TKR Day 4 post tkr

Aj67

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Hello
My wife had knee replacement surgery this past Tuesday. I am doing all I can to support her. Giving pain meds, helping with range exercises. She got home yesterday. She does not seem to be able to sit up longer than 30 minutes or so. She is sleeping lots too. Is this normal?
Thank you!
 
I think you need a staff members advice on this. Remember we all react differently. Do you mean Tuesday 4 days ago (in which case, it’s very early days) or over a week ago? Perhaps her meds need looking at. While in hospital I had morphine for the pain. It was needed, but of course it made me sleepy.
Good luck to you both.
 
Hi and Welcome!

Please give us the date of your wife’s surgery and we’ll make a signature for her.

Yes, sleeping a lot is normal. Medication can cause it, and, she’s just been through one of the most major surgeries a person can go through and her body is in overdrive trying to heal the trauma.


I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​


4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Thank you.
She had surgery Feb 4th in late afternoon.
I will read all of this information. Thank you
I want to do anything to help her.
 
@Aj67 Read the articles on ice and elevation. If you don't have a recliner there is information in the articles on elevating in other areas. Icing will reduce swelling that is normal post TKR.

She should not worry about exercising now. Trips to the bathroom or just walking around the house is enough exercise. That knee has been through major trauma. Give it time to heal.
 
I am recovering from a LTKR,now, but a couple of years ago, I had to care for my husband after his quadriceps repair, which was very debilitating for him for several months. So, I can sympathize with both you and your wife.

I had to build a system to help him or I felt like I couldn’t keep up with simple things when he was grounded; he is really good at just doing whatever comes up, so I had to learn that I need to ask for stuff during my recovery. It has been an interesting and helpful lesson in our relationship.

Oh and I was able to take care of myself a lot sooner than he was because I was weight-bearing as tolerated and he was zero weight-bearing for many weeks. I still need a lot of rest, so I lean on him when he’s home, but I can fix my own food, change my ice, etc, if he’s busy.

I hope that’s helpful information.
 
I am doing all I can to support her
I want to do anything to help her.
You may be surprised how many ladies on here are disappointed with the 'support' they get. Anyway, good for you.
She is sleeping lots too. Is this normal?
Yes, sleep is the best remedy.

Probably the best therapy is not doing much; resting, relaxing, watching TV, drinking the cups of tea/gins and tonic (delete as appropriate) brought to her side.
 
Good that she is sleeping at this time. Sleep is the bodies response to the change and repair mode IMO. I wished I'd had that problem early on. My body would not allow me to sleep... it was like I my body was too SHOCKED to sleep - once I got home (two days in hospital). But I over-came that by learning how to at least close my eyes and stay in bed, at least resting. My extra bed time delayed my PT a bit, but not enough to have any long term consequence.

From educating myself here and talking to others I KNEW that the short 'windows' of ROM was a myth. By week three I was having great flexion anyway and by then I was sleeping enough to get out of the bed more. Make sure you are taking care of yourself as well...:) :-) (:
 
Let your wife sleep as much as she wants to. She's actually healing better while asleep because her body can concentrate more on just that.
 
Thank you all. She is staying awake more but also resting lots. She has been doing ROM a couple times a day. Thank you again, it means a lot.
 
I have been watching advice from this forum for several years. Was always skeptical about their advice of no exercise as with all of my surgeries, I was pushed to do exercises and or walk hours after the surgery. Since I have lots of scar tissue, I assumed this was necessary for getting my ROM. I have moved and have a new surgeon and he is completely different for my last revision that was last Friday. He said no exercises and be a couch potato! Sounds like what your wife is doing and to be honest, it is such a relief. But the hard work will be coming and I realize healing first makes sense. Good luck!
 
My wife is doing so much better during the day. Nights however are not good. Mostly due to leg cramping. We tried muscle relaxants, they did not help. Heat soothes it only a bit. Ice machine also sort of helps. We have gone back to using oxy at night.. any suggestions???
 
just over a week post op, she is doing great! Sleep? That’s something i have a big problem with..I still take an Oxy prior to bedtime, just to get a bit of miserable sleep..oxy wears off within 4 hours, and I lie in bed, knee aching and stiff, for a few additional hours..and I am 3+ weeks post op..time is your wife’s friend, it will get better..
 
I have been watching advice from this forum for several years. Was always skeptical about their advice of no exercise as with all of my surgeries, I was pushed to do exercises and or walk hours after the surgery.
Just to clarify this: BoneSmart advises that your new knee doesn't need lots of formal or painful exercises. We don't mean that you should do nothing at all.
All your knee needs in the early days is to be moved, gently. You can achieve this with very gentle PT, and/or through your Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

These are what we call ADLs or activities of daily living and these you should do, always.

Personal hygiene and grooming
Dressing and undressing
Functional transfers, e.g. Getting out of bed
Voluntarily controlling bladder and bowel elimination
Walking or using canes, crutches or a wheelchair
Housework: laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning windows - but not in the first months
Meal preparation and cleanup
Care of pets (but not horses or farm animals!)

Other activities you can do include:
answering the door
meeting and greeting guests
taking walks around the house, garden or street
using the house stairs
 
StartIng my range of motion exercises today. Until today, I got up every hour and walked a bit and did ADLs as they say but now 2 hours a day I am too work on extension and flexion. Then next week is outpatient PT.
 
they say but now 2 hours a day I am too work on extension and flexion.
Who is they? 2 hours a day will anger your knee causing inflammation, swelling and increased pain. You don't even need exercises. You were doing just fine with your ADL. If you do decide to exercise, just do a few gentle movements a day. Then, see how your knee reacts. If it's OK, then do a few more, never to the point of pain, though. That will cause a set back. You knee needs to stay in control.
 
Kudos to all of you great support spouses. You are wonderful.

I got up this morning 19 days post-op, ate breakfast, read the paper, and by noon had to take a 1 1/2 hour nap! Now I'm thinking maybe another short one before dinner?

1st 2 weeks I took a 3 hour nap morning and afternoon. Then fell asleep in recliner after dinner. Does not help when the patient wakes up 3 times a night in pain -- really hard to get restful sleep. And the Oxy does cause fatigue, but the surgery/healing even more.
 
You need to sleep you sleep when you can and where you can. When you're sleeping, your body can concentrate more on healing knees.
 

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