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TKR Grace's (CAdesgirl) recovery

GREAT! My flexion is still an unknown because I've had to keep my leg straight. I'm nervous about it. So happy you are making good progress.
 
I almost broke down in tears when he measured me and then again when he told me to chill out with the exercises. I was so nervous about the doctors appointment with the incision being a problem and then PT with potentially having to fight with him that it was so good to have both of the appointments go well.

Until the staples are removed and I can tell that the incision is holding together on it's own, I am going to carry a ball of nerves in my stomach but it got a little smaller today.

I'm sure you're going to be fine. I understand your fear. You've been through a lot and the unknown is scary. I'll be here to help you celebrate when you get the good news.
 
Even if you get a different PT, you are still in control! Make your wishes known and then stick by them! PT works for you, not the other way around. What you says goes!
 
CAdesgirl said:
Until the staples are removed and I can tell that the incision is holding together on it's own, I am going to carry a ball of nerves in my stomach but it got a little smaller today.
Click to expand...
The staples are only holding together the top layer of skin. The rest of your incision is held together in layers, with sutures. Your wound isn't going to burst open.
This article explains:
Closing surgical wounds: how is it done?
 
So, I had a rough night last night. I think having a doctor's appointment and physical therapy was too much for one day. She, the knee, didn't like it. I have two of my girlfriends from work coming by today to bring me lunch (and I'm sure talk about work stuff since they are both direct reports) and that's all I'm doing. I've moved my nest from the bedroom to the living room and it is a nice change of scenery.

@Celle - I'm not so much worried about the incision bursting open as I am with infection getting in. 5 years ago, it was a wound that didn't heal properly that led to a MRSA infection.

@sistersinhim - Yes, you're right. If I'm not up to the longer walk or the cane, they can't force me. I'm ready and able to say NO. I'm actually leaning towards no on the cane because I feel wobbly enough that it doesn't feel safe.
 
Hopefully you have a better day today and get lots of rest. I've learned that my knee doesn't talk to me until I've already done too much and then it's too late so I've learned to try and space out my appointments and other activities whenever necessary. Enjoy your lunch!
 
Donna - It sounds like your knee and my knee are very similar. She doesn't say anything and then she throws a tantrum. I'm getting there and trying my best to be patient with myself. It's a totally different recovery, that's for sure.
 
Your knee is still an infant (as TKRs go), so yeah, she’ll throw a tantrum here or there. Sometimes you’ll know what triggered the bad behavior and other times you won’t have a clue, but it’s terribly common for these new knees to be cranky on occasion.

I hope your girlfriends from work were good for your spirits. Many times that’s just what we need most: a dose of something (anything) normal. Some laughs. Some perspective. Something besides thinking about The Knee.

I had a fine recovery and at one week post-op my gait was nothing to brag about. Of course I had both knees done. But still... your gait and all the other things about your knee’s movement have a lot of time to get to where you want and need them to be. :) Full recovery from TKR takes a long time, a full year for most, and even just a “I’m doing pretty good!” recovery takes a few months. As a wise woman once counseled me: “Patience, grasshopper.”
 
CAdesgirl said:
It sounds like your knee and my knee are very similar. She doesn't say anything and then she throws a tantrum.
Click to expand...
We learn from our knee tantrums, what to do and what not to do. We learn to not repeat those mistakes.
 
Update: The OS switched me from Percocet (5/325 every 4 hours) to Norco (5/325 every 6 hours) on Thursday. I was fine with that because I was feeling like every time I started feeling clear-headed, it was time to take another pill. I was also feeling so good, I started walking more around the house.

Friday, I started feeling like I was really chasing the pain. I chalked that up to the walk I took and climbed in bed with the ice machine. It's an adjustable bed and I feel like I can usually find just the right adjustment to make the knee happy. No matter what I did, as soon as I took the ice machine off, the pain would come back with a vengeance. Saturday - exactly the same. I managed a quick shower and to spend 1/2 day in the recliner but most of the day was in bed. I called the surgeon last night and he told me to up the Norco to 2 every 4-6 hours. I'm doing every 6 hours and it's working fine.

I did have issues getting the Norco filled because I still had 4 doses of the Percocet left. I had to get the medical office involved because the pharmacist didn't want to fill it until the next day. Problem with his plan, my husband works. Then he wanted to give me 7 pills at a time if we wanted insurance to cover it. He ended up paying cash because then he would release the entire prescription. :chinstroke:

When I talked to the surgeon last night, I mentioned that and his comments were "You didn't sprain your leg, I removed your knee and put hardware in". and "How dare he decide what pain management my patient needs." He's going to call the medical office tomorrow and talk with them about the fact that I'm going to need more pain meds sooner than anticipated. I'm also not going to that pharmacy again.

I'm in bed icing and elevating until I take noon meds after which I'll shower. I may or may not make it in the living room today. That's going to have to be good enough.
 
I hope you feel better soon. It's really awful what we have to go through with the pain meds. I am at 7 weeks and I need them. I have been very hardheaded about taking them but my OS have me a stern talking to last week at my appointment about that. He wants me feeling well enough for PT and other things and if that means staying on meds longer so be it. My doctors office is also amazing at sending ober my refill request almost immediately. Such a blessing!

I haven't had any issues really with the pharmacy but at times I feel like they look at me funny because I'm on it. The whole stigma with opiods is frustrating.
 
As if this recovery isn’t hard enough, there is so much trouble getting appropriate medication, even with our doctor’s approval! :doh:

I’m glad you have a doctor willing to help you. I hope you have a restful day. :console2:
 
I used to hand out narcotics to post-op patients on medical mission, and always too the time to teach them (in Spanish) how to titrate their meds. My sole mastery of Spanish are pre-op and post-op phrases! Both percocet and vicodin have about a four hour effect. I always thought of vicodin as being about 2/3rds the strength of the same dosage of percocet. As long as you have found a system that works, that's what counts. But another option would be, say, to take 1.5 vicodin every 4 hours. Another option if you felt too drugged by one percocet is to crack it in half, and crack one of those halves in half. That way you can take 3/4 of a dose. You can use a pill cutter or a sharp knife, but the best method I've found is using your two thumbs to break them. I've done this plenty of times. I get a headache if I take more than what I need so I titrate carefully.

It's really you who has to figure out what works. For myself, I find I get a little nausea with vicodin so I prefer the percocet, but I prefer even more in its simpler form, oxycodone. That way I can take it independently of acetaminophen.

All of the changes in narcotic prescribing and dispensing to combat the opioid crisis can be almost laughable if it didn't impact our lives. It makes me want to scream!

Glad for your progress. You deserve for things to go smoothly!!!!
 
My OS has been amazing. I have no doubt that he'll make sure I have the pain meds I need. In thinking about it, since we paid cash for the last pain meds, there's no reason for the insurance company to give a hard time about refilling them.

I hate taking opiods but I hate all-consuming pain more.

I'm definitely not using Walgreens again. :-)

I've got magazines, my kindle (if I can focus), coloring books and my laptop. I'm set for a relaxing day. I've decided that showering is optional today. I feel grungy but I'll survive if I don't.
 
Well, everyone here is confined by the big snowstorm. Tomorrow they'll all get out and work, shop, whatever. I'll be here icing & elevating, reading my kindle, surfing the net, watching tennis on TV. A little bored, but it's a good time of year for confinement, and the days are getting longer. It helps to have things to look forward to. Soon I'll go through my seed catalogs, and buy a new bathing suit for my planned trip to Puerto Rico in late March. I lived 8 years with a crummy knee replacement, and I look forward to a life with a GOOD knee replacement. It's already better!!
 
Yesterday our high was 73 and today it's going to be 70. This is the time of year that makes it worth living here because it's over 100 degrees in the summer every day. My bedroom faces west so Mike came in to open the curtains and the sliding glass door a little while ago.

We have a Smart TV in the bedroom that we'd never used as one. We just activated Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, HBO and Showtime. With all of that, I might be able to find something to watch. :heehee:

I'm feeling much better than I have for the past two days which means I'm getting antsy. I've allowed myself two small walks around the house. I'm handing off the gavel for the ODIC Club.

I'm glad that I have Bone SMART to come to keep my self grounded.
 
So, I had my staples removed today. There has been a little leakage from this one spot (just above the skin graft from 2014). This picture is just prior to having the staples taken out. Now I have a few places that are leaking when I don't have the leg elevated. They aren't leaking bad but I don't know if this is normal. She, the PT who removed them, told me to lay off the exercises for a few days, to ice and elevate and keep the incision uncovered and it'll be fine. She also said I could take a shower and didn't need to cover it any more.

Has anyone else experienced this? It seems weird that it would be leaking and it seems weird that I can shower without it covered but I don't want to overreact.

[Bonesmart.org] Grace's (CAdesgirl) recovery
 
My knee is still weeping. It's not much and it's only when I use it (lame attempt at a joke) so I've taken gauze and lightly covered it just tacking down the four corners with surgical tape to allow air in when I'm not icing. I took about 4 hours off from the ice machine this morning and now I'm cuddled up with it again. I left a message with the doctors office regarding another matter (disability called this morning and they screwed up my paperwork) so when they call me back, I'll mention the weepiness.

On the plus side, I lowered my Norco to 1 5/325 every 6 hours during the day and 1 1/2 at night and seem to be doing fine. Except for the normal restlessness from not being able to get comfortable last night, I slept pretty well.
 
I think it would be a good idea to let your surgeon or his staff see your wound. Just so they're aware of what's happening, and for reassurance for you. I think you need a second opinion from someone better qualified in wound care than your PT.
 
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