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TKR JoJo's Musings

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@kneeper
Wellll..I noticed about 2 hours after I started working that I was in a lot of pain and THEN realized I had not raised my leg, nor get up and walk around. So the ever present ice pack went on and i found a tolerable position to raise my leg! The problem I've got is I have a laptop also, but for some reason the wifi is not connecting when I'm downstairs, so I am butt scooting upstairs to work on the desktop. My sweet husband went out for a while and when he came home, he had bought me a wifi extender! So hopefully this will help.
 
Oh my, staples gone! What a relief it is! I took a pain pill prior to going to my appointment, which has been suggested , however, due to the long wait it wore off! So my sweet Dr. G was extra gentle (Hurt like heck, especially after they were removed). I talked to him regarding the breakthrough pain, and finally someone listened. He gave me an additional pain med along with a refill and told me to call him if I needed anything else. My only problem is that the Diladid that he added was supposed to help me sleep..?.
Well, here I am wide awake and cannot sleep. What in the world is going on here?
 
@hopefaith
Thinking of you and hoping you are feeling better!

C. S. Lewis

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue to the testing point."

"In your world I have another name..You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there,"
(Aslan)
 
Sorry @Quasi I was out of sorts a few days this week and also had to work on Thursday as well so haven't caught up on here since at least Monday. So it's been almost a week and I've not got back to you. So sorry.
Quasi said:
Because our staff is so short I put in long hours to keep things going as they should, so one of my biggest fears is knowing in my heart what's best for me yet not being able to do it because they really can't do my job.
Click to expand...
I had a job similar to that once. I thought nobody could run my department (an OR) like I could and if I wasn't there, everything would fall to pieces. But you know what? Eventually I got so stressed I had to take a medical retirement and the world didn't stop! My biggest failing was that I never trained up my senior nurses to do my job but when push came to shove, they took it on and succeeded in keeping the ball in the air. The lesson I learned is that no-one - NO-ONE - is indispensable and if we believe we are, we are fooling ourselves. Some day you could find it necessary to leave, you will eventually retire and somebody will HAVE to take all this over. This made sound harsh and I know for sure you'll be offended or upset by it, but I think it flatters you that they have to come running over these things. It validates your existence and we all need to have our existence validated. It makes us feel good, of worth and valuable. That in itself is not a bad thing but you are letting them take advantage of you.They are even too mean to bring in an accountant or somebody to do this payroll. Is that showing you respect? Of course it's not! You are off sick and in need of peace to rest and recuperate. In short, my dear, I think you owe it to yourself to say NO!
Quasi said:
I am taking hydrocodone 10mg-325 Tylenol every 4 to six hours. He gave me Ambien for sleep, 5 mg. After 2nd nightof waking up with nightmares, I stopped taking them.
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Don't blame you! I would have too - but then I wouldn't take sleep meds anyway. Much better to manage your pain better then you wouldn't need them!
Quasi said:
I do 4 hours COM a day
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What's a COM?
Quasi said:
Pain level right now about 5.
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That's not good but I'm sure it's higher than that on occasion, yes?
Quasi said:
feeding cat, going to rest room, moving from bed to recliner, make coffee, pick up kitchen, make the bed.
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NO making the bed unless it's just flicking the duvet straight! You are only 3 weeks out - rest, rest and rest!

Did you read the articles I left you in my previous post (#5). There is one on activity progression - go back and read it again (assuming you read it in the first place!)

Now about your exercises - my comments will be in blue
- leg lifts with pillow under knee 2x a day, #15 - do 5 once a day
- toe lifts standing up using walker 10, 2x a day - stop these until at least week 6
- thigh stretches and tightening 2 x a day - okay
- walk 3 or 4 times a day with walker around house 5 to 10 minutes - your normal walking to bathroom etc. is sufficient. No need to do more - spend the time resting, elevating and icing!

- pick up after myself and bending some - and what do these involve exactly?

- ice every hour at least for 30 minutes or so with elevation - good elevation or just on a foot stool? read the article on elevation to see how to do it properly. Also, don't put a timer on icing and elevating. Nothing much is achieved in 30 mins. You need to ice an hour or two in order to do any good. In fact, any time you are sitting, resting, watching TV and so on, ice and elevate!
- sleep with legs elevated - jolly good! Sleep with ice on as well!
- today too much pain in knee to do anymore so I am taking it easy - as you should be doing anyway AT THREE WEEKS !!!

Go back and read the articles. If you read them before, read them again, you appear to need to!

:) :flwrysmile:
 
I guessed that too, Tykey, but she's also spending time on the desk top computer upstairs so I wanted to make sure she didn't mean that!
 
I am really thinking that I LOVE my OS. He either uses a femoral nerve block with general anesthesia OR a spinal with sedation for surgery. Prior to closing up he uses a delayed action, long acting, pain injection in the knee. He told me that it takes about 6-10 hours to take effect and usually lasts 72-96 hours. In the meantime he encourages his patients to take maximum dose of oxycodone every 4 hours to keep pain under control. He also hates CPM's and does not use them unless the patient requests one. I am still early in recovery, but relatively pain free. He also is really big on avoiding DVT and pulmonary embolisms so he uses Lovenox for 2 weeks. I walk regularly then rest, elevate, and ice. I have no staples, dermabond is all he used. In all fairness, he did reuse a scar for the third time. I will post a picture once it is clear of bandages.
 
@Quasi I read your post on another thread about anxiety. I have Major Depression and Anxiety D. too. This surgery has caused both of those to become out loud for me. I have good days and okay days and then some pretty awful days. I have had to embrace this about me. I struggle with that a lot at times. I wouldn't be able to sit for any period of time with my right leg down. I did that the other day when I got my hair cut and I could not believe how much pain I had when I stood up and tried to walk. How are you? I am so upset when I read about your boss, who is a doctor, not understanding the gravity of a TKR. Do you have any options? I just wish you could feel less anxiety about your job.

~hopefaith
 
@hopefaith Well aren't we both a mess? This is one of my really awful days! I am fine one moment, then I am crying like a big baby! I have found out though, that I have held so much inside so long that it is quite a relief to do so!

Yeah, working with my leg hanging down was not a great idea, I get so totally engrossed when I am working on accounting that I finally felt a huge stab of pain! Boy, for an adult I sure do a lot of stupid things!

We sound like we have a lot in common! Did you read the 2 C.S.Lewis quotes I sent you? I have a lot of his quotes from the Narnia series, but also from "Mere Christianity". That is one of the first books I read as a teenager!

As far as my job right now, I have been looking for another job , at night time of course, so my husband is going to help me get my resume updated and I will start sending them out. Atlanta is a very saturated market right now in Healthcare administration, but I will trust that He who has me in the palm of His hand, will take care of that for me. I am realizing that I do not want so much responsibility at this point in my life and I want more time with my family. If my husband wasn't out of a job, I would actually go ahead and give notice, but I am praying for doors to open on my husbands behalf.

Good for you for going out and getting your hair done! I want to go and have my nails done, but Thursday was the first time being in a car for me! I know that felt good. I hate going, but feel so much better once my hairs done!

Thank your for your good wishes and caring. As far as my attitude about my job .. The famous Zig Zigler would say to me "You need a check-up from the neck up to cure your stinking thinking:tiredwheel:!!!!!!!

And he would be right! Take care and let me know how you are feeling!:angel:
 
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@Quasi I did not see the quotes you sent??? I would love to.
Okay, so first of all, you are not stupid. My goodness, not at all. This is the biggest learning curve I have been in and I have had my share, so neither of us are.
He does hold us in the palm of His hand. I have trouble really believing that in my heart. I want to.

I love the verses about we are the apple of His eye. I looked up that meaning, and it is so very incredible. You don't let ANYONE near the apple of your/my eye.

I am so sorry that your day is "awful". Oh my have I had so many of those. But, compassion starts with ourselves! I bawled like a baby for a few weeks. I think it is not only physical trauma, but also trauma on so many other levels. I had expected a totally different support system, (not counting B.S.) to be there for me, but wasn't.
Enough about me.
praying,
~hopefaith
 
@hopefaith

Quasi said:
@hopefaith
Thinking of you and hoping you are feeling better!

C. S. Lewis

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue to the testing point."

"In your world I have another name..You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there,"
(Aslan)
Click to expand...

let me know if you got these quotes!
 
@Quasi yes, I did. I just wrote a whole post to you and it only partially printed. So, I deleted it. I will respond more in a bit. love those quotes
~hopefaith
 
Bummed out. But happy, I have been so exhausted from not sleeping ! But since Tuesday I have been into the office 3 days, about 4 hours at a time! I wish I didn't have to do this. Yet current circumstances make it difficult for me not to! But I get home from work and am fast asleep with within 30 minutes. Last night I did the same thing, but woke up to eat dinner, then went back to sleep at 2am and slept until 9am! Wow, I needed that so badly! Hopefully next week will be easier. My home health/PT came by last night to discharge me, so I will be starting outpatient PT next week. Having follow up apt with my OS Monday. My ROM is at 100, I am pleased but I don't think my OS is going to be.

I need some advice about an area of my knee that is making me so uncomfortable to the point that I can't do all of my exercises. I have an area on my left knee near the incision, lower area near kneecap, it looks kind of like a camel's hump, small area that is very painful. At night I cannot sleep if this part of my knee touches covers or anything.

It started approx a week and a half ago, about the time when I was using the CPM and I was increasing increments. I was still 90 and when my knee went up 2 or 3 times I felt a sharp stabbing pain so I stopped (haven't used it since) But that area ( I have tried to massage it, it is so tight, is very painful when I have to do any leg bending exercises. At night it feels like a dull knife pain stabbing me, @pumpkin, could it be scar tissue? That is what I am afraid of!
 
@Quasi I am so sorry that you are having that pain. Sounds very "ouch". I tagged Josephine above to maybe get her input. I don't know.
You worked a lot last week. I am glad you got good rest in between.:)
I was so worked up with how my OS would respond to my ROM and he said I am right where I should be. I worried myself into a MUA over nothing. I don't give out numbers on here because it really isn't about the numbers. It is about gentle healing and the bend and extension will come. That is what I think anyway.:yes:
Any new C.S. Lewis quotes. I could sure use one today as my heart feels especially broken right now.
~~hopefaith
 
@hopefaith

, I have not heard from @Josephine yet, but she seems to be so busy! I just looked at the actual knee replacement video and I wonder if the joint replacement is causing it?
I am so sorry that your heart is hurting. It is quite painful, hopeless feeling isn't it? I was like that Tuesday night and I just couldn't stop crying. C.S. Lewis says "God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way." But when I was reading the other night I found a quote by him that I had never read and I love it! "Remember, though we struggle against things because we are afraid of them, it is often the other way round-we get afraid because we struggle. Are you struggling, resisting? Don't you think Our Lord says to you, "peace, child, peace. Relax. Let go. Underneath are the everlasting arms. Let go, I will catch you. Do you trust me so little?" (C.S.Lewis). I love that!!
On the "Narnia level here is one I found that I copied to my book of quotes! "But courage child..We are ALL Between The Paws of the ONE TRUE ASLAN".

I hope you like these and that they bring you comfort!

"Lucy Woke Out of the Deepest Sleep You Can Imagine, with the feeling that the Voice She liked best in the World had been CALLING HER NAME"

Best of wishes that you will be feeling better!
 
Quasi said:
I need some advice about an area of my knee that is making me so uncomfortable to the point that I can't do all of my exercises. I have an area on my left knee near the incision, lower area near kneecap, it looks kind of like a camel's hump, small area that is very painful. At night I cannot sleep if this part of my knee touches covers or anything.
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Can you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?
Please note the instructions in the smaller image

[Bonesmart.org] JoJo's Musings


[Bonesmart.org] JoJo's Musings




I'm also going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!
[Bonesmart.org] JoJo's Musings
)

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

6. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that)
 
Can I also ask you to remove the choice of bold from your default text as it makes your posts very difficult for me to read. I would greatly appreciate that.
 
@Josephine. (I tried to take bold off, but I must be doing something wrong )

If I am reading the chart right the painful area is at the right at center of D almost at left front 3 close to but not at bottom of incision.

1. Pain level 4, just took pain med 2 hrs ago.

2. HYDROcodone 10 mg, every 6 hours (was taking every 3 to 4). and for break thru pain, usually at night, 4 mg of Dilaudid.

3. Icing and elevating average of 4 to 5 hours a day, at least a hour at a time if not more, but did work an average of 3½hours on Wed, Thursday, and Friday.

4. Elevating as much as possible throughout the day especially when icing. While working I had ice machine with me. Also elevating at night time at least 4 hours with ice bag. Not machine.

5. Well, activity level hectic due to working in afternoons. Get up in morning, tidy up bed, fold blankets, get ice and coffee and ice for at least an hour. Then go upstairs, yesterday walked up and down steps to take shower put make-up on and get dressed for work.

6. Exercises not as much this week due to work, except on Monday and Tuesday
did pedal bike 15 minutes, leg pulled back with good leg, 10 once a day, leg lifts from chair 1o to 15 a day. Today, none, other than walking with walker due to pain in knee around the house 3 to four times. I am having to ice knee when doing leg lifts due to the area of pain, which pain meds don't touch if I am exercising or walking on it.

Please tell me how to change my default type.

Thank you ever so much for your help!
 
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