TKR Ebrown64’s Day 1 LTKR Recovery

[ebrown64]

Surgery lasted about 1 1/2 hours and the doctor said it went as planned - finished at about 10:30. I am was moved to my care suite and into the recliner by noon. So far it has been wonderful and not the painful experience I expected. After surgery I needed an Oxy for pain they thought came from the tourniquet used during surgery. Other than that I have only been on Tylenol every 6 hours. PT came about 1:00 to evaluate, do some basic exercises, and take me for an 8 minute walk. The doctor said the nerve block and injections he did in the knee would wear off on Saturday so I am enjoying this relatively pain free time.

 

[Mouser]

Good to hear that you are doing well. I have my surgery next week so it is nice to hear. Hope you continue with an easy recovery.

 

[Pumpkin]

@ebrown64
Welcome to the Other Side!
Glad you are doing well and your pain is well controlled. Be sure you have your pain meds handy when the nerve block and injections wear off. You want to keep up with the pain, avoid letting it get ahead of you.

Here is your copy of the Knee 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:

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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

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the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

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Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access these pages on the website

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Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

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 the 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 the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

OneStep App Request

Since December, BoneSmart has offered a number of pilot tests and special promotions with our partner, OneStep. Members were allowed to use this unique app at no charge to help us evaluate the program’s effectiveness for prehab and recovery for joint replacement patients. Feedback has been...

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[benne68]

Congratulations on joining the recovery club, @ebrown64! Keep us posted on how you are doing.

 

[Bunnyhead]

@ebrown64 Hi I also had my surgery yesterday. I was at hospital 5:00am and released at 3:00pm. Yesterday and this morning doing good. Not too much pain. This afternoon pain kind of kicked in. I had nerve block ,spinal and sedation. So I guess it all is wearing off. Taking oxycodone and Tylenol. Surgery was not as bad as I thought...but pain and stiffness and more swelling today. I am using my ice machine it helps alot. Glad for you that your surgery is also over and hope you do well.

 

[ebrown64]

It is amazing how everyone’s journeys are different. I have swelling and stiffness but really not any horrible pain. I take my Tylenol every six hours and have only taken Oxycodone 4 times since I came home last Thursday. I had PT yesterday with just some gentle stretching and ROM measurements. Boy was it exhausting just getting ready to go though. I have PT again tomorrow and will probably graduate to a cane but still like the stability of the walker.

 

[Susie-Q]

Welcome to the other side! It sounds like things are going well in your recovery so far.

 

[Bunnyhead]

@ebrown64. I had my surgery same day as you 8/10/22.
I have been doing fairly well..but have had to take the oxy every 4-6 hrs. Like they say everyone I'd different. I am moving along with PT and taking things easy. I think I am doing fairly well.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

will probably graduate to a cane but still like the stability of the walker

If you're more stable with a walker, then use the walker for a while. I used my walker for around 3 weeks, then went to a cane for another 3 weeks or so, which is what my OS recommended. There's no set in stone timetable for using walking aids-if you need them, you need them. At some point you'll find yourself forgetting to grab them, and then you'll know you're ready to graduate from using them. But, as long as you still have a limp, it's a good idea to use at least a cane for support, when you're ready to move on from the walker, until you're steady on your feet.

 

[Susie-Q]

but have had to take the oxy every 4-6 hrs

So did I for at least the first 2-3 weeks. Totally normal!

 

[badkneesnyc]

@Bunnyhead that was pretty much the pain meds I did too

 

[benne68]

Checkin in, @ebrown64, to see how you are doing. Please give us an update when you have a moment. We're here for you!