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TKR Diane's KneeQuest, NewKnee Inn Recovery

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I also went on the ice cream diet. That and lots of water.
 
Diane, I am so sorry you are having tummy troubles. I had a little nausea but nothing compared to what you are experiencing. I don't really have any advice other than what has already been given. Just wanted you to know I am thinking about you and saying a prayer that you will feel better soon.
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I'm so sorry you are having such a rough time, I hope your pain is under control, your scar looks good, not much swelling??
 
Diane, no, I never had any troubles before surgery. I became very constipated for the first week after surgery. I was not eating much at all since the morphine made me very nauseous. I always ate a protein source with my pain killer since it takes longer to digest and will help "cushion" the stomach until the pill is out of it. Do not stop your stool softeners all together. You are in a vicious cycle - I understand it all too well. I took one stool softener twice a day and Miralax once a day. Now, the definition of diarrhea is loose stool with a sense of urgency. Your stool softener should be making your stool soft enabling you to pass it. If you get constipated, then you are back to over medicating trying to fix that problem. Try to take one stool softener a day. The main thing that I feel saved my life was Florastor. It is a probiotic that survives the stomach (many probiotics do not) and gets into the intestine to repopulate the good bacteria. After we take the antibiotics for surgery, and then have diarrhea, we have destroyed the good flora in our intestines. PLEASE send someone to get you Florastor. It is different from other probiotics. Research it - you will see. I did find CVS has a generic that is cheaper. If you are like me, I did not care what it cost if it stopped my terrible constipation/diarrhea. You do NOT want to get constipated and then start straining. At that point, you are straining and can then make diverticula. I developed diverticulitis - an infection. It has destroyed my digestive system. I ended up having diarrhea for six weeks. I have had 2 CT scans, and many visits to the gastroenterologist. The main thing I was told - do not get constipated and do not strain. So, get the probiotic, take one stool softener a day (if that doesn't work, try two). I was also told NOT to take a laxative. If needed, Miralax is good. Try to stop eating dairy until your stomach settles -that means yogurt for now. For some reason, Kefir didn't bother me. Think white and bland until your stomach settles. Low fiber. Toast, white potatoes, clear broth. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and are tolerated well. You need to be eating some protein for your knee to heal and your body to recover. AND ABOVE ALL ELSE - DRINK LOTS OF WATER! When your stomach settles down, slowly add in fiber. I now take a stool softener and a fiber supplement daily. Having a "normal" bowel moment is something so many take for granted! I hope all this did not embarrass you. I am very open about this because too many people suffer in silence. My youngest brother had Stage 4 Colon Cancer, so my family talks a LOT about our digestive systems!

Your scar looks really nice. Be patient with yourself. I thought I would never see the ROM or extension that everyone else did, but it does come. At almost 10 months, I still have swelling, although I do not have that terrible bone on bone pain. You can get through this. You are added to my prayer list. If you need any other help or have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. May God bless you.
 
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@dianehelen, yes! That is the one. The gastroenterologist is the one that told me to give up the yogurt for a bit. I started on Kefir and that was ok with her. Not sure why the difference? You just want to be extra kind to your tummy until it settles down. Watch the artificial sweeteners and things with inulin (like the Fiber One products). They can also upset your stomach. I was given a list of foods to eat and avoid. it sounds terrible and boring, but white and bland pretty much summed it up. Potatoes, toast, and eggs. Bananas gave me gas. Pears were on the accepted list. Give it a try for a week and see if you can get regulated. I really do understand what you are going through. It was a joke about the Poop Fairy visiting with a few of us after our TKRs. She just never left my house! hahaha! I do hope you can feel better. A&D ointment - just saying......
 
No, not a Costco member. I live in amazon prime. Florastor will be here tomorrow.

As for bland & boring, not much appetite anyway. Eggs and toast seem to be working for now. I do have 2 small things of kefir I bought before surgery. Didnt care for it much, but maybe I'll use them

Ok time for my bed.. thanks again for your help
 
I am so sorry your stomach is giving you such trouble. As if concentrating on your knee isn't enough. Hope some f these tips from the others will do you some good.
 
Hi DianeHelen,
I also have been having the hip/lower back ache, too, probably from the high angle my leg is in all night with the ice on it. My PT's office has a sports physiologist on staff, and I've seen her a couple of times to address movement or gait issues. She's a "moving people detective", I tell her! (Was a professional basketball player in Europe in her 20s...) To my hip/back ache issues, she suggested I do very gentle hip tucks and tilts, tilting my pelvis away, then tucking it under, like cat-cow in yoga? She advised me to do it slowly and gently so I can really feel each stage of the positional change. When I get that ache, I now automatically do that movement and often I only need do it a few times now to make it feel better. The other thing I have from years back is an old 4" diam. soft rubber ball that I can lie on and it's really squishy, not round at all! But, I can get some relief when lying on that, perhaps for about 10 minutes? But, really, the easiest and most often used trick is the hip tilt and tuck... no equipment needed! But be very gentle on yourself, too. It should feel really good in one of the positions it will be in during that arc of movement... I hope this may help you as it has me... Sending caring thoughts your way... I went through a very similar time, too... rest well!
 
And another day dawns at NewKnee Inn. Stomach started off a bit gassy, but seems calmer for the moment, lets see what the day brings.

For today I have a few procedural type questions.

I'm 10 days out, at this point should I still be icing/elevating pretty much all day? I ask because, I am allowed, actually encouraged to leave the nicely healing wound open, uncovered to be exposed to air. Well when the ice machine wrap is on, I keep it covered with a light gauze, with a mesh netting to create a barrier to the machine pad. Also with the pad on it adds weight to my leg, that unless I go thru the hassle of removing the pad , getting up to walk or go to the bathroom, just feels like I'm dragging ball n chain on my leg.

Then about the high elevating. By keeping my leg so high all day, its starting to bother my lower back. I dont feel it's very swollen, so think it would be ok to reduce the hours of such high elevation, and just sit im my recliner with the normal elevation, which when reclined I guess the knee is about hip level, maybe an inch above.

Lastly, I think I read somewhere about massaging some of the areas surrounding the wound itself. Can anyone share any info on this?

If I can wake up in the morning, without being initially concerned with the ice machine, maybe I can work towards getting up on my own, taking care of the dogs and maybe give my poor non morning person husband a break from my obsessive 7am wake up routine. Currently he gets up with me, deals with dogs ice machine & my coffee, then goes back to bed for a few hours.with all he is doing for me, I'd love to give him some relief even if just this one area.

Thanks guys..
 
Diane, I totally missed your question about Gas-X. I found once I got on the Florastor and eliminated milk, the gas settled down. I don't think it would hurt you any to take it. I took one Florastor in the morning and one at night to begin with. After things had settled, I only took one a day. I do hope this helps you.
 
I did not use an ice machine. My OS did not want any ice on the wound, so I had ice packs I used on the sides and back of my knee. You could make some (or buy if you don't have) and try those. I sat in my recliner with a 2 pillows on the footrest to get my leg up a little higher. You could give that a try. I agree about giving our wonderful spouses a rest. Mine was a dear. We had long talks about having an outlet for stress and that if I said something unkind or was short, not to take it personally. We survived it all and became even closer after all was said and done. I did gently rub the knee - NEVER the incision - with some lotion before it was healed. After it was all healed nicely, then the real massaging started. I have a beautiful flat scar now. If someone weren't looking, they would not notice it, other than it being white.
 
Ya I have my homemade pillow stack, and I've been using that, but because of the height, its starting to bother my lower back. Just wondering if at this point I'd be ok just using the recliner, reclined, at least parts of the day.

As for ice, do I still need to be under the ice-fluence pretty much 24/7? Im sitting for now just reclined, with my incision just opened to air.
 
Diane, I think it's ok for you to experiment and see what works for you, especially with your hip bothering you. As long as the leg isn't down try just propping it up for periods of the day to see how the knee and hip respond. Same goes with ice. I didn't do 24/7 with the ice machine. Everyone is different, if the knee is hurting ice it, if not just relax with it propped it.
 
Thanks @KarriB for concurring with my thoughts of reducing the ice/elev for now. Right now, pretty comfortable reclined in recliner, no pillows, no ice just gazing at my not draining or infected looking stitch job :). A joy I never experienced with my hip nightmare
:flwrysmile:
 
I was in a club chair with pillows stacked on an ottoman, so when I just propped my leg it was also straight which allowed for some extension/gravity work. I not sure how a recliner works with the bend in the knee etc., but therefore times I was at a friend's house when I used her recliner and it was wonderful.
 
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