TKR FlaGranny 2nd Knee 9/26/16

[BBCG]

Good for you, FlaGranny! Driving took me awhile, and my husband doesn't like driving, plus his vision isn't all that great anymore. So, we were both glad when I could drive again!
Interesting to hear diclofenac mentioned...I was at work yesterday working with a woman who just retired from social work nursing with ortho patients at the hospital here where the TKR surgeries are done. She mentioned she can't take NSAIDs orally, but takes a product I think called Pennsaid which is diclofenac and a few other things... it's a topical she uses on her knees, and she had one TKR already and isn't wanting to do #2 just yet. It's prescription only, of course, but apparently the docs here know about it for other TKR patients who can't do some other NSAIDs...

FlaGal, how does one find out what kind of arthritis one has? I hadn't heard that there was something called inflammatory arthritis, so I wonder... I've dealt with it for years, since a ski injury nearly 30 years ago...

 

[FlaGranny]

Most (or many) kinds of arthritis are inflammatory. but in my case, my rheumatologist isn't 100 percent sure what kind I have. Leaning toward psoriatic arthritis but no typical skin lesions, although some close family members have psoriasis. I want to try Enbrel if I can get financial assistance - it costs more a month than our income. So, not being 100% certain what kind, we just call it "inflammatory." There are tests your rheumatologist can perform, and x-rays, but sometimes arthritis doesn't fit a firm category.

 

[BBCG]

I hadn't realized there were so many kinds, too... I don't actually see a rheumatologist, but was told a few years after my knee injury that i then had arthritis. Someone here had mentioned taking turmeric, too, so am digging some out to see if that helps some with pain. Have to hang with my 5 year old granddaughter the next 3 afternoons to give her parents time to move stuff from house 1 to 2! So, looking for a bit more help in the pain realm!

 

[newlybionic]

For help with paying for the medication try calling the drug company directly and explain your situation. They have several different plans for those on Medicare. Just call the 800 number and ask for help. It worked for me when I was on a medication that cost over $1000 a month. I wound up getting it for free.

 

[FlaGranny]

Thanks Marian, I have already filled out the application to take to my doctor to complete. I need to ask my OS and my rheumatologist when and if I can start taking the Enbrel. It is my injection. I trialed it a year or so ago but only 4 injections (they were syringes that patients had returned to the doctor's office - so they were free).

 

[FlaGranny]

@BBCG The last couple of days I have had a lot of discomfort. I think I have sciatica in my right leg. I took naproxen today and I think it helped. I also started taking tumeric and vitamin B-12 - I saw on the Dr. Oz show yesterday that vitamin B12 is needed for nerve health. The nerve pain feels better but not sure what helped the most. I bought sublingual B12 - it is absorbed better than pills.

 

[FlaGranny]

In an hour I will be going in to see my OS for my 6 week followup on my right knee. It is not as far along in recovery as my left was at 6 weeks as far as pain and discomfort are concerned and I'm afraid I'm still pretty stiff-legged on that side. Progress seems so slow now. I think I'm getting the severe impatience that everyone complains of.

 

[Ronsgirl]

You and I for sure have one thing in common, impatience. lol Fortunately for you you are on your second knee and I still have one to go.

 

[KarriB]

Let us know how it goes. The downside of having one right after the other must be the length of recovery. It must seem like eternity, so I can understand the lack of patience.

 

[FlaGranny]

OS visit went very well. Doc says I'm right where I should be, with functional, although sore, knees. Complained about sleep issues, waking up in pain, and, of course, he told me that was a common complaint. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist next week and I have the OS's OK to re-start my arthritis treatment. I know I'll feel a lot better then.

OS does not even measure ROM. What he does is move your leg around through ROM and announce that you are "functional." Seems a lot better than worrying about a degree here and a degree there.

 

[KarriB]

That's what my OS did at every check up. Never asked for a number, just wanted to know how I was managing life and he moved the knee around.

 

[Celle]

My surgeon never measured ROM, either. He just said "Show me what you can do."
While you do need a certain degree of ROM to do some things, what you can do is so much more important than the numbers.

 

[birdinger]

Our September surgeries are just a day apart and I had my 6 week check up this last Tuesday. It was very similar to yours. In fact, I could have written both of your posts - pre and post OS visit. I have to be careful not to push myself too much as I am very anxious to heal and be pain free. Practicing patience...NOT easy. Congratulations on your positive 6 week visit.

 

[FlaGranny]

It's hard to understand the fixation on a number. The important thing is that you are able to do everything you need to do. I know at this point, still being stiff and sore, that my ROM will improve more in the future, but right now I am able to function without a problem. As I said above, I started taking tumeric and B12 and I think it is helping a bit for some of the soreness. I try not to push myself. A little too long on the feet is too painful for that.

When I was about 17 I knew a lady who had a leg that didn't bend at all. She had a auto accident and her knee was fixed in place so it couldn't move. It was probably done in the 1930s. Now that I've had knee surgery I've remembered her and wondered how she ever managed. We are lucky we live in a time they can actually replace our joints.

 

[FlaGranny]

Slept fairly well the last few nights, only woke up a couple of times. I hope it continues to improve. At the same time, my knees feel a bit better so I guess that is why I'm sleeping better.

 

[KarriB]

Glad to hear you're sleeping better. It was such a relief when I started sleeping a bit at night. I dreaded nighttime for a while. I can tell you by 3-4 months I was sleeping with no problem at all.

 

[FlaGranny]

I still have 6 or 10 weeks to go to 3-4 months, but as long as I sleep as well as I did the last couple of nights I can live with that.

 

[KarriB]

I was sleeping with no problem by 3 months, but it got better with each week. By 3 months I never thought about a sleeping issue. Just like our knees, we are different, so you may reach that point before I did.

 

[FlaGranny]

Left knee is at about 14 weeks, right at about 8 weeks. Both knees stiff and sore today and both felt pretty good yesterday and the day before. Ups and downs, all the time, but gradually improving. I'm walking a lot better and steps are easier. I have nerve pain with the right knee and leg. I had sciatica a couple of times over the years that eventually went away. I have it again now and hope it too goes away. Had shocky feelings in the leg right after surgery that went away, but now occasional aching from my hip (buttock) and down the back of my leg and into the bottom of my foot. It's not as bad as when I had it previously. It is preventing me from lying on either side for very long. If it weren't for that I'd easily be able to sleep on either side.

Overall I'm feeling good, appetite returned full force, and no more daytime naps as I'm sleeping fairly well at night, about 9 hours in 3-hour stints. I'm seeing progress so I'm optimistic about full recovery.

 

[KarriB]

Glad to hear you're sleeping better. That was such a relief for me. It seemed that if I could sleep all was well in my world. It'll be up and down for a few months, but then you'll begin to pay less attention to your knees.