TKR kmak's TKR recovery thread

[kmak81230]

I debated quite a bit about the timing for #2 @sistersinhim but in the last two months I've had more degeneration to the point that my flexion in my new knee is about 15 degrees better than my old one, the extension is also much better and I think it is affecting my gait on and off. That and the increased discomfort with many activities. I will be glad to be through with the knees - then on to the other degenerating body parts

 

[sistersinhim]

Your knee made it obvious that it's time for a new one! Good luck. We'll be here with you!

 

[SusieShoes]

Knees are among the roughest replacements, so at least you’ll have those out of the way. I found some of my other degenerating body parts responded really well to having new knees. The knees were part of the problem for my hips and back. Those are now doing much better. I hope you find the same!

 

[kmak81230]

Slogging along through the "dark days" of recovery . . . RTKR was on Tuesday, home on Wednesday afternoon, first outpatient PT on Friday. I guess all is going well, I'm doing a lot less than I did with TKR #1, and trying to embrace the naps and recliner time. According to my diary I am using a bit more oxy than last time, and my knee seems to be more swollen. I believe I am intolerant of Tramadol which is a bummer as I was hoping to step down from the oxy soon. The Tramadol resulted in nausea, extreme dry mouth, and systemic itching so I will remove it from my drug repertoire. Looking forward to getting a bit more mobile in the next couple of weeks.

 

[sistersinhim]

Great that your second knee is done! Too bad you can't take Tramadol. I found it to be a very helpful medication.

 

[Jockette]

Best wishes for this second recovery!

 

[kmak81230]

Had a good PT session today. I believe I am gaining a bit more ROM though my PT refuses to indulge my obsession with it . I have a couple of functional things to work on over the next week - I like having a project or goal. I seem to be having less severe pain as well so that is also good.

 

[sistersinhim]

I measured my bend by what I called the 'bathroom test'. I would bend my knee and see how close I could come to the pattern on the floor while sitting. It was a challenge against myself! If it only was a 1/4" improvement, who cares? It was an improvement! I never went to PT or did formal exercises, so function was my main concern. Now, I can do everything I want to do!

 

[SusieShoes]

Each knee recovers differently... and sometimes that means it is less painful. Or gets flexion sooner. Good stuff.

Goals are good. I'm not one to advise you on that, because my goals were always something like "walk to the other end of the block and see what's happening there" or "maybe I can use my cane tonight when going to the bathroom." You are only a week out, so... keep the goals in perspective. General goals work well and don't tempt to get hung up on numbers (I applaud your therapist ). "I'll do a few extra knee bends" or "I'll get up and walk around a few more times today."

The bathroom floor measuring thing is kind of fun if you have the right kind of floor.

 

[KarriB]

That first month is hard, just keep your eye on the prize. You know it’ll happen.

 

[kmak81230]

Agreed @SusieShoes and @KarriB! I'm so much more relaxed this time around; last time I was sure I would have a bad recovery if I didn't do my regime of exercises three times a day. Now my goals are so simplistic and I'm ok with that: can I dangle my leg over the side of the bed, working on standing up straight when using the walker, getting up for longer periods of time.

 

[Celle]

It's been a while since your first TKR and your thread is long, so here's a new copy of the recovery reading:
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

Please don't be overwhelmed by the list. The articles are not long and they and contain information that will answer many questions and help you make your recovery much easier on your knee and on you.

We are here to help in any way we can: answering questions and concerns; supporting and encouraging you from start to finish.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[kmak81230]

Thanks @Celle

 

[kmak81230]

Happy Thanksgiving Smarties! With my first TKR I kept a detailed diary of meds which I am finding helpful for knee #2 and I'm wishing I had also kept a diary of milestones - particularly for the first couple of months as I did not join BS until about week 5 or 6 the first time around. I know that each knee can have a different recovery journey but I'm wondering when I might start having little breakthroughs as I don't remember much about the first several weeks of knee #1. I do remember the ever elusive sleep . . . and can say that I am well on my way to being severely sleep deprived with #2 knee just as I was with #1. I went for a short walk outside today which felt pretty good. I will not have much opportunity for that over the next week as we have snow in the forecast and I do not want to risk a fall. Hoping to move to the cane in a few days.

 

[sistersinhim]

Congrats on getting outside! I remember how good that felt!

 

[gecko]

Afternoon @kmak81230 just checking in to see how you are, hoping you are having a good recovery, I too went outside yesterday gosh it feels good, my hubby helped me bend down to smell the scent of my first rose on my new bush not easy to get scented roses , but hey made my day

 

[kmak81230]

Hi @gecko. I'm doing pretty good I think. I am off the narcotics and mostly taking Tylenol. We had a snowstorm yesterday so am currently housebound. My biggest issue currently is inability to get a good night sleep -- this bothered me with knee #1 also. Currently, as a side sleeper, it is hard to find a comfortable position for me and my log leg. I will try for a nap or two today. I have my 2 week check up with the surgeon tomorrow and will likely get my aquacell bandage off. Unlike my PT, my surgeon tends to favor the aggressive approach to therapy with unrealistic timelines for ROM. I have learned to take it in stride and not let him upset me. Hope you have a great day!

 

[Jockette]

I have learned to take it in stride and not let him upset me.

I am working on this as I consider more opinions for my knee.

That’s great you are doing so well and don’t need the narcotics anymore. I ditched mine on day 11 post op. I’m not sure if that was wise or not, but I managed.

 

[hegel]

Wow I wish I could ditch my Oxycodone! I'm a little concerned that I'm not further along with that, to be frank. On a few good days I'm down to two 5 mg at night before bed and then one in the morning, with some ice and acet. and ibup. during the interim. But mostly I need an additional 5 mg. during the day at about 3 or 4 p.m. I feel a bit stuck at this for now and I'm tired of it. Forgoing the Oxycodone just gets the pain level really high and then it's harder to bring it down.

I'm feeling a little discouraged and stuck at this point. Maybe I'll have progress pain wise soon.

 

[kmak81230]

I hope you will turn a corner with the pain soon @hegel. I don't know why, but I did not have much long term need for the narcotics with either knee. I only took one 5 mg at a time from the start, first every four hours, but quickly moved to every five or six. Then graduated to one at night. It obviously must be part of the individual nature of this recovery as I don't really consider myself to have a high pain tolerance. I do get achy at night but the Tylenol, Aleve, or Gabepentin seems to do the trick. The nurses here have a chart for stepping down to a combo of Tylenol and Tramadol that they recommend - you might check into that. I could not tolerate Tramadol however.