Become an Insider

TKR Kate's Knee Knews

@KarriB I don't have sick leave so I have to get back as quickly as I can. I banked enough hours to take 4 weeks off and I can always use two more weeks of vacation but that would be all my vacation for the rest of the year. I am going to try to work from home to begin with and see how that goes. I work in a very small office and don't want to leave the others to do my work as well as their own if I can help it. I have been doing some work from my iPad just keeping the emails under control but I keep falling asleep. Maybe that is because I have a boring job!!
 
Good to hear you have thought it out. It's very difficult to go back to work and still do regular house chores along with PT. I thought I could go back to teaching after 2 months, but there was no way. I did have a complication, but pushed myself to go back when I did as I knew my substitute was having a hard time. Lots of people are trying to work from home to begin with. I had to reschedule pain meds so I could enter grades in my computer grade book without mistakes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah, students might have been getting some interesting grades otherwise. :heehee:
 
cairistiona60 said:
I have been doing some work from my iPad just keeping the emails under control but I keep falling asleep. Maybe that is because I have a boring job!!
Click to expand...

Nope. I'm pretty sure it's because you're only a week and a half out from major surgery, and your body needs the rest.
 
My husband took me to Target today to pick up some things I wanted. He dropped me off at the front door, I went inside and got a motorized cart. I was able to get everything I needed in the way of groceries, as well as a few other things, so did not need to go to the grocery store. I think that would have totally done me in. It did feel good just to get out among other people for a little while.

I'm sure hoping I get much stronger over the next few weeks. I'm beginning to fear that I might not be ready to go back to work at the end of five weeks. If it isn't one thing to worry about, it's another
 
You will get stronger. I'm glad your outing went so well. Those electric carts make such a positive difference in helping us regain our mobility and independence.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
For some reason I am in a lot of pain again tonight, and it's not time yet for my medication. I wonder if just the little bit of extra walking I did (with my cane) is enough to cause this terrible aching right now. Pretty discouraging, as I was a lot more mobile around the house today and a lot less painful earlier in the day. I forgot to put my support stockings on before we left today, and I haven't had them on all day. Have any of you had more pain when not wearing the antiembolism hose?
 
Your knee is pretty fresh. While what you did today seems like it wasn't a lot, it sounds to me like it was a bit much for your point in recovery. Grab some ice (or your ice machine), sit yourself down, elevate, put the ice all around that fresh knee (with a light towel to protect your skin), and relax. Sleep if you can.

At the point you're at, I did find my support stockings helpful, so consider wearing them for at least a few more days.
 
I found that I had pain when doing more than walking around the house anytime before week 4. I think your pain is probably due to overdoing it and your knee/leg is letting you know. At the point you're at in recovery I only felt comfortable going to PT or the OS. PT was a mile from my house and the OS about 7 miles, majority of my time was spent icing, elevating and resting. Boring, but I had very little pain.
 
Did you really only have your surgery on 20th July? From your activity levels I thought it was earlier then checked.
Wow! You are pushing yourself hard for such an early stage in your recovery. At the point you are at now, I did almost nothing and had no significant pain. Take Polar Bear's advice and be kinder to yourself. There's no one in this race but you - also you might need to rethink your return to work at 5 weeks. Is there any way you can get more time or alter your working patterns? Best of luck with your recovery.
 
Also keep in mind that pushing to do more will not make you ready to go back to work faster--it could even set you back.
 
I had surgery the same day as you did. It looks like your Nucynta is another name for or generic for Percocet which is what I am taking. My Os prescribed 100 mg q4 hours. I asked him to do that because my copay is the same whether it is for 100 pills of 100mg or 100 pills of 50 mg. I knew I would be able to cut them in half as I needed less. What has ended up happening is 100 is too much most of the time. So I cut them in half and then take the other half when ever I start to feel like I need more, it is usually working out to 3-31/2 hours between half pills and that works well for me. I end up taking 4-41/2 pills total for a 24 hour period because I typically go longer between pills at night. I went out to dinner the other day but no shopping. I mostly rest, ice and elevate, and nap. 2 naps per day minimum. I need them. Still not much appetite either.
 
I found the days I overdid it early on my knee really let me know at night!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
 
I keep forgetting that it hasn't even been two weeks yet since my surgery, and I probably am overdoing it. I've been in a lot of pain today, and pretty down.

My doctor originally said to be off work 4-6 weeks, so I picked five weeks, hoping I would be ready. Knowing how grueling it can be to travel, I am probably being overly optimistic. I'm hoping one day I will kind of magically turn a corner and everything will click into place, I will feel 10 times better, and this will have been a worthwhile experience. I know in the long run I will be happy I did it, just nowhere near that feeling yet
 
Kathi, that point tends to be around the 12 week point. Some people experience it earlier and some later.
 
I really think you should try to take it easy for a few days. Keep your knee iced, elevated and give yourself permission to relax and your body a chance to heal. I'm probably repeating myself, but you are so early in the recovery period. I know everyone recovers on their own timetable, but if you are in pain, that's your knee telling you to slow down. Someone explained that your knee is a baby, only 13 days old and needs to be babied. This a process that can't be rushed and as kneeper said, the more you push the longer it may take.
 
4-6 weeks is really early to be going back to work. We recommend about 12 weeks and then a phased return to work.
Phased return to work

Allow yourself time to heal. You had major surgery and your knee has been through a lot of trauma.
Have you read this?
Activity progression for TKRs
 
Tigerlily said:
I had surgery the same day as you did. It looks like your Nucynta is another name for or generic for Percocet which is what I am taking. My Os prescribed 100 mg q4 hours. I asked him to do that because my copay is the same whether it is for 100 pills of 100mg or 100 pills of 50 mg. I knew I would be able to cut them in half as I needed less. What has ended up happening is 100 is too much most of the time. So I cut them in half and then take the other half when ever I start to feel like I need more, it is usually working out to 3-31/2 hours between half pills and that works well for me.
Click to expand...

Percocet is the trade name for the combination of generic drugs acetaminophen and oxycodone. Nucynta is a newer opiod medication, the generic name of Nucynta is tapentadol. Interestingly though, the dosing amounts are the same size - I too found a happy medium between taking two of the 50 mg. tablets of Nucynta, which made me too woozy, and only taking one, which didn't much touch the pain. I've found that taking 1-1/2 of the Nucynta gives me good pain control and just a tolerable amount of buzz. And if for some reason I need just a touch more relief at the 3-4 hour mark, I may take another 1/2 tablet. Sounds like we've both been able to tweak our pain control to what works best for us. And I can feel my latest does kicking in now, so am going back to bed for a bit.
 
Just had another small but nice milestone. Was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling on my pants. Stood up to pull them all the way up, and then realized that I had stood up without holding onto anything or pushing off with my arms! Granted, the bed is kind of high so my legs weren't fully bent, but it still feels good to do it. I find myself taking a couple of steps here and there without my cane as well, so I must be making progress. Still having a lot of pain when the meds wear off, but that should start to ease more and more, I'm hoping.
 
:yay: Very cool! You will arrive at many milestones along the way--celebrate them all!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

Members online

Total: 584 (members: 2, guests: 582)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom