Thanks Billy. I had to edit your post some so I could read it.
Now I want you to pay close attention to the advice I'm going to give you here as it's important
1. Pain is 9 now as my meds been are adjusted this is in effect day one so new start.
Gotcha!
2. 7am today 1 ibuprofen400mg, 2 paracetamol 500mg 2.5mls morphine
8am 1 hydrochloride tablet
11am repeat of 7 am
12 noon hydrochloride x 1
3pm repeat of 7am
4pm hydrochloride again
7pm repeat again of 7am
Few comments: 'hydrochloride' is only half the name. I need the word that goes before it. Is it Tramadol?
I'll need you to tell me this and I'll come back to you on it.
3. icing knee with 2 packs of captain birdeseye peas...naww showing off there..there from Lidl. Leaving on for 20 mins at time, an hour's wait, back on, round the clock till 8pm off for night. Got knee bandage with built in gel to freeze on way from Amazon...
1. I think you'll find the gel pack much more effective as it takes a lot longer to thaw out.
2. 20 mins is no good for icing. It should be an hour
at least. And use it at night too. I used it constantly, night and day! Okay so long as you have a tea towel between the ice pack and your skin. Don't want any freezer burn!
4. annoyed with myself over this as I really thought I should elevate it but was gutless and never brought it up Started elevating yesterday 3 pillows. And I elevate most of the day till about 8pm then leave it during the night.
Yes, elevation is terribly important. I shall be leaving you some articles when I've finished. there are ones on both icing and elevating.
5. Never heard of ROM except on here. Sorry Jo
No worries. But read this about it - it means Range of Motion or how much bend you can get!
ROM (range of motion) information
6. not much activity apart from a wee walk upstairs to bathroom
Jolly good! You can spend it reading the recovery articles!
7. to be honest Jo, nothing at the moment. Been in too much pain
Excellent. My surgeon doesn't let any of his patients do any exercises for the first three weeks.
Now the articles
First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
-
rest,
elevate,
ice and
take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!
Next is a
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.
And here are some very crucial articles
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Activity progression for TKRs
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
And then some wise words from members who have shared their experiences ...
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Five “P’s” of knee recovery
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Recovering a knee - from one who knows!
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's worth the wait for ROM