TKR Indieknee trying to recover

[indieknee]

The back inner side of my knee is complaining again and the usual burning, bruising is still there, but other than that it’s not too bad.
I tried googling about my purple silvery scar but couldn’t find much, so I’ll forget about it for now and try to sleep

 

[Jockette]

I still have some purple spots on my scar at 19 months.

 

[sistersinhim]

My scar has completely faded out. I think yours will, too.

 

[indieknee]

I’m not really bothered about my scar’s appearance, just whether it’s normal or not.
Jockette and sistersinhim - thanks for your reassurance.

 

[sistersinhim]

 

[indieknee]

I’ve just noticed I’m no longer a ‘junior’ member

 

[sistersinhim]

Yay, you're growing up!

 

[indieknee]

I have been following my GP’s guide about gradually increasing my Gabapentin. This is a very peculiar drug, it doesn’t help me sleep at night but when I do sleep, I wake up very late. I increased the morning dose today as per the guide. Later on in the day I kept falling asleep and feeling yuck when I woke up. I don’t think I’ll increase the dose tomorrow. To tell the truth, I don’t know whether it’s helping me or not - I still have pain.
Like most people, my knee pain isn’t a single pain. This pain is a collection - sometimes it’s aching, sometimes stabbing, or tight and stiff, or ‘grabbing ‘, or burning, sometimes all of them or something completely different.
Lying here in bed, I think they’ve all gone to sleep - sshh - perhaps I can now, night, night

 

[indieknee]

We were out and about today and my knee is making me pay for it. So I’m off to the games room for a bit of nighttime distraction.

 

[indieknee]

Please can you take ‘despite CPRS’ off my title

 

[Jockette]

I have put in your request about your title.

I am one who didn’t fare well on gabapentin, it made me very uncomfortably constipated, increased my manageable level of tinnitus to an unacceptable level, and I felt very drugged a lot of the day.

I took 300 mg three times a day.

I was disappointed because it seems it helps so many people. I stopped it at 3 weeks since it hadn’t helped me yet at that point and I really didn’t like the side effects.

I also didn’t have a local Dr prescribing it, my second opinion surgeon did and he was far from me, and if it helped me he was going to refer me to a pain management Dr and at that pint I didn’t want to get involved in yet another new Dr.

Josephine did tell me that it could take 2-3 weeks to work, and also 2-3 weeks for the side effects to subside. I chose not to wait any longer to see if those things happened with me.

When do you see your surgeon again?

 

[Pumpkin]

Title updated, if you would like another title in the future just post it here, a moderator will change it for you.

 

[indieknee]

Thanks @Jockette - I’m rather in denial about CRPS I think it’s just a label for pain that doesn’t follow the rules.
As for Gabapentin - at the moment I’m sticking to 300mg in the morning, 300mg midday, and 600mg at bedtime. I’m still taking oxycodone night and morning, my GP doesn’t seem too worried about this, but I’m concerned. I did try to reduce it but my pain became pretty horrendous. My GP says that there is a 16 week waiting list for the pain clinic, so she’s trying to handle it herself.
So anyway, I can’t tell whether any Gabapentin results are being masked by the oxycodone.
It’s all a bit depressing.
I’m seeing my surgeon in about 4 weeks time - he’s hoping to sign me off - well you never can tell.
How are you doing Joquette? I’m so ‘My Knee’ self centred , forget about other people.

 

[Jockette]

I’m doing ok. My knee is pretty much my main focus also, it’s hard to forget it. However, when I got home from bowling the other day I realized I hadn’t noticed my knee much while I was there. I was happy about that.

 

[Pumpkin]

@indieknee ,
Has anyone offered you Therapeutic Neuroscience Education (TNE) for your chronic pain?
Here are some resources you may find helpful, and can show to your doctor.
https://www.curablehealth.com Free trial, then it is fee based
https://retrainpain.org Free site, easy to read stories
Less Pain Fewer Pills, by Beth Darnall PhD

 

[indieknee]

Thank you @pumpkin for the resources, I’ll have a look at them. Ive never heard of TNE.

 

[traceys]

Way to go approaching ur PT. I was hesitant first few wks but then had a meltdown with her. We went and talked in a side room and now she goes very slow and checks with me every time I arrive to see what I’m up for mentally and physically that day. She said if I didn’t speak up she wouldn’t have known and assumed all was fine.
Strength to you!

 

[indieknee]

@traceys - I think you may have written to the wrong person, because my current pt is gentle and helpful. I have had aggressive pt in the past, I stopped attending their sessions.
Generally I do agree with the BoneSmarties position on pt, particularly if it hurts or is aggressive, there’s no need for it. But sometimes gentle pt can help. In the end it’s always your decision.
I’m glad to hear that your pt is going to listen to you from now on and hope you have a better experience.

 

[indieknee]

The good news is that I’ve discovered that I can go upstairs ‘foot over foot’
The bad news is that I tried to go foot over foot downstairs. It was so painful my husband heard my yell and thought I’d fallen downstairs - I nearly did.
Oh well some people maybe walking 5 miles and cycling 10 at my stage of recovery but I can go upstairs foot over foot - so there.

 

[indieknee]

re previous post - sorry - I admire people who can do athletical (is that a word?) things - I couldn’t walk 5 miles or cycle 10 miles even before I had arthritis !