TKR Days of Recovery (TKR 1/4)

[Layla]

You're doing well, LD! It sounds like you have it all under control. You also lucked out with a good PT it seems, one that's allowing you to call the shots. You da boss!
@LD of Michigan

 

[Shazama]

10 weeks PO here, I’m very cold intolerant, so haven’t been icing much if at all. Plus it’s cold outside. I actually have two ice machines. One given when I had my partials and a new one with my new RTKR the old one is better and I’m still swollen, but just can’t seem to ice because of the intolerance.
I am going to try this weekend though, it’s suppose to snow and I’ll just try to binge watch movies. Did some step ups yesterday and they got the best of me, so now paying the price. Ugh

 

[sistersinhim]

2 wks out puts me a bit past the inflammatory phase.

I don't think this is true, at least it isn't for the vast majority of members. Inflammation comes and goes, responding to your activity and state of healing. Your swelling will increase and decrease, just like your pain.

Getting sleep whenever and wherever you can is what is important. It's getting that sleep. Good sleep is one of the main complaints following this surgery.

 

[beachy]

Wow! You're doing great!
I'm still quite swollen tho it has come down a tiny bit. Can only bend knee the tiniest bit.
Hope you get some sleep soon.

 

[LD of Michigan]

You also lucked out with a good PT it seems, one that's allowing you to call the shots. You da boss!
@LD of Michigan

Thanks. I AM blessed re. PT. I had her three years ago.

She doesn't push too hard -- yet I work hard every minute I'm there as my co-pay per visit is very EXPENSIVE per my insurance. Getting my moneys worth!

Heck, I even make sure to have my 20 minute elevation and icing applied by the centers assistant before I go (ala a bit of 'spa' feeling)! Awesome place.

 

[LD of Michigan]

2 wks out puts me a bit past the inflammatory phase.

I don't think this is true, at least it isn't for the vast majority of members. Inflammation comes and goes, responding to your activity and state of healing. Your swelling will increase and decrease, just like your pain.

Getting sleep whenever and wherever you can is what is important. It's getting that sleep. Good sleep is one of the main complaints following this surgery.

Yes, I think you're right. I was 'quoting' my initial in-home PT on that. A tad to enthusiastically! HAH.

Perhaps worst inflammation but not all. I went to a longggggg meeting yesterday, sitting upright as the meeting went on and 'bam' I got a bit red again. But not as bad as the first time. Interesting that I've gotten more red and bruising then my 2019 RTKR. Well no two surgeries are the same.

Got right back in bed when I got home and actually go some sleep. Woo-hoo!

 

[LD of Michigan]

10 weeks PO here, I’m very cold intolerant, so haven’t been icing much if at all. Plus it’s cold outside....

Me too. Increasingly so despite being born/ raised in Michigan. I even hate cold lotion in the winter. But ice is excellent for TKR. Learned how to adjust my cold packs from the hospital. As it turns out it's a two-section set up where you slide the ice packs into sleeves with a gap in between. Too often the gap ended up over the incision line. HOW USELESS. The sides of my knee freezing while TKR incision area not cooled.

I now make sure to place to cold sections against top of my knee - over the incision. I never needed iced sides of the knee. I also have a single flat pack that's more flexible/ useful.
Needed all of that after extended sitting up/ doing stuff yesterday...

 

[LD of Michigan]

Hope you get some sleep soon.

Thank you. My first TKR movement was measured in millimeters of severe pain initially. It was slow going on movement though standing and weight bearing was good early on.
This TKR is great movement and flexion. But more 'medicine' head , weak and insomniac this time.

Saturday afternoon is my next date for sleep. I hope I am not 'stood' up this time....

 

[beachy]

@LD of Michigan
I spent a while reading my recovery journal on Bonesmart last nite. You are so right that our first and second(hopefully last) tkrs are very different. I have way more swelling this time.
Hope you're not stood up for your date today!

 

[JusticeRider]

LD, I know we all have to be careful with heat, especially at the beginning, but I got a little electric heating pad that I put on my hips while I ice my knee and oh my does it feel good! My hip has been through some things so it appreciates the heat. But it also keeps me warm and makes icing bearable in this cold winter. Maybe something to try?

 

[beachy]

@JusticeRider I'm going to try your heating pad trick to warm up from all this ice. Freezing my butt off with 3 warm blankets on me!

 

[LD of Michigan]

@LD of MichiganHope you're not stood up for your date today!

LOL! Partially! I got in a whopping 2 hours of sleep so far. I guess I'll get off the laptop and try for some more.
Less night pain from knee waking me up. Able to space out my meds more and more as days go by...

 

[beachy]

2 hrs. Geez, are you napping during the day?
At least the rest of it sounds good!

 

[benne68]

Able to space out my meds more and more

Don't be in too much of a hurry to space out the meds. Remember they have a cumulative effect and it is hard to "catch up" once the pain sets back in. Many of us continued to need pain relief for several months, so you are still early days.

Sleep when and where you can -- sleep difficulty is an unfortunate part of this recovery, but this too will pass.
Slow and steady wins this race.

 

[EalingGran]

LD, I know we all have to be careful with heat, especially at the beginning, but I got a little electric heating pad that I put on my hips while I ice my knee and oh my does it feel good! My hip has been through some things so it appreciates the heat

I agree! It is cold here too ( London) and I use a hot water bottle on my upper body/ back when I ice my knee.

 

[LD of Michigan]

Don't be in too much of a hurry to space out the meds. Remember they have a cumulative effect and it is hard to "catch up" once the pain sets back in. Many of us continued to need pain relief for several months, so you are still early days.

That's a good point - thank you for your comments. I am trying to reduce the Oxy use - Now only three times a day as appose to every four hours those early days.

I'm tired of being a bit 'medicine-head' though I don't have the problems some have with Oxycodone.

I am still on my Tylenol and other meds as usual.

 

[LD of Michigan]

2 hrs. Geez, are you napping during the day?
At least the rest of it sounds good!

Getting better! I'm averaging 4 hours a night now. Broken up but still getting more in.

 

[beachy]

That's better than 2 hrs, right? Hope it gets to 6 hrs soon !

 

[LD of Michigan]

I'm doing better. I've learned to just sleep 'anytime' I can. So long as I get the hours and it's not too early in the day. Today was heavy PT day so I should sleep better.

My bedroom lately does not feel like a place of rest as it's become command central for activities while recovering now. Now that I can sit up more I want to start work from other areas of the home so bedroom is more solely a place of rest.

 

[Arjay]

Reading this account, I'm struck by the different ice machine/ice pak camps. Different strokes fer sure, eh? Personally,I wasnt a big fan of the machine…for several reasons. 1) I am long-legged and I often wanted ice for the hurting I had in multiple places; 2) I'm 'afflicted' with multiple get-ups for pit stops thru the night and messing with the hose, etc. tried my patience; 3) after the first few days, I was all on my own and found the hassle of replenishing ice bottles to and from the freezer…well, a hassle.. I had a number of ice paks (my faves are the ones Beachy shows in her post above) from my prior hip surgeries and I relied on those. I could position them simultaneously in the various places that craved some relief (including the BACK of the knee) and there was no drippy mess. Also, I could ice wherever I happened to be settled in the house. I'm in cold country too, so I sympathize with the reluctance to apply cold when you already feel chilled through. Some soft, flannel-y-fabric twixt pak and skin was useful. And, wrapping something warm around your upper self while the lower limbs get the cold plunge treatment.

I think I was one of the lucky ones - no ill effects from the oxy PLUS I found it eased me into gentle sleep. Also helpful for back sleeping was one of those big, sort of semi-easy chair pillows with 'arms' so that I could stay propped up and -major! - a neck pillow, which I use still. Now that I'm 11 weeks out - hard to believe, I just had to go and check - things are settling in pretty nicely. My chronic insomnia issues kicked back in as I was leaving the drugs. Thanks to my primary, I discovered Trazadone - non-habit forming, etc., good gentle rest, no 'sludgey' hangover. Those of you struggling with insomnia (it is horrible!), I suggest you look into it. I take it only when I sense it's going to be a bad night…def not every night. And I'm finding how life-changing it is to actually be 'well-rested.'