TKR Dem Dry Bones

[fiberlady]

RTKR 23 May, had a rough go of it in the hospital what with regulating pain, nausea, and hiccups. After two days they finally regulated the pain, the nausea and hiccups would not leave me. Came home on the 4th day and endured a week of nausea, the hiccups left on the 6th day, no one seems to know why that was happening to me. Started at home PT on the 5th day and had this for two weeks. Started to feel much better after the nausea left, read a lot of good advice from this site to help me through that week. Was supposed to start out patient therapy this week but they had to reschedule me and so wont start until next week, I am on my own for this week. I do have a CPM machine and use it twice a day, I am up to 105 flexion on it, and sit on it for an hour each time. This machine is a stand alone with it's own chair, so we pop in a movie and I sit for an hour and let the machine do the work. I go for walks everyday. Can get around with the cane pretty good. Ice, elevate and rest most of the day, do the stretch exercises. The last two days have been a little rough with pain. I am experiencing pain right below the knee and to the left side of the knee. I did not have a knee cap where it was supposed to be as it was to the right of the knee and had to be replaced, been wondering if this is the cause of some of my pain as the tendon needed to be stretched back over the knee cap. Still muscle pain in back of lower leg, not as bad as it was the first two weeks but getting better. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks.

 

[janae]

I had PT 2 times a day in the hospital. Then was sent home with in-home PT 5 days a week for 2 weeks then 3 days a week for 2 weeks. The PT measures my ROM and extension each time. They assure me I am doing well. I see my OS on June 20 and look for him to send me to outpatient PT. I have a question. When my leg hangs down while sitting in a chair and sometimes while laying, it feels weird. It kind of feels tingly, yet heavy, anyone else doing this or any ideas?

 

[janae]

An embarrassing question. Has anyone had trouble with constipation, stomach ache and nausea?

 

[Minpins]

My LTKR May 6th I am a terrible patient lol, had my right one in Oct. Required manip. for first knee. Has been suggested already for this one but am putting it off I, do not do all those highly suggested dos and donts of recovery, completely my fault. My worst offense I do not rest and especially this second time because of absolute sheer boredom, fustration, depression and awful kneecap pain I don't sit still I am not suggesting any of this was smart I am the one suffering so yesterday long talk with NP and PT today am going to try harder to do what I know I should be doing. I do read this site numerous times daily I just don't share as much as I should. I have no one to blame but myself for this recovery and believe me I am paying the price extremely sore and left kneecap throbs terribly I am still on my pain meds I do ice a lot and try and elevate. Now I do promise to do better after all I've had good people and an awsome hubby who all want the best for me. Thanks Sending best wishes and prayers for all

 

[Midwest knees]

Hi, I had my RTKR on May 6 so am at 6 weeks out. Like most of you, the first 3 weeks were the worst and then I suddenly felt better and overdid it around the house. So the next 2 weeks were pretty bad pain-wise and I had a difficult time getting control of the pain. At 6 weeks I'm still taking hydrocodone 3-4 times daily as needed. I don't know how so many of you get by on tramadol or just aleve, they did nothing for my pain prior to surgery. I actually feel human now most days with a gentle and resting approach to my recovery. This is a difficult surgery to recover from and we all progress at different speeds. One thing that has started up recently at night is the knee cap area violently twitching that wakes me up because it hurts so bad. I've started wrapping an ace bandage around my knee to lightly compress it and that has helped. Anyone else have this happen?

 

[janae]

Minpins, Sorry you are having a rough time. Please do take care of yourself. I too am fighting boredom. My husband has been taking me for a few drives and that is wonderful.

 

[fiberlady]

janae I experienced the nausea the first week, had to try to remember to eat something before taking my meds, that helped a lot. Constipation set in the second week, took stool softeners and ate a lot of prunes. My husband bought me a bunch of fiber one bars and nuts with dried fruit. Still need to take the stool softeners, as long as you are taking the meds, they do constipate. This week I have no appetite and tend to have a queasy stomach, so I am just eating little bits here and there. Saltines seem to be my friend lately.

Minpins have you been doing any of the exercises? I have been resting and icing and elevating, go for a walk, use the CPM machine, but am having a terrible time getting to all the exercises. I cannot do the heel slides for the life of me, it hurts too much in my knee so I do about 4 or 5 and then stop. I can do the leg raises with no problem, and I try to do a few others but not as much as I am supposed to. My ROM is not real good, last week it was 93 and flexion was at 5. I hope I do better next week when I go to out patient therapy. I am just worried about the pain, I do not want to experience pain and I am so very tired, I just do not have much energy at all.

 

[Lanie]

Janae, I drink 8 to 10 bottles of water. I also eat whole grain bread and eat lots of veggies and very little red meat. I haven't had constipation troubles. Today when I arrived at PT my pain level was a good 6. After all the exercises were over and done...I felt like a million bucks. My hubby took me to lunch and after sitting for 25 minutes I had to get up and walk around. I walked on the treadmill at PT...gaining speed....1.5 mph and oh my goodness do I start to sweat and feel weak. I will be so happy to get my strength back. I take (2) 5-325 narco every 4 hours and it does help. Before bedtime I take a flexaril and it helps me to sleep through the night. Hope things get better for you soon.

 

[Hopper]

Im a May marvel too.
It's going ok - I've had the same issues as most. Constipation - used Colace. Fed-up-ness has been awful and in the end I found morning tv a help!!! Anything to pass the time and provide company. Rom is slow - but getting better. I can't peddle yet and so much want to.
I threw the pain meds after a week as the nausea and cotton wool brain was vile - ice is my best friend these days.
The PT is fine as I refuse to be put through any painful manoeuvres.
I was given a prescription for 6 weeks, 3 times a week PT here in the USA. My poor mum in the UK got three sessions with each of her knee ops and they were woefully inadequate from the sound of things. It makes my blood boil when I think of the lack of post op care she received. I had no idea what she had gone through.
I know now.

 

[mom2twins]

Hi Janae and other may marvels. I had my right knee done on May 29th so I've just passed 2 weeks. I had my left knee replaced on Dec 17, 2012. My first surgery I didn't know what to expect so I think I did well recovering. I had 10 weeks of pt twice a week. This time around boy oh boy. I've had a lot more pain even though this was the better of the two. I will start pt on Monday. I have been using the CPM every day and it gets picked up a week from now. Of course not sleeping is still an issue. It's not really about the pain as not being able to get comfortable as others have noted. Summer has arrived in Phoenix and it's really too hot to walk outside. My dad passed away a week before my surgery in May and my husband's 36 year old daughter died 4 days after my Dec surgery. I wrote about it in my thread. So we have really have had to deal with a lot in the last 6 months. But I am so glad my surgeries are over and I will able to walk without the bone on bone pain. I have a lot to live for and I refuse to sit on the couch and watch the world go by. Has anyone ever had a reaction to the stuff they clean your back with in the operating room before they give you the epidural? A few days after I got home from the hospital my daughter noticed this rash up and down my spine.It spread and became very itchy and looked like chicken pox. They spread to the rest of my back and are now drying up and getting crusty. I went to my regular dr and he said it wasn't shingles. The physician's asst.at the surgeon said it looked like a reaction to the anti microbial they use to clean your back. Well enough of me venting. I hope everyone has a great and successful recovery and that you will be happy with your results. Laura

 

[crisby48]

Hi Marvels. Today is five weeks since my surgery and I still waver between being happy with my progress and feeling blue about pain and sleep. I'm still not able to sleep the whole night in bed and end up in the recliner. Much of the pain I am experiencing now is in my shoulders and in my "good" knee, from the support they have had to give since the surgery.

The one thing I notice is more pain/sensitivity along the incision. Would that be the nerves coming back to life?

My PT will be coming later today for the first time in two weeks so it will be interesting to see if there has been progress with ROM. I am still taking it easy using the gentler stretches but able to walk without any assistance. The PT had ordered me a rollator walker but I have hardly needed to use it. I think this is my fourth of seven visits covered by our health system and any further PT would be up to me to arrange and pay for it.

Knee number two will have to be scheduled for the same surgery but I still am not able to make myself think about going through this all over again.

Chris

 

[janae]

crisby48, Sounds like you are doing fairly well. I just tried to get comfortable in bed, but here I am in the recliner again. I am beginning to have a love/hate relationship with my recliner. I am so tired of spending so much time in it, yet it seems to help the most. I discovered the Bonesmart Youtube videos today. I watched the one where the man talks about wrapping the knee in cling wrap to sleep at night. I was wondering if anyone had tried that and the results.

 

[crisby48]

My PT came and everything is progressing fine. My ROM is at 96 which she feels is acceptable for 5 weeks, and my walking is okay. She gave me several new exercises to work on gradually over the next two weeks until she comes back. We practiced each one a few times. But then within an hour my knees were both screaming at me and very hot despite constant icing. I am sure it's temporary but sure feels like a setback right now to be in this much pain.
Chris

 

[Midwest knees]

Janae, I have wrapped my knee at night several times with an ace bandage to prevent it from violent twitching. I have restless leg syndrome but can't tell if it's that or just a result of the surgery. I think the plastic wrap would be too hot unless you first put a cloth around your leg. I spend lots of time in the recliner too... My incision is itchy and sensitive but I think that the pain meds I've been on for so long has taken the pain away from my other knee because it's working fine even tho it's bone on bone.

Crisby48, I go thru the same thing when exercising, I'm at 6 weeks now and I continue to get stiff and swollen after a gentle PT session. It's very discouraging to still be taking the strong pain meds but I continue to elevate and ice and hopefully in time it will improve. Take care and hang in there...

 

[Morgaine]

Now 18 days post op on my left knee. Going much better than the right knee did. Home PT is very gentle, non-aggressive, love my therapist. She keeps encouraging me, but never forces me past what I can handle. Extenstion is 0, flex at 90. She is more interested in getting me to where I can do things, than the numbers though. I love my recliner, but am still not able to stand up out of it without hubby's help. That is one of my goals this week, along with the front steps. I walk around the house several times a day, plus at least twice a night (bathroom is on the other side of the house). I am still on a walker (PT wants me to stay on it a while still), although my cane stands in the corner looking at me, mocking me. I think it even mumbles things at times.
Every knee is different, with this one, it seems much more difficult to get comfortable at night and then once I am, my leg will itch, twitch, or some other odd thing. So while at first I could sleep consecutive 4-5 hours a night, now I hope for 2. Then I hide under the blanket with a flashlight and a book, until I can get back to sleep. I nap regularly off and on all day. I know what time things come on TV and can quote the schedule. Based on the Saturday TV schedule, I know church is the next day. I am going to try to go tomorrow.
Although I have had a fair amount of problems with both knee surgeries, I don't regret having my knees done, because I can walk again without that bone on bone pain. (am also going to copy this to my thread).
janae some pain meds cause constipation etc. I stopped taking one of mine because no matter what I did (prune juice or laxatives) it was not a fun thing. Both my GP and the home nurse think that the straining caused my incision to start oozing blood from the bruising.

Morgaine

 

[Minpins]

I cannot wait to sleep in my normal position I'm just so uncomfortable sometimes all around, you know just can't find that right spot or position. I get up sit, lay down I drive myself crazy, I cry mostly in the mornings just thinking about the day ahead and then talk myself up. I'm a really lousy patient I know this is my second knee and I've just had enough I guess , jokes on me though I have a ways to go I know lol. I am sometimes in outright pain in the newly operated knee especially middle kneecap, and sometimes so dam sore from waist down that both legs just don't want to do a dam thing! Only others who have had this surgery understand the length of the whole process I admit I sometimes don't believe I'll never not hurt. But I read these posts and I believe I to can achieve the same. But what an emotionally and physically draining procedure but I try count my blessings and look at all around me sometimes it works and other times well I won't say lol. Have a great weekend Paula

 

[Elliemae]

Hello janae. I also had my TRKR on May 20th, so 4 weeks post op on Monday. I had a very uneventful surgery, was lucky enough to not suffer from the constipation issues. I am lucky my husbands coffee is a natural system starter for me, just like clockwork...
As for the recovery, I had my second outpatient PT yesterday and I have a long way to go, flexion is just a little past 60 degrees and my extension has been as low as 2 degrees. My OS is not a believer of the CPM, but I wonder if I might have gained some ROM, but will never know now.

I have been walking almost every day at home, first with the walker and now just with my cane and use nothing in the house. I did do some vacuuming today and that did me in for the rest of the day. Each day gets a little easier.

I have a follow up visit with the OS this Thursday and am hoping that I can go back go work on a part time basis, which would be from home. So keep your fingers crossed...

Let us know how you are doing as well.

 

[suzyblue]

Hi Janae I had BTKR on the 9th May and feel that I am doing ok the first three weeks was the hardest not being able to sleep and finding it hard to sleep, I am now off the crutches and walking freely although I must add slowly but great to be-able to walk without aid, my back is sore but that will come right with a bit more exercise as Ive been sitting around for so long, legs are still very stiff but ok.
I am also experiencing stinging around the scar line which im sure is just the nerves and the scar tightening when swelling up so I just rub a bit of Vitamin A cream over the scar and this softens it a bit.
I have my six week check up with the surgeon on Wednesday so looking forward to that and I am joining an exercise class twice a week to help with the rehabilitation process, my aim is to get back to work on the 1st of August.
Hope is going well for you now I find each week is getter easier and easier sometimes its each day.

 

[suzyblue]

Knee number two will have to be scheduled for the same surgery but I still am not able to make myself think about going through this all over again.

Hi Chris although I found it hard Im pleased I had both knees done at the same time other wise I would never have gone back to get the other one done, however it still has to better than the pain that you will be in now.
You just have to focus on what it means to you and your future well being.

 

[janae]

It is so nice to connect with other May Marvels! Not that I want anyone having hard times, but it is nice to know you are not alone. Last night was wonderful, I was able to stay in bed (except for bathroom breaks) for 9 hours! That was the second full night since being home. Two of my kids came home for the day and we went out to eat for the first time. It went well, but I was so thankful my husband was there to help me up from the armless chair. I also ironed for an hour or so. I'm tired tonight, but thankful for the full day. Looking forward to this week bringing us all more recovery.