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Bilateral TKR JustJeff 4/9/14

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@JustJeff I am officially jealous. Your surgery was 1 day before mine, and I only had one silly knee done. It is very cool to read your thread. You have done marvelously! I love your conversation above about sleeping. You posted on my thread, and that is exactly what I did last night. I slept SO well, but the knees truly rule and she said "do you really want to wake up anytime soon feeling THAT again." Anyway, thought I would stop by and say hello. It is encouraging to read your story. ~hopefaith
 
I went to L.L.Bean today and bought new kayak shoes but the cool purchase was a "paddle boy." It's essentially strap-on wheels so I can pull the kayak from the car to the launch and it folds so I can take it with me in the boat! This way I can concentrate on my feet, walking, without lugging this heavy thing on uneven ground. So, I've traded in my walker for a roller. Progress!

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Oh one other thing. ... I crawled up on the bed on my knees (wasn't thinking, just by reflex.) What a weird feeling! It was like I was wearing huge foam pads on them.

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Can someone explain to me how my knees are usually somewhat numb to the touch but when I'm getting ready for bed the slightest touch of a sheet or comforter results in annoying burning pain (level 2)?
It's also evident wearing shorts or pants from rubbing fabric.

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I had the same issue, and then suddenly I didn't. I think the burning comes from the inside out, but how that works with numb knees is beyond my comprehension.
 
@JustJeff Any chance you have some internal stitches that are showing through? I have had about three; they look like little tiny pimples, and whenever any fabric rubbed against them I got a "burning" sensation. At bedtime, my knee/leg doesn't so much ache or be painful as it is "restless" - I just can''t seem to find a really comfortable position, straight, bent, on my back, on either side, elevated.....until finally the hydrocodone and tylenol kick in. That lasts until about 3:00AM.
 
Hmm..I know they're in there by the little "dimples"where they're still pulling on the skin (which I've been massaging) but I don't see anything poking through. It's annoying though. You're probably right, though.

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It's interesting how much more sleep I need in recovery. I went to sleep at 10p, woke up at 1:45 and took pain meds, woke up at 5:30, had some coffee and breakfast, back to sleep at 7 and woke up at 10a. Now I'm ready to start my day.
Normally, I'd sleep at 10p and wake up at 7. Well, sleep, even though under percocet, feels great.

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Other folks have complained about the sensitivity your describe. I believe it's caused the tiny skin nerves being cut and it will get better. People have reported getting relief by wrapping their leg with saran wrap.
 
Saran wrap eh? Hmmm.. luckily it doesn't bother that much when I'm out. That might look of in shorts. My cargo shorts come down enough to feel it. At night I just don't cover my lower body and that works. Now I'm wondering how long before it ends.

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Hi @JustJeff You are doing really well! Congratulations. I am looking forward to being at your stage. Sorry to hear about the pain you are experiencing when fabric hits your scar. :sad:
 
Thanks @71Beetle That pain is minimal compared to the pain that many of us here share. I just wish that all of us could have a recovery as I have had. I really had no idea what to expect except my OS telling me that due to the epidural I would be spared the first few days of pain. It did that well and then the poison meds took me the rest of the way. I'm rooting for you. I have learned a lot on how to do different things with post op limitations. From getting on and of the floor to navigating steps and even cooking, I feel like I'm rewriting the book. :)

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Well, today for the first time since surgery, I put in a full day at home, from gardening most of the day, hoeing, raking, digging, hauling 40lb. Bags ofcompost, getting into weird positions to get access planting seedlings and then cooking supper (pork schnitzel with homemade egg noodles. )
The cool thing about it? I didn't feel like I had to ice all day! I'm soooo glad the energy drain seems like it's run its course!
I still feel the pain if I'm late for a pain med dose, so I'm not giving them up yet, but at least they're not narcotic during the day.

Here's one thing I noticed walking down steps. I was so worried about the pain on the next step, I wasn't shifting my weight forward with the step so I was actually straining more than normal people do and causing more pain.

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Here's another tip for walking down steep stairs. Try doing it keeping your body and feet on an angle. It lessens the impact on the flexion of your knees.

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Jeff, I really enjoy keeping up with your thread! And I appreciate how you do so much but stay on some pain meds, it is such a balancing act and I feel like I have to explain myself and why I am still taking oxycodone to my family all the time!


4/1/2014 TKR
 
Thanks Lisa. It's difficult to change routines but once I weather through the changes it becomes the new routine, hopefully not for much longer. I take some meds routinely for prostate, Gerd and high blood pressure. Those I don't have to think about as I some on waking and some at bedtime. But the pain meds are easy to forget. So I got an app that reminds me should I forget. Very useful since when I forget a dose catching up to when I'm pain free can take some time.
So far, I've been ok taking small trips as I'm not away long enough to miss taking meds, but I did buy an extra bottle of Tylenol to keep in the car.

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Btw, the smartphone app I discussed above is called Dosecast and it works great.

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Look what I can do this morning! No more fidgeting around to get my body in just the right position! Another small but significant step in my recovery!
[Bonesmart.org] JustJeff 4/9/14


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2nd day of gardening and it looks like the dreaded energy drain caught up with me. After finishing hoeing and raking and seeding my 2nd garden box, I came in to do the next chore ... and couldn't. Just sat there figuring out what to do and decided I'm just going to sit here.

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