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TKR Jane B.'s New Knee

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Such an awesome report Jane! Absolutely take pain meds at night if needed. I'm so very impressed you're able to do so much at less than 3 months. Congratulations!!!
 
Jane, YAY! I'm absolutely thrilled for you! I know it hasn't been easy, buts it's great to know there is a light somewhere in the tunnel. Myself, I walked 2 miles (1 hour) Sunday, then again Monday. Today I walked 2.5 miles in just over an hour...picked up the pace a bit. I am STOKED! I'm just itching to do a hill. I see the PT and the OS next week...I'll ask.

I have been utilizing elevation almost all my "down time". I bought this awesome new ice pack - gel from the OS. It is bigger and heavier and I really only need it for 20 min at a time. This combo, along with moving my a$$ has gotten rid of my pain the last couple days. But, I, too have given myself permission to take pain meds if/when needed.

I don't think I'm quite up to shopping much yet. Too much standing in one place. That has always been hard for me. But...good for you! -- Joni
 
@Jane B.

Hello Jane,

Good Week 11 update. You're more active and what you did in those two days was a challenge that you seemed well able for.

Yes, medication is there to be used and it's important not to do without when you need to.
No one is going pin a Bravery Award on you if you don't. It's the middle of the night that can seem so long and frustrating when you can't get comfortable.

Keep going as you have been, you're doing great !

Take care,
Cathie
 
@Jane B. Great 11week report and so happy for you. Your report gives me hope that in a few weeks I may be able to do more normal things. It sounds like your time in Florida was just what you needed but I am sure you are happy to be home with your grandson.
 
Jane B. said:
I've given myself permission to take pain meds. Night time is the problem, and it's dumb to lie awake and be uncomfortable. Yes, it's not the terrible pain it was in the beginning, but it is not great.
Click to expand...

Jane - I do the same thing to myself. I am 3 months post-op (today!) and convince myself sometimes that I should NOT be taking any pain meds at this point. But when I do, I take them at night - and those are the nights that I sleep well and wake up feeling much better in my knee. Especially this time of year, where I am shopping more and standing in lines...I'm going to try not to worry about taking pain meds and make sure I feel ok.

Great update...glad you're doing well :)
 
12 Weeks:

If I weren't retired I'd go back to work!

I flew to Boston and back to Florida. It was a little uncomfortable but nothing like my first flight post op. There were no lingering symptoms.

As I said at 11 weeks I can tackle larger stores and take the dogs for longer walks. I didn't even enter a supermarket until 7 weeks! I was well taken care of and ordered groceries on line. (My husband really was exhausted.)

I rarely ice, but I do take it easy and read. Always have.

The Bad: Insomnia. You have got to be kidding me! That little twinge of discomfort as I roll over, can wake me right up. Then it's a question of going right back to sleep, reading for hours, and/or medicating. Some nights are great, some are bad! I'm a puddle the next day.

I've been thinking about what I've heard my husband tell patients over the phone to patients with sleep issues. And I realize that I'll have to give up after dinner chocolate, at least for awhile!

I also decided "All things in moderation." I cannot do heavy gardening for an hour, but why not 5 minutes a day? I feel like I'm accomplishing something and stuff gets done, albeit slowly.

My orthopedic surgeon made the Best if Boston list in Boston Magazine. I'm not surprised. I didn't do anything more than go to the guy my internist recommended.

I've been without my computer, and will catch up on threads when it gets delivered later today.

Take care, BoneSmart Peeps
 
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Great report! I'm speeding well now, although I wake up more often. I used to sleep like the dead. Sorry about your insomnia. I find myself not thinking of my knee at all. The bad part of that is, I have to be reminded not to limp. I'm not conscious of every step anymore. Also, this darn cold has taken the emphasis off my knee. I don't really feel like doing anything. I'm pretty sure il feel better by next week and can pick my life back up as you've done. Take care. -- Joni
 
Hi @Jane
Awesome news! It is wonderful when we see how far we have come in recovery. You are doing great!!


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13 Weeks Today:

I don't think many people read this, but I feel the following is important:

I was really surprised that I had narcotics withdrawal when I stopped taking them two weeks ago. I had tapered off carefully and naturally. I never took more than 5 mg in four hours, I kept a drug diary. I had only taken a single dose five out of the last eight days I took the meds.

Such a good patient!

My husband came to Florida and I told him I had what felt like a movement disorder at night. I was tossing and turning in weird ways. I was awake for literally hours and hours reading. And my appetite was decreased.

He said, "Welcome to narcotics withdrawal!"

I've said many times that he is a shrink with expertise in drug issues and has detoxed thousands of people.

When I told him I took 5 mg of Valium to try to counter act the movement stuff, he said, "Different neural pathways." Great.

He said it takes five days for your body to clear all narcotics and the third day is usually the worst.

I am guessing that twelve weeks of narcotics builds up a certain mass in individuals like me. I've had a prescription for narcotics for decades for occasional migraines. I don't like taking them, and never had a "problem".

Finally I gave in and took Trazodone, which I hate. It's a non-habit forming anti-depressant used as a sleep aid. It works, but I feel funny when I take it. I took it for about four nights and I can now sleep normally, and the movement disorder stuff is gone. Oh, and I'm eating Dove Bars again. I've got to stop that.

And in other news, The Knee.

The Good: It's much better. It's not perfect, it still hurts, but not anything worthy of pain pills. I take Advil and Tylenol. But I can walk well. I did not request a wheel chair at the airport for the first time. I'm back in Boston and will make an appointment with the PT.

The Bad: My husband has an old-old BMW. For some reason, our grandson's car seat was put in that car. Getting him into a car seat in the backseat of this two door gem that I cannot get into well on a good day was a nightmare. I thought I'd die, with all that weird positional weight bearing.

When we got home I made Grandson climb out and come to me.

Have a good holiday season, BoneSmarties.
 
Really interesting about the withdrawal - makes perfect sense, if it were good for us, they wouldn't watch them so carefully!

Glad the knee is mostly functional - I do think that it's critical to long term success to carefully rebuild and keep good muscle tone - you lost both your natural knee and one or more ligements - the muscles have more to do than ever.
 
Hi @Jane B, thank you very much for sharing. It's not an easy subject to talk about but one we need to read.
Merry Christmas!!


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Hi @Jane B.
A good 3-month report! :happydance::yay:

It's interesting about the narcotics withdrawal, but it makes sense.

I'm still slowly weaning off Tramadol. As my pain decreased, I weaned down to 50 mg a day with no problems, but I had a lot of difficulty cutting out that last dose. I had flu-like symptoms - headache, shivery, runny nose - when I tried to stop "cold turkey". The 50 mg Tramadol capsule is the smallest dose supplied here in NZ. What I've had to do is cut open the capsule, tip the powder into a spoon and then discard some of the powder - first one-third, then half (25 mg). I mixed what was left with a bit of jam/jelly, because it tastes horrid.

Once I'd got down to just under half of a capsule, my doctor was able to prescribe Tramadol drops for me. You start by taking 10 drops a day (which is 20 mg), and decrease the number of drops each week. I'm down to 4 drops now, which is only 8 mg per day. Next week it will be 2 drops, and then I'll be off Tramadol at last!

My GP said that I wasn't addicted to Tramadol, but had become habituated.

I've also had trouble sleeping and had relied on Zopiclone, but I've managed to cut that out, too. For the past week, I have been sleeping better, without medication.
 
I too get withdrawal symptoms when I alter the dose of painkillers no matter how slowly I do it. I have problems for at least 5 days each time. Some drugs are worse than others. When I came off the fentanyl patches I was terrible. Several doctors have remarked how well I kept going and didn't give in to it. I was very agitated and flu like and not myself. I also felt like ants were crawling over my skin. Eventually I got over it.
 
Hi @Jane B., happened upon your thread and found it be very interesting. I like the way you put the weeks your are and how you are getting along. Great idea. You seem to be moving along well. Sometimes we all seem to become a part of that ODIC (overdue it club). When I worked in the garden and that was probably at the 6 month mark, I would have to take a pain pill before I start as I would be so sore after trying to do some work in the garden which I love, I would end up having knee and RA pain. I have rheumatoid arthritis. I do remember the days I could work in the garden for 2-3 hours non stop. But I am grateful for the time I can spend in the garden this past summer. Even at a year++, there are still days that I may have some soreness in the knee. But on a good note, it does not feel like it did before I had the TKR'd. You seem to be doing fine. Keep up the good work taking care of yourself. You're doing fine. Just remember take one day at a time. :loveshwr::loveshwr:
 
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@chestnc, I'm so pleased you visited. I've been a big fan of yours. I'm sorry your RA and migraines have troubled you. You seem like a lovely woman.

I had a gifted surgeon. I give him all the credit.

Jane B.
 
@Jane B. Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Hope you have a good pain-free day. Thanks a bunch so far so good, Have not had a headache for 24 hours. So happy !! :loveshwr::loveshwr:
 
Sorry you had a hard time even with tapering off. Great news on the knee progress.:santaclap:
 
Jane, I remember when my son was young - so about 17 years ago - I took a week off of work and did nothing but gardening. I'd take him to daycare, then head off to the nursery. Them into the garden ALL DAY! It was glorious. By the end of the week, my body got used to all the lifting , digging and bending. Them I moved to Salinas where they have rock hard soil instead of the sandy soil of Seaside.

I am 3 months out, too, and still take a half pain killer every now and then. I even took a whole one on Sunday I think. I am thrilled that I could do a couple of hours in my grandson's Kindergarden class this morning. No pain! When they get back from Christmas break, I'll do the whole morning again. Of course I had to have a nap afterwards. Lol. It sounds like you are doing great! Does your knee now feel better than it did before the surgery? Mine does!! Take care. -- Joni
 
Hi, Jane....thanks for posting your experience. I guess you know now that people DO read your thread!!! Look at all the posts that followed!!

Glad you're doing better. Keep up the good work. Time does wonders for that new knee. You're still fairly early in the process. Wait till this time next year. There will be no stopping you!
 
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