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TKR Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies

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I hope he's wrong too! He wants to be a doctor in the research field, he's very interested in gene make up and DNA!
 
Aww hugs Jacky!! I hope and pray that none of my kids or grandkids inherit my autoimmune issues. I worry about two of my grandkids cuz they both have issues with constipation, and that was a big thing for me when I was a kid. So far so good, none have shown anything more. Hugs!
 
Yeah I found my thread. Jacky suggested I post on it but it was hiding!
Well, I have a couple appointments with other OS's to consult about my "other" knee. I had so much trouble, although good results, with my OS. One of the ones to see is also a donkey donut (you know what I mean) but my rheumy recommended him and warned me about his personality. So I imagine he won't take to well to me asking questions about MIS vs traditional TKR. So we'll see. I am seeing a really nice one, Dr. Klapper, on March 5th so that will be more pleasant. Lynn told me he is head of Ortho at Cedars so that means he must also be very good. I am thinking I have to have the same implant on each knee, right Josephine ? I saw on the Zimmer website that it can be placed using their MIS tools. I will try to ask all the right questions. I would like to have my surgery the 3rd week of June when school gets out. I hope I will be allowed in my pool soon because there is one in my backyard that I can't wait to get into when allowed. I am finishing PT this week and then have to do aquatic therapy (rheumy ordered it).
Pain: It's 4 months out now and i admit I am disappointed. I am thinking I am still having alot of pain in my TKR leg because my left leg is bone on bone and so without thinking I am probably favoring my good (the TKR) knee.
So I am hoping once I am putting my weight equally on both knees I will have less pain. Dreading knee 2 but really anxious to get it over with. Wish I could do it today but want to make sure I am still assigned to my school for next year so best I wait until summer to do it. I really feel like Knee 2 is going to be easier because I know what to expect. I will know exactly what to do and what to insist on in the hospital. I wasn't worried when my Dilaudid PCA pump infiltrated but I should have insisted they get it back in because when the femoral block wore off I was only given one norco for the pain and that was ridiculous at one day post op. So now I know. Also I will refuse to have the "pain team" and ask for orders only from my OS.
So my flexion is still at 130 and I really doubt it is going to go further. My other knee has more flexion that that now though. Maybe if I worked on it a lot it could go further but for right now I am fine with it. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long for Knee2 because I am in a lot of pain and I am really sick of it. I know so many of you can relate to me on that. I am working full time as a school nurse and I'm up and down all day. Taking stairs in the normal way but it sure hurts, up and down. By the time I get home I am ready to put my feet up and rest but somedays I can't do that. All day shopping is no more. I find that shopping and housework cause alot of pain. The frequent turns. Where as I can walk pretty far as long as I don't take the dog. Seems like that turning and stop and go are hard on the knees. Anyone else relate to this? Plain old walking not so bad.
That's my story. Up at 330 because my car got broken into. Police came to my door to have me check my car. Burglar left the light on. I really don't know what all he got. Lots of stuff all over my neighbors lawns so I have to go looking when the sun comes up. UGH. Trying to get a bit more sleep now but thought I'd try to get caught up. love you all!
 
Marianne, Nice to hear from you! Sorry about your break-in, that stinks! Hope things continue to improve. My other knee is not so great either, but I am not able to walk as much as you do, so it is not giving me as much grief. Not fun looking forward to another replacement, I know.
 
Hey Marianne - what a nasty wake up surprise. :thud: We periodically get waves of car breakins up in our community too - luckily we've not been victimized since the girls were little. I take that back - someone broke into my hubby's car a few months ago - nothing to take but a phone charger! :gaah:

If you are at Cedars, the "pain management" team is good. I am surprised you had trouble with them the first time - but that may have been a reflection of that OS and your attending. Dr. Anand heads up pain management for ortho and he was so responsive both times I was there and having trouble with pain management, especially for 10-week knee when: (a) we discovered the anesthesiologist on my surgery "forgot" my nerve block (yet falsified the records) and (b) the overnight nurses did not know to wait between anti-nausea medicine and diluadid. And the head ortho nurse Brigitte is awesome as well - just ask for them. And Anand is eye candy - that alone helps the pain! lmao! :rotfl:

The newer knee wunderkind on the westside is Dr. Yun - office in Marina del Rey with the DISC group and surgery at St. John's in Santa Monica (we'd be neighbors!) Minimal bedside manner but I hear his staff are wonderful. I met with him and he did answer my questions. He does the MIS and I am pretty sure he uses the Zimmer. Trusthworthy, but my heart (and history) was with Penenberg! lol :angel:

I cannot believe you are managing all that walking and stairs! I suspect your theory is correct about relying more on the new knee because of the pain on the old. Remember it will be also taking up the "laboring oar" for awhile post-#2 as well. But, I must admit, my kids are now doing much better now that they are getting equal treatment! Take care! :yahoo:
 
Marianne nice to see you again! You comment "donkey donut " really killed me, I'm a little slow cause it didn't click in this brain of mind until a couple of hours late!:rotfl: :scratch: Thanks for the laugh!
It's nice to see that you are looking forward to knee #2, although it won't come soon enough with the all that pain you're experiencing!:console2: I'm sure knee #1 is carrying the load right now, so it's probably angry at you a bit, but soon they both be pulling their own weight, hang in there kiddo! Pain tends to take our mind over sometimes, but try and stay positive and keep looking ahead!
Nothing like being woken up at 3:30 am by the cops pounding on your door, scares the daylights out of you, geesh! That happened to us once in our old neighborhood, seems our garage door got triggered to open some how, we lived in a raised ranch with the garage under the house, so they drove by and saw it opened and were worried that someone would loot our belongings in the garage! We were greatful, but scared just the same, not a good way to be awakened! I hope they didn't get anything of value of your!
Let us know how you make out with the OS visit, I hope it goes well for you!
 
Hi Maryann," I am thinking I have to have the same implant on each knee, right @Josephine? I saw on the Zimmer website that it can be placed using their MIS tools."

Just saw that your tag for Josephine didn't go thru correctly so I will send it for you.
Josephine,
Sorry to hear about your other knee and I hope you find the right Dr, that seems to be so important with these surgeries. I can empathize with you on the othr knee pain, mine had been bothering a LITTLE bit up until yesterday when I had to stop all my arthritis meds for my upcoming surgery and boy today does it hurt. Well guess this too has to wait since I need to get the back fixed next week.
Hang in there I am sure all will work out great for you, and I agree I would think the second time around would be easier just because we know what to expect.
 
the overnight nurses did not know to wait between anti-nausea medicine and dilaudid

Can you speak a little more about this? I will have both anti-nausea and dilaudid and want to know what to expect to be as comfortable as possible.

Thanks!
 
Marianne, I missed you! :boohoo: I'm glad you are back on BS ( is it BS?). My TKR knee feels pretty good, I just walked miles with my sister, through downtown Seattle, in a museum, et,c and my knee didn't bother me but my feet do. My dogs are barking! :thud: My other knee is good so that helps a lot, plus the recovery from MIS is easier, so they say. I surprised myself with the twisting and turning, I can do it now! I haven't been able to do that for 33 years. I even had to be careful getting in the car. Maybe yours will be better after your second knee is done. Lindsay's second knee has gone a lot better, partly because she knew what to expect and she thinks part of it is because she got it done sooner, it wasn't as damaged. I think yours will be too but either way we will be here. :friends:
 
Marianne, I am also four months out (we had our surgery on the same day), but I am not dealing with needing the other knee done. I suspect you are right about how you are favoring your TKR knee. It must be so hard to judge your status. I am really impressed with your 130 flexion! Mine was 120 when I was d/c from PT a couple of weeks ago, so I don't know if it's improved, but it does the job. I'm ok with it, and I keep doing my exercises and stretches so we'll see if/when I can get farther. I am having lots of new sensations in my new knee; I'm guessing it's nerve regeneration, 'cause it's mostly tingly and annoying, rather than painful Of course, and I suspect this is true for most of us, we have become so accustomed to pain that what might kill someone else is just an annoyance to us!

How did your return to work go? I hear you... you are walking up and down the steps a lot... you're in a high school, am I right? Again, I appreciate that everything is complicated by your needing the other knee done. I work in the schools too. I went back on Jan 2nd and have done fine. I work with a preschool population, so the first few weeks were tricky with sitting in those little chairs again, but now it's pretty good.

Well, I just wanted you to know that another newKneebie is thinking of you. I am also really sorry about your car burglary. That truly s**ks! Hope nothing was damaged or that nothing important was taken.

Oh, and I'm happy for you that you are planning for your other knee... I know you'd like to get it done and over with, but you are going to be an expert next time around!
 
Marianne, it is not necessary to have the same brand of knee put in the other leg. Some people even prefer to have different ones in each knee. K
 
Marianne, it is good to hear from you! I can't imagine having another TKR so soon (I waited 17 years for my 2nd one) having your car broken into stinks! It makes you feel violated and vulnerable. Ours was broken into years ago and they stole my bible. I hope they read it! 130 degrees is great, I am dreaming of having 130 someday!
 
Rose, good luck with your back surgery! It is such a pain (no pun intended) that you have to be off your pain meds while you prep for another surgery. I had to do it also "between my knees" and know the discomfort. I had actually started weaning off the meds a week or two ealier and realized I wasn't ready - oops. People didn't get it when I said I was almost looking forward to the second surgery just because I would be back on meds for a bit and the knee could recovery pain-free.

Forevergimpy - What I meant by that comment is all night long the first night, the nurse aides would give me the antinausea meds by IV at the same time as they gave me my dilaudid and other pain meds by IV - easier for them. Unfortunately, I was not very tolerant of them. The antinausea meds need to get into your system about 15-20 minutes ahead of the pain meds in order to take effect (at least the ones they gave me) - especially with IV. Consequently, I got more and more nauseous with each dose and by morning was doing some impressive projectile vomiting - no control at all. I finally had them stop giving me any meds at all until the head nurse and pain mgmt head figured out what was going on. I doubt most people are that sensitive to the meds, but if you are and need the antinausea meds, then I am sure they will time them properly. The day nurses had no problem with it! lol
 
Randi! - Miles walking downtown - that IS impressive! I can walk (not miles) but doing it when there are other pedestrians around that you have to dodge and be wary of drives me crazy (spouse is still doing the shopping, bless his heart). You had no twisting and turning for 33 years!? There must be a story there! Glad you and Lindsay are both enjoying your respective new knees - and each others and what they allow you both to do.

Terry, are you now getting new tingles? I had some the first couple weeks, but nothing of late. I assume it develops at different stages - since you are a couple weeks before my 17-week knee, I wondered if this is a "coming attraction!"
 
Sorry to hear about your break-in, Marianne. How awful for you. I envy your 130 ROM, well done. I'm sure your second TKR will be a doddle as you are now experienced and know what to expect. And of course we'll all be here for you :thumb:
 
I blew my knee skiing and tore the ACL therefore my knee was wobbly and twisting was treacherous.
 
Hi Marianne,
Mimi had my knee done 2 weeks ago at,Ceders. I am still in pain but started out patient PT yesterday. The PT was amazed at how well my knee looked and how much flexion and how I got it completely straight. It hasn't been straight in 25 years. Then I went to my reg doctor with my son and he said wow your knee looks incredible usually at 2 weeks they are twice as swollen and in a couple more weeks u will not even be able to,see the scar. I do need more pain meds and such a pain because we live over an hour away and they have to mail it. We my doctor gave me the pain meds,to start with,I thought no way am I going to use all those. Having had a hysterectomy a couple years ago I only uses have the amount.i can't believe how painful this surgery is. Good luck with your second one. I don't see how people do them at the same time.
Cathy
 
Marianne, how did it go with your car break-in? I'm sorry you have to deal with that.
 
Terry, are you now getting new tingles? I had some the first couple weeks, but nothing of late. I assume it develops at different stages - since you are a couple weeks before my 17-week knee, I wondered if this is a "coming attraction!"
Hi Lynn, I did just start to feel these "tingles." I've been interested in reading others' posts about the ever changing sensations that come and go with healing. Today things felt pretty good, and this was after an hour-long spinning class early this morning. As I think I said, the sensation is more annoying than painful :)
 
Wow thanks everyone for responding! Well, I decided to call the assistants of both the knee guys at UCLA where I have a consult planned. Just wanted to find out if the do the MIS procedure, neither one does it! So I see Dr. Klapper next week but I am wondering if he does it either? What's going on with this? I have been trying to find CURRENT research papers on potential problems with MIS but most of it is a few years old when it first began use. Maybe I am better with another operation just like I had but with a doctor that is accessible and not a donkey donut.
A little boy found a small wallet of mine, was full of saver cards and a few gift cards. He found out on my main cross street on his way to school. Also my thief left his flashlight on my driver's seat. More police were out front when I left for work and so I carefully held it by it's tether. He didn't "get" the importance of it, prints....instead he says, it might not be his, he could have gotten it out of someone else's car. That wasn't even the point! It was the fact that the criminal had obviously had a grip on the flashlight. Officer just grabbed it and shoved it in his pocket. Geepers!
So my neighbor got video of two of them. THey had an electronic device that they hold down next to the key hole and it is able to open the lock without setting off the car alarm. Lovely. BUT the fact that they are opening a LOCKED car makes it a felony even if they only stole change from the car. I like that, maybe some jail time.
I feel exhausted and worry they will be back tonight. I will answer better tomorrow. Thank you all so much!
Beachmom who did your surgery????
Oh also Lynn, Dr Yun doesn't take Blue Shield PPO. He was top on my list last year. Did a double on a friend of a friend and she did great. I double checked this week and he still doesn't take it. Also he used to be with the DORR Institute and that where the friend had her surgery, so that's at Good Sams.
My right knee came out well and I don't have to worry about my ligaments getting too lax to support my knee because they are gone. There are a lot of complications that can happen with a true MIS knee. I am hoping Dr. Klapper can give me some answers.
Love you all!
 
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