Guest viewing is limited

TKR Here it is - my LTKR recovery thread

DAY TWO

I slept last night from 9.30pm to 7.30am and only woke when the nurses woke me three times for BP or meds etc. BP was 119 a 11.30 am then I had physio. I walked with crutches for maybe 20 metres and back again. Also did some bending using a mini skateboard and she's pleased with it. Around 1.30 they took by BP at it was 154. So I rested for a while then they removed the cathetar and I had a wonderful shower. After all that by 3pm my BP was down to 135. Otherwise its all uneventful.
 
DAY TWO continued...
Having said uneventful things changed after I posted. My afternoon nurse (agency nurse) was most unhelpful. I'd ask for something and she'd say "I'll get that for you in half an hour, I have emergencies to deal with". One was that I'd had the cathetar removed just before she came on shift and so I was to take the stuff to make me go the toilet. I asked three times and never got it. I then joined the ODIC as I sat in a chair for a couple of hours with my leg down and running on my little skateboard. So knee blew up and was red and hot. I don't know how much of the red is still the chlorohexadine that we haven't cleaned off. I asked for ice for my knee and was told "you should only have ice for two days". She said to just wait and see how it was in the morning. So I waited till she'd gone off shift and then got somebody else who saw it and immediately ran for ice for both under and above the knee.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So glad you got the Ice. Hope all is better.
 
Margaret, I had a cryo cuff in hospital.....I got to take the 'cuff' part home. It had to be full of water when I left hospital as it wasn't possible to fill it without the machine. Good luck and keep asking for the ice, you know best!
 
Sorry you had this unsympathetic and uneducated nurse. :(
 
@speccybecky I get to take the cryocuff home too.
@kneeper would you belive it the agency nurse is usually a theatre nurse she told me but was doing this because right now it was more convenient because of her kids. All the hopsital employed staff take their time with you and you fee you matter. With the agency nurse you felt like she was rushed off her feet and that you were in a public hospital not private. The charge nurse has apologised to me this morning.

DAY THREE

Surgeon and anesthetist have both visited this morning and are pleased. Surgeon told me to do things in short burts today and then rest so I don't blow it up like I did last night. Meds now paracetemol, diclofenac 75SR, gabapentin and asprin for blood thinning. I don't think I'll need any more morphine but its charted if I request it.

Physio has been and is pleased. I can't do short arc quads nor straight leg raises yet. But I can walk without limping. Now using the crutches like I use my tramping poles and that makes my steps even. Then I went up and down a flight of stairs with no problem. Got back to room and I said I think I just walked without the crutches. Physio was with me so we put the crutches down and yep I can walk unaided and no limp. Of course I'm not going to as I know the pain comes and goes and I'm likely to limp when I have the pain. My mini skateboard is marvellous and I'm now not only going back and forward on it but using the other foot to push back and its really does help get more flex.

Flex is around 70 and extension just about zero.
 
Hoping you have seen the last of the agency nurse. Sounds like you are doing great, when will they let your fly back home?
 
You're doing great, Margaret. :):yay:

Sorry the agency nurse was such a dud. I'm glad you told the charge nurse about her.

I also used the little skateboard in hospital and my husband bought me a skateboard from The Warehouse, for $10. It's still at home. One of our granddaughters will be able to play with it when she's a bit older.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Pumpkln I can fly home on Wedesday but have to do lots of foot and ankle peddling, heel slides during the flight and also get up and walk up and down the aisle around three times OS said. I guess that's turbulence permitting!

@Celle I tried one from The Warehouse last time but it wouldn't wheel straight for me. Now I realise that was because of my quads/femoral nerve issues.
 
DAY FOUR

Had a really uneventful night. Have just seen OS and am being discharged today and to see him in a couple of months time. TEDs for a month, asprin for a month, paracetemol 4000 mg per day, diclofenac 75SR twice a day, aspirin once a day and Gabapentin as required plus lots of ice.

His instructions are to:
- work on my flex
- be easy on the quads
- only do straight leg raise when comfortable
- lots of static quads
- and, WAIT FOR IT, DRUM ROLL PLEASE....... "Avoid pain - no pain, no gain is definitely not the way to go, please only do things that aren't painful".
 
What an exciting week so far! How long is your flight? Aisle seat, I hope. I am totally getting a skateboard for when I do my other knee.
 
Best wishes for your discharge and your flight home. Can you fly direct, or do you have to change planes?
 
@Clipless my flight is 1.75 hours
@Celle I fly direct Auckland to Queenstown on an A320. I hoping the snow that's forecast for Monday doesn't stick or melts by Wednesday as its expected down to 200metres and our house is 350metres.

I'm now in our rental apartment and walking round it quite comfortably with no crutches. I'm conscious of not doing this too much given that I need to ensure my gait is correct. After all it is only Day 4 post op.
 
Ah no, 20 cm snow has fallen at my house and the rain forecast for Tuesday is now snow forecast for Tuesday and no rain till Thursday. We fly home Wednesday so there is no chance it will have melted. Fortunately I have my tramping boots with me so I'll travel in those. I'm expecting it to be a full flight as its likely some of today's flights will be cancelled.
 
I hope you journey home went well, Margaret.
 
@Celle flight is Wednesday. Right now were still in the rented apartment in Parnell.

I have an app on my phone that measures flex. Pre exercise 76 and post 83. Obviously its not very accurate but it'll tell me if I'm improving. I can already turn over in bed and lie on either side. I couldn't do that last time for a couple of months. Today I walked with my crutches for 10 minutes around the corridors of the apartment building and outside in the courtyard. Other than that I haven't used the crutches at all all day but I have spent a lot of it in bed other than when I've got up to go to the bathroom, eat my dinner, and do my heel slides. I have stayed out of bed for a few half hours so my leg is down.
 
All sounds good so far Margaret. Safe journey home
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Members online

Total: 1,615 (members: 1, guests: 1,614)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom