TKR Blue skies and a new knee

[Baystater]

So good to hear from you, and glad things are looking up!

 

[mbjensen001]

hi shelly good to hear from you i was worried about how you was doing sorry to hear about your pain and the nurses letting you suffer like that it sucks !! my pain is ok during the day but the dreaded night time it sure kicks in and keeps me awake its good you are laughing about most things like getting too the loo like me when ive had laxatives the night before the bowels are quicker than me getting there ha ha hope you are feeling well other wise take care marie

 

[Lexismom]

Shelley:

Good to hear from you; I was getting worried that things were not going well. It sounds like you have a great attitude, even though you have been through a bit. I bet you are gglad to be home and more in control of your meds. Hopefully all things will be uphill from now on. Take care of yourself!!

Karyn

 

[Shellbelle]

Hi again,
I find it amazing how well I feel today. One week post-op. I had my first outing earlier, just a six mile round trip to the other end of town. My friend drove my car since it is easy to get in and out of. Plus the Notary came to the car for me. Half hour total, and no problem. I had a not so good day yesterday, not bad, just dealing with a new pain that popped up on my shin about midway between ankle and knee. I have seen other pics of surgeries with stitches in the exact spot where it hurts, I think maybe from the alignment rod they use? And it only elevated pain from a constant 2 (which is fine with me) to a 4 when it was about a half hour before pain med time. So now two ice bags on my leg!
I had a friend stay with me my first night home and the next day. Another friend stayed with me the second night and throughout the day Wednesday. That is the day Home Health/PT came to open my case and do mountains of paperwork and start me on a few exercises. So far, all of the PT have been gentle, encouraging and stress gentleness at all times. The CPM machine was also delivered, and I do 6 hrs on it daily in 2 hour increments. I personally love it. I nap with my leg in it. I am at 85 flexion right now with absolutely no pain. The PT measured me at 72 and -9 two days ago.
Hope you are all doing well in your post-op journeys!

 

[fiberlady]

Shelly, glad to hear you are doing okay. It was good to hear your experience with the CPM machine. I will also have the machine, they told me for a month, and I will need to do it in 2 hour intervals as well.

Do take care.

 

[Shellbelle]

Cindy, I know everyone has different opinion on the machine, and I have only one perspective--using it! But it is such gentle motion, and while I am on it I close my eyes and visualize my knee moving smooth and all the parts healing. The machine I have starts out with a warm up cycle for the first use of the day. For about 10 minutes it gradually moves your leg to the flexion you have set. I like that part of it.

 

[izzie]

Hi Shelly, I was so, so sorry to hear that you had experienced that level of pain for so long in the hospital. Seriously, what were they thinking! I'm so glad your doc came to see you and got some meds for you right away. You sound better now and I hope you will never have to experience anything like that again. I don't know what the CPM machine is, but it sounds wonderful. The "Cute Pretend Motion" machine?? Is that something that is arranged for you before you leave the hospital? I still have so much to learn and not a whole lot of time. I know you are happy to be home. Stay on your meds, don't let that pain get hold of you. Keep us posted when you feel like it. Hugs to you!

 

[Shellbelle]

Hi Elizabeth! yes, the CPM is the passive motion machine. I think it is probably included in whatever protocols your surgeon has for his surgeries. (I started on it the morning after my surgery when the PT saw me) and I loved it from the start. I thought it was soothing and it has always lulled me to sleep. My home one was ordered by the doctor, and arranged for by my case manager. Bless them all!
Even at 8 day post-op I am sometimes surprised at the pain that is still there. Not that I didn't think the pain would be gone! and it is just sort of low grade background noise that gets louder at nite when I get off schedule on the pain meds. I am surfing thru Bonesmart now because as I live alone and have set up many fail-safes for medication, at night I just get all messed up. For instance, last night I got on CPM at 8pm, was due to take a pain pill at 9 pm. DARN...fell asleep and at 11:30 I woke up. I have alarms, notebooks because my brain is not trustworthy, and I still do that.
Thanks for the kind words! Hugs back to you!

 

[maddoxsmama]

Shelly Sounds like things are moving right along for you. My OS did not use the CPM machine so I haven't had to use it. But I have to use this ice compression machine so much that I am starting to feel like it is a permanent attachment to my body. Hope you have a restful day with no surprises.

 

[new knee in June]

Hello Shelly,
How are you feeling? It is wonderful you had your friends stay with you I hope your pain is subsiding & you are feel better everyday The CPM machine is wonderful, kind of bulky, but oh well !
Take Care,
Diana

 

[Grammy59]

Hi Shelly, just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. Was going to ask if your weather is yucky, but gosh, you live on the other side of the world in SUNNY California, and "It never rains in California". Remember that song? Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend. Talk later.

 

[Elliemae]

Good for you!!! For the most part a nurse who is worth their salt provides amazing patient care, sorry that you were left in pain... I may swipe your repartee if the need arises.
Glad you are feeling better. Remember to keep the ice flowing and stay ahead of the pain.

Have a great evening.

Ellen

 

[Shellbelle]

Hi everyone!
So far..I love today! Yesterday I was not too crazy about, but it still wasn't too bad. But today? Love it.
I slept so great, I guess I was comfy and "in the zone". I have only slept once on my bed, but it is really hard to get comfortable and it makes my back ache a bit. I have a recliner, and I feel that my posterior and the chair are gong to meld into one! But I can change the angle so my back doesn't get mad, and I have devised a great way to get my two long pillows under my leg. I just lean them up against the footrest, back up to the chair, slide the bad leg out a bit, sit, and lift the footrest with the lever. I can hook my good leg behind my bad one to take the pressure off and viola! I am good to go!
Woke up this morning to an overcast sky and a breeze. I live about 3 hours inland from San Francisco, and it felt just like coastal weather here. I have ocean sounds and seagulls playing on my Sleep Sounds app on my phone and it just lovely.
Cathy, I wish I had a cryo-cuff. I ice like mad, and my daughter gets 3 bags of ice for me every 2 days. God bless my daughter. She is taking such good care of me! Initially she was not thrilled at all with my surgery, but has totally come around and is here every morning and night making sure I take meds, and eat! Does anyone find their appetite just not there? I keep almonds close to nibble and have a sippy cup for milk so I can carry it from the kitchen to the living room, but I am rarely "hungry". I eat for the calories and for the healing.

I hope you are all having a wonderful day. Hugs to all!!

 

[bottomshollow]

Shellbelle, please check out this thread in the Library: Ice to control pain and swelling

Look for the post by Lonewolf. He gives you instructions on how to make slushie ice bags from water and rubbing alcohol in zip lock bags that you just throw back in the freezer and reuse----no running out for ice all the time. They will mold to your knee. I think you'd like them.

 

[maddoxsmama]

Hi Shelly Glad you have had a good day. Getting some good sleep does make all the difference in dealing with all these recovery issues. I, too, have spent every night in my recliner except for the first night. I find I can get more comfortable and don't have a backache if I am in my recliner. Whatever it takes to make this recovery go a little easier. I know what you mean about buying ice. My husband buys at least two bags every day. But I am convinced that this ice/compression machine has helped tremendously. If I use it faithfully, I have very little swelling and my skin does not feel hot to the touch. If I stop using it for a while, my leg starts to swell and it feels real hot. Have finally gotten my constipation under control--thanks to miralax. I know what you mean about not having much of an appetite. My girl friend is concerned that I am not eating enough to heal properly. She just came in with fresh strawberries, shortcake and vanilla bean ice cream. Well I quickly got my appetite back and really enjoyed that dessert. Yum! Yum! Hope everyone has a nice pain free night with plenty of good sleep!

 

[Shellbelle]

Bottomshollow, before my surgery I made four gallon sized alcohol/water ice bags. The night I came home from the hospital my friend declared them "Too Hard" and dumped all four down the drain!! She was doing this while I was trying to tell her to let them thaw and I would add a bit more alcohol to them so they would be a bit softer. But like some well-meaning friends will occasionally do, she went and got ice. And in my pain-med "whatever" state as long as I had ice and someone to bring it to me, that was ok!! But now, I am by myself much more and it is an issue. My next request for supplies: more alcohol and I am going to make more of the slushie bags.

The lesson here if there is one?? Well-meaning friends who are helping sometimes do not help, and we get to practice our gratitude and humility with grace and dignity. While on pain meds!!

 

[maddoxsmama]

Shelly I made four of those ice/alcohol bags too before I went to the hospital. They froze so hard it was like a concrete block on my knee. My husband threw them out. Guess I read the wrong directions for them!!

 

[Shellbelle]

Oh my gosh Cathy...that is too funny! I am going to try again though. It is the alcohol ratio to the water that determines how hard it freezes so I will just experiment with sandwich size bags until I get what I want. I love how the squishiness just melds and wraps your knee.

 

[izzie]

Hi Shelly - Thanks for the explanation of the CPM machine. It sounds wonderful and I do hope I'll get to use one - I will definitely ask about it. I'm glad you have your daughter taking care of you. Although I have two sons, one is leaving for basic training as soon as I get home - the other is in school and neither of them really know what it's going to be like when I return (although I've shared all the information I've received). I think my young one will step us and help me out quite a bit, he's still my baby at 21. As for your lack of appetite, I know I've read several posts about not being very hungry. I read a wonder post by Poppet - she explained so much about nutrition. Maybe you can find it. Hope you keep your pain meds going and get better every day!

 

[bottomshollow]

Be sure the rubbing alcohol is 70%---a lot is just 50%. Someone here said that if you could get 90% it was even better. I used 2lbs. bags of frozen corn myself---but think I would use these if I ever needed icing again.