Two weeks since step one of two stage revision -
Things are mostly unchanged. The knee is still largely painless, which is no surprise since it is fused straight and cannot bend. I changed the bandage on Wednesday and the incision looked great, again probably because the knee is not bending and does not flex the incision.
The shin and ankle is still very very painful. Looking at my notes from my last surgery it seems like the two week point is about the peak shin pain point, so hopefully it will be all downhill from here.
Still infusing with iv antibiotics as well as taking oral antibiotics and this will continue for at least another month. Here's hoping we can kill it this time because I am getting really tired of this stuff.
I see my surgeon this Friday for xrays, etc., and my ID doc the following week. Not expecting any surprises - this will be a long and boring recovery I think since with the knee fused straight there is not much in the way of PT to be done, just leg raises and calf pumps and the like. Once the PICC line is out I can do some upper body workouts.
Just like my last surgery but not like the ones before, I am again sleeping really well, right from the day of surgery. I credit this to having been diagnosed with sleep apnea - using a CPAP machine makes all the difference in the world for me. I speculate that TKR patients (who are mostly in the age group at risk for sleep apnea), due to the pain and trauma of the surgery are pushed over the line into sleep apnea, if they don't already have it, and have poor sleep as a result. I mentioned it to my sleep doc and he said that it was entirely possible. Something to keep in mind if you are sleeping poorly.
Mods, would someone be kind enough to change my thread title to 'July 30 2024 Stage One of Two Stage Revision'? Thanks.
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