@Lea61 I was kinda confused post op about the meds. I was being given Tylenol maximum strength around the clock (so 4,000 mg per day), and Dilaudid and Naproxin that first day and then only Dilauded as needed. The Naproxin was stopped. That night, in order to go to the bathroom, via commode chair wheeled into bathroom I had Dilauded 4 mgs. The second time I had to go to the bathroom that first night I had 2mg Dilaudid before hand. I don't think I could have done those bathroom journeys on the commode chairs without the Dilaudid. I had to sit on the side of the bed and orient myself before standing up. The standing up was hard and I had to breath through that as instructed by the nurse. I watched my room mate go to the bathroom on her walker. She had had her surgery the day before me. I thought I'd never be able to get on the walker! Next morning I was on the walker going to the bathroom! Amazing how quickly things come along.
Surgeon saw me the morning after surgery (Sat) and said that although my oxygen levels had been down again earlier, I was looking great and had good colour. He felt I could go home. I was no longer on the oxygen anyway.
I was sent home that afternoon with both the Dilauded Rx (2 mg tablets - take 1 - 2 tablets every four hours as needed) AND the Tramadol Rx (37.5 mg that also contains 325 mg of Tylenol per tablet - take 1 - 2 tablets every four hours as needed). The check out nurse discussed only the Tramadol with me. She had also given me more Dilauded prior to check out, as I had to go and "do" stairs with PT and car transfer with PT. I could get in and out of bed on day two, without anyone lifting my leg. That amazed me, as I couldn't lift my leg at all off the bed on day one. The trick is to use your upper body/arms to drag yourself onto the bed (
@Mojo333 suggestion) and that gets two thirds of you on the bed . For practice, I asked the nurse to set the hospital bed roughly at the height of mine at home (another BS "hippie" suggestion!). Hubs and I decided to stay with the hospital regime of Tylenol around the clock with total daily intake of 4,000 mg and two of the Dilauded every four hours when I got home. The hospital had been giving the Dilauded "as needed", but I didn't really know what "I needed" and wanted to keep ahead of the pain. We did a day of that, and then dropped the Dilauded to one tablet every four hours. By that time I was itching and having weird nasty dreams. Yesterday AM I had to call and make my ten day appointment with OS, so asked about switching to Tramadol. I was worried about dropping one opiod med and starting another, but there didn't seem to be an issue, as it wasn't like I was stopping an opiod med completely. OS surgeon had given me both, so wanted me to be well covered. Maybe I worry too much anyway! I think that always one should err on the side of being on top of the pain, vs. getting behind. I have a friend in Maryland who had TKR three days before me. On night three they forgot a dose of pain meds during the night and got behind. She was in tears...and she is normally known as a "tough cookie"! She said she completely fell apart with the pain. She of course caught up and is fine, but it took some time to get that. It was a good reminder to keep ahead of the pain.
Sorry to be so long winded. I am glad they gave me the Dilauded in the hospital, and that I had it at home to start with. I probably could have done just one Dilauded every four hours instead of two, but was really worried about not keeping ahead of things. Maybe if I had cut back on the two tablets to one tablet after twelve hours I might not have had the itching and the bad dreams. I am finding the Tramadol 37.5 mg 2 tablets every four hours works well for today. That also gives me the 4,000 mg of acetaminophen.
I am following the BoneSmart Activity progression that is in the packet of links sent to us right before or after surgery by BS. I'm not wanting to rush anything, but I thought about crutches use yesterday
The fact that it flitted through my mind made me think I'm a lot more confident on my walker. I'm not even going try the crutches until I see OS and my PT next week and get their opinion. I want to have my gait smooth as butter on the walker first.
I am also wanting to get outside...the Fall weather is so inviting
. Today I had a shower and washed my hair....feels great. Now I'm icing and elevating again. I have some swelling in my knee. I think I am about on schedule for that, as apparently one's knee on the op side gets some "handling" while dislocating the leg to get to the joint!
United States
Glad Josephine was able to get a chart for you and hope that this will work well and the itching subsides.
Glory Alleluia, I feel SO much better 
I thought I was going to explode
