TKR Can lost ROM be regained

[Majic]

@Raffs Thanks you for Lactulose tip. Someone gave me a large bottle last time, but only the same day that I came off the Codeine, so I haven't tried it yet. When I stopped Codeine I went 4/5 times a day for several days.
I think numbness is slightly better.
@CATSMUM I had a numb sole of foot both before and after last TKR, OS thought it was nothing to do with op. As I had had it for such a long time. However it gradually improved and by June seemed to have disappeared. It is weird though walking bare foot when one foot feel so different to other. I never found it painful though.

 

[Raffs]

You're welcome. Lactulose is horrid, like drinking sugar syrup, but it is quite gentle but still gets the job done. Good news re the numbness. Are you still in hospital?

 

[Majic]

@Raffs @CATSMUM 6am day 4ish, last night OxyContin, and Gabapentin was knocked off. Only allowed for 4 nights apparently. I managed to get away with trying one night 60 ml Codeine, and paracetamol and Naproxen after meals. I slept well, and needed no oral morphine. Used one pillow + ice on knee. Nurses seem convinced that OS would not like pillows in night in case muscles go slack. Two trips to loo in night, improving but tedious. Not surprising though, as I take 8 tablets for epilepsy, + pain killers, stool softener, laxative and last night potassium tablet dissolved in glass of water. All this is washed down with cup of chamomile tea to prevent night if heart burn.

 

[Majic]

Raffs and CATSMUM:

Now p.m. It does not look like I shall be going home tomorrow after all. OS saw me this morning, some blood had leaked through dressing so it is now bandaged again, and I have been told to bend it less. If only I could have BM. Nurse is threatening suppositories later on today. Pain has increased without OxyContin. But I am only on small dose of Codeine so far, but OS says if I need Codeine I must take it! Bit fed up, pressure from bandage is causing rest of leg to swell .

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hello @Majic

Congratulations on your surgery. I do hope that things will begin to settle down for you very soon. The lovely thing about all this is your wonderful positivity.

I know you must be very disappointed at not going home but honestly you are better to stay in and ensure everything is okay first. With my recent TKR I was 9 days in hospital due to my knee not bending or being able to do the stairs. They were very good and discharged me with a home physio package.

Usually the very thought of a suppository is enough to make you go!!! Trouble is these meds really do cause dreadful constipation.

You mention about the bandage causing your leg to swell, it was the TED with me. Both times I couldn't wear them on he operated leg as it made my knee balloon up! Oh the trials and tribulations of this recovery.

Any way I'm sending you all the very best of good luck and positive healing thoughts for your recovery.

Please take care
Love Nana moon 27 xx

 

[CATSMUM]

@Majic Sorry to hear you're not coming out today, how disappointing. However you are in the best place and they will not let you out until everything has settled. You're on exactly the meds that l was prescribed when l left hospital. Is your knee still oozing? Did you have staples, stitches or glue?

Know what you mean about BMs! I was bunged up too, l do take stool softeners every evening now (still take codeine 30mg only) and they work well. Codeine does cause constipation but you need to take your meds to control your pain. What laxatives are they giving you?

 

[CATSMUM]

Have you let the nursing staff know about your leg swelling up? If not, please tell them, don't suffer. Fully understand how frustrated you must be.

 

[Majic]

Nana moon 27 and CATSMUM:

Hello both, CATSMUM what is a TED I don't think I have heard of one? I am taking Fybogel, Senacot, and a stool softener. Last time with knee in Cricket Splint I was in for 10 days and wound was closed with dissolvable stitches, so I did not have to come back for them to be removed. Suppository idea, does make me want to go, but unfortunately I can't seem to manage it. When I get home I shall try Lactulose, friend recommended it at home, and Chemists do sell it in enormous bottles, so either it works well or an aweful lot of people are very constipated.

 

[CATSMUM]

Jackie, TEDs are compression stockings that some patients are given to wear to stop blood clots after ops. I had blood thinners as my OS prefers them. I had lactulose which worked fairly well. I've since gone onto ducolease high appear to work well. I had staples and dissolvable stitches in the tissues inside the knee, have had a problem with one that's not dissolved and has had to be cut manually and is now being treated with iodine to dry it out so they the scar will heal.

 

[Nana moon 27]

I was given a orange flavour Laxido sachet that you mix with water. It moves mountains (metaphorically speaking) X X X extremely gentle but very effective x

 

[Raffs]

Sorry to hear you're not going home when you hoped. I was kept in an extra night too for various reasons but it turned out to be right for me. My nurse made me drink prune juice on top of the laxative and stool softener and that worked! At home I struggled for a few days until I took 2 x 15ml of lactulose a day and ate lots of high fibre food. No problems since. I'm on my second of those huge bottles!! Hope the swelling has gone down.

 

[Majic]

Raffs, CATSMUM, Nana moon 27:

Hello folks, I am actually home!!.
I wrote you a long post last night, but forum packed up and I couldn't send it. If this will post I will send another with news.

 

[CATSMUM]

Excellent news that you're home. Rest, ice, elevate and take your meds. How are you feeling? Has the swelling gone down?

 

[Majic]

Raffs, CATSMUM, Nana moon 27:

thanks for all your advice re laxatives. What time of day do you take Lactulose Raffs, and ditto Prune juice. I don't like Senacot it just seems to give me tummy ache. How many stool softeners a day do you all take? My bottle says up to 5 which is not much help and seems a lot.

I got home yesterday afternoon after a painfree journey. Last time I was in agony because of the splint.went to bed and slept for two hours. Had small meal, still hardly any appetite. Typed a long post to you all, which would not go, reported problem, then went to bed. I took paracetamol-2, codeine 30 mg -2, and had naproxen after dinner.

Slept with ice pack under knee, and one on top, and small rolled up towel under my ankle to keep knee straight. Woke up after 2hours in a lot of pain, so my husband changed ice packs and I managed to get back to sleep, and slept until 4.15 not bad. Woke with no pain in knee but painful heel. After new ice packs and plaster on heel I went straight back to sleep and slept until almost 7 am. Elbows slightly sore, lying on my back, I don't seem able not to press them on the mattress. All in all a very good night for first night home. With last knee I needed loo every couple of hours for several nights. Am still very tired though. I can't help thinking about poor Pansy I do hope she is OK. I do feel so lucky after last night. Love to you all.

 

[Majic]

@CATSMUM swelling very much better apart from ankle. I suppose that needs walking and more elevation than I can manage in a chair.

 

[CATSMUM]

Hi Jackie, so pleased your swelling is a lot better, it will take some time to go completely. I spend most of my time lying on the settee with my legs elevated!! My appetite was poor when l got home, just ended up eating what l wanted, when l wanted it. Sleep was another matter, I'd drop off and then wake up thinking I'd been asleep for hours and then ok at the clock to discover I'd been asleep for an hour! I used to wake up in pain, like you, I'd then put m cryo cuff on and go back to sleep. Rest and get your hubby to do everything, lol!

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hello @Majic

Your pain may have been resting your heel on a rolled up towel all night. That's usually an exercise that's done for five mins a day and gradually increased once you knee heals more. Please be careful. I know you said you had an ice pack top and bottom of the joint but was the whole of the back of your leg supported from the buttock downwards? It might be easier if you can sleep with your leg elevated, the length of the leg supported, with the ice pack on.

I'm so glad that you are home and okay. I had to learn to stop trying to run and control everything after my first TKR and it was very hard to hand the reins over to hubby at first.

It might pay you to tag one of the moderators in and ask the question about your sleeping position re your knee xx I wish you a speedy recovery.

@CATSMUM that's exactly how I was too, it's all part of the wonderful journey we are on Xxx

Love Nana moon 27 xxx

 

[Raffs]

Excellent that you're home.

I take 15ml of lactulose before bed and the same again before breakfast. Am cutting down to one dose from now on as I'm on less codeine so things are beginning to move of their own accord (trying to be polite here...lol). I only had prune juice in hospital. Once you're eating fairly normally then the lactulose should be all you need providing you eat enough foods high in fibre.

@Nana moon 27 and @CATSMUM have answered your other questions very well so nothing to add from me.

Keep resting, icing, elevating and taking your meds on time. You're doing really well so far. Hope today has been ok so far.

 

[Majic]

@Nana moon 27 I didn't explain very well,the rolled up towel was under my ankle to keep my leg straight.
The sore heel is on the other leg, I also had sore elbows, all probably from resting on the bed, and using my heel to manoeuvre myself around.

 

[Majic]

@CATSMUM do you find that elevating leg means that it goes stiff and doesn't bend very easily? I feel that I am loosing some ROM, by elevating it so much, although it is still the first day home. When did you first venture outside. We live in the Country, and our lane has no footpaths.