bit of a bumpy ride

[Pat29627]

Thanks! I was doing well until about 10 weeks after. At six weeks I had 132 degrees flexion, but still quite a bit of pain. At 5 1/2 weeks, I had a panic attack and thinking it was the oxycodone, I weaned off that (wasn't really taking a lot, I always take less than 1/2 of what the docs say I can) and went onto hydrocodone. I got anxious and depressed (lost 11 pounds in 7 weeks in spite of trying to eat right) and had a horrible 1 1/2 weeks. Then I got off hydrocodone and couldn't sleep because of leg pain, so went on Tramadol (Ultram) but just 1/2 pill twice at night since it causes me to grind my teeth and it keeps me awake. Now I take 1/2 lorazepam, then 1/2 tramadol right before bed.

Ok, so everything was going well for the next couple weeks. One day I walked about 1 1/2 hours in stores and got in and out of our camper and used public bathrooms without sitting and the next day I couldn't stand on the leg unless I kept it stiff and straight. It had extreme pain in the middle of the knee. I've iced and elevated so much and it's better, but when I stand, I can't put full weight on it for a minute or two. I'm having to use a cane again a lot of the time. It's pretty good at night.

I tried to get an apointment with the surgeon right after it happened, but he was on vacation. Then we went to Detroit for a couple weeks to see our daughter. The soonest appointment they can give me is July30.

Sorry this is so long and off the subject, too. I've never been on a forum like this before, so please advise me if I'm not using it properly.

Pat

 

[Josephine]

I moved your post, Pat. Now it's in the After Knee Surgery forum. I'll be back later to post!

 

[Jamie]

Geeze, Jo.....I thought I was losing my mind!!! I was bopping along responding to Pat's post above on her other thread. Then I realized it was in the Tech forum and was going to move the posts that had to do with recovery and then it was GONE!!! I thought I was going crazy!!! I am happy to know it was just you and I doing the same thing together on different continents!!! How funny!

Whew! It was too early for me to have a glass of wine, but I was thinking I needed one!

Now I can put my post to Pat back in this, the proper thread.....

Pat, you are doing just fine on the forum! But it does sound like you've had some bouts of overdoing it in your recovery. As you can see, it can limit your progress when you do so much that you put yourself in extreme pain. It's difficult for your body to heal under those conditions.

I hope things are calmer now and you can focus on your recovery. Remember, for many folks that means MONTHS of taking things fairly easy and GRADUALLY adding activity. Try to focus on adding things a little at a time. It's no wonder that you hurt after 1 1/2 hours of walking around stores AND climbing in and out of a camper AND hovering over public toilets! And then several WEEKS out of town. Hon, that's a heck of a lot of activity!!!

We're here for you. Post any time you need to talk or have a concern!! I'm sure your surgeon will verify that your knee is fine, you've just overdone it a bit.

 

[Texas]

Hey welcome. I dont think you are taking enought pain relief. And if you 10 weeks out wow you really are doing alot. You just had a big surgery I would think you should be resting more. I know you said you were but its the in between I think thats doing it. At 10 weeks I was not even doing what you are doing....Take care of yourself so you dont go backwards. We have one shot at this take your time. You will be able to get out there and do the things you want but it takes time....Take the medicine you need for relief. Pamper yourself and relax....Your flex is amazing....

 

[Motherofmany]

:agree: Sounds like you need to scale back a little. I know you all are thinking, she's one to talk. :hehe: I can say this because I have had the same difficulty because I was pushing myself too much.

Traveling makes me swell and have pain. It is very normal to take a minute or two to get your leg under you after you have been sitting for a while.

There are many on here who do a lot of hiking, (I am not one of them yet!) however walking around stores for a few hours always get me too. Even if I have the buggy to support me, I still am wiped and need to ice and elevate. This is a part of the recovery part. The hardest thing for me was finding balance. If I overdid it one day, the next day I had to make myself rest, ice and elevate.

Keep working on it, your ROM is very envious to most of us.

 

[Linda2]

I would think it is time to rest, ice, and elevate. It sounds like you have aggravated all the soft tissue.

 

[Judles]

Jamie!! What do you mean "hovering over toilets??"

 

[brs0660]

Hey Pat!!! You are doing GREAT! I agree it sounds like you might have done just a little too much and irritated the tendons, muscles etc. Our new knees are tough to break..but our bodies are quick to tell us...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING TO ME!!!!:rant:

Pamper yourself. Rest. Elevate. Ice. Take enough medication to help you sleep and not be in pain. Be patient...I know who wants to be patient...but in two more weeks you will be amazed how much better you will be feeling.

Barb

 

[Pat29627]

Thanks for all the encouragement. This makes me think maybe I didn't ruin my new knee after all. I couldn't imagine how I could have done terrible damage to it, but it feels like it. I have been taking it easy most of the time (however, tonight I helped my daughter in law paint her dining room, so we'll see tomorrow!) On the two day trip to Detroit, which we used to do in 13 hours in one day, I rode in the back seat of the truck, elevated feet, and iced with my ice water circulation machine quite a lot.

I would take more pain medication, but apparently I don't handle it well. I really wondered if I had lost part of myself and might never be the same around the 6th and 7th weeks post surgery. Shoot, never before in my life have I lost my appetite and had to force myself to eat!!! But, I'd rather be chubby than like that.

Pat

 

[loggon]

Hi Pat you are a week behind me. I took a trip to NM and it was a 12 plus hour drive. I did the same as you I iced the whole trip.

I was able to walk around the plaza and I iced a lot afterward.

I took the same meds as you except for the first one you took.
I did not lose any weight (dang it).

You are doing great, but when we over do we have the same problems as you. I have to go slow when I first get up from a chair or in the mornings getting up from bed. I just have a little discomfort on the operated knee as it is stiff.

Just ice and elevate and take your pain meds if you need. I only take advil now and aspirin for pain. Usually just the aspirin.

Just one week can make a difference in what you can do. Each week gets better and each week you can do more than you did before

Hang in there.

 

[Texas]

Hey Pat i think alot of us were told it would really take alot to hurt these knees. Try just relaxing more.....Its was a big ole' surgery. You didnt get this way in 1-2 mths why would it go away in 1-2 mths...Made sense to me...Take care of youself....Good Luck. Sit back and chat with us.....lol

 

[Josephine]

Correct, Kim - them's tough old things, the implants! What's delicate at the moment is all those poor muscles and ligaments that took such punishment during the surgery.

 

[calling_all_angels]

Pat,
It sounds like you have been doing alot on your new knee, which is fine but it can make the new knee a little painful. And you are using the ice machine. But slowing down just a mite could be a good idea. I know how hard it is to slow down believe me. But we have too at times and your knee will let you know when!!! LOL You have great rom.
I wish I was there. (the green eyed monster is showing!) lol

 

[loggon]

Thanks Calling. Yep yesterday I did push it, but I am a clean freak and I no longer could stand my family room.

I must say though my knee did really well. No swelling or pain from moving all the furniture and cleaning.

The two spots that hurt, I believe one is soft tissue and the other is the IT band. The pt massages the IT Band everytime I go she said it is really tight. Now that hurts but afterwards it is good.
I hope soon to have enough time to spend in the pool and hot tub there. It takes me an hour to get there and hour for PT and an hour to get home, so a good part of my day. I still have full time work in my agency so I just don't have time for now but will later.

You will get to the ROM you want Calling, just keep on trucking as they say.

 

[Judles]

Hey Pat! Don't fret! You've been riding, hosting, cleaning and hiking.... I wonder why you're hurting! Slow down. Girl!!!

 

[Jamie]

Jamie!! What do you mean "hovering over toilets??"

You know, Judles......that squat we women do so you don't touch anything....sort of like a mega quad exercise. It would be tough to do that for a person who is new out of knee replacement surgery!

 

[Judles]

And HIP surgery!!! Low toilets were the bane of ny existence those early days out of surgery! How are YOU feeling today, Jamie???

 

[Oldie]

Pat I am almost 4 mos. past RTkR and even though I am doing well, I still get very painful if I overdue on any day. Especially going shopping for a few hrs, then riding my bike for 20 min., doing other exercises, the next day I can hardly move. So then I slow down, take it easy for a day or so and ice my knee and then start up again slowly. I get pains in my leg just below my incision and also the knee gets very sore. My OS says its still the process of healing, some of us take longer than others. Take it easy and it will get better.

 

[Judles]

And be PATIENT, Pat!!! . You're getting there!!!

 

[Pat29627]

When I was at the doctor's for my checkup, I think my best range of motion was 0 to 134. He said people with a total knee can never achieve that and that quite a few with a partial knee replacement don't either. He said sensitive people usually get better ROM early on, but they suffer more pain.

My daughter stayed with me for seven weeks and helped me with my PT. At first I couldn't even raise my leg by myself and she'd cup her hand under my heel and get it started. She'd count for me. One time it was so painful I just broke down crying. My husband pulled her aside and said maybe she should take it easier on me, but she said I had to do it. I agreed that it was something I had to do, dried my tears and kept going.

She made me do all the exercises that the therapist gave me three times a day. If I fell asleep after dinner, she'd get me up around 8:30 to do another set. That was rough, and I'd never have done it without her help. She made me a card that said WINNER in pretty colors and that was my reward each time I finished a session. Funny how that's kid's stuff, but it did seem to help. Sometimes at night after I finished the workout, I'd have a small dessert as a reward.

Pat