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TKR Blendab1 meets her new knee

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Legin said:
Chortle rump roast indeed. Its prob what I call Hommer syndrome, ie don't think dont think doh. Happy ZZZZs

Legin THR Sep 14
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Do the wrap, you'll like it. And it will help the scabs fall off. Gives you a nice tender flex knee in the morning.
Remember the wrap if done right acts like a shelf barrier to the nerve around you knee sight. That's what is waking you up. That puppy gets uncomfortable, rubs on fabric, or is bunged by something, and it's moving around all the time, your hitting your ROM limits and bam your awake.


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How do you wrap? Just clingfilm? I think i might like to try it @wberry


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Slather some lotion on the knee; I use Johnsons Baby Oatmeal Vanilla lotion but any lotion will do. Cover with a sheet of paper towel, then wrap the knee 3 or 4 times around. You don't need to wrap it very tightly. Sometimes I take a scissor and make a snip behind the knee so that my knee can bend a little more comfortably.

Sounds CRAZY but serves two purposes: the lotion and cling film keeps the skin around the incision soft and pliable, and as stated, it blocks the sheet and blanket from rubbing on your knee and irritating the nerves. Mind you, I still wake up in some pain but much less than before and I can stay asleep longer since I've been doing this.
 
Thank you @SeptemberZen :-) I am going to try this tonight im sure my hubby will think ive gone mad


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I know everyone is all "gung-ho" about using Saran Wrap but please use it cautiously. It may be harmless but there's a third purpose for using it. There's a reason that horsemen have used it for decades on horse's legs. Skin can't breathe through Saran wrap so it creates a nice, sauna-like sweat. One benefit of sweating your leg would be that it feels less stiff, but the risk is that you're also creating a warm, moist environment - perfect for bacteria growth; maybe not so great for a still healing knee. I'm sure most people will be lucky and have no ill effects but I'd hate to see even one person develop a skin infection or other skin problem.
 
Good point! If you use the paper towel it absorbs, but if your scar is closed and you don't use it, you will have more moisture. I am careful to wash my leg good before I do the wrap. And then again when it comes off.


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Hmm. I'm not sure bacteria growth is an issue here since the wrap should only be applied to a scar that is completely healed, and the wrap is only used overnight. As soon as you get up in the morning, the wrap should come off.
 
I keep wondering why you guys need the wrap, then I realized I sleep under an electric blanket. It keeps my leg warm and loose, and the gabapentin keeps the nerve issues under control.
 
Wow, glad to see everyone is doing well and as soon as my scabs are gone and steri strips I'm going to try the wrap.

I went out today all by myself to the hair salon, grocery store and mechanics. I'm happy to say it felt wonderful! Now I'm going to take a rest and I'm icing my knee and I'll be off to PT in a couple of hours. I'll report back back on how that goes, praying its pain free :)


Brenda
 
Awesome.....freedom.......I cannot wait until I can drive! I hope your PT goes great today.
 
Well, it actually takes relatively few hours to culture bacteria in the right environment. But I'm just saying, be careful - I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. And to be honest, I've sweat my legs in the past. "Back in the day", tall hunt boots weren't routinely made with zippers down the back. We frequently used Saran wrap sweats to aid the struggle to get our boots on. Though I never had a problem, I do know a few people who did and because of that I wouldn't do it again. Fortunately, it's a choice we each get to make for ourselves. I guess I am curious about one thing if anyone wants to answer: Most of you wouldn't use a heat pad directly on your knee but seem to think nothing of heating your knee with a sweat. What's the difference?
 
susie09 said:
I know everyone is all "gung-ho" about using Saran Wrap but please use it cautiously. It may be harmless but there's a third purpose for using it. There's a reason that horsemen have used it for decades on horse's legs. Skin can't breathe through Saran wrap so it creates a nice, sauna-like sweat. One benefit of sweating your leg would be that it feels less stiff, but the risk is that you're also creating a warm, moist environment - perfect for bacteria growth; maybe not so great for a still healing knee. I'm sure most people will be lucky and have no ill effects but I'd hate to see even one person develop a skin infection or other skin problem.
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I'm going to ask @Josephine for her opinion about this concern.

As I understand it, the purpose of using the wrap is not to provide heat, but to desensitize the scar from feeling pain caused by the bedclothes rubbing against it.
 
Celle is correct. My incision is hypersensitive right now. Even a light touch with the sheet is unbearable. When you are sleeping you have no control as to where your leg flops or what's touching it. The wrap serves two purposes: keeps the knee warm so I have less stiffness in the morning and the paper towel and wrap block extra stimuli to the nerve endings.
 
I know that most people here are using it for desensitization. But that doesn't change the fact that it's also a sweat which generates a fair amount of heat over the course of a night. As I said, we used to do this so I'm not guessing at how much heat it can cause - I've experienced it. That's why I'm wondering why people consider this desirable but not a heat pad. I'll be interested in Josephine's opinion.
 
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