TKR Doing great at 12 weeks, kicked by a horse...

[LuckyKY]

All went well for surgery yesterday, OS said my knee was “pretty rotten”, good thing I got a new one. Last night was horrendous, pain meds not coordinated and ever time I fell asleep, my bp dropped. Today, is going well, hoping for a better night... at least one more at hospital....

 

[Pumpkin]

LuckyKY,
Welcome to the other side!!

Hope tonight goes well and you can go home tomorrow.

Here are the recovery guidelines, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

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
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​

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

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

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 a 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 history before providing advice.

 

[jboles]

Hang in there, it does get better. We’re all here for you.

 

[sistersinhim]

Keep after them to get your pain meds worked out for you.

 

[Skipper]

Absolutely take the pain meds as directed even if you do not have pain. I am not going to lie, the first 10 days were brutal for me. I cried, whined, was mad, wished I had not done it etc. NOW I am at 4 weeks tomorrow and am glad I did it.
You can do this!

 

[SusieShoes]

So happy to see you are here on the recovery side! Things will get better. The first days are always rough. Stay after them to get your pain under control.

 

[LuckyKY]

I got by fine with very little in the way of pain meds last night, but once I sat up in a chair to await breakfast, the pain came on hard and fast! I was crying by the time they brought them to me. The rest of the day has been good and I’m heading home this afternoon!

 

[amymj]

Welcome to recovery, LuckyKY! I would imagine you had a gap in anesthesia. Once you start to establish around the clock oral meds you will feel better!!!

 

[sistersinhim]

Sitting with the legs down is very bad for a new knee. It increases swelling and as you found out, pain. When you sit in the chair make sure you are elevating your new knee. Oh yeah, also have an ice pack on it.

 

[kneeper]

Yes, I found I could only sit with my leg down for a very short time for the first few weeks.
Wishing you a good sleep tonight.

 

[LuckyKY]

It’s been a week today since surgery, and things are going really well! Pain has been very manageable, I’ve been taking 2-4 oxycodone total per day (I was only prescribed 24 total) and 2 naproxen per day. Had some more severe pain in the middle of the 5th night (6-7), requiring 2 oxycodone to quiet, the rest of the time I have a pain level of 0-2. I’ve been icing frequently, elevating and using a cpm machine about 3-4 hours per day. Swelling continues to reduce and my range of motion and use of surgical leg is improving! My husband and I even went out for dinner tonight! (I used a walker, propped leg in booth part of the time and stretched it out underneath part of the time.)
Still taking one day at a time, very grateful for how my new Lefty is doing so far!

 

[SherrieT]

@LuckyKY Wow! One week out and you went to dinner. You are SUPER. Can't wait to hear about your continuing recovery.

 

[sistersinhim]

What a fantastic recovery you are having! You must be doing something right!

 

[LuckyKY]

I thought I would report my smooth recovery so far to encourage people like you that are waiting, @SherrieT ! And part of my good experience is certainly due to the great advice of you and others, @sistersinhim . I have had “log leg”, but my leg is waking up more each day. I did wrench it while getting in bed last night, and ended up needing 2 oxycodones to quiet it- ouch! The bonus was some deep sleep last night! It’s slightly more tender today, but icing and elevating seems to be working....

 

[kneeper]

Yes, it doesn't take much for the knee to get angry--but you did just the right thing.

 

[MSgirl]

You are making so much progress! Until it happened, I didn't understand what everyone meant by log leg. How did it get so heavy? Then one day, I realized I had lifted it onto the bed without thinking about it. Felt like I had lost 50 lbs. in that leg. Icing really does help. I seem to especially need it first thing in the morning, probably because it gets doesn't move a lot in the night. Icing right now, actually. Take those meds and celebrate being on the other side!

 

[LuckyKY]

Thanks for the reminder, @MSgirl, going to get some ice right now! Had night pain again last night and felt antsy.... too hot, too cold, dang the TED hose, had to go to recliner. Maybe this wild moon had me off-kilter? Or maybe just the titanium talking!

 

[KarriB]

I put a lot of stock in the crazy moon after teaching for 38 years, but I had issues sleeping for a few months after my TKR. This recovery can be a bit of a wild ride. Many find it easier to sleep in their recliners and some ice through the night. It’s all about finding what works and listening to your knee. Hopefully you’re icing and napping as I type!

 

[Jockette]

The moon, huh? My knee feels a little more achy this morning. It’s 10 months old. It needs to get over itself!
It’s such a drama queen!

 

[LuckyKY]

Was surprised to wear myself out after helping in the kitchen for just about 15 minutes on my feet! Hmmmm, how do I keep from completely losing all endurance/energy while I’m recovering? I have my first OS follow-up next week, followed by a PT evaluation.... Perhaps just try to do more walking around the house? (really cold outside and I’m still using walker for security)...