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TKR Donna' s Recovery

Medication! Ugghh.. I have no addiction issues but I'm one of those folks who has extreme concern about opiod addiction. I have been weaning off the oxy this week but in my hard headed state and not taking any at all last night I had a long and somewhat painful evening with very little sleep. The tylenol seemed to be doing okay however I must say I over did things and did not medicate properly in all likely hood. I am now quite low on the meds and wonder if I should just tough it out or call my OS for a refill. I had surgery 12/4.
 
I found when I was weaning that I still needed one at night for awhile -- I think you should ask for a refill (maybe not the full amt) - no use stressing about it or toughing it out if you need it. Dec 5 is still less than a month out from surgery so I think it would be expected to still need strong pain meds and if you explain that you are cutting down the surgeon should understand. Some people use a combo of Tramadol and Tylenol as a step down from the Oxy and I think one of the advisors could give you a chart. I found I was allergic to the Tramadol so had to drop down to extra strength Tylenol.
 
I think you should ask for more medication. Perhaps Tramadol, as suggested above.
It combines well with Tylenol:
The first chart is for 4-hourly doses, and the second chart is for 6-hourly.
[Bonesmart.org] Donna' s Recovery

You need to make sure that you stay withing the safe daily limit of 4,000 mg for Tylenol. Check any other medications you may be taking. If there is any Tylenol/Acetaminophen/ Paracetamol in them, reduce one or gtwo of your other Tylenol doses, so you stay within that daily limit.
 
You've been through a lot, and it sounds like you're doing well. What a blessing to have good practitioners. Slow and steady, and you'll get there! Merry Christmas!
 
Hope all had a wonderful holiday! 3 weeks post op in lots of pain this morning. I have reached the point where I absolutely cannot stand for anything to be touching my incision area. Anyone have any ideas about this?
 
donnag1108 said:
I absolutely cannot stand for anything to be touching my incision area.
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I remember that well! I called my PA about it, and she suggested that I take a dish towel and let it run softly across the area to desensitize it. It's murder at first, but does help eventually. Also, for at night, you can wrap your knee in Saran wrap, but only if the incision is completely healed with no scabs. This keeps anything from touching it so you can sleep better.
 
@sistersinhim thank you for the suggestion I will try it. It's the worst feeling! I still have scabbing so I will have to hold off on the Saran Wrap.
 
Try to grin and bear it cause it does help. It doesn't happen immediately, though, so that daggone patience thing rears its ugly head again!
 
No, I don't remember exactly how long it lasted. It would just continue to get less sensitive as time went on. Unfortunately, it's a common pain in the incision!
 
@donnag1108
donnag1108 said:
Hope all had a wonderful holiday! 3 weeks post op in lots of pain this morning. I have reached the point where I absolutely cannot stand for anything to be touching my incision area. Anyone have any ideas about this?
Click to expand...

Had this on first knee replacement and drove me mad. I used a cut off t shirt sleeve as a cover to put over the scar and counterintuitively it worked ! overtime the feeling went away.

Hope you’ve had a good Christmas.
 
@Newboots thank you for the input! At this point I am willing to do anything! Christmas was a little rough. Thinking I could quit my pain meds I did not request pain med refills and ran out over the holiday. Tylenol seemed to help at first but then bam!! Major Pain! Of course OS was closed. Have a call into them this morning for refills. I need to learn this recovery is NOT something I am in charge of. Lesson learned. I hate to *bother* my doctor, that sort of thing but from now on if I need help I'm asking for it. I hope your holiday was wonderful!
 
You are not bothering him, seeing to your welfare is part of his job.
 
@Jockette thank you for reminding me of that. He has truly been a wonderful, caring and compassionate doctor and his staff are equally as caring. When I was in the hospital some of my fellow patients with other doctors were shocked he came in to see me first thing every morning. I was shocked that some of their doctors had not even bothered to stop and see them at all. He also is not hung up on ROM and getting things achieved by a certain date, slow and steady. He's been a real blessing.
 
You are so blessed to have a surgeon like that! All my check ups consisted of new X-rays and my surgeon pushing my knee as far as he could to get a number he liked. If he didn’t like it, he tried again.

As you can guess, I will not see him again.
 
donnag1108 said:
He also is not hung up on ROM and getting things achieved by a certain date, slow and steady. He's been a real blessing.
Click to expand...
You have a wonderful doctor there. Many will envy you. My OS never came to see me, he sent his PA. I was disappointed to not see my surgeon. Yours is very unusual. Hang on to that blessing!
 
OS office came through! Pain meds in should start to feel better soon. I shall not be so hard headed again! Thanks for all the wonderful input!
 
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