Bilateral TKR dinah's emerged! let the healing begin!

[muddy paws]

Good morning ditzy dinah, You'll be fine getting up. I'm surprised they haven't got you up all ready or maybe they have since your in a different time zone. I can't believe they have you just on Tramadol! You sound so happy and now you are on your way to a much better life. I have to confess, mine has been easier than I thought it would be too. All the worry about surgery is now gone. Phew! Take care.

Jen


RTKR. 8/26/2013
MCL/ meniscus repair. 3/12/2013

 

[bottomshollow]

ditzy dinah

this morning! Can't wait to hear about how you feel about walking after you first go at it. Have a great day!

Take care and keep posting. We care.

 

[I'm so ready]

Glad to hear you are doing well. keep up the good work.

 

[turtlepoet]

YAY! Congratulations on your bright, shiny new knees! I'll be reading your posts with much interest, as I'm having BTKR too on Sept 12. Good luck in your recovery, and thanks for the suggestion about bringing a mirror. I hadn't thought of that. Take care, and keep posting when you can.

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Great to hear from you, Dinah. You sound in good spirits. Hope all continues to go well.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I'm so glad to hear you're in recovery and doing well, Dinah. Keep up the good work and enjoy those two good knees. I am so happy for you-two good knees..yay! I can't wait to hear how you do walking for the first time. Get some rest and keep up the good attitude. Kim

 

[ditzy dinah]

hi everyone, thanks so much for your continued support i is wonderful being able to share this journey with you all today was a very tiring day, and I am ready for bed! The physios got me out of bedjust as visiting started at 13:30, and I have been there ever since..it's 22:00 now! whatever was in the analgesia capsule I was given during surgery has worn off now, and boy can I feel it! I had 3 lots of visitors in the afternoo, so I kind of lost track of when pain relief was due, and so the pain took control. I am bak on track now, but I can still feel the pain. Getting upand going to the loo was difficult, and really quite painful. didn't really feel any relief from the old arthritis pain, could only feel the post op pain. Everyone is very kind here, but they don't follow the bonesmart mantra. So I have been sat out all day with my feet up on a footstool, just lower than my seat, so not high enough really, consequently my knees are warm swollen and tight. tomorrow I will ask for them to be put on a pillow!I was given some ice packs to put on them for 20 mins only. When I mentioned that I have a cryo cuf at home, again this nurse did not know what I was talking about..unbelievable! I think I will do a better job of this once I get home with my recliner, pillows, leg raiser cushion and my ice cooler! I expect I'll be going home on Friday, hopefully by then I will be able to walk independently! No one has mentioned exercises yet which is just as well, as I can hardly move my legs at all yet! the physios were very encouraging however, and said It would feel much easier tomorrow! I hope they are right! I am not looking forward to getting up and going to the loo with assistance in a few minutes! Hope I get some sleep tonight. I did last night, and woke up quite bright in the morning, but as you can probably tell I'm done now! by the way although it says I have had BTKRs at the beginning of my thread I have actually had BPKRswhich I think is usually in a grey box, am I right? Hope that still qualifies me for the bilateral club!Good wishes one and all!!

 

[Bionic woman2]

So nice to hear from you Dinah. So you got away with the knee highs! You can still pull out your parochial plaid school skirt and work it though. My Os makes his patients wear thigh-highs for 4 weeks!!! I may have to relocate to the UK for the next knee.

Enjoy your company and your rest. Glad everything is going so far... so good.

 

[Bionic woman2]

The physios got me out of bedjust as visiting started at 13:30, and I have been there ever since..it's 22:00 now! whatever was in the analgesia capsule I was given during surgery has worn off now, and boy can I feel it!

Whoops, I just read this. Dear God, please help my friend. Get plenty of rest tonight. Yikes! The good news is you'll be home soon (I bet you're thinking, not soon enough) and able to follow the BS mantra.

Maybe you can have your hubby bring those pillows in from the car, so you can prop up your legs better tomorrow.

BTKRs at the beginning of my thread I have actually had BPKRswhich I think is usually in a grey box, am I right? Hope that still qualifies me for the bilateral club!

It better count! You had both your knees sliced open, sawed and tugged on. Um, I'd say it counts. I still TKR on mine for some reason. The healing it about the same anyway.

Good luck with tomorrow's activities. Pleasant dreams

 

[kneeper]

Congrats and wishing you lots of and good healing.

 

[Knee pain]

GO KNEES.......

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

You're organized and prepared so I think you're one who will do good at home. Don't let them push you too hard!

 

[catherinem]

congratulation!!! it will only get better from now!!!!hope you controlling your pain better today. keep positive.you soon be home!!!!take care of yourselfxxxx
catherine

 

[ditzy dinah]

Hi everyone,good morning! The good news is that when I eventually
Got to bed,at about 23:00 I slept really well. I was exhausted
.the y are really rushed off their feet here,and I don't think I was demanding enough!i remember only too well how irritating it was to have bells going all the time when you are really busy. The bad news is that because I had sat out so long my knees were
Very swollen, and it was very painful to standup,so I immediately
Threw up! I had had tomato soup and tea for supper,and they thought the bowl looked suspicious, so called the doc,who put a cannula in and recommended iv fluids.and I have been nil by mouth ever since apart from sips of water.that's ok I have lost any appetite anyway. So I do hope my Kees feel better when they get me up today! I,ll be going for the check X-rays today. I'm not expecting any visitors before
5,so hopefully can rest more. They've given me iv paracetamol
x
(Tylenol) and 60mg of codiene.if I need more they will give oromrph. While I am in bed though,it feels ok. Good luck everyone having surgery today and tomorrow
,yes that means you janis, I will be looking out for you. Go well everyone"
!

 

[Coppernob]

Good morning ditzy. Well what a start! Although it's lovely to see people, visitors can be exhausting so, to begin with, it might be better to limit how many you have and how long they stay for. I found this a problem especially when I went home and people very kindly wanted to come and 'help'. It took me a while to realise that my first concern was me, not them and if they were offended when I said I needed to go and lie down, that was their problem, not mine. You've had major surgery so you must look after yourself and give your body time to recover. Ok, lecture over!

Glad you had a good night and that you're getting more pain relief. Hope today is a good day for you. Linda x

 

[My way]

Good day ditzy dinah I can't believe you were left to sit for that long! I think you may have to get a bit more demanding. I was also a nurse in a former life and understand being busy but sometimes we have to stand up ourselves.
On my second post op day I had gotten up to the bathroom at 0600 and then decided to ask the nurse for a pan of water to get washed. I then changed my clothes and sat on the edge of the bed and had breakfast. Shortly after PT arrived and we did our little stroll. She helped me to the bathroom again and decided I was good to go on my own. I then sat in the chair for a bit but soon realized I had been up too long and tried to get up. No go! the chair was way to low for someone with a bilateral! I rang for help a nurse I hadn't seen before came in. She informed me she would "allow" me to go to bed if I got up for lunch. (That didn't go over well with me) thankfully my own nurse was in the room by this time and informed her I had done enough and should go to bed. When they got me up and I was in the bed I told them if they didn't a higher chair I would not sit out again. They didn't ...and I didn't.
I sat on the edge of the bed rather than the chair.
I'm not normally a person who is demanding or assertive but we have to speak up loudly if we want to follow the mantra.
This was the only problem I had and I wanted to share it with you. This is your body and it will tell you what it needs. You just have to listen to it.
take care and I hope you get home soon.
Wanda

 

[bottomshollow]

Dinah, you press that call button when you need something---no matter how busy they are. Keep that pain in check, ridiculous to be in hospital and be in unnecessary pain. Hope this is a better day over all for you.

There is no designation for BPKR--so you are entitled to the BTKR to show you had both knees done. And your recovery will be very much like that for totals, so you also deserve the designation.

 

[Bionic woman2]

When they got me up and I was in the bed I told them if they didn't a higher chair I would not sit out again. They didn't ...and I didn't. I sat on the edge of the bed rather than the chair. I'm not normally a person who is demanding or assertive but we have to speak up loudly if we want to follow the mantra.

Dinah, I agree with My Way (what a coincidence on the name choice too!)
Anyway, I may have to come over there and slip a little Josephine Juice in your IV, so you can get them straight! What part of Bilateral knee replacement do they not understand! They just can't leave you sitting out that long after a major surgery. Hopefully yesterday was a fluke and you'll get better care. If all else fails and you can't find the words, just pull up the Bonesmart mantra on your Ipad and show it to them. If that doesn't work, give'em the Josephine finger. lol

Hang in there... you'll be home soon.

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Oh, sorry to hear about some difficulties. Don't they know you're already going thru enough without them making it worse!!!

I hope it only gets better for you from here on out.

 

[ditzy dinah]

Thanks for all the encouragement guys! It really helps. Didn't have so many visitors today,thank goodness
. The energy drain really kicked in today, and I was really whacked!. Just had me sitting out for 3 hours, today, and that was enough! Keeping more on top of the pain relief now which is good.the pain is not too bad at all while I'm in bed. The worst thing is going to the loo,and bending those knees! Even with a raised toilet seat.had a little walk today, a few steps into the corridor
Was enough.have had some good naps which has refreshed me
.hope everyone else is doing well.thinking about everyone who is good to go tomorrow