TKR Bye bye bone, hello chrome!

[LaylaHips]

Thank you, newlybionic, the sergeant night nurse told me the day nurse had faxed the OS and PA and paged them a minimum of 4 times the first day, but never told me that until the day I left. My husband would have been tracking them down and pounding on doors. My OS has a new practical nurse who is in charge of all these things, and admitted to us that all hospital pages go directly to her. She has messed up orders for me during the past 6 months (I needed an antibiotic prior to a teeth cleaning, which required 2 weeks of phone calls before I finally got it the day before the cleaning). She has done many things like this the last few months. She changed the medication orders to aspirin instead of coumidon on the hospital computer, which is when I think she deleted everything else. My OS had a nurse who retired in January, she helped with my hip replacement, I never had any problems or pain and it was a great experience all around. AND she called me "young lady" (I'm about 2 years younger than she is). This new nurse practitioner was supposed to bring us the paperwork for a handicap sticker, (forgot) meet with us at noon (it was 1:30), help with some paperwork for short term disability (she wanted to get a new copy from my HR department, we contacted HR also to have them send it to her but they never heard from her, etc. etc.). She acts very lackadaisical about everything with no concern about 36 hours without pain meds.

 

[newlybionic]

Make sure your OS knows everything so that his nurse can be re-taught procedures or is replaced with one who can handle the job. That's terrible to think she has made mistakes before.

 

[LaylaHips]

@newlybionic I just read your recovery thread, and sounds like you had a similar problem but could not tolerate the pain meds! After reading several people's threads, I don't feel as sorry for myself! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

 

[Majella]

So sorry you had a bad experience! that should have never happened.
Now that your home you can control what happens....better days ahead

 

[LFitz]

Glad you are home and have your pain managed. You had a rough start, that never should have happened, but thankfully that is behind you. Hope your recovery goes well as you medicate, rest, ice and elevate.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[kneeper]

I hope things are smoother sailing for you now.

 

[LaylaHips]

@Majella, @LFitz, @kneeper -Thanks so much for your words of encouragement! I pulled out the nerve block catheter yesterday and I think I am now doing well with pains and managing medication. Now I must read through recovery threads to see where I should be as far as exercises go-I've been trying to do heal slides, quad squeezes with extension (whatever those are called), and on rare occasions, straight leg raises. I have a list I'm supposed to do but am following the advise here and right now am trying to get the swelling down and am resting. I have increased walking around my house today. I appreciate all your sage advice, so happy to be here!

 

[Suz]

Now I must read through recovery threads to see where I should be as far as exercises go

I too am glad you are home where you can manage your recovery @LaylaHips. My experience with exercises at one week post-op was pretty much they were non-existent! I was hyper-focused on reading recovery threads in the early days of my recovery and as hard as it was to ignore the exercises I was given and expected to do- I did. Because of what I read here in the forum.

Now at 11wks post op the soft tissue has all but healed and my knee is responding remarkably to gentle strengthening exercises! I am able to walk anywhere I want to go with no pain. And I have plenty of time left in my projected recovery time!

It's hard to fight off the temptation to help your knee along by working it. But speaking from experience less activity truly is best the first 4wks post-op! The best you can do for your recovery is to keep it elevated, stay on your medication schedule faithfully even through the night and keep it under ice while you rest!

 

[sistersinhim]

I agree with Suz. I'm doing no PT at all and I'm doing very well. This doesn't mean I'm doing nothing. No, I am doing daily life by myself for the most part. I do the heel slides and long strides holding on to the walker when I'm doing my walking exercises. I also ride my recumbent bike about 5 minutes a day. But, I am busy doing house and yard work, too, so I am doing my own PT and my ROM is very good. Just give your knee time to heal. The first few weeks I did only the necessary things I had to do. The housework was left as was the yard work. When trying to play catch-up, I have visited that terrible Over Did It Club. But, I have learned what my knee needs from me and what I do to hurt it. I go out of my way not to hurt it! The pain and discomfort isn't worth it. So, treat that brand new knee like it is, an infant. Don't do anything you don't have to do. Don't exercise, just follow the reading that was given to you. The BoneSmart way works. The painful PT way does not!! There are so many on here that are living proof. Sleep when you can. It's fleeting!

 

[Majella]

@LaylaHips How are you doing?
Hope things are getting easier to accomplish as the days go by.
Sending strength and healing your way

 

[LoveGiants]

@LaylaHips - I'm so sorry to hear of the troubles in the hospital. Wow.

I haven't done any exercises, just getting up and down from the couch to the bathroom has been enough . The surgical PA told me that all I had to do was get the swelling down by elevating and icing until I could bend my knee to 90*.

I hope you're doing well!

 

[LaylaHips]

Suz, sistersinhim, Majella, LoveGiants
-thanks for the well wishes and good advice! I have been SO tired this week, I think from the surgery and a sinus infection. I had a PT assessment (I'm not sure if she was a PT, or a nurse for the homehealth agency) on Tuesday. She mostly asked questions. I took an oxycodone before she arrived in case she expected me to do some exercises. She mostly measured range of motion. She was at the house an hour and a half, I swear she asked if I had diabetes 3 times. Early in her visit she asked if I wanted to practice tub transfers and I said "no". Before she left, she said, now it's time to see how you do with bed transfers and tub transfers. I told her I would lie on the couch to show her how to I do bed transfers. I wasn't about to bring her upstairs into the bathroom which my teens use to find out what kind of shape it's in. I use the bathroom off our bedroom for sponge baths. It has a tub but I use the shower in their bathroom, and I don't think I have the ROM to get into that shower yet (it's a clawfoot tub). I'd at least have had them clean it before I brought a nurse upstairs.

Anyway, this week I had decided to get mostly off of the pain meds. That was a mistake. I don't need them during the day, but definitely need the 12 hour oxycontin at night. So, the one night I attempted getting off I ended up having oxycodone (started with that, because it's a 4 hr painkiller), ended up taking the 12 hour pill, too. So last night when I went to bed, I was already uncomfortable, took the 12 hour oxycontin, tylenol, and a valium (which I have only taken once since coming home). I did get a great night's sleep but will try to get back to oxycontin only, and I only have a few days left. The nurse told me that's it. I haven't been taking the 4 hr painkillers so I have lots of those left. I hope to be off all this stuff soon! Actually, a glass of wine sounds nice but will wait a few weeks until all these meds are out of my system.

As far as my ROM goes, I am doing well with extension, which is what they told me to focus on in the hospital. Now to work on getting more than 90 degrees of flexion, which is what I need to take a shower. I had my first PT appt yesterday and she showed me some exercises that weren't too difficult, but when she left I slept for 2 hours. She kept wanting me to do more like go out and take a walk with her, and I said -no, I'm good. I want to go for a walk but will have my husband or son drive me to some level ground with benches so I can walk a little and rest. Hoping to do that today. Overall, my knee feels pretty good. I'm not in terrible pain and am getting around well (still with a walker, only because I don't want to limp and return to bad habits). I think this is a long, rambling post, but keep in mind I have drug brain!

 

[LoveGiants]

I would have gone crazy with a PT/home health in my house for an hour and a half. It sounds like she had her checklist to complete regardless of what you needed.

I've read on here to be careful of going off pain meds too soon.

I'm so glad to hear you're doing well!

 

[LaylaHips]

Thanks, @LoveGiants, I am a little loopy from meds so I didn't want her to think I was disoriented, but by the end of the 90 min session I was thinking she was the one with memory problems, either that or the computer didn't work and she had to ask me everything twice.

 

[Majella]

Hello @LaylaHips
Sorry to hear about your sinus infection UGH! Hope you are feeling better soon!
After my surgery I couldn't use our shower/tub because I needed to bend my knee to climb over the tub.
I ended up ordering one of those tub benches from Amazon (one that sits half way in and half way out of the tub) it worked so well I used it for almost 4 weeks. I'm like you...I craved a glass a of wine but had to wait until I stopped taking narcotics all the time...I finally caved one night about 2 months ago! wow it tasted great
Hang in there and soon the walker will be a distant memory

 

[LaylaHips]

Thanks, @Majella-I finally figured out how to get in and out of a claw foot tub-a shower was wonderful!

Question for everyone: I was perusing google looking for charts of ROM post knee replacement. I just wanted to find general information and a range to look for every week post recovery (couldn't find anything like that here, am I missing it?). So, during my search an ad for a unit called X10 came up. It's not a continuous ROM machine, something computerized based on your body's responses to ROM, I guess, couldn't quite figure it out and nothing explained it clearly. The only think that it did promote was great results with ROM without pain. Has anyone tried this or rented it? Let me know if you have heard of it! Thank You!

 

[FlaGranny]

I've actually been practicing getting in and out of my tub to make sure I have no problems. I actually have pain in both knees (it hurts to bend either knee with weight on it) and it is hard for me to get in and out now, so I hope practice makes perfect. I have a grab bar which assists me.

 

[Celle]

@LaylaHips
I have edited your post #32, to remove the multiple tags. When a post begins with lots of tags, it is very difficult for people using phones or smaller tablets to read, because initially the tags are all they see. So, we ask you not to make multiple tags like that. This article explains further:
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

The people you tagged are reading your thread, so they will see your messages anyway.

 

[LaylaHips]

So, I had PT on Tuesday and Wednesday. She is actually a PTA who comes to the house. I try to figure out ways to keep her busy so we have been walking outside with a cane to build up endurance. I did a few exercises standing at the kitchen counter with her. After she leaves, even though she doesn't touch me or check my ROM, I am completely exhausted. Yesterday I politely told her I'd prefer she didn't come on Friday. I think she thought I was concerned about if the insurance covered it, but finally today she got the idea that I didn't want her here a 3rd time this week. I felt so much better today doing things at my own pace, and she won't be back again until next Tuesday.

The question I would like to ask, is, how far should I be along with walking? I can walk up and down stairs (one foot at a time) with a cane, and can walk outside fairly well with a cane. I don't have great endurance. I can walk short distances without a cane, but don't because I'm more protective and don't want to limp. I'm about 18 days post-op-does this sound about right? Also, tonight is the last night of the long release oxycontin. I haven't been using any other pain meds except tylenol on occasion. I'm a little nervous about not having that 12 hour release med tonight, I've been able to sleep well with it. I still have lots of the 4 hour release oxycodon so will start with that tonight. Other than that, pain management has been okay, but as I mentioned, I was very uncomfortable and unsettled after PT (not in real pain, however).

I've been reading through your threads for ideas of where my progress should be but haven't found specifics, I guess everyone is different! Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Celle]

Firstly, I think you are ahead of the game with walking. Doing stairs one foot at a time already? That's very early.
Do beware of the tendency to rush things and do too much, too soon, because that will come back and bite you. Knees take longer than hips to recover adn your main activity should still be to rest, ice and elevate.

I really think it's far too soon to be coming off the hard-core pain medications. Will your own doctor (PCP/GP) prescribe Tramadol for you? It's a useful step-down drug from the stronger narcotics and you can use it in combination with Tylenol, to give quite a good pain relief regime.