My update on day 6 after TKR surgery is I think things are OK and on track at this point. I am not sure if this information is useful to people in terms of what to expect but here is where things stand with me.
Drugs: Until yesterday I was alternating 50mg Tramadol and 5mg Oxy every 3 hrs. This kept the pain mostly in check but I did not feel the Tramadol was helping much and was making me zonked, with a headache and my stomach was off. So yesterday I went to 4 Oxy during the day every 4 hrs and 2 Tramadol over night. Day was OK, night was harder. I pretty much ached most of the night. It wasn’t acute pain though and I slept off and on as I usually do. But I think this is OK and I can deal with it, aching knees at night are not new to me. The Oxy helps a lot but I only have another weeks worth of it at the rate of 4 x 5mg per day and I don’t want to be on Oxy around the clock. So tonight 1 Tramadol and see how it goes. I really think Aleve would work about as well as Tramadol but they don’t want me to take that for like another week. I also take 2 Tylenol 2x per day as instructed and can’t tell if that helps but it doesn’t hurt I guess.
PT: went fine yesterday. I like going in for it because they have all the equipment there and the Dr office is right upstairs just in case. But going back and forth made me unaccountably tired. I was toward the end of a four hour Oxy when I went in and the PT was fine but I was aching and super tired on the way home and took a pill and passed out. Then I was fine. The PT didn’t push me too hard; the leg lifts hurt but the rest was no big deal. It was good to experience that I could do these things and be told the swelling is normal, the extension is 100% and the ROM looks good enough, though she didn’t give me a number. She said I have no bruising which is true but I hadn’t realized that was something to watch for. Was encouraging but I was wiped out after.
The Knee: I think it is fine. It feels clunky. It clunks a bit moving or swinging laterally. The PT said that is normal and most of her patients have that and then it goes away, comes back, and goes away for good. She said it is due to the swelling and eventually strengthening to tighten things up. We will see. I elevate and ice a lot. Love the cryo cuff, highly recommend.
The Socks: I hate the socks.
Home: my wife is a trooper but I feel bad. She has to do all her stuff plus all my stuff. And she has a cold and it snowed. I would typically do half the cooking, most of the pet stuff, going to the dump, I clean the house etc. She is going all day now and I am doing Oxy and lying here. She is a keeper. The dogs, who used to love love love me, completely ignore me now. They do not like the walker. I am not the one working the can opener, taking them out, and driving to the dump with them in the car anymore. So I am apparently of no use to to dogs. Well guess what? I am going to make a comeback. I will be the head of this pack again and payback is a you-know-what. The cats have remained loyal, unlike the fair weather dogs.
Food: I am starting to want to eat. The Oxy kills the appetite and makes me a little bit spinny. I took off 15 lbs in the 6 weeks prior to the surgery to lighten the recovery load and went at optimal weight but suspect I have lost another 5lbs or so and need to make sure I don’t dump a bunch of muscle lying here before the rehab starts in earnest. So now I am trying to get on an eating schedule of things that are easy to cook. On Oxy, remember to eat.
So that’s day 6 for what it’s worth. Feedback appreciated.