TKR Braindoc recovering

[Josephine]

but man I wake up still at 3:30 or 4 and just hurt and ache and have such stiffness.

the it's time for pain pills!

I rode the bike today but it hurt every time around.

Then don't do it!

I should be doing computer work, writing papers etc. I just don't feel up to it.

Now that's a surprise! Want me to go back and find the post where I said ....

No never mind! I think you remember!

My OS thought I could drive in 7-10 days. He thought I could probably see some patients in the office after I am able to drive. Honestly, I don't see any way I can concentrate, sit and then get up and examine someone.

One of the unending and unfailing attributes of orthopaedic surgeons is to be too ambitious on their patient's behalf! It sounds good, sounds encouraging and they never get to see or hear the tremendous sense of failure and loss of self-worth it breeds in these patients. It is my dream and my ambition to get this message out to them all, world wide!!

 

[tek'smom]

The hardest thing for me was getting my brain "back." I think it was almost a month before I felt my thought processes were normal and I could concentrate enough to read, remember, and enjoy a book. I got really frustrated knowing that my brain wasn't working the way I wanted it to work. I stopped Percocet during the day at 3 weeks and managed with Tylenol. Getting off the Percocet helped me think more clearly. I continued to take it in the middle of the night for a couple more weeks. It's a laborious recovery because there are just so many component parts.

 

[kneeper]

6 minutes on the bike is not being a slug.

 

[mcirish]

@braindoc little late, but sorry about your dog. I had to do the same thing a few years back with a beauty of a Collie-Shepard named Bob that we had for 15 years. Stood beside him and scratched his head as the vet sent him off. One of the saddest moments of my life. Know what you are feeling.

And regarding your recovery, geeeeeez, you sound worse than me. Take it easy if you can. Don't push yourself to return to duty so soon if you have options. I definitely feel that me returning to work so soon has hindered the healing process. Your body only has so many resources to draw from and your knee needs all of it right now Doc.

 

[daughter stalker]

I must have missed something @braindoc! Sorry for your loss. Our pets are family.

Now you can't be the president of ODIC, mister! Slow down and take it easy, friend. I am the president of ODIC!

Take care of yourself

 

[icep707]

Yeah Doc, remember just because you can do something, doesnt mean you have to do it .!! One of the first things I learned from bonesmart was " if you wont die, from not doing something , DONT DO IT " You should be taking some medication every 4-6 hours , without miss. My phone goes off EVERY 5 hours , so at 11:30 pm and 4:30 am than again 9:30 am. Im taking my tramodol with tylenol and a fresh batch of ice. I havent missed I dosage. Granted my sleep is whack. Work is the last thing on my mind ! Hey if you are not doing PT , going potty or eating at table with family , you really should be horizontal , leg up and a bag of ice under knee and 1 on top of knee. Slow it down .

 

[Nana Mo]

@braindoc I can't even imagine trying to drive yet. I tried to balance my checkbook yesterday and that was a bit scary. Couldn't believe how hard it was to remember how to write a check! And again the day stated out good, PT was good with 109 ROM and a visit to my coworkers to say hi. Now the night is here and I feel miserable. So 9:00pm and I am propped high on 4 pillows, fresh ice in ice pump and wrapped around knee, medicated and tucked into bed.....wishing us ALL a good night sleep

 

[Pjmc]

@braindoc
You made me chuckle with your comment .
Perhaps I better not say much just thank you for the laugh .

 

[pdx]

@braindoc I've been off the grid. So sorry to hear about the deaths. Not easy, at any time.
As for waking up at night, sucks. It appears just about everyone goes through it. I still have issues some nights -- though I also blame my husband's snoring.
Driving: I started after a month with my left, 5-6 weeks with my right -- and only when I hadn't taken any opioid in at least 4 hours. Two issues: With the right leg, you need to be able to get from the gas pedal to the brake ASAP. So that requires both flexibility/agility/strength and a decent reaction time. Reaction time will be slower if you're on drugs. Like I have to tell you that.
For you, the consequence of "driving drugged" could be even worse.
I hate to be a pursed-lipped, frowny-faced old biddy, but in the same vein, if you're still on narcotics, do you really want to be seeing patients? Put it another way: Do you want your OS to be on drugs when he sees you? Thought not.
Your "profession" right now is recovery. You get to heal, so you can get back to helping others.

 

[braindoc]

@pdx, you are correct. I went out today to watch my friends play in our clubs member member golf tourney. I am using a cane. I get around pretty well, but after 2 hours, in and out of a golf cart and waking a fair amount, the knee was very stiff, sore and swollen. Amazingly, 2 or 3 guys quizzically looked at me when I told then I would not return to work until April. My God, I am not even driving, and people think I should be in the office, examining patients and operating. There is no way.

I went back to work 3 weeks after a lumbar fusion. Too early, I have patients take 3-4 months off after lumbar fusions. But, I had to have the surgeon go thing. Guess what, not this time. Most everyone on this site knows what I speak of. I really hate that I need to explain myself to others. Especially to a group that works 50% of what my usual work schedule is. Sorry for the rant, but it was just a bit odd. Not sure why everyone has to have an opinion of my work habits

 

[Campervan]

Hi Braindoc, The opinions of others gets to us all. I hated it when people said "shouldn't you be walking better by now" or "you're still limping, I thought surgery fixed that".

As for returning to work I was lucky as I could do my part time accountant job from home. My OS told me not to go to the office for at least 6 weeks but that I could work from home as and when I felt up to it. I worked at 10 days post op but only for half an hour or so a day as I just couldn't concentrate for longer than that. Slowly it increased over the following weeks but I was always conscious of not staying in the one position for too long. I had a stool under my desk stacked with a pillow and so had my leg elevated while at my desk.

I also couldn't socialise for more than half an hour until at least 6 weeks post op. I just tired me out so much.

 

[braindoc]

Thanks @Campervan. I feel that same way. Just wiped out after short amounts of anything. I need to just buck up and deal with my own short comings best I can. I get it. I know better. Just tough being on this side of the patient equation!

 

[referee54]

I drove at around the five/six week mark---I was off of the pain meds and I was strong enough to perform an emergency braking.

I will say that, on my first jaunt around town to run a few errands, that I was exhausted when I arrived back at home---after 30 minutes of errands!

Amazingly, 2 or 3 guys quizzically looked at me when I told then I would nit return to work until April.

I believe that they are simply ignorant of what yo have gone through---many folks have had an arthroscopic surgery, so they believe that surgeries and recoveries are fairly quick. They do not understand how much surgical trauma that has occurred to a small and tight knee joint.

We live in a "fast-food society." We are used to getting things done quickly---it takes us a while to figure out that this recovery gig is going to be slower---in actuality---much slower---than we would have liked it to be. Others, who have not been through this surgery, have absolutely know idea what it is like.

"If ignorance is bliss, some folks are happier than pigs in slop."

 

[referee54]

I asked my Os if I could return to the classroom at eight weeks---that would be my "magic date" and I would be "good to go." Wow---did I have a great deal to learn! It took me eight months before I was pretty close to normal. It took me five months to lose a pesky little limp!

Looking back, while i was excited to return to teaching at eight weeks, I now know that it, in reality, slowed down my recovery.

I believe that you are very wise to delay your return to the medical practice.

 

[bottomshollow]

@braindoc, you just have to make allowances for these folks. They just do not and cannot understand how truly traumatic TKR is on the body. I think this is one of those things that people have to experience for themselves to be able to understand. We just have to smile tolerantly and let it go.

 

[referee54]

We just have to smile tolerantly and let it go.

I would smile my little "nice" smile---in reality it was pretty sarcastic---and try to walk politely away without saying anything.

 

[daughter stalker]

@braindoc It is quite difficult sometimes to have someone who doesn't understand what you are going through think they know what you are going through. I returned to work 20 hours per week 6 weeks after surgery. (Wrong move, but I am the ODIC president.) I truly hated it when someone at work said to me 8 weeks after surgery, "I thought you got your knee fixed. I see you are limping." AAARRRGGGFFF I smiled and said, "Sometimes it still hurts" and left it at that.

 

[pdx]

So glad you're not being a hero re seeing patients/doing surgery. But even though you "paid for" the golf outing, I'm sure it felt great to have fun with friends. Some times it's worth it to do overdo it -- think of it as a rigorous PT session.

 

[Josephine]

but after 2 hours, in and out of a golf cart and waking a fair amount, the knee was very stiff, sore and swollen

Well I never! Who'd a thought it?

Just wiped out after short amounts of anything.

A gentle reminder Energy drain for TKRs

Just tough being on this side of the patient equation!

Isn't it? I am having minor surgery on Monday (assuming my blood sugars are okay) and debating whether to have a block or a GA. My worry is that if I have a block I might end up helping - even offering to hold a retractor! And knowing my surgeon as well as I do, he might even let me!

Nah, you did good, braindoc. We all have to look after ourselves in these things because it's a dead cert nobody else is going to!

 

[jeano]

@braindoc Let's see, my OS cheerfully told me at my TWO WEEK f/u appt that he'd be happy to write me a back to work slip--and honey, he was going to put that day's date on it. I smiled and nodded and said, naw, actually since I work for an agency i dont need a slip--and didnt go back to work for 6 more weeks and then only for a day or two a week, tops. (And I'm not doing brain surgery or otherwise spending long hours on my feet, either.) Sometimes I think orthopods need someone to pick them up and shake them. Oops, then they'd need you--no good, that wont help your recovery any.

Human nature is something special. Many, many posters on this board SWEAR up and down that they have read all the mantras and articles AND many have read and participated in numerous post op threads while preop--but still after a week or so they are all flat astonished that they are TIRED, that they HURT, that their knee SWELLED... like such things had never happened before in the history of the world. We all think that energy drain cant happen to us. Yeah it can.

I was driving toward the end of my 3rd post op week, but I'd been off narcs for ages and my right leg wasnt the one operated on. A good thing I could drive that early, since Mr Jeano decided to have a stroke the very next week. I had to do all the driving for me, him, and the Ancient Mother until he got cleared to drive. Unless you GOTTA, DONT (see mantra "If you wont die if its not done, dont do it").

What I think you referred to as your "shortcomings" are what you have to go through to recover. You know, like, heal.