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TKR Katchmo's Knees: Round Two!

I ended up having to go in but my primary, who looks about 18 and is very sweet, was helpful and did give me a clonidine prescription and suggested I also take half a 5mg tab of oxy every other day for a few days and maybe even 1/4 tab. I also did a major shopping trip for the first time, about 45 minutes of walking in the store and I am DONE.
 
PCPs are often the best bet for getting help with medications. I’m so glad yours came through for you! I hope the whole weaning process now goes smoothly.

Ice and snow deserve to be respected. You’re early in recovery, so the less risk you take, the better. Later on, TKRs handle snow and ice well. I just had to walk across a snowy hospital parking lot, brush several inches of heavy snow off my car, and drive home on icy roads. Piece of cake. Except for the drive home, which was not a piece of cake because BLIZZARD. The knees aced it. Which is a good thing because lots of us live in climates where there’s no way we can avoid ice and snow if we want to get anywhere.

The key, as in all aspects of TKR recovery, is to use common sense.
 
Yay for your Primary. When my husband had heart surgery the nurse who worked with the cardiac surgeon was really nasty. I ended up writing the hospital about him. He gave me a nasty phone call which I recorded and sent to the hospital---never heard another word!!!
 
Snoosie said:
I had a much longer time going off hydromorph, upped my tylenol to combat going off pain meds and slowly weaned myself. After the last pill, it still took me a week to detox.
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That is rough! I had an abrupt detox after quitting cold turkey when I had lung surgery and I knew I never wanted to go through that again. Doctors need to realize that physical dependence is bound to develop during appropriate pain control but physical dependence is NOT the same thing as addiction!! They need to provide assistance in weaning off and not act like you are the only patient who has been in this situation.
 
Very true. If they would prescribe properly and with good instructions that would help. I was very lucky that my OS had a process of starting with oxycodone, then stepping down. And encouraged what many of us have done, which is to stretch time between doses and then stop, rather than going cold turkey.
 
Ugh, I tweaked my knee in my sleep somehow. I am in so much pain. I would love to take a pain pill but don't want to set back my detox. So I am swaddled in my recliner with Tylenol on board and ice on the knee, watching the snow coming down. I was going to go to church today (first time since surgery) but that's not happening. We got at least another 5 inches so far and it's still coming down.
 
I think you did a good thing staying home from church! It obvious that your knee isn't happy today and needs extra TLC. Also, getting out in the snow with a new knee is dangerous!
 
It doesn't take much to tweak our tkr knees in the first couple of months. Swaddling and watching the snow sounds just the way to spend the day. Hope it settles down for you soon.
 
When I was at PT last Thursday, besides walking and stretching there was only one exercise she asked me to do. She had me lie flat and try to lift my leg straight up, which I couldn't do. So she lifted it up and then lowered it down while having me do my best to hold it up. She wanted me to have my husband work with me on it. I haven't done so, being more preoccupied with getting off oxy, back pain, and tweaking my knee. So today, four days later, I was lying in bed trying to stretch out my angry back and I thought, why not? And I was able to lift it right up. Not just a few inches, but completely vertical! Can't wait to show her on Wednesday, and also admit I didn't do the exercise!
 
Same thing for me. I had been getting my leg up on my wedge and thought, hmm, this is a leg lift. I pushed the wedge aside and tried it and my leg went all the way up!!! Ha, ADLs wins again! I hadn’t done x amount to work on it! :wowspring:
 
Yay!! That first leg lift felt wonderful! These little successes mean so much to us and the 'normal' people just shrug it off when we tell them. But, we here on BS certainly understand! We share in your celebration!
 
This poor lady found me through a tag on an Instagram post and has been commenting on my tkr posts (which are mostly random photos with my cats lol) I am 6.5 weeks and she is 10 days behind me and her surgeon is already threatening her with a MUA in two weeks. Ugh! Why are docs so cruel? She said she is in pain all the time and PT is torture. I've directed her here and given her links. Hope she listens. I'm a nurse and have absolutely no problem going against medical advice but I do understand how hard it can be.
 
Sometimes it is so hard to convince people that they don’t have to have that extra pain from PT. It seems many in the US are brainwashed that PT is a must and that it’s going to hurt and they just have to get through it.

I hope she comes here.
 
Going against medical advice is difficult for lots of people, especially if they’re used to following “experts.” I mean, if I hire an electrician, I don’t tell that person how to do their work. So most of us believe we have to do what medical experts say because we don’t know any better. It helps to have even a little medical experience because that teaches us that, among other things, we aren’t going to suffer anything dire if we don’t do our PT.

I hope your Instagram pal pays us a visit. She sounds like she could use some friendly support.
 
SusieShoes said:
most of us believe we have to do what medical experts say because we don’t know any better.
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That is what is good about Bonesmart. We have the experience to know, that for most people, aggressive PT doesn't help our knees recover faster. It actually slows down the healing for most people.
 
Ugh, I just feel like poo today and I am so discouraged with my lack of progress. If I do anything at all my knee stiffens up and hurts, but all this sitting around means I have no stamina at all. And I seriously need to get off the drugs. Gabapentin weaning starts today, then clonidine, then ambien. I've never been on so many drugs and my body doesn't like it. Can't wait to get my treadmill back from being on loan so I can do short frequent walks standing up straight so my back gets unkinked. All in all, just feeling bummed. :tiredwheel:
 
katchmo said:
If I do anything at all my knee stiffens up and hurts, but all this sitting around means I have no stamina at all. And I seriously need to get off the drugs. Gabapentin weaning starts today, then clonidine, then ambien. I've never been on so many drugs and my body doesn't like it. Can't wait to get my treadmill back from being on loan so I can do short frequent walks standing up straight so my back gets unkinked. All in all, just feeling bummed. :tiredwheel:
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You're still in the "angry tissue" stage of recovery. It's hard, I know. Your mind says "I ought to be able to do more now" but your body says "Not yet. I had major surgery and I need time and rest, so I can heal."
It's easy for the blues to get you at this stage - but do be reassured that how you're feeling is very normal.
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Your lack of energy isn't due to sitting around. It's because most of your body's energy is still being directed towards healing your knee:
Energy drain for TKRs

Don't rush getting off the drugs. Just take it slow and steady. Most people still need some pain relief at your stage of recovery.

[Bonesmart.org] Katchmo's Knees: Round Two!
Hang in there! Things are going to get better and it really is worth investing this time in allowing your knee to heal at its own pace.
 
I'm thinking about doing warm water physical therapy. The thought of just walking around in the warm water and then soaking in a hot tub afterwards is so appealing, especially with how painful my back has been. It will mean switching practices, which makes me a little sad, because my current PT is very nice but she isn't doing anything for me I can't do myself at home.
 
If you can do as much for yourself at home, then I'd say you are ready to move on from PT. Just be careful that first time in the pool because it's tempting to overdo things in water. Best to work up a "feel" for how much work your knee is doing. I use a pool now (I started later in recovery than you) and really love it. AND the hot tub after!
 
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