TKR Josephine's knee story

[Legin]

Not nice I truly hope you get on.the right track you will get over this wall just sometimes wall seems a tad high. Wont be long before you blow it to smithereens take.care.

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[hhilltop]

Sorry you're having a rough time and feeling so low. You are a pioneer and a fighter. You'll get through this wilderness adventure, too. Even though you've monitored 1000's of cases your own is always a new wilderness. I can't figure out how to turn off the text underlining. It's driving me nuts.
The Rice I mentioned above stands for for rest, ice, (sorry, closest I could come to for ice) clock in routinely with pain meds,and elevate .

Take care, read a good book, listen to some good music, and don't be in a hurry to be back in full motion.

 

[Campervan]

@hhilltop Re the underlining, is it as simple as clicking U above the message box that we type into?

@Josephine I hope and pray you're feeling better today.

 

[hhilltop]

I tried the underline feature several times and it was not responding. That's what was driving me nuts.

Glad to hear you had a nice long friendly chat this morning. That can be some of the best medicine there is.

 

[Josephine]

Once more, thank you all again. Your posts lift my spirit.

Things have taken an upturn at last. The pain seems to have become more manageable though I'm still taking 100mg Tramadol and 2 paracetamol 4 times a day. I find that if I only take 50mg, it just plain doesn't work. But then, I'm not even 3 weeks out yet so still early days. I'm also able to get about with confidence (though still with care!) with neither crutch nor cane, even going up and down stairs. I can get up from sitting relatively easily and my ROM is about 110/0 which is amazing! And just in case you were wondering, exercising thus far has consisted of 2 or 3 heel slides every other day and one attempt to go upstairs sequentially which I managed but was a bit shaky so won't try it for another few days. I'm also sleeping in bed comfortably and getting a good night's sleep to boot!

I go for a post-op assessment on Thursday with the orthopaedic nurse practitioner (not the brightest spark of cheer in the group!) but since I haven't been out of the house since the 7th, my wonderful neighbour is going with me for moral support. I don't expect the nurse will keep me for long.

Only real problem I have is knocking in the knee. This isn't the clicking kind but a regular changing of gears, a kind of triple clunk. In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, it feels like a bag of marbles in there! The thought has crossed my mind that I may need a bigger spacer but I'll wait and see what 'sir' has to say about it.

I tried the underline feature several times and it was not responding.

@hhilltop I edited your post. Somehow you'd got a url in your post. It was the url of one of the Library articles - did you copy/paste a title in there and then remove it?

 

[referee54]

I am happy to read that the pain is better controlled---but I hope that they do not need to replace the spacer!

can get up from sitting relatively easily and my ROM is about 110/0 which is amazing! And just in case you were wondering, exercising thus far has consisted of 2 or 3 heel slides every other day

Our members need to read this---especially the ones that believe that progress can only come with tremendously hard work!

 

[bottomshollow]

 

[Ellejay]

Lovely to hear from you, it means things are looking up. Well done on that ROM, that's great!

 

[speccybecky]

Sounds like you're feeling better, a good nights sleep can help a lot! Keep taking the pills, like you tell others , too early to worry about cutting down. Hope your surgeon doesn't have to redo anything. Good luck for Thursday, you tell 'em!

 

[hhilltop]

Thanks for fixing my post. I did copy the phrase from someone else where it was underlined and then it wouldn't stop underlining whatever I wrote.

I wonder if what you describe as marbles isn't what was driving frustrating me the first few months of my recovery. I'd lie in bed for a couple of hours just twisting and turning and trying to get all those "marbles" to lie down still and finally in exhaustion I would give in to sleep. Yours doesn't sound near as severe. It was full of clicks and cracks, like marbles bumping into each other. I was full of "what's going on in there???"

Eventually a PT showed me how her big toe would click/crack when she moved it like so and on command she moved it and it cracked and it sounded like my knee at night. She explained that the tendons wear grooves in the body where they usually comfortably perform, but that my surgery made it so the tendons were slipping in and out of those grooves and there were some sound effects going along with it.

My aggressive scar tissue issues kept me cracking away much longer than you will need to - your ROM is good, but has room for improvement. Mine didn't get to that stage until over 6 months post op. There's probably a medical term for these tendon grooves. Maybe your nurse practitioner can help you come up with it if a Bonesmart friend doesn't beat you to it. That's one of the great blessings of Bonesmart.

Then of course, it could be something else. I'll be curious, though. Keep us posted.

 

[Celle]

I'm glad to hear that things are looking up for you, @Josephine !

 

[Coppernob]

That's good news Josephine. I'm so pleased you're beginning to feel better. You'd done well to have made such good progress given the other problems you've had. Keep it up! Linda x

 

[Fancypants]

Hello @Josephine not sure if I need to tag you on your own page? I am taking Tramadol 50 mg every 2 hours instead of 100mg every 4 hours. I cleared it with a couple of pharmacists and then my GP to make sure it was ok. As long as I don't exceed 400mg daily. Knowing I only have to wait 2 hours makes all the difference and it certainly works for me. I'll go 3 hours or even 4 if the pain is not too bad but usually 2hrly. . It's the evenings from about 5 that it starts to get really annoying isn't it? Thank goodness for Silent Witness......and now Wolf Hall!!!!!!!! Hope you continue to improve. Mel.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Well done @Josephine

You got your pain sorted and you're a bit happier now. Good luck with your post op tomorrow. Glad your neighbours going to be there with you.

Love Nana moon 27 x x x

 

[Josephine]

I am taking Tramadol 50 mg every 2 hours instead of 100mg every 4 hours

Yes that would be perfectly okay provided you don't mind spending all day every day thinking about pill taking!

It's odd but the schedule (below) that I worked out for my other knee and that worked so very, very well, just doesn't for this one.

This time the only thing that works is 100mg at a time but that means only 4 doses a day - ergo 5-6hrly.
However, I never had cellulitis last time either. That's probably the difference.

 

[DogLoverx3]

I had a double click when I walked. Although it wasn't painful, it was uncomfortable and annoying. No one could ever tell me what it was, but it eventually went away. Probably not until about month 4 or 5 though :-(

 

[RunA42K]

Well I just read through your recovery thread Josephine...the ups and downs and everything in-between. I am glad that things are settling down for you now. You have been there for all of us, its hard to read of you hurting as you are like our parent and we look at our parents as invincible. You are truly loved and appreciated by all and I am so glad to read that you are well on the recovery road now!

 

[Fancypants]

Hi Josephine....I did try the regime you mentioned as my friend had her knee done last year and gave it to me. Didn't do it for me though. I also tried taking 100mg regularly. I don't know why my meds seem to wear off quickly? Anyway I carry a small notepad and pen round with me plus a strip of Tramadol, in little bag hooked on my crutches, and write down whenever I have them. So if the pain is not too bad I dont even think about it, but if it gets bad I can refer to my notepad and it's usually time for a pill!!!! 2 hours is no time at all to wait but 4 hours seems forever when that deep ache is knawing at your knee and your face screws up with pain but you don't want anyone to see and so you go to the bathroom and swear.....and watch the clock. Different strokes for different folks! I do admire what you're doing on here.....a voice of reasonq and calm in the midst of " Oh dear me no-one told me it would be this bad I dont know how to cope!!!!!!" And you and the others show us how.Thankyou.

 

[zauberflöte]

Well, the cellulitis wasn't giving up that easily! Had a flare-up a few days ago and had to have another course of antibiotics. It's still making me feel ill, sickly, anti-food and generally feeling very sorry for myself. Sorry can't be more upbeat than this.

Oh dear woman you do not have to be upbeat when you feel miserable!! We are here to beat you up! ;) ;)
Even though it's taken me forever to come across your thread, know that you've been in my thoughts and prayers.
Let us take care of you as a small way to attempt to return your wonderful care of all of us


My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!

 

[zauberflöte]

Does the tramadol work better for you than narcotics? I can't remember whether you can or cannot take narcotics!


My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!