Bilateral TKR Brian's Bilateral

[skigirl]

Yes, I am impressed with how well your brain is working---and your knees are doing great too!!!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

my left knee had many bone spurs

Watch out for it feeling very 'loose' as I alluded to above, it can be scary at first.

Also, I really appreciate you taking the time to post such a thorough update so soon after surgery. It's really, really helpful for those of us that aren't yet "on the other side"!

For more, try my recovery thread (from my sig, below).

 

[gaelan01]

Roy, thanks for pointing this out and am being careful I did have one wibbly wobbly already

 

[waitingtogarden]

You guys who do bilateral knees just astound me. So glad you are doing so well. A hundred feet is amazing. Do well.


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[Pansy727]

So glad you are doing well.. Just keep going.. Everyday is a little different but a step in the right direction

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[gaelan01]

@Pansy727 you are spot on that every day is a little different given the oxycontin and percocet and being able to focus is a big job. I tnink I am allergic to percocet as itching like crazy and having chills after taking 1-2 each four hours so have a call into the OS. Also going to order another Breg Kodiak ice machine machine as want to ice and elevate the legs more given that the quads are like rocks the mornng. Its taken me about15 minutes to write this short article...with a combo of the drugs and surgery its hard keeping my eyes open. Again pain has been minial taking the meds on schedule

 

[gaelan01]

Well my last day and a half have not been the best. A combination of drug infused logic, trying to do the basic things all over again.....and yes the view bonesmartie view on PT vs that of the hopital and managing the and give takes with your care primary cargiver. On the pain side I had 1-10mg of oxycontin every 12 hrs, 1percocet every 4 hours and one tramadol as needed for breakout pain. The pain levels were very good. The percocet kept putting me into a fog which I could not get out of. Then there was the iching...no rash but itchy as hell..., Keith Richards arguing with jimmy hendricks over which body part to scratch next.....ithink the rule for drug induced decison making really talkes twice ice as longs then take normal. in hospital PT strated the afternoon the day of surgery had two PT sessions yesterday. Yesterday was super tight and exercises hurt althouht felt much better at the end. The in home PT called last nite and will start jn home PT next Monday. Think I can work with this guy. The itching is now gone and the OS wrote a new script for Norco every three hours. This weekend plan is lots of ice with elevation in home nursing starts. I am now fully exhauster having written this email and off to my recliner I go for a snooker

 

[WestTexasGal]

Really good to hear that your pain is under control and that the itching has stopped.

You know, I am fully expecting that the bonesmartie view of PT will be in direct contrast to the rehab hospital's. Who knows, instead of staying the recommended 7-10 days, it may end up being more like 1/2 day!

Enjoy your recliner and the ice this afternoon!!

 

[KarriB]

Go for the drug induced sleep. I dreamt of faculty and team meetings at my school, I actually asked people if they took place!

 

[gaelan01]

Just coming up to about a week, post op and quite the week it has been. A two hour planned surgery took over three to address bad arthritis and bone spurs in the left knee. The excitment of being discharged, Wednesday afternoon was greatly offset by a feeling of total exhustion on the only 30 minute ride home from the hospital and getting settled into home recovery. The discovered allergy to percoset and remedied new script of Norco have finally been worked through, though boughts of sweats and chills throughout last night suggest not entirely. Most fortunately, pain has been in check throughout. The second ice machine arrived yesterday this in the only way to go in my opinion. On the equipment side, using the commode makes me feel that I am a candidate for cirque de soleil as matching my anatomy to the commode and making sure things go where they are supossed to is a has been a challenged. Tomorrow starts in home PT with my last measured ROM being 85/5. My quads have transcended between jello and rock. This morning my wife freaked out at the bruising on both my ankles. I showed her the bonesmart article on bruising, thank you @Josephine we are off to the pharmacy for a bucket of witch hazel. Finally the dogs have figured out that my knees smell different and are no longer uncomfortable with moving in a walker.
Tomorrow starts week two of what I know is a long journey. I am feeling good, am optimitic that the progress is measured but overall moving in the right direction. Looking forward to a visit from friends coming over this afternoon.

 

[WestTexasGal]

So glad to hear you're doing well!

 

[KarriB]

Hope it's your wife off to the pharmacy while you are home resting. Take it easy these first few weeks, rest, ice, and elevate.

 

[Slainte]

Good report. Had to laugh at the cirque de soleil remark! And it is good for your wife to see your bruises. Gotta keep those nurturing instincts revved up. You are doing great. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel in another week. As long as you don't overdo with PT. Slow and steady wins this race!

 

[patriciad]

I am so glad you are making great progress. Your sense of humor will get you through this for sure. I have such admiration for you and the other "twosies " on here as it must be so much more difficult a recovery than from the one. Hope you have a good week and continue to improve.

 

[analysta]

My dog completely changed his sleeping habits in order to be close to me. I'm wondering if you're noticing anything in their behavior?

 

[gaelan01]

My dog completely changed his sleeping habits in order to be close to me. I'm wondering if you're noticing anything in their behavior?

@analysta , such a good question. All I can say for now is that "there is a disturbance in the force". Dogs love routine and mine are no different. My two culprits are Jake, a 12 year old cocker springer mix, and as easy going a dog as you will find. Mya, is a 7 year old hound mix. If you did a DNA test I am sure there is a little bit of every hound in Virginia in her. Mya is all about being in the pack. At this stage none of us are sleeping where we normally do, I'm sleeping in my command post in the family room, my wife upstairs in the guest bed room and the dogs are at any given time in the place where they feel the least guilt in the planning for the BTKR it was something we overlooked and something that need to think about going forward

 

[WestTexasGal]

Speaking of sleep, are you sleeping well? Are you only sleeping in your recliner?

 

[gaelan01]

@WestTexasGal , overall ithink i am getting all the sleep I need, but that also includes nodding off due to fatigue and slipping off to LaLa land from the side effect of drugs. I was hungry last night around three and stocked an apple and pear through the kitchen. I ate them in my recliner and tired from the hunt, i went to the bed room and was surprised to get over three good hours of sleep in bed. The new In home PT young man came this morning...really like him. He wants me to sleep in bed and avoid the recliner so that the leg remains straighter. Going to try it tonight from the get go.

 

[gaelan01]

Three weeks post op yesterday and recovery is going very well and without many issues. Week 2 post op had staples removed from my "bad" left knee while the right knee had glue. Incisions looked clean, little bruising and only some swelling around the knees joints. I was able to stop narcotic pain killers 10 days post op (gosh I hated them) and the next days (sorry if TMI) the constipation log jam broke. Now only using Tylenol extra strength as needed which is not often. After the OS appointment for staples made the cardinal sin and thought an outing to Costco would be in order for my first outing. My in home PT was OK with this but would not let me use the electric go carts as in his word " I was too young". He suggested I use the furniture department as a rest station. All went well until we discovered that the furniture section was now the Christmas section and no comfy seats were to be had. So made a swing around the store dodging the crazing shoppers who seemed not to care of my knee surgeries. Suffice it to say my knees were very angry with me for two days.....yes I learned my lesson. Loved my in home PT as he helped to show me how to climb the 19 steps to the second story. This is a good thing as my free pass to watching unlimited football games on the downstairs family room TV expired this weekend...want to watch football....upstairs I go. My appetite has been generally good but hard to get too excited over food as my interest in the taste in food comes and goes. Fatigue is still a factor and it can sneak up on me, also I easily get cold. Also have parked the walker and now walking with the use of a cane. This is much better particularly outside the house.
This past Friday I started external PT with some trepidation but turned out to be without reason. The PT group is part of the same practice as my OS. After the initial evaluation, we did some easy stretches, quad lifts and easy heal slides. After they messaged the scars they did a message on each hamstring. I came in at a 15 degrees on both legs and suddenly my knees were lying flat on the table.....what a difference and the relief incredible. The knees have stayed flat and am sleeping better because of it. Yesterday had a different PT in the group and again started with the same warm up stretches etc and then she did a lymphatic message on both legs to help with the swelling....again with great results. Next I lay on my back and worked on ROM......was able to get to 100 on the left knee with some gentle assistance and 100 on the right unassisted. After 10 minutes with the "game day" ice machine on each leg I got up from the table.....and felt fantastic and loose in both legs. What a world of difference which I am sure I could not have achieved on my own. Now looking forward to my next PT appointments and continued steady improvement.

 

[Celle]

After the OS appointment for staples made the cardinal sin and thought an outing to Costco would be in order for my first outing. My in home PT was OK with this but would not let me use the electric go carts as in his word " I was too young".

I guess you already found out that going to Costco was a mistake! (Welcome to the ODIC - the Over did It Club!)

Next time, forget your PT's advice on this and use the electric cart. Age has nothing to do with it. Major surgery does.