Revision TKR Knee replacement is not nice to me...

[sunflower]

...but I might find a way to get there- where there's a will, there's a way, right?

Yes, and there's surely someone who can post a video of their play offs on YouTube~ for folks such as yourself. It would be really neat if one of your girls could wear a camera whilst participating in the match. :wink1:

 

[wanttoride]

How are you doing, Coachie?

 

[old goat]

Coachie you sound like you are making progress, great!

 

[Coachie]

I go back to school in 6 days. I'm ready, but I'm not at the same time. There are still a lot of moments where I go to move and I simply can't due to pain and such, and then there are moments that I can walk "normally" and I feel ok.

I will be continuing physical therapy as I really need to get those muscles built back up, and until they are, I know I will continue to have some pain and mobility issues.

 

[karmigirl]

Coachie,

Sounds like you are coming along great. Hope things just keep getting better and better for you. Keep up the good work and drop a note from time to time and let us know how things are doing. Where you able to make it to the playoff games?

 

[old goat]

Coachie I don't know when this happened but I know now I can move around the classroom so much better. I do sit if I have to! You must to. It will come, but listen to your body about the movement. Make the arrangement of the room so that YOU have the room to move more freely. Time will pass quickly and you will see the pain lessen. Best toyou. Ann

 

[Jamie]

Wow, Coachie....heading back to work already! Take it easy on yourself for a while, now. That's going to be a lot of activity for you. It does sound like you're ready mentally, though! I know you'll enjoy getting back to doing what you love.

 

[Coachie]

I am a little worried about going back to work as I know it will be hard on me, but I don't really have much of a choice. If I want the bills to get paid, I have to work. I have already taken 4 weeks with no pay, and if I take any more time, I will also have to pay 1/2 of my insurance- which would be impossible without a paying job.

Social Security or disability is NOT an option as I am in the Maine State Retirement System, and you are not allowed to take both, so there is no option for me for there. The state of Maine does not have a short-term disability program, and MSRS does not either, so unless I was willing to go on full disability for the next year or so, I have to go back to work. I am unwilling to go on disability when I am able to work.

 

[sunflower]

Bless you for your fortitude. :cry4: I wish there were options available to you so that you could have more time off to heal.

 

[Coachie]

So I am just curious about something because of a question I was asked.

What do you all consider good pain management? Is it so the pain is tolerable or so you don't have any pain at all? I have never had a moment since my surgery where I haven't had pain, but I have had some moments where I can tolerate it. Some moments have not been fun as I still had some pretty bad pain, but I could get through it and was not screaming or crying every time I moved or whatever. Is that what is meant by pain management?

I am not taking anything for pain at this point because the pain I have now is less than the pain I had even while on the Tramadol(Ultram), but I am still having a lot of pain at night so am wondering if I should be taking something at night or is there not really a point since it doesn't really help anyway?

I'm just wondering what everyone's take on the term pain management is.

Thanks! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

~ Kit

 

[wanttoride]

Hi! Since pain is different for everybody, "pain management" should be geared towards the individual. I would think consideration would be made as to what they NEED to do on a daily basis, what they WANT to do on a daily basis, and how the individual deals with pain.

I know my pain scale is less than most. What I would describe as a "3", the majority of people would rate a "5" or "6". If you are in pain, you need to scale your own pain and decide what is tolerable and what isn't acceptable. In my opinion, if you are able to walk without assistance and have minor "aches" as you walk, that , to me, would be "tolerable". However, if you are unable to function without sharp/stabbing pain, or pain that comes on so quickly that it makes you jump, but then goes away (a "quickie" as I call it), I don't think a pain medicine is going to help you when those things happen. It's the CHRONIC "pain"....I'm not referring to an "ache", as when your muscles are tired. We that are recovering still, will have aches, as we are working those muscles again. What needs to be determined is the difference between and "ache" and a "pain".
Describing your "pain" would be beneficial to those of us who will try to help you out. As Jo has told me, 6-8 weeks post-op isn't a whole lot of time, so WE have to be patient and know that our knee/leg isn't going to be pain/ache free for some time.
I do not take my pain medicine every day, and I know for those "sharp/stabbing" quickies, they won't help with that. If I know that I have to go out and grocery shop, I KNOW I won't make it through the store without PAIN that will stop me from wanting to walk. The CONSTANT pain and ache combined will set me on my butt faster than anything. Maybe it's because I'm overworking my leg? hhmmm...don't know.

I'm anxious for you to post and describe your "pain" and what triggers it. I'm guessing you are in "pain" at night because you are busy during the day. Your knee is answering back to your activity during the day. A heating pad helps me at night. PAIN doesn't wake me up at night, unless I turn over and bump my knee. Ok...that HURTS! Other than that, it's the deep ACHE that keeps me awake.

 

[Coachie]

I do have some moments now without pain, but am really looking forward to the day when I can move without any. I still have the "shuffle and grab for things" when taking my first few steps after sitting, but once I get moving, I can pretty much walk without limping and with a lot less pain. I walked down a hill without fear yesterday for the first time in over a year. That was a major milestone for me!

My night time pain is pretty much every time I move. I will try to sleep on my back or my side and my knee will hurt in the back (where I am assuming it is because he released the Popliteus Tendon) when it is straight , and so I will bend it and then it will feel kind of "heavy" in the joint so I will have to straighten it and that will hurt. I have been having a super tough time getting comfortable- finally found a position this morning that was tolerable and about 10 minutes later my nephew came bouncing into my room wanting to cuddle- which was totally worth it Granted, I am still staying at my sister's house (will move back to my winter home this weekend) and the bed isn't great, but it's frustrating to roll over and still feel knee pain.

I have been doing more and will be doing even more starting on Monday when I go back to school. I am not looking forward to the pain I am sure to have at night after working all day. Ugh :(

I think I'm going to maybe take some Ultram tonight and see if it changes anything. I haven't taken any in 7 days, so we'll see if that makes a difference.

 

[Greda]

I think there is a big difference between pain mgmt for acute pain and chronic pain. I think at this point you are still having acute pain from your surgery. As for chronic pain, pain mgmt is how you cope with pain to function in life. If medication helps you than take medication. When I went through a pain mgmt program everyone had to make a list of what we would do on a difficult day. Even with taking daily medication, I always have pain at a 5-6 level in my jaw/face. Without taking daily meds it would not be tolerable for me to eat or talk. I also try to do things to make things easier for my jaw pain like eating a soft diet, using heat and ice, I generally keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth to keep my jaw more relaxed. I think pain mgmt is what you do to be able to participate in life.
I agree with Audrey that your knee is letting you know you are doing too much. If I were you I would definitely take something at night for pain. I hope your transition to school is smooth and your pain diminishes.
Greda

 

[Coachie]

I think the only reason I am asking is because after a year of not having any pain relief, I worry that I am now doing the same thing and that it will end up backfiring on me.

I lived with chronic pain for the past year and was sent to pain management and things like that, but nothing helped me because it was NOT in my head as many maybe thought, but was actually because my knee cap was loose.

I'm just going to try to take one pill tonight and see if that helps me any.

 

[editor98]

Coachie,
I had LTKR the same day that you had your revision, and I am still taking pain meds every 4 hours round the clock! I have tried every few days since about day 6 to lower the dose, but it has been without much success. This week I've been taking half the dose of hydrocodone (one 7.5 mg) every 4 hours during the day with 1 Tylenol and then 3 Advil every 6 hours. That seems to be working better than just the half dose of hydrocodone alone. At night I am still taking 2 hydrocodone--at 11:00 p.m. and at 3:00 a.m. My doc thinks I shouldn't be in this much pain at 5 weeks out, so he wants to see me today. We'll see how that goes. I also wound up with a fractured femur during the surgery, so I'm sure I've also had pain from that. I am still not walking at all and hoping that I will have xrays this afternoon and get the all clear to start walking.

Pain is such an individual thing. Some people are off pain meds after only about 2 weeks and some need to take them for a couple of months or more. I would love to be off all pain meds, but my idea of pain management is to be comfortable--and if taking pain meds keeps me comfortable then I still need them. I am sleeping 8 hours every night with the one wake up for meds at 3 a.m. I usually fall right back to sleep after that.

My doc's comments have made me feel like I should be off of pain meds by now, but Josephine has assured me that I am doing well with what I'm taking and need to make my doc understand that pain meds are still necessary for me at this point. I am always so impressed when I read about others being able to stop them so soon. It always makes me feel kind of like a failure though too, since I'm not able to go without yet!

I just read through your thread today and am in awe of all that you have been through and how well you've handled it all! Here's hoping for an easy time when you head back to work! Ice and elevate will be your best friend in the evenings I'm betting! Niki

 

[sunflower]

I walked down a hill without fear yesterday for the first time in over a year. That was a major milestone for me!

Coachie, that is a BIG deal! Going down hill is difficult and you did it!

 

[sunflower]

I also wound up with a fractured femur during the surgery, so I'm sure I've also had pain from that. I am always so impressed when I read about others being able to stop them so soon. It always makes me feel kind of like a failure though too, since I'm not able to go without yet!

Niki, there aren't many people who have experienced what you have and you have NO REASON to feel guilty about your pain meds. We are all wired differently and we have to customize our pain management to get the relief that we need.

 

[wanttoride]

That is soooo true, Sunflower Girl! Niki: look up my thread and read through the trials and tribulations I've had with meds. You are not alone, and we are all "wired" differently, and heal differently. I'm glad we have each other to vent to. We aren't alone!

 

[Coachie]

I went back to school today. Tomorrow I am 6 weeks post-op, so I still have some recovering to do, but the good thing is that I am able just work 1/2 days this week and next, and then will decide from there if I am going to continue 1/2 days or go for the full day.

My kiddos (freshmen and sophomores) were happy to see me. I got many hugs from both current students and former students. Our school only has about 275 students total in grades 9-12, so I know every kid there and they all know me (most of them had me for freshman math) so in the hallway I heard a lot of "welcome back's". It was nice to be back. I taught from my desk and was very honest with the kids about needing to put my leg up/ice, etc. They are very supportive.

I am now sitting with my leg elevated, icing it and making sure that it will be ready to go tomorrow. It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would, so that's good. The only hard part is that I still haven't "mastered" stairs, so going up and down the stairs at school will not be happening very often- and I will need to make sure I have everything I need before heading up to my classroom for the day. Hopefully I'll gain a little more confidence soon and be able to take stairs normally.

 

[zjrog]

I'm happy to hear you had a good day. And I hope you have many, many more!