TKR Greda's recovery story<<

[Jockette]

Dogs have masters, cats have staff!

My daughter face timed me last night to show me their new kitten. Her kids, 4, 7 and 9, are thrilled!

 

[Greda]

Kittens are the best! I know the kids will have tons of fun!

 

[InkedMarie]

@Greda I had the same problem last week with being so cold! It was hot & humid last week but I had on long sleeves, a hoodie and had a blankie on! Luckily, that stopped

 

[Greda]

Today my husband said he can tell I am walking better. He seemed surprised that doing no exercises just daily activities are working. I am 23 days out and am seeing a difference already from before the surgery. I have not been able to up or down stairs correctly for five years. Yesterday I noticed I was going upstairs the right way with no catching or arthritis hurting.

My knee lets me know when I have done too much so I stop and ice. Still waiting on my lounge doctor to arrive. My ankle is still really bruised and sore from whatever they did during surgery. Out of curiosity what do they do to the ankle to cause so much bruising and swelling? My worst bruising was on my ankle and foot. My ankle was so swollen you could not see the ankle bone. The swelling is better but it is still sore and stiff.

I want to thank everyone for their advice and support. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to stop pt without it.

 

[Celle]

It's good to hear you're doing so much better.
Well done for having the courage to speak up and stop PT.

Out of curiosity what do they do to the ankle to cause so much bruising and swelling? My worst bruising was on my ankle and foot. My ankle was so swollen you could not see the ankle bone. The swelling is better but it is still sore and stiff.

They don't actually do anything to your ankle, except hold it when they manipulate your leg.

The bruising and the swelling of the ankle are the result of our good old friend, gravity. Everything just goes downhill.
The bleeding comes from your knee, not your ankle. If you lie on your back most of the time, the bruising will move towards the back of your knee - gravity again.

Have you some some of the pictures of bruises in this thread?
Bruising after surgery

 

[CazP]

Hi Greda, I just read this entire thread, what wonderful help this forum provides. My left tkr was on August 20 so we are at similar recovery. Fortunately my only problem is insomnia, which is how I found the forum and I feel so much better about it now I know it is so common.
I just wanted to share a tip with you about comfort. I have discovered that a hot pack placed on my lower back at the same time as icing my knee reduces the chills and gives a bit more pain relief too. I am off the stronger pain meds now (a relief as in Australia it means a visit to the doc for a new script every few days because of the crack down on opioids) I now use an over the counter sleep aid doxylamine, paracetamol and voltarin so no precriptions needed. Anyhow, let me know if you try the heat pack and it is of any help.
Good luck!

 

[Greda]

@CazP
I know about insomnia. I had dealt with it since high school. My biggest issue is trying to get comfortable and elevate while sleeping. I got my different size lounge doctor yesterday and it has made a difference. I actually slept from 11:30 until 3 am with my legs on the lounge doctor.
I have found if I wear a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie plus sweats over the ted hose I am not cold. I will try a hot pack. The other thing that has helped is a cat laying on my stomach. Of course it is on the kitty’s terms if he wants to lay down or not.
The ankle bruising and swelling was there in recovery. It looks like the back of my ankle and foot were grabbed or held by something. I may ask the surgeon next time I see him.
My husband’s trip is in limbo. He may not have to go but won’t know until tomorrow. So we are getting things ready in case he goes. Nothing like the last minute if he is told to go he will have to leave immediately. I am hoping he can stay home. He is exhausted and having to drive 6 hours will not be fun.

 

[CazP]

@Gerd. 1.23am and I just did the ice, heat, pee and change position routine for the second time tonight. Being a right side sleeper I find a pillow between my legs with the operated on top the only way I can sleep but I elevate when awake.
Nothing like a purring cat for soothing, we have 4, one is the bedroom cat and she guards her territory jealously

 

[Greda]

@Cpaz
We have 4 cats too. Our oldest does not get along with the other 3. We switch out the cats several times a day. The oldest one is out by herself then she goes in our bedroom so the other 3 can come out. I moved to the downstairs bedroom after surgery and my oldest cat Anya has been by my side. I say she is my little nurse.

 

[sistersinhim]

I am a cat rescuer. At the time of my tkr I was taking care of 13. I was blessed to have a neighbor come in the first week and clean out the litter boxes. I was able to feed and water them OK. The oldest at the time was 20 and I had had her for over 19 years. She was almost my constant companion. The only problem I had was when one of my big boys jumped on my knee trying to get on to my lap. I screamed to high heaven, and none of them ever tried to jump on me again unless I invited them up there. I firmly believe that those cats helped tremendously in my recovery. They gave me lots love, but, most of all, they needed me! I didn't take any formal PT. I didn't have to, they gave me plenty of daily activities!

 

[Greda]

I have thought a few times today my ice machine wasn’t working. My knee feels so hot and I check the pad to make sure it is still cold and it is. I kind of remember my knee feeling hot after my PKR but nothing like this. I hope it means it is healing. It feels like it is burning up.
@sistersinhim I know what you mean about the cats helping me with recovery. My oldest is 10 and was never a lap cat but since the surgery won’t leave my side. I also have my boy I rescued at 5 weeks old, he is 3 now but needs Mom as much as Mom needs him.

 

[SusieShoes]

For the first couple of months, and maybe a little longer, your knee may “run hot.” Mine did, to the point of melting the ice in my gel packs much faster. As my knees healed, those gel packs stayed cold much longer. My right knee stopped melting its gel pack a good two months before my left knee did. It’s just your knee healing. All that rebuilding of tissue inside the knee creates a lot of heat.

 

[sistersinhim]

I started out at first using the gel pads that you freeze, and my knee would be so hot they'd last only about 20 minutes. That's when I set up my ice water circulator machine! Ah...that felt so much better!

 

[Greda]

It has been a strange week. The only thing I did everyday consistently was care for the kitties.
Tues I had another bad headache and my knee was hurting and could not find a comfortable position. I could not sleep and was too nauseous to eat. Tried to keep up on meds but just too nauseous.

Wed I slept all day. Literally would wake up to take meds and the sleeping would continue. It was a good thing I slept all day. One of my kitties has decided he is afraid of night time thunderstorms. He was never scared before we moved into this house last year. Now he needs to be with me during storms and does not sleep and wants no one else to sleep. We had storms from 11 pm until 1:30 am.

Thurs was the best day this week. I tried the stationary bike and made a 3/4 turn can’t get all the way around but much better than the last time I tried it. I feel like the knee is moving better. I even made supper last night (nothing too complicated). Did some laundry too.

Today my leg is aching but not too bad. I know it is a marathon but I am hopeful for more good days. I have found that I go back and forth between the polar care and the big ice packs (they are big ones called elasto-gel that go all the way around the knee and have a Velcro closer). The big ice packs last about 45 min but cool the leg off quicker when it is really hot.

 

[sistersinhim]

Sleeping is the best thing for healing that knee. When you're asleep your body can concentrate mainly on getting that thing healed!

 

[Greda]

I have decided that last night would have been better if I only had a brain. I woke up after 2 hours with my knee hurting and thought the polar care was broken. The pad was not cold. I got the extra power cord and that didn’t help. There was still ice in it. I have old polar cares from previous surgeries and got a different pad and attached it and it was cold again. I thought that we have hard water maybe that affected the pad. Two hours later I wake up again hurting, uncomfortable and polar care not cold. I look in it there is ice — decide to get a gel pack. The gel pack lasts about an hour and I wake up again. I get another gel pack sleep another hour. I decide to try the Polar care again and it is cooler than before. I sleep for about an hour and it is warm again. My husband gets up and I tell him everything. He remembers coming across an older pad in the basement and goes and gets it and redoes the ice in the polar care. It works great for about 2 hours and then the same thing.

At this point I realize — my knee is hot and is warming up the pad. There is nothing wrong with the polar care...it is my knee and my brain unable to put this together. At least I found the extra pads so when it warms up I can switch them out. Now I am so tired and can take meds in 15 min so hope to get some rest and maybe some sleep.

 

[Jockette]

 

[Greda]

My husband left town today for his work trip. He thought the trip might get cancelled so he did not pack yesterday. At 9 am, he called me to say the trip was on and he was stuck at work until noon so he needed me to pack for him. His old job was constant travel in rural areas so packing is extensive. He is diabetic so I have to pack food for meals and snacks. It was exhausting to try and think of everything he needed but I got it done. He will be gone until Thurs night.
I keep getting discouraged at my progress but I read other’s recoveries and it helps. I still have quite a bit of swelling. I was up most of the night unable to find a comfortable position. I kept moving from the bed to the couch. My kitty moved with me but she was getting annoyed with me. I go back to the pain clinic Fri and see my OS next Tues.

 

[Jockette]

I guess it’s pretty bad when even the cat gets annoyed! Before surgery I was rather restless while falling asleep and my cat never stayed with me for long!

The type of elevating wedge I have, with its trough for a single leg keeps me still now. I’m glad I have it.

 

[Cementless]

@Jockette, what is the name of the elevating wedge with a single leg trough? So interesting.
@Greda, my doggie (the one pictured) is always by my side, she is a jumper and I will have to be constantly aware of her actions once I am home. We are boarding her while I am in the hospital and the day before....pets are not allowed to sleep in the bed the day before surgery, clean sheets, etc.