PegGar16
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Hope everything goes well!
Knee Infection* Infection at 7 Months Post Op - Back to Crutches
- Thread starter Mrs. Ciz
- Start date
Cabu
junior member
Thank you everyone! I’m doing well this morning. They did an epidural this time versus general anesthesia like the last 2 times. They also did a nerve block in 2 places just like they did for my the last 2 surgeries. But something is very different because my quad muscle did NOT go to sleep this time. I could (and still can) lift my whole leg up very high all on my own right after surgery! I was super surprised by this.
I have way less bruising this time. And THANK GOD I have no behind the knee pain due to a too tight hamstring this time around. During my original TKR, that was the worst pain; pain meds didn’t help it, and it lasted for months! It only happened to my right knee back then, not the left one. So this right knee has been temperamental since the very beginning. Overall, I’d say that this revision surgery is a lot less painful than my first TKR. All my physical therapy really worked!!!!
The surgeon used the Stryker Mako robotic arm during my original knee replacement but he did NOT use it for the revision knee replacement yesterday. Not sure why that is. Maybe they can’t use it for revisions?
There is one thing I need to ask my doctor about when I see him today. My husband said everything looked good - no sign of infection in my bones or tissue. The culture they took a few weeks ago was clean (which I already knew), but he said the doctor said the blood work was still a little off. This is the first time I’ve heard this and it is VERY concerning to me! I’m hoping my husband was confused and got it wrong or mixed it up. My surgeon did tell him I may be on antibiotics for the rest of my life.
I’ll report back later once I know more.
I have way less bruising this time. And THANK GOD I have no behind the knee pain due to a too tight hamstring this time around. During my original TKR, that was the worst pain; pain meds didn’t help it, and it lasted for months! It only happened to my right knee back then, not the left one. So this right knee has been temperamental since the very beginning. Overall, I’d say that this revision surgery is a lot less painful than my first TKR. All my physical therapy really worked!!!!
The surgeon used the Stryker Mako robotic arm during my original knee replacement but he did NOT use it for the revision knee replacement yesterday. Not sure why that is. Maybe they can’t use it for revisions?
There is one thing I need to ask my doctor about when I see him today. My husband said everything looked good - no sign of infection in my bones or tissue. The culture they took a few weeks ago was clean (which I already knew), but he said the doctor said the blood work was still a little off. This is the first time I’ve heard this and it is VERY concerning to me! I’m hoping my husband was confused and got it wrong or mixed it up. My surgeon did tell him I may be on antibiotics for the rest of my life.
I’ll report back later once I know more.
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Welcome to the other side again! Sounds like stage 2 went very well! Please don't worry about your blood work. I'm sure your surgeon will fill you in when you see him.
I look forward to following your recovery!
I look forward to following your recovery!
Here’s a refresher course for you:
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
3. Do what you want to do BUT
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website
The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website
The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
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A good report thus far. As for the bloodwork, focus on healing and try not to worry about it. Medicate on a time schedule around the clock - that is vital. Ice and elevate. Welcome to the other side.
I had my first PT appointment and surgeon’s follow up appointment on Monday. PT went well. My therapist is really happy with how far I am in just one week post op. I can walk well with just one crutch. My flexion is 94 and my extension is -14. She also measured my left knee, which is one year post op (F = 115, E = 0). I was hoping the left knee would get to 120+; maybe it still will. Since the extension in my right knee has been a problem for the last year (I was plagued by tight hamstring pain behind the right knee last July after my original TKR), she really wants to focus on that. She only gave me 6 targeted exercises to do at home - very manageable. I think the 8 weeks of in home PT after my Feb 25th surgery has really made this recovery easier!
Pain wise I’m doing ok. I stopped taking the oxy during the day last Thursday (3 days post op). I was taking Tylenol and Tramadol every six hours until yesterday. Then I decided to try Tylenol and Advil to see if that worked as good or better. It did! So I was able to skip the oxy totally last night, and I haven’t taken the Tramadol today. This is at 9 days post op. This is so much easier that my BTKR last July!!!!!
My first follow up surgical appointment went well. The staples will come out in 2 weeks. I’m still on antibiotics twice a day for another week. Then we’ll see what happens. It turns out that while I was under all the drugs, I actually dreamed that my blood work was never right. Haha! My bloodwork was perfect showing no infection at the time of surgery. What the surgeon DID say (right before I went under and he confirmed on Monday) was that they were never able to get the culture they took of the infected tissue to grow. I was not aware of this. I thought my Infectious disease doctor told me it was a regular old gram positive staph. The surgeon said after all his research that he thought it was gram positive P. Acne because of the insidious slow growing nature of my infection. So now I’m confused. I told him what the ID doctors said; he’s going to go back over the ID doc’s notes to see if he can find confirmation. At any rate, it doesn’t really matter because the same antibiotic works for both, and my bloodwork showed the infection was/is 100% gone.
Pain wise I’m doing ok. I stopped taking the oxy during the day last Thursday (3 days post op). I was taking Tylenol and Tramadol every six hours until yesterday. Then I decided to try Tylenol and Advil to see if that worked as good or better. It did! So I was able to skip the oxy totally last night, and I haven’t taken the Tramadol today. This is at 9 days post op. This is so much easier that my BTKR last July!!!!!
My first follow up surgical appointment went well. The staples will come out in 2 weeks. I’m still on antibiotics twice a day for another week. Then we’ll see what happens. It turns out that while I was under all the drugs, I actually dreamed that my blood work was never right. Haha! My bloodwork was perfect showing no infection at the time of surgery. What the surgeon DID say (right before I went under and he confirmed on Monday) was that they were never able to get the culture they took of the infected tissue to grow. I was not aware of this. I thought my Infectious disease doctor told me it was a regular old gram positive staph. The surgeon said after all his research that he thought it was gram positive P. Acne because of the insidious slow growing nature of my infection. So now I’m confused. I told him what the ID doctors said; he’s going to go back over the ID doc’s notes to see if he can find confirmation. At any rate, it doesn’t really matter because the same antibiotic works for both, and my bloodwork showed the infection was/is 100% gone.
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Cabu
junior member
That’s great news @Mrs. Ciz !!!I hope your recovery continues on an upward curve !!
Also I’m glad it was a drug induced scare about the bloodwork,obviously your mind was on it and it went into free fall on the drugs
After I had my TKR I was pretty out of it for the first day and I thought I was well with it the second day only to kind of “wake up” in mid arm sweep while I was sitting in my hospital bed petting and talking to my dog
You’d imagine it might have been one of the kids or my hubby but it was the dog !!!mind you she’s like my little minder she never strays too far from my side!
Also I’m glad it was a drug induced scare about the bloodwork,obviously your mind was on it and it went into free fall on the drugs
After I had my TKR I was pretty out of it for the first day and I thought I was well with it the second day only to kind of “wake up” in mid arm sweep while I was sitting in my hospital bed petting and talking to my dog
You’d imagine it might have been one of the kids or my hubby but it was the dog !!!mind you she’s like my little minder she never strays too far from my side!
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liam2015
post-grad
Yes, my therapist came to my house for the 8 weeks after my Feb. 25th surgery. I was homebound for the whole 8 weeks due to the infection and my picc line. My doctors didn’t want me exposed to any extra germs while I was fighting an active infection.I am very happy for you @Mrs. Ciz. You've been through so much and now you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Regarding your in-home p.t. for 8 weeks after Feb. 25 surgery ~ did a physiotherapist come to your home for your physio?
Best wishes to you for a full recovery.
Three weeks post op today! I started driving on Thursday last week (about 2.5 weeks post op) because I’m off all the drugs. I’m also walking without a crutch since last week as well. Flexion is 110; extension is still -13 :(
I do get sore when I over do it, but the pain I’ve had this time around is so much less than what I had during my first BTKR. My staples come out at my follow up appointment tomorrow. Yay!!!
I am worried about one thing. Right after surgery the surgeon told my husband that based on his research, there is a 30% reinfection rate in cases like mine. 30%!!! This number is pretty scary! He mentioned suppressant antibiotics for life, but I finished the post surgical antibiotics he prescribed a couple of days ago. I’ll be bringing this up at my appointment tomorrow.
I do get sore when I over do it, but the pain I’ve had this time around is so much less than what I had during my first BTKR. My staples come out at my follow up appointment tomorrow. Yay!!!
I am worried about one thing. Right after surgery the surgeon told my husband that based on his research, there is a 30% reinfection rate in cases like mine. 30%!!! This number is pretty scary! He mentioned suppressant antibiotics for life, but I finished the post surgical antibiotics he prescribed a couple of days ago. I’ll be bringing this up at my appointment tomorrow.
After what you’ve been through, I don’t think I’d care what I took to avoid further problems. Hopefully the doctors will take every possible precaution with you.
Congratulations on your progress so far, you are doing so well and there is finally cause for celebration!!!
Congratulations on your progress so far, you are doing so well and there is finally cause for celebration!!!
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Keep that positive attitude and ask the doctor all sorts of questions. Wow, your flexion is great for this early. You know that over time the extension will happen. This is so early in your recovery. Report how the visit goes.
My follow up appointment on July 20th went well. I was able to get my staples out. Since then, all the dead skin and scabs have sloughed off and the incision looks a little better. I do have lots of thick purple scars on the incision line. I’m hoping I can massage the purple marks out, and they’ll fade over time. The whole incision is pretty lumpy. I don’t know that after being opened up 3 times it will ever be flat.
I think I said earlier that my surgeon believes the bacteria I had was P. Acne, a very slow growing bacteria. He thinks that’s why it took so long to show up. He did a bunch more research and consulted other surgeons. The consensus was that I should be on antibiotics for 30 days after the revision surgery, but I don’t need to be on antibiotics for life. I hope and pray this works! At this point, I am paranoid about any little ache or pain. I live in fear of the infection coming back.
It’s been 7 weeks since my surgery. I’m doing really well at PT (flexion 107, extension -5, the best this leg has been in 13 months). My next follow up is on 8/31, but as of now I’ve been cleared for work. I’m going back to teaching middle school face to face on Monday 8/16. It’s just in time too because my short term disability runs out on 8/26. Then I’d have to go to LTD, and to do that I’d be terminated from my job. I’ve decided that if anything else goes wrong with this knee, I will probably need to quit teaching school. It’s too much stress. Hopefully I’m healed up for good now though! I’m getting the tires on my bike fixed this week, and then I’ll see if I can ride it. I’m feeling pretty confident that I’ll be able to do it this time!
I think I said earlier that my surgeon believes the bacteria I had was P. Acne, a very slow growing bacteria. He thinks that’s why it took so long to show up. He did a bunch more research and consulted other surgeons. The consensus was that I should be on antibiotics for 30 days after the revision surgery, but I don’t need to be on antibiotics for life. I hope and pray this works! At this point, I am paranoid about any little ache or pain. I live in fear of the infection coming back.
It’s been 7 weeks since my surgery. I’m doing really well at PT (flexion 107, extension -5, the best this leg has been in 13 months). My next follow up is on 8/31, but as of now I’ve been cleared for work. I’m going back to teaching middle school face to face on Monday 8/16. It’s just in time too because my short term disability runs out on 8/26. Then I’d have to go to LTD, and to do that I’d be terminated from my job. I’ve decided that if anything else goes wrong with this knee, I will probably need to quit teaching school. It’s too much stress. Hopefully I’m healed up for good now though! I’m getting the tires on my bike fixed this week, and then I’ll see if I can ride it. I’m feeling pretty confident that I’ll be able to do it this time!
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Gingerbread
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Sending all the best to you for your speedy recovery! Please be mindful if you are on antibiotics for any length of time, you will be more succeptible to fungal infections ( ie yeast infections ). Taking a probiotic may help balance your internal floral.
God bless for your healing journey
God bless for your healing journey
Gingerbread is correct that anytime we take a course of antibiotics (not just with long-term use), the medication affects our gut microbes. There are plenty of foods you can eat that help keep things in balance, but the best way to fight this effect is to take a good probiotic. Your pharmacist can recommend the good ones for you. Some that you purchase are not as effective as others.
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