for myself, load the dishwasher, make my bed, and I folded some laundry. And then slowly I take a small pile and put it away. I sit up for a couple of hours with my legs down and then go back to my little nest and ice and elevate. As far as the shower I too can do it unassisted but my husband spots me also.
I have OS appt. on Tuesday and I am going to ask about driving soon. I caught myself last night while I was having dinner with my both legs under the chair. So I know my flex is good. My son said that I should not even go to therapy because I am doing good on my own. I am taking a road trip on Sunday to visit a college my son is thinking about going to so I will post and let everyone know how that goes. It's two hours each way and he got me a wheelchair for the tour of the campus which I will gladly use.
You sound like your right on target and doing it slow but steady. Keep up the good work....
I have OS appt. on Tuesday and I am going to ask about driving soon. I caught myself last night while I was having dinner with my both legs under the chair. So I know my flex is good. My son said that I should not even go to therapy because I am doing good on my own. I am taking a road trip on Sunday to visit a college my son is thinking about going to so I will post and let everyone know how that goes. It's two hours each way and he got me a wheelchair for the tour of the campus which I will gladly use.
You sound like your right on target and doing it slow but steady. Keep up the good work....
OP
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beachy
supremo
Thanks @schpooko.
The first few weeks of our recovery do sound similar.
I think I'll try sitting with legs down for a few min. I never do that. If it hurts I won't do it.
Last week I could barely stand in shower long enough to wash my hair. Now I can wash m my hair and blow dry. So, that's a little victory.
I need to be reminded about those things. A little reassurance.
Hope your trip goes well on Sunday! Don't join the ODIC!
The first few weeks of our recovery do sound similar.
I think I'll try sitting with legs down for a few min. I never do that. If it hurts I won't do it.
Last week I could barely stand in shower long enough to wash my hair. Now I can wash m my hair and blow dry. So, that's a little victory.
I need to be reminded about those things. A little reassurance.
Hope your trip goes well on Sunday! Don't join the ODIC!
Thanks @beachy.... I don't plan on joining the ODIC but this is a once in a lifetime thing so if I do I'll have too.
I might be the exception to the rule but I prefer my legs down than up. It just feels so much better. I guess from all that elevating I have done for the past three weeks it just feels normal. I started doing that around 1 1/2 weeks out the PT woman said to try for about a few minutes each day. If it starts to hurt go back to elevating. Each day it increased more and more.
Yesterday I did it for a long time and I was a bit (only a little bit) swollen last night. I elevated after dinner and stayed in bed the rest of the night. In the a.m. they were back to normal. No swelling. So see how it goes and do whatever feels comfortable.
Enjoy your day
I might be the exception to the rule but I prefer my legs down than up. It just feels so much better. I guess from all that elevating I have done for the past three weeks it just feels normal. I started doing that around 1 1/2 weeks out the PT woman said to try for about a few minutes each day. If it starts to hurt go back to elevating. Each day it increased more and more.
Yesterday I did it for a long time and I was a bit (only a little bit) swollen last night. I elevated after dinner and stayed in bed the rest of the night. In the a.m. they were back to normal. No swelling. So see how it goes and do whatever feels comfortable.
Enjoy your day
