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TKR Forever hopeful - gimpy no more!

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Sarah, you poor thing with all those blood pressure issues. Each day will get better, but don't rush home until you're confident you will be okay. At the moment you are in the best place. Take care. Jenny :sad:
 
Oh Sarah! You poor thing! I had the same thing the first time I got up, sat back down & tossed my cookies till nothing left :sick: :: :eeeuw: the second attempT (my physios are young, male & attractive, you go that extra step) :heehee: :loll: So back on the walker I went, made it to the loo & back. You'll be fine, just take it slow and easy and do it all in your time. They get paid anyway! :puppysmooze:
 
Hi there! Good to see you on the other side.
I had erratic and low blood pressure and was very sick the day after surgery too, so hang in there, it improves! Epidurals and Spinals lower blood pressure, and I think that is a good thing during surgery, and it will get better.
I had to stay in hospital an extra day too, but I am doing well now. Just keep thinking about how much better you will be at walking (and riding) in the long run.
I am 23 days out, and am about to go to the stables to visit the horses, not riding yet but it won't be too long. Keep your chin up, you will be there soon, too.:flwrysmile:
 
Hi Sarah! Glad to see that you posted and things went OK. Sorry you are having the BP problems, but I know you knew that was a possibility so you were prepared! Hopefully the removal of the epidural will help and the extra time in hospital. Take care and a big hug!
 
Sorry youve been having problems. BP is a pain. I suffer with high BP all the time in fact it went a lot lower after the op. The nurse said that was normal. Second day after my op they wanted to take me to x ray. I had just had my dressing changed and felt sick anyway and they tried to get me in a wheelchair with no leg support so they shoved a pillow under my foot which slipped out halfway down the corridor. So I almost passed out, back to my bed, on oxygen, and they took me to x ray on a bed afterwards. First few days after the op are bad enough without all these problems and I feel so sorry for you. Im sure the walker would be better for you instead of crutches the first time you are trying to walk. Hopefully the physio will let you take it in your own time even if it means an extra day in hospital. You Take Care x
 
Thanks to all before me that mentioned the crying for no real reason. Here I sit blubbering like a baby and hoping not to have to explain myself to the nurses.

I'm happy it's time for the nurse change now, the night staff wasn't as interested to understand my BP issues and I had to justify the why I wasn't getting up and going to the restroom several times thought the night.

They've now unhooked my IV stating my last BP read was 101/68 so I'm all clear. I hope so, but I was over 110 when it started crashing yesterday. They also have asked about my pain level (7) but still gave me my regular 2 Vicocin and said I can have something by IV later if needed. I guess they want to see if the Vicodin is enough but I can tell you it's not. I'm hoping to get the tears under control before I call them back to ask for more.

The nurse just left the room stating they don't want me too used to the IV meds since I'm home today. Again, she didn't seem to listen to the fact that I have only stood up twice and neither time went particularly well.

Thanks for letting me have a pace to voice these thoughts and worries, the tears have already stopped. I'm going to try a bed exercise of two while I await breakfast.
 
O Sarah I really feel for you. The tears are expected but its nice to have an understanding nurse to help you thru it. Am sending you a very warm hug to say hope you feel better soon and get those meds sorted out. I found the same when I was in hospital. The night staff wernt that helpful at all and if you needed them you felt like you were disturbing them. My iv fell out and I was literally dripping blood over the bed and the floor. Quite scary if I hadnt noticed because they dont check on you. She was like " O yeah get u cleaned up in a minute". Hope as the day goes you fell better and stronger but do it at your own pace. x :friends: :flwrysmile:
 
Hi, I am sorry about the blood pressure. I'm sure they will get you stabilized before you are released. I am glad you can keep food down, it took me two days before I could. I remember the leg slides with the trash bag. The first step in getting that new knee working. I am glad your pain is being managed, that is so important. Your body has just gone through so much it is struggling to find its new normal. I am going to the barn this weekend to spend some time with the horses,I miss the smell. We will be back in the saddle this summer! Rest and have a good day,recovery has started!!
 
Oh Sarah! Poor thing! Really hope you feel better soon! I'm home now and feel much better for it! :thumb: Resting, icing, following the mantra to a tee.. I know we both have a long and rickety ride ahead, but I am looking forward to it myself, every little thing We do from now on will be an achievement. From taking those first tentative few steps, to the bliss of not having to use a blessed bed-pan ever again :rotfl: :heehee:
 
Sarah...so glad you've made it home...now you can rest and rest and then rest some more in your own familiar surroundings. I hope you have people around to support you and give out al the TLC you need right now.
:friends: :friends: :friends:
Just try and remember to take your meds on schedule, lots of icing and elevating that's all you have to concern yourself with right now...just you.

hugs Gami :friends: :flwrysmile: :angel:
 
There is nothing better than being home. I hope you have someone to pamper you at home. Rest and ice along with meds and you will be fine. You are recovering with good things to look forward to this summer. Take care.
 
Hi Sarah, I am sorry to hear that they were not looking after you very well at the hospital. I cried at around the same stage in my recovery but was lucky that a gem of a healthcare assistant came and held my hand and summoned reinforcements with welcome pain meds. I think it must be partly related to the anaesthetic.
I am pleased you are getting home, hopefully you will be there by now. Take it very gently, rest, ice and elevate.
Sending a big basket of comforting hugs for you, you are one day nearer to being back with your horses.
Toothfairy x :puppysmooze: :kittykiss: :yes!: :console2:
 
Sarah, so glad you are on your way home! I will be in Leesburg this Saturday for a talk so if you want anything, company, a shoulder to cry on, errands run, etc. let me know. I know it is very early and you may not want any company but I just wanted to let you know I would be in the area.
 
Sarah, that's great news! Hope your 45 minute drive wasn't too bad. Mine was 35 minutes & I coped ok. :puppysmooze: Just remember the mantra!!! Big hugs!! :friends:
 
Good morning Alison, thanks for checking in. I am hanging in there - how about you? I am finding it nearly impossible to get comfortable for more than 30 minutes at a time here at home but I think we finally have a good handle on my pain medication. Someone in the hospital made the decision that since I cannot take percocet (due to allergy) than I should take Vicodin which is not as strong. This along with my blood pressure drama had me fairly bedridden for the majority of my hospital stay due to uncontrolled pain and sickness from my BP bottoming out.

Now I am on Dilaudid, and am managing fairly well with the minimum dosage. I may experiment with taking 4 mgs at my dose after breakfast to see if it helps with pain/mobility of if it just makes me feel more loopy and dizzy.

I find that I am actually missing the CPM machine from the hospital. By keeping my knee properly moving and elevated I was more comfortable when it was time to move and do my exercises. Now that I no longer have the constant motion, I find that I'm waking up every 30 minutes or so very stiff and sore.

Well it seems as if I'm rambling and I keep finding myself laying here with my hands on the keyboard and my eyes closed so I better see if I can shut my eyes for a few moments. (I hope what I've written is coherant, I usually go back and reread but am feeling so so sleepy......)
 
I'm so glad you're ok, I'm doing good so far, had a shower this morning (bliss!!) managed to step into & out of the bath with minimalhelpfrom hubby (though he will probably say he flicked me over his shoulder & tossed me into the tub!) :rotfl: my pain is bad at night ' have just asked the wonderfully informative Josephine for advice. which was quickly given, so I am grateful to her & can have a little experimentniw with doses & suchlike. Quite surprisingly, my bruises are minimal at the moment, although my lovely surgeons said that the bruises should become visible soon!! Nodding off now, tired from all the mornings activity :egypdance: :wink:
 
Hi Sarah,
I am really pleased that you are comfortable at home and that your pain control is improving. It might be worth increasing your dose of pain meds a bit if you can't get comfortable. I assume you can do this as you said you are taking the minimum. I assume someone has given you information about how much you can take if you need it. If not I am sure you can ask.
Glad to hear you are snoozing, your main job at the moment is to rest and rest and snooze and nap. Every day things will get better now.
Take it very slowly, you are on the road to that pain free knee now.
Hugs Toothfairy x :friends: :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks ladies! :angel: It is always such a great feeling to have people who understand knee issues and the fear associated with such a major surgery to talk to.

Alison a shower sounds fantastic!! Maybe I'll brave it myself in a little bit. I too have a stall shower and a shower chair just in case. I'm glad to hear you managed fairly well on your own - even if hubby had to toss you over his shoulder. :heehee:

I have my first home health care nurse visit and home PT visit this afternoon. I am both looking forward to these appointments, and a bit apprehensive because I"m feeling so vulnerable right now. My questions right now are in watching me try to do my gentle exercises and advice on how to elevate. The nurses and PT at the hospital were not keen on elevating so every time I asked I was told that I didn't particularly need to elevate.
The therapist in the hospital also told me that my goal should be to spend more time out of bed than in it. :gaah: Especially after seeing that just sitting upright cause my BP to drop and make me sick and faint, I thought that was quite a goal. Luckily, I have all of you and have the mantra to keep me comfortable and progressing.

Toothfairy, I did decide to up my Dilaudid dose this morning and what a HUGE difference. Last night was certainly a low for me and I was in so much stabbing strong pain every time I moved, I started to wonder if I hurt myself on the ride home or climbing my 2 fights of stairs to the bedroom. I'm certainly still in some pain, but it is very manageable now. Now I can actually feel my quads stretch when doing heel slides instead of thinking my knee is going to burst (medially).

I'm having the all too common stomach issues and hope they resolve soon. Well, I"m starting to feel my eyelids get heavier by the second - must be time for a nap.
 
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