TKR Left TKR Recovery---Now I Have a Matching Set

[Rockgirl4]

@Dearjr I bought something called KinGrip Elastic Tubular Support Bandage. I bought it off of Amazon, and KenGrip is the manufacturer. Every time I've had knee surgery, my surgeons would always give me about 12-15 inches of this. It's like an ace bandage but you slide it over your foot and pull it up onto your leg like a sock. It provides light compression to help with wound support, edema, lymphodema. It helps hold wound coverings in place too, like gauze over a incision. I wore it tonight for 4-5 hours, and the support it gave my leg/knee felt wonderful.

 

[Rockgirl4]

Day 31---She's Alive!!! Today involved all sorts of milestones and progress. It took me all day to get up the courage, but we decided to go out for dinner. I actually put on makeup and fixed my hair for first time in 31 days. I actually left the house, and we went to a local burger place where we could get ice cream for dessert. My leg did SOOO much better than expected. I had also received my tubular elastic bandage in the mail today, so I wore that too. It felt like my leg was much more supported. We'll see if it helps with swelling. As for dinner, I didn't wear out quickly, nor was I miserable with pain. I left the walker at home and used one crutch, which was MUCH easier. After getting home and elevating for a while, I tried going the rest of the evening without a crutch or walker. I waddle a little when I try to walk after sitting for a bit, but once I'm on my feet, I can walk slowly with no support. My balance isn't perfect, but I know each day will show improvement. Everything was just easier today, with less pain, and I'm grateful.

ODD QUESTION----Has anyone heard that taking a diuretic blood pressure medication would help with post-op swelling? A family member mentioned it this morning, as someone she knows was told it could help following a joint replacement. One of my BP medications is a diuretic and unfortunately keeps me in the bathroom for 4-5 hours on the days I take it. It's not an everyday medication but used for times my BP gets crazy (during high anxiety, which was a big issue the last 2 years). My primary doctor doesn't want me taking all 3 meds every day if I can help it, especially if there are other ways to bring my numbers down, so it feels wrong to experiment with it. I just wondered if anyone else was ever told this or experienced it as a perk because of a medication they were already taking.

 

[JDinCT]

Day 31---She's Alive!!! Today involved all sorts of milestones and progress. It took me all day to get up the courage, but we decided to go out for dinner. I actually put on makeup and fixed my hair for first time in 31 days. I actually left the house, and we went to a local burger place where we could get ice cream for dessert. My leg did SOOO much better than expected. I had also received my tubular elastic bandage in the mail today, so I wore that too. It felt like my leg was much more supported. We'll see if it helps with swelling. As for dinner, I didn't wear out quickly, nor was I miserable with pain. I left the walker at home and used one crutch, which was MUCH easier. After getting home and elevating for a while, I tried going the rest of the evening without a crutch or walker. I waddle a little when I try to walk after sitting for a bit, but once I'm on my feet, I can walk slowly with no support. My balance isn't perfect, but I know each day will show improvement. Everything was just easier today, with less pain, and I'm grateful.

ODD QUESTION----Has anyone heard that taking a diuretic blood pressure medication would help with post-op swelling? A family member mentioned it this morning, as someone she knows was told it could help following a joint replacement. One of my BP medications is a diuretic and unfortunately keeps me in the bathroom for 4-5 hours on the days I take it. It's not an everyday medication but used for times my BP gets crazy (during high anxiety, which was a big issue the last 2 years). My primary doctor doesn't want me taking all 3 meds every day if I can help it, especially if there are other ways to bring my numbers down, so it feels wrong to experiment with it. I just wondered if anyone else was ever told this or experienced it as a perk because of a medication they were already taking.

EXCELLENT that you got out for some normal life. It's always such a mental boost! Congrats!

I'm not a health care professional, but it makes sense that a diuretic would help with swelling and inflammation. I take a BP med daily and actually had to stop mine since the interaction with pain meds was driving my BP too low. My BP med also contains an antiinflammation med.

 

[WFD]

Has anyone heard that taking a diuretic blood pressure medication would help with post-op swelling?

Yes. If you read my thread you can see that when my doctor put me on Hudrochlorothiazide 25mg for increasing BP, the swelling in my knee went down by a cm or so and I gained a little range of motion. I did some research and found that doctors do prescribe diuretics in cases of serious edema, and sometimes they use the same drug I was taking. It definitely benefited me.

Obviously don’t experiment with this without a doctor’s approval.

I eventually had to go off the HCTZ because it caused my sodium levels to decrease too much, and now am on a different med, so diuretics can have side effects.

 

[mendogal]

Definitely check in with your doc before resuming your prescribed diuretic.
And yes, mild diuretics like HCTZ are often prescribed to reduce edema even with normal blood pressure.

 

[selketine]

That's awesome you got out and had a nice dinner. I find getting out really makes a difference for me - which is usually shopping (grocery or Target - yesterday I went to the mall for a little bit). I just feel way more normal. Very happy that I can drive myself - with the right I think I didn't drive until 6/7weeks in.

Last night I tried nudging it further, and I'm pretty sure it's bending to at least 90.

I think you are a few days past 4 weeks. At your point almost exactly with my January knee I was at 90 ROM. That knee was really swollen. I did those seated heel slides a few times a day when I got up to walk - and I really struggled to walk. Anyway, not to get into a ROM comparison contest there, but my ROM was very similar on that knee and it progressed just fine. I did think it was never going to bend and it freaked me out back then. It wasn't measured again until 7 weeks - and I've no idea what it is now but it bends more than it did pre-surgery. I don't know if the heel slides "increased" my ROM but it kept the knee bending and maybe helped with all the other knee innards to help them remember how to bend.

Eventually that knee didn't hurt to bend and kind of felt good (just felt tight but no pain) so it was easier to do the heel slides lying down and so forth, and I think that's when my ROM really started to improve substantially. Of course there were several 3 steps forward and 2 steps back in all that - haha!

 

[Rockgirl4]

@mendogal @JDinCT @WFD Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the diuretic conversation. Hydrochlorothiazide is the one I take, but it's only 5 mgs a day. I plan to ask my surgeon about it tomorrow morning (actually only 8 hours from now!!), along with everything else related to swelling. I am eager to see what my BP reading is in the office. I always have a problem with pain meds following knee surgery, where my BP goes up and stays, then we have to tweak the BO meds again. It will be nice to discuss it tomorrow and have a plan.

Tomorrow (well, today!!) is going to be interesting. It's already 2:20 AM here, and my Drs appointment is at 10:20 AM, an hour north of us. My mother-in-law is bringing us dinner, so that should be fantastic. I bet I sleep the afternoon away after getting little to no sleep tonight. The PT RomTech bike was scheduled for pickup in the afternoon, but that was moved until Tuesday. See, I still can't get rid of this monstrosity!!

In other news, I only used my walker this morning when first getting up, as I still have more pain at the time of day than any other. It feels nice to get around more easily and know better things are coming. My hip feels stronger already, just after 24 hours of not relying on the walker. The nasty "hurting all over" feeling was back tonight. It's frustrating. I know my entire body is unhappy with the weird sleeping positions and messed-up walking/gait. I'd give almost anything for a chiropractic appointment or massage right now. I keep telling myself those days are coming. I need to be able to lay on my stomach first.

I was able to do more at home today too. My son cooked dinner, and I helped with some basic cooking instructions and cleanup. I was able to stand and wash all the pots/pan, plus direct him when he needed it. He just turned 18 and has 3 health issues requiring him to be able to cook healthy foods for himself, so this summer/autumn has been "Food Prep 101". He's a really good cook!!!!! He made his own omelet for brunch, then our spaghetti for dinner. He definitely earned his keep today (ha)!!!!

As for other activity, I sat in a folding chair for 20 minutes today, slowly bending the knee and holding it for a bit. I did that maybe 8 times over those 15-20 minutes. I can easily bend the knee to 90, so I'm not worried. I'm hoping my Drs' appointment is informative, yet guilt-free and drama-free, especially knowing this knee is already further along than the last one at this stage. I still haven't tried my upright stationary bike yet. I'm saving that for tomorrow too.

I'll be back after my appointment to hopefully let everyone know I was worried for nothing last week.

 

[Jockette]

It's already 2:20 AM here,

It’s 4:30 am here in Delaware and I’m still up, which is not a surprise, it happens too often. I’m supposed to FaceTime with my daughter and her almost 3 year old son, who live in Ohio, later this morning. That should be interesting, I just took a Tylenol PM. Such is the life of a widow.

Best wishes for your appointment today.

 

[WFD]

Hydrochlorothiazide is the one I take, but it's only 5 mgs a day.

Actually, I was talking 2.5mg a day (5mg split in half). I was taken off it some time ago and my memory was faulty. Sorry about that.

It’s too bad I had to go off it as it worked really well on my BP and luckily enough, my swelling.

 

[JDinCT]

Hydrochlorothiazide is the one I take, but it's only 5 mgs a day.

Actually, I was talking 2.5mg a day (5mg split in half). I was taken off it some time ago and my memory was faulty. Sorry about that.

It’s too bad I had to go off it as it worked really well on my BP and luckily enough, my swelling.

My BP med is Losartan with 5 mg HCTZ combo... seems it's a very common diuretic.

 

[mendogal]

@Rockgirl4 re massage: it's not necessary to lie flat for a massage. My body workers have always accommodated me as soon as I could get to them and onto the table. They have big bolsters they use with pregnant clients to keep you relaxed in a sidelying position, operated leg fully supported in good alignment on a hip level bolster.

 

[Rockgirl4]

@mendogal You are totally correct, and I wasn't even thinking when I rote about laying flat. My brain was remembering that I usually spend most of the session on my stomach, as she works on my back, but as you stated, there have to be many different positions that would work. That side-lying position would give her easy access to my glute/quad for easing the tightness on the operative side that's giving me so much grief. The chiropractor would be a different story, as I know my spine is all out of alignment. When I lay flat on my back, I can tell certain areas aren't touching the mattress evenly. I have a lot of hypermobility, and all of my vertebra twist easily. I have a functional scoliosis in my cervical spine and my lumbar spine, so I think I'd need to be flat to work on THAT. It's coming though. The last week has been full of major improvements already.

@JDinCT and @WFD I know my mom used to take HCTZ back in the 80's/90's. I knew it had been around a long time and had a very safe profile. My mom took so many meds that she could write it off on her taxes every year. I used my fancy electric typewriter that I bought in 7th grade with allowance money and would help her type it out every year. It's amazing how many of those meds are still in use today. I forgot to ask him about it though. :( I'll get back to that in a few minutes.

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jockette Your post really got to me last night. First, not sleeping is never fun. Second, I don't think I knew that your spouse had passed away.:( I am very sorry for your loss. My mom didn't sleep well before my dad passed, and it was even worse after he was gone. If you see me online at night, feel free to send me a message. Over the last 1-2 years, I've gone from falling asleep at midnight, then to 1 AM, to 2 AM, and the last 6 months had a lot of 3-4 AMs in there. My husband is finally used to going to bed without me now and felt bad that I use to go to bed when he did, lay there an hour, then getup for 3+ hours.

I do hope your phone call with your daughter went well and was enjoyable though.

I bet I sleep like a baby tonight after our long day.

 

[Jockette]

@Rockgirl4 Thank you! It’s been over 4 years since my husband passed. I keep him in my profile picture, though. We were married for 44 years.

Most of the time I don’t mind the sleepless nights. I’m usually wide awake. The only time it’s a problem is when I have to go somewhere the next morning, though I try really hard not to schedule things in the morning, though sometimes it can't be helped.

I did enjoy my facetime call. My grandson is soooo cute (proud Grammie here!)

Thanks again for your thoughts.

The chiropractor would be a different story, as I know my spine is all out of alignment.

I went to my chiropractor twice a week the whole second month after my surgery. I was able to lay on my stomach for that. She was very careful with my surgical leg and didn’t touch it. She always calls me her “less is more” girl!

 

[Rockgirl4]

***DAY 32 Update, Plus the 1st Post-op Appointment***

Stressful Stuff
1) The obvious: there was no blame, guilt or shaming about me still having a very swollen knee at 4 1/2 weeks post-op. My surgeon was pleased with my progress, knowing my history.
2) His PA came in 1st to get the basics out of the way. She looked at my extension/flexion, listened well, verified I'm bending to at least 90 degrees with no force needed. I reminded her I'd have bent more but it had been an hour of back/forth across 2 waiting rooms because of a goof-up in X-Ray, resulting in musical chairs, a lot of do-overs, me losing my appointment time (when we showed up early), then finally getting into the Dr's room.
3) She DID ask about PT, if I had gone yet, when I was going and where. I politely shut her down. She felt the need to mention "We just don't want to take any chances, and no one wants a manipulation." I was nice. I told her I know because I've had one. I politely told her I didn't want to go to PT because it'd be 4-6 wks of guilt trips, shaming, nagging, pushing, prodding, assuming, negotiating, and STRESS of them telling me I should be at<this> number by <this> week, and let's face it, that's not anatomically possible for me. She went quiet.....then said I could just talk about it with Dr. N when he came in. I'm pretty sure she was glad to hand me off by then and get out of the awkward airspace.

The Good Stuff
4) Dr. N came in, we talked, he had me walk across the room, do the usual bending/straitening, etc. He was pleased. We talked about the swelling, and he agreed to prescribe the same anti-inflammatory from 2019. He prefers steroids first, but I told him the 2 wks of steroids in weeks 2-4 didn't help at all. He agreed that if the anti-inflammatory worked that well once, it likely would again. I completely forgot to ask about my BP medication (the diuretic), and they don't take vitals at this office for post-op appointments. I didn't even think about it until I was in the car later. I plan on asking my primary about it after I take some BP readings at home, as I may need something adjusted anyway.

5) We talked basic surgery stuff---apparently this knee cap has no button. I learned that most surgeons prefer to leave the knee cap alone if possible. I had perfect tracking and a great spacing/groove behind it. The idea is if one ever falls on their knee, it's VERY easy to break a kneecap that has the button behind it. This is because it's only half as thick as before---they have to shave it down during TKR surgery to place the button, which makes the kneecap 1/2 as thick, thus MUCH more likely to crack/break if you fall on it. No button means a full-thickness kneecap remains, with a MUCH reduced risk of breaking it down the road. He said if you think a TKR is painful, try surgery/recovery after a broken kneecap. It was a fascinating conversation though.

6) I also have a different brand/model of cementless implant (AKA press-fit) in this knee. It's more modern with a much shorter shaft going down into my lower leg. I wonder if that's why this has been less painful. This shaft is easily an inch or more shorter.

7) I saved the best for last: No one tried to force me to go to PT. I'm sure the PA prepared him before he entered the room, but he didn't argue or try to talk me into it. I brought it up first and directly said I don't want to go. I was so proud of myself for being direct, advocating for myself, non-confrontational-------just direct and to the point, saying I know what to do, and that I don't fit into their box. He just asked me to do my own, as I obviously had the knowledge. I told him I had no problem coming back in 6 weeks to show him I didn't need formal PT. He DID mention riding my own stationary bike for 5-10 minutes, FIVE TIMES A DAY. I said sure, knowing I won't. My other TKR surgeon had said more than once that with my history, that would be a guaranteed recipe for rebound swelling & slowed recovery. If 5-10 minutes a day, ONCE A DAY, was good enough for that first fibrotic knee, then it's good enough for this "no scar tissue history" knee. I'll do what I think is necessary and best.

We then drove towards home, ate at my favorite deli (my first BLT in 5 weeks), had my favorite sweet tea, and came home for a nap. I'm not going to lie---the knee hurts, along with the rest of me. I had to take the Oxy 5 this afternoon and tonight.

However----my mind is at peace. I want to cry with the relief and knowledge that I'm in charge of my body this time. I definitely feel like a weight has lifted, as I'd been dreading this appointment for weeks. I know I blew it out of proportion, but that's just the way I'm wired. My husband took it in stride, as usual.

Thanks to everyone for putting up with my rambles, my moods, my deep thoughts and sleepless nights. You guys are the best. I'm off to read up on the rest of the gang.

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jockette You give me faith, and I think I'll schedule something for 2 weeks out from now, just to have it on the calendar. My chiropractor specializes in lower extremities, and he's worked miracle for me this past year. I guarantee he can work around whatever soreness/positional challenges I'll still have then. Just getting my neck/shoulders and middle- back straight will help considerably. It definitely can't hurt, and it COULD really help me feel better all over. I do better when I have a plan anyway, and knowing the appointment is coming up will make the mornings easier. Thanks for "convincing" me!!

I'm glad you got to talk the little one too. My mother-in-law always says her time with the 3 grandkids makes everything better. She got to see my son twice today, which was quite the treat. It about did her in though when he turned 18 last month. He's the baby!! The other two are 24 and 21.5.

 

[Jockette]

my mind is at peace. I want to cry with the relief and knowledge that I'm in charge of my body this time.

You go, girl!!

 

[Rockgirl4]

@Jockette You give me faith, and I think I'll go ahead and schedule the chiropractor 2 weeks out from now, just to have it on the calendar. He specializes in lower extremities, and he's worked miracles for me already this past year. I guarantee he can work around whatever soreness/positional challenges I might still have then. Just getting my neck/shoulders and middle- back straight will help considerably. It definitely can't hurt, and it COULD really help me feel better all over. I do better when I have a plan anyway, and knowing the appointment is coming up will make the mornings easier. Thanks for "convincing" me!!

I also try not to make morning appointments anymore. Then there's so much pressure to fall asleep that I just can't. I NEVER had issues with sleeping until Menopause, and even now that it's basically over, my sleep STILL hasn't returned to normal yet.

I'm glad you got to talk the little one too. My mother-in-law always says her time with the 3 grandkids makes everything better. She got to see my son twice today, which was quite the treat. It about did her in though when he turned 18 last month. He's the baby (the other two are 24 and 21.5). He'll be the only one that ends up going away to college (next August), and she may just have to drive to see him twice a month.

 

[Jockette]

It about did her in though when he turned 18 last month. He's the baby!! The other two are 24 and 21.5.

My baby (son) turned 40 last Spring. My daughters are turning 45 and 47. Time sure flies! We won’t mention my 69th birthday is coming up in a few months!

I’m glad your appointment went so well and lunch sounded wonderful!

 

[JDinCT]

Great update Rockgirl! Just AWESOME!