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Bilateral TKR Journey Continuing June 4th, 2012

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I did talk to them about how I was cutting down the Percocet and they did say to give up the daytime Oxy first, and it was pretty much up to my judgement, especially since I was doing so well. I'll talk to them about the alternatives to the Percocet if it doesn't make sense to me. It will be nice to be off the prescriptions IF I don't need them!
 
My PT was fully supportive of me not doing anything I wasn't comfortable with, and said to always say something. So she did the same thing in a different way where I still wasn't in control! Lol! But she made sure to check constantly if it was okay or too much. I didn't have to sit down between the standing exercises due to lightheadedness, thanks to being off the Oxy I think.

Before going to PT, I sat down in my chair in the bathroom to get dressed. It has an extra cushion on it to make it sit up a little taller. I realized that I sat without using the arm grips, albeit with a little plop! So when I got up. I thought what the heck --- with an oomph, I somewhat hurled myself up out of the chair without using the arms! Did it hurt? Yes, enough to not do it again right away, but!!! My knees bent enough, and my muscles were there to get me up! Hey, I was impressed. Not enough to get rid of my toilet seat...
 
progress!
 
Pee progress! You're doing great Janet. Every day shows something new.
 
Janet, I love your little trail and error stories they are so inspiring! :thumb: I haven't gotten up from a sitting position without my upper body assistance in ages, so now since you gave it a shot you know I've gotta try it! :wink: And you should be impressed! :thumb: I'm impressed for you! Great job, and man it is a job for sure!
 
Happy 4th everyone! My official one month anniversary. I'm completely off the oxycontin, haven't had the night time dose for two nights. Still sleeping okay and no increase in nighttime stiffness or achyness. I don't need the Zofran for nausea anymore, so I seem to tolerate the Percocet. Taking two every six hours during this transition off the Oxycontin.

I wish this heat and humidity would let up, I'd like to take a small walk outside, but I'm hiding out in the air conditioning. Walking back and forth through the house isn't very exciting.

Here's a question for other BTKR's especially, but those that have had two done over time as well. Do your knees look similar? Mine look completely different from each other. They are different sizes and shapes completely! They were different before, but I always thought it was because the one was diseased for decades. Now I'm wondering if my bones are just that different in size from one leg to the other! I don't see the bigger one ever looking like the smaller one. Maybe I can capture this in a one month anniversary photo.
 
I think my knees look fairly similar. One knee was more gone than the other pre-surgery. My scars look a little different...one keloided a little bit. The other has a slimmer scar.
 
Happy anniversary Janet! Can you really believe it's been a month already? What a ride so far huh?:bicycle2: One minute you're up, next minute you're down! That's great about your meds! So glad your nausea is gone too, nothing like feeling sick to your stomach when you're trying to heal!

You are so right about this humidity and poor air quality, our son and his wife are having a big picnic, but I thought why tempt the devil, I'm already not breathing right, so we didn't go, next years another year! I did only do my inhaler once this morning, so so far so good!:thumb: Staying in air conditioning is best!

You made me double check my knees after I read your post, not that I don't look at them all the time, and they are still a little swollen but look a lot alike. I than checked my pre-op picture that I took with my Ipad to see what the difference might be and I did notice a little less distortion on my new knees, but again there is still swelling so it's hard for me to tell. I think another month I should be able see tell more. Good luck with your inquiry!
 
A month already!! And you're doing so well. Keep up the good work!
 
Janet2012 said:
My PT was fully supportive of me not doing anything I wasn't comfortable with, and said to always say something. So she did the same thing in a different way where I still wasn't in control! Lol! But she made sure to check constantly if it was okay or too much. I didn't have to sit down between the standing exercises due to lightheadedness, thanks to being off the Oxy I think.

Before going to PT, I sat down in my chair in the bathroom to get dressed. It has an extra cushion on it to make it sit up a little taller. I


realized that I sat without using the arm grips, albeit with a little plop! So when I got up. I thought what the heck --- with an oomph, I




somewhat hurled myself up out of the chair without using the arms! Did it hurt? Yes, enough to not do it again right away, but!!! My knees bent enough, and my muscles were there to get me up! Hey, I was impressed. Not enough to get rid of my toilet seat...
Click to expand...

Good for you Janet. I'm just mastering getting out of thr shower chair. It's easy to get in but harder to get out. Also when I sit on the couch and only have one arm to help me up it's torture. But I keep doing it for some reason.
 
Janet, I started getting nausea from the percoset. Changed to Lortab which is slightly different formula and that did the trick. then I sequed onto Tramadol so that I could drive etc. I had tramadol from week one--used it when I wanted to drive after day 7. But, after two weeks, I found that percoset made me nauseated. I switched to lortab and for some reason, that worked. I took one 5.325 ever six hours. After another week or so, I just switched to tramadol. I hate nausea, it is the worst feeling. K
 
My knees were done 4 months apart, I don't see any difference, they look the same to me. Before surgery the right was pretty bent up so they were more different then. The scar on the one done about 5 weeks ago is redder but that doesn't really count. The scars are pretty even too, even the therapist noticed they were lined up pretty good.
I'm trying to figure out want medications I can do without too. 2 Percocet every 6 hours works the best but the Percocet is what I'm trying to do without. On a busy day I do 2 Percocet, semi-busy day I do 1 Percocet and 1 Extra Strength Tylenol. Going to bed I can do ok with 2 XS Tylenol although I'm pretty stiff & sore when I first get up. But even at that it's SO much better then before surgery.
 
My R knee is more swollen. My left knee has a small (2 1/2 diameter) puffy but painless area of swelling just under and to the side of the knee cap. Speaking of knee cap, I know I have some, I can find them w/ touch but I sure as heck can't see them in my knee. The incisions are of different shapes (curved vs straight), one is longer and the scars are different. I think the surgical assistant may have opened and closed one of my knees to minimize OR and Anesthesia time.

And... I just don't understand why my l knee is recovering so well and my R knee continues to ave "issues"

Chris
 
Well, Chris, knees are just like that. My left, which was my worse knee, was just a sweetheart---very little swelling, less pain and aching. My right was terribly swollen right after surgery and stayed that way for a couple of weeks and was more prone to swell if I was on my feet a lot during the first 3 months. They are not identical twins when it comes to recovery. Just as you can't compare your overall recovery with others, you really can't compare one knee's recovery to the other. And now, 8 months post op, it is my left knee that protests the most if I overdo---so I guess you just can't win! Take care.
 
Hey Janet. At first, my knees looked the same, although they felt totally different. The scars don't look the same at all. All Keloid-y on the right and thin on the left. And finally after 18 weeks (18!!!), they're finally going flat.

Who mentioned the rubber band feeling? Wow! I thought the feeling would never go away because it was always so intense. Guess what? Sometimes it goes away! And, as mentioned by other TKRers, it will be gone more and more!

Aren't milestones great, especially when they sneak up on you!

Keep up the good work!
 
ChrisO said:
My R knee is more swollen. My left knee has a small (2 1/2 diameter) puffy but painless area of swelling just under and to the side of the knee cap. Speaking of knee cap, I know I have some, I can find them w/ touch but I sure as heck can't see them in my knee. The incisions are of different shapes (curved vs straight), one is longer and the scars are different. I think the surgical assistant may have opened and closed one of my knees to minimize OR and Anesthesia time.

And... I just don't understand why my l knee is recovering so well and my R knee continues to ave "issues"

Chris
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No knee recovers in the same way---during my recovery from my BTKR, my left knee treated me, for the most part, very nicely; my right knee, however, (Which was not as "bad" pre-op wise") was very stubborn and obstinate. They are like children---each with their own unique personality, I guess.
 
Janet2012 said:
Sunshine, you need the pain meds that work for your pain as long as you are having pain. All that matters is you in this. I'm four weeks today (already!!) and am no longer having the pain I was having even a couple weeks ago, so for me it's time to get rid of the drugs that are making me feel worse on them than off them.

Jacky, I'm so glad you are breathing today! That would seem to be a baseline requirement! Lol!! I feel so much better without the oxycontin. I took it last night, but may try skipping it tonight. Ready to be done with it. Then we'll see about the percocet and phase that out. I'm actually going to talk to my PT today about changing one aspect of her treatment. I'm no longer going to let her ease my foot back towards my butt while I'm laying on my stomach. I'm not comfortable not having control of where the stopping point is, and when to ease back. This can be done on my back with me in control. She did something that hurt my calf muscle Friday and was painful all weekend. As long as I'm progressing...
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You are so right Janet! At the last place I was at before I found T-Star, the PT was sitting on the end of my table talking to someone. I had my knee bent and was sliding it when WHAM she threw all her body weight into my leg! I screamed and slapped the back of her head and when she said "that hurt" I told her, never to do that to anyone again! I got my walker and left! :yikes:

Janet2012

I think I got her attention! :heehee: It was a reflex action (slapping the back of her head you know!) :whistle:
 
Good for you Sonja! She deserved a slap in the head for that. My therapist never hurt me. Well, almost never, those thigh stretches really hurt but they were short, done with my permission and they worked.

Hope everyone had a happy 4th!
 
Morning Glory,

I am glad you have a good PT. I have one too now. That happened more than two years ago and my personality has reemerged since I have lost all of the weight. I know that she wouldn't have gotten a chance to try if it were today! I would have been ready, and kicked her with my good leg!:heehee:
 
Janet,
Thank you so much for calling drug interactions into light! I heard it from all sides yesterday, and I hope I can spare others by having them think about using over the counter pain killers with meds they are using! You shed a lot of light on the subject in my post yesterday, and I really appreciate it!
 
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