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Bilateral TKR I Made It! (KneedKnees)

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Re: I Made It!

Hey, We are all interested in your progress. I love to read how you are doing and so I know what to expect when it's my turn! You are doing so well and should give yourself a massive pat on the back - you just had both knees done!! I'm scared about getting one done. Listen to all the experts here and take their advice and you will be just fine.
Take care :thumb:
 
Re: I Made It!

Jazyb,

Thanks for your interest! I'll continue to post as it is good for me to get "stuff" off my chest and ask for advice!

When is your surgery scheduled for?

This afternoon/evening I went to church (actually went up for communion!), and then we ate out using a gift card given to us. Then, our daughter needed her school supplies so we went to to store. I went in only briefly to pick up a few things, then waited in the car. Home about 4 hours later, and I'm exhausted. The stamina just isn't there yet!

Off to bed!!!
 
Re: I Made It!

Hi KK
You are doing well getting out and about, I bet you didn't believe you would be able to do so much so soon?? Do your knees feel like they belong to you - has the nasty knee pain gone (pain prior to surgery)? Are you sleeping well at night?

I am seeing a new OS on 1st September for a consultation, so fingers crossed for me! I have had enough of my knee now and I'm hoping he will take me seriously. I am compiling a list of negatives for him! I'm so glad I have found this forum as I have realised there is light at the end of the tunnel and I'm not too young to be considered for a TKR.

Anyway, carry on with all your good progress and keep us up-dated.
Take care. :thumb:
 
Re: I Made It!

Jazyb,

I feel as if they're "my" knees, but I'm still getting used to how they work! I'll be walking along, and all of a sudden one or both will "snap" back into straight alignment - a position I wasn't able to attain prior to the surgery!

The "nasty knee pain" is definitely gone. The stiffness is there instead, and of course, the discomfort that comes from trying to increase my ROM. But it's a different kind of "pain", and when I know that the light is there at the end of the tunnel it makes a world of difference.

I'm sleeping "okay"! The first few nights I slept in our recliner, which wasn't ideal, but helped because it's hard to lie flat - knees just don't want to straighten out completely. Now, I'm back upstairs in bed at night, and sleeping with just a small towel beneath my knees to help with that discomfort. I am able to sleep on my back, or on either side with a travel pillow between my knees. I toss around a lot trying to find the most comfortable position - but feel as if I'm sleeping pretty well. I still nap during the day 'cause the stamina just isn't there yet. During the night, my alarm goes off at 12:00 and 4:00 to take pain pills, but I usually fall right back asleep.

Best of luck on Sept. 1! Hopefully you'll have some good news about a surgery date. Keep reading on Bonesmart - lots of great stuff here!
 
Re: I Made It!

Sweetie, you're just barely out from surgery....and TWO knees at that!!! Relax....you are doing just fine and you have lots of healing left to do before you need to start worrying about how well those new knees bend. You have a lot of swelling yet that restricts you. So just keep going with the gentle exercises and definitely REST, REST, REST. Your body will thank you.

Also....please don't put a rolled up towel under your knee joint. It can increase the risk for blood clots. You need to put support under your entire leg or just at the heels (which probably would not be comfortable for long periods right now).
 
Re: I Made It!

Jamie,

What should I do then for comfort in bed? A towel under the heels won't help with that painful "hyper-flexed" feeling, and without something there, I cannot sleep.

This concerns me, since I've already had a blood clot in my leg several years ago. (Though my doctor assures me I'm being treated for blood clots already, since he put me on coumadin the same day as the surgery!)

Without the knees bent just slightly, I can't get comfortable for nighttime sleeping....????
 
Re: I Made It!

KneedKnees said:
Jazyb,

I feel as if they're "my" knees, but I'm still getting used to how they work! I'll be walking along, and all of a sudden one or both will "snap" back into straight alignment - a position I wasn't able to attain prior to the surgery!

The "nasty knee pain" is definitely gone. The stiffness is there instead, and of course, the discomfort that comes from trying to increase my ROM. But it's a different kind of "pain", and when I know that the light is there at the end of the tunnel it makes a world of difference.

I'm sleeping "okay"! The first few nights I slept in our recliner, which wasn't ideal, but helped because it's hard to lie flat - knees just don't want to straighten out completely. Now, I'm back upstairs in bed at night, and sleeping with just a small towel beneath my knees to help with that discomfort. I am able to sleep on my back, or on either side with a travel pillow between my knees. I toss around a lot trying to find the most comfortable position - but feel as if I'm sleeping pretty well. I still nap during the day 'cause the stamina just isn't there yet. During the night, my alarm goes off at 12:00 and 4:00 to take pain pills, but I usually fall right back asleep.

Best of luck on Sept. 1! Hopefully you'll have some good news about a surgery date. Keep reading on Bonesmart - lots of great stuff here!
Click to expand...
I have been able to sleep on my back, my knee (R) just kinda flops to one side, relaxes... I can also sleep if I put a pillow between my legs, supporting the whole leg... I do not set my alarm anymore, as the PA to my OS told me I was crazy, IF I was sleeping, it meant that the pain was not waking me up, and to just sleep, if I wake up in pain, take the meds... which I have found is working, I am still taking 2 norco and an ambien at about 10:30 PM, and seem to sleep about 5 hours straight before I wake up, usually to go potty, then I take 2 tramadol, and go back to sleep...
 
Re: I Made It!

Jamie is right - pressure behind the knee does increase the risk of blood clots. Not only that but it also makes the restoration of extension more difficult to obtain. I've worked with surgeons who would fly into a dreadful rage if pads were put under the knee!

Check out this thread for how to elevate your legs Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain. You can slightly elevate your legs and have a very slight bend in them at the same time by supporting the leg full length as shown.
 
Re: I Made It!

Thanks for the suggestions, Natalie. I am considering just waiting until I wake up to use the bathroom, and then taking the next dose of Vicodin. However, today, I left home for a short time without my Vicodin, and missed taking it. I was about 2 hours overdue by the time we returned home. Wow...I didn't realize just how much the pain med. does for me! I'm not sure I want to wait until it wakes me up during the night. We'll see...

Jo - thanks for the visual. I have actually "built" a pile of blankets and pillows to simulate that shape/angle of raising my legs - and while I use it during the day to elevate, I can't seem to get comfortable enough to sleep. I guess I'll work at it and try it again tonight. I know that with a small towel (not all rolled up) behind my knees, the extension is more difficult - so maybe I just need to practice that more during the day.

Thanks for the concern and words of advice.
 
Re: I Made It!

KneedKnees said:
Thanks for the suggestions, Natalie. I am considering just waiting until I wake up to use the bathroom, and then taking the next dose of Vicodin. However, today, I left home for a short time without my Vicodin, and missed taking it. I was about 2 hours overdue by the time we returned home. Wow...I didn't realize just how much the pain med. does for me! I'm not sure I want to wait until it wakes me up during the night. We'll see...

Jo - thanks for the visual. I have actually "built" a pile of blankets and pillows to simulate that shape/angle of raising my legs - and while I use it during the day to elevate, I can't seem to get comfortable enough to sleep. I guess I'll work at it and try it again tonight. I know that with a small towel (not all rolled up) behind my knees, the extension is more difficult - so maybe I just need to practice that more during the day.

Thanks for the concern and words of advice.
Click to expand...

If you wake up, the pain you will be in won't be alot, at which time take the pain meds again, whatever you take... I am trying to just use the norco at night with the ambien, and of course use it before PT, which means I have to take it again, (norco) in the morning, PT is at 10:30, so I will take it at 10:00 AM, I usually take either the tramadol or tylenol at 3:30 AM if I wake up, which I usually do (potty calls)....
Try it and see, experiment...

 
Re: I Made It!

Well.....I didn't like my night of experimentation! First, I just had a very hard time getting comfortable. I think I need to go buy a wedge to put under my legs! When I pile blankets, etc. to get the correct "ramp" angle, etc., it's hot and just doesn't give me enough comfort to fall asleep. So, I was restless because of that. Plus...since I was restless, I moved around more, and noticed the pain more than I would have otherwise. I dozed around midnight until around 1:30, and took the Vicodin then instead of at midnight, but was awake again after that by 4:00 and couldn't fall back asleep. I've taken one nap today so far! (Which is fine!)

I'm really making sure I do my gentle exercises today - ankle pumps, heel slides, knee bends, quad exercises, leg extensions - because I want to have made progress by PT tomorrow.

I realize that I'm just a little over 2 weeks past the surgery, but I'm impatient to feel more comfortable! So tired of sitting....can't find a comfortable way to sit, stand, sleep, etc......... I could really use a massage, but can't do that until I'm off Coumadin. Sad.....
 
Re: I Made It!

Hi. As we're both the same age I just wanted to add something. I had my TRK on July 18th and it has been a tough ride but I am really learning patience!! With two boys back from uni and a husband working from home, plus dog and cats I did feel pressure in the early weeks to be up and about. Through joining this forum I have learnt that that is not doing me any good at all! Even after a shower and drying my hair I have to rest! Today was the first day I went into town, did a little bit of shopping and met a friend for lunch who drove me home. All lovely but I came in at 3.30 and have been on the sofa ever since (its now 7pm!). Do I feel guilty? No!! Best of luck with your recovery! x:thumb:
 
Re: I Made It!

Each of is so different, but you are even with as to the number of days since surgery. I was Aug 4. I am doing fine with 2 Norco and an ambien at 10:30 I sh, but do wake up several times during the night and have to take something for the pain...just be patient, take the meds when your knee says ouch...that is what I am following, when my knee says it needs help.
Hope this is the correct way to handle it.
 
Re: I Made It!

Jeannette - I am finding that everything tires me! As you said, a shower and drying your hair wipes you out. Same here... I think when my daughter goes back to high school (tomorrow) and my son back to college (Friday), I'll be a little more relaxed. Right now, everyone "needs" things for school and I'm feeling the usual tension, plus that of dealing with mobility, sleep, pain and stamina issues. Even though I won't have a ready chaffeur, I'll be a bit less hassled trying to get everyone ready for the start of school! (My school - I'm a teacher - also starts tomorrow, but I'm headed back around Sept. 12th - no earlier.)

Natalie - I'm trying to listen to my knees, but they're only complaining, not giving me answers on how to get comfortable! I guess I have to listen more closely! I did go outside for a walk today, and boy, that felt good. The sunshine felt so good, and my knees did pretty well. I'll try that again tomorrow.

Time for another nap!!!
 
Re: I Made It!

Yes, the good news about having the kids at home is I have a driver on hand - although they think its great having full use of my car over the summer! Shock for one of them tomorrow morning as I have an early hair cut to get to! That will probably wipe me out for the rest of the day - ha ha. My other problem is I suffer from restless leg syndrome which is something I really don't need right now! The dr doesn't seem to have anything to give me to help. Keep going - we'll get there! :sleep:
 
Re: I Made It!

I think you are doing great. Just pace yourself. I think we always try to do the most we can, but your ROM will come back. Your pain will lessen over time. I am going to have RTKR in a week. LTHR taught me that soon the pain ends, and you wake up one morning surprised that it is gone, and you are moving so much better.
 
Re: I Made It!

Hello and Welcome! Please allow yourself to rest and recover. Try not to push yourself too much. As everyone has said ice, elevate,rest, and medicate! You are doing great.:sleepz::sleepz: I did this for weeks! It helps you heal.
 
Re: I Made It!

KK, try putting the pillows and/or rolled up blankets under the mattress so you won't feel so smothered by them. Worked for me!
 
Re: I Made It!

Wow! You had surgery on Aug 4 and you are doing that well on Aug 9? That is impressive!
I am seeing my ortho on Wed and then will schedule. Have to have both done. Have some claustrophobic thoughts. Can you tell me a couple things?
After your surgery, how much bandaging do they do? I want to at least feel like I can get out of bed, even if it is with help??
And, do you have to wear a brace that they have to "dial"? That is really scary. A girl in our office had surgery, not knee replacements though and I would not be able to sleep with something like that on me!
I just signed up for this forum and I am so impressed that they have something like this. There is a lot to think about, more than I could have ever thought.
Thank you!
 
Re: I Made It!

balane said:
Wow! You had surgery on Aug 4 and you are doing that well on Aug 9? That is impressive!
I am seeing my ortho on Wed and then will schedule. Have to have both done. Have some claustrophobic thoughts. Can you tell me a couple things?
After your surgery, how much bandaging do they do? I want to at least feel like I can get out of bed, even if it is with help??
And, do you have to wear a brace that they have to "dial"? That is really scary. A girl in our office had surgery, not knee replacements though and I would not be able to sleep with something like that on me!
I just signed up for this forum and I am so impressed that they have something like this. There is a lot to think about, more than I could have ever thought.
Thank you!
Click to expand...

I had the surgery Aug 4, and it's now the 22, so almost 3 weeks... I am walking in the house without a cane, took my first walk outside around the block with a walker (and hubby for stability and safety)... I had my leg bandaged for 2 days, lots of bandages, almost like ACE bandages wrapped up the whole leg, along with a knee immobilizer for the 2 days, surgery on Thursday AM, took off all the bandages and brace on Satuday noon, took out the IV's, and started me on oral pain meds... did not have a catheter, so had to use a bed pan for 2 days, got me up on Friday (one day after surgery), by Saturday I was going to the bathroom myself with the walker, as soon as they got rid of the IV pole... Looking back it was not that bad... it's doable, and time passes quickly in the hospital, then on to rehab...
Hope that helps answer your question.
 
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