Become an Insider

Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

My incision for the revision was just a little longer but exactly over the original one. My early picture looks just like yours complete with all the lines that you have. It's healing nicely.
 
Thanks @Celle and @newlybionic ! I'm so glad it looks good to you guys. I'm really hoping it heals similarly to some I see that have a nice thin whitish line instead of the dark reddish thick keloid I had.
 
Yep-sometimes my scars form a nice thin line that fades to where they're hard to see, but sometimes I get a scar that becomes a keloid. Unfortunately, the one that shows the most has the worst keloid, and the ones that are covered by clothing form nice scars.
 
I used 2 canes when I transitioned from the walker. I never got the hang of crutches either. I hated the walker!


RTKR January 6 2016
LTKR March 23 2016

Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
@KarriB You said you weren't allowed to bend your knee for a month? I forget the details-did you have a two-stage revision at that point? Or???? I'm just wondering why no bending. I was thinking about you having said that, when early this am I woke and noticed I was sleeping slightly on my side with my knee bent a little. When I rolled onto my back, the pain of straightening my knee was pretty bad; I've noticed it today also as I doze then wake-I'm always a little on my side with my knee slightly bent and the pain to straighten it is ridiculous.
 
Originally the revision specialist said no bending for 2 weeks and put me in a huge imbolizer. My soft tissue was so compromised by the infection and subsequent washout/spacer replacement that he wanted total rest for the leg. I could walk around the house and to dr appts, but that was it. Then at the 2 week mark when he started taking out the 50+ staples the incision immediately began seeping again. The dr only took half the staples out, leaving the rest for the next week as I was seeing my OS twice a week and the ID weekly. Week 3, they took the rest of the staples out and still it seeped. At that point my OS began talking about a third surgery to take the knee out. I wept, I just couldn't imagine another surgery so soon and then needing a 4th six weeks later. He said we would make the decision when I saw him in 3 days. My family and friends all over the U.S. began to pray for the antibiotics to go directly to the infected area. I prayed most of each day and was annoited. By the third day the seeping had stopped and the incision looked really good. My OS asked what I had done, so I told him, prayed. His reply was to keep praying, it's working. I do believe God used many tools to heal me.

Probably more info than you needed. But my washout was Nov 27 and the seeping didn't stop until Dec. 26. On December 26th I was allowed non-aggressive bending, which meant sliding my heel back and forth about 2 inches. I was then allowed to take the imbolizer off when I was elevating, sleeping or sliding those 2 inches. I didn't begin PT again until 2-3 weeks later. The knee was very stiff, but it bent. I started just trying to bend as I walked. My OS was very conservative. He did his work on hip and knee replacement at the Mayo Clinic. He originally said he'd be happy if I got a ROM of 90, but I'm close to 120 now.
 
@KarriB Thanks for the info-it wasn't too much. Wow, what an ordeal. I can't imagine how difficult that was for you! I am so glad you came through it and kept your sanity at the same time. I understand totally the crying-I've shed quite a few tears myself over this whole thing, and my knee isn't nearly as bad as yours was.

I was just totally surprised by the e-mail he sent in rely to my asking if I was supposed to use the walker, the cane or what. The PT wasn't sure either what the OS wanted as it's usually in the discharge papers but somehow was missed this time. I also asked in the same email what to do about breakthrough pain. I fully expected him to say the cane was okay or use the walker and the cane, etc, but I was totally shocked to see his reply which was, "Some walking with walker. Transition to cane in 2 - 3 weeks. More ice for break thru. Can you take any NSAIDs?"

 
Amazingly I had very little pain after the first week or so. While in rehab I turned down pain meds and after I got home I really only took one oxycodone a day and one at night. I did need more pain meds when I began bending the knee again, but nothing like the original TKR.

Maybe your dr wants to keep as much weight as possible off your knee/leg to let it heal. I asked lots of questions through this whole process. For instance, I asked why they couldn't just shoot the antibiotics into my leg.! I know part of the problem was that I have heavy legs which means fewer veins or vessels running through, therefore the antibiotics weren't getting to where it needed. This is why we prayed for the medication to go where it needed. Of course my OS and ID said shooting antibiotics directly into the knee wasn't done, but I thought it was a good idea. :shrug:
 
KarriB said:
Maybe your dr wants to keep as much weight as possible off your knee/leg to let it heal.
Click to expand...
You're probably right; I just never thought about it since they usually want you up and walking a lot after a TKR, but this time it seems that I'm not supposed to do a lot of walking.

I can't imagine wanting them to shoot antibiotics directly into my knee numerous times per day-I think that would be harder on me than a PICC line.....lol. Now, if they could place a line directly into a vein in your knee.....:wink: I'm still taking Dilaudid, sometimes I take 2 mg, other times I'm taking 4 mgs because.....wait for it.....sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.......:rotfl:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
To be honest, Kim, I wasn't even considering the pain involved. I was just wanting a solution to the infection. I knew they could insert chemo beads directly into areas and thought, hmmm...

The pain while getting up the first few days was bad. I cried out loud. But after a few days it subsided. I only got out of bed to use the restroom or get into the wheelchair. Any PT involved not bending the knee while in transition care in the hospital. In-home pt and OT came to my house. After two visits I cancelled because I wasn't allowed to do anything, so why waste the insurance coverage.
 
I agree about cancelling PT-if you aren't allowed to do anything, why have someone come out and watch you lie there not moving your leg? lol.... I totally understand wanting the problem fixed so much that you don't care what needs to be done, you just want it done so you can get on with your life. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that; we who have been there just feel badly for others in that place and wish them the very best. When they have a hard time we all really feel for them. But I am so glad you came out healed in the end!

I'm only doing a few very basic things like heel slides, etc. Since my OS seems to want me to only do "some walking" I'm taking it easy until I see him Tuesday when I'll ask him a ton of questions. I haven't really spoken to him since the surgery as I was pretty out of it when I was in the hospital and he came in. I haven't emailed him either except once to ask about a cane and about breakthrough pain. There's not much to do until the 3 week cultures come back. After that, we'll likely have to discuss the knee and nickel allergy as I pretty much expect the cultures to be negative. I am pretty sure we'll be waiting for a while after the culture results to see if the procedure fixed the problem. If not, I have decided to go ahead and get this implant out of my body and put in the gold knee. I don't really want a revision, but I don't want pain and swelling even more than I don't want a revision, so if necessary, a revision it'll be.
 
Well, it seems the ugly barf fairy has reared her head today. I've been doing okay with the Dilaudid by taking an anti-nausea medicine with every pain pill. I started out a bit queasy this afternoon, then got hit by a huge wave of nausea and vomiting all at once. I was hoping this time around I'd escape that side effect, but it seems that was not to be the case. So far at least it's not been violent and non-stop as it has been in the past. Now I need to figure out what to do. For right now, I skipped my 7 pm Dilaudid dose, and I'll see how much pain I have as the previous dose totally wears off. I'm hoping the pain is minimal and I can take Motrin for a while to get the Dilaudid out of my system. I'm kind of bummed (okay-I'm actually really bummed) but not too surprised.
 
Are you eating anything when you take the Dilaudid? I had a whole series of to go through. First anti nausea med. After 15 minutes then something like saltines waited ten minutes then my pain med. I also found that when I was having problems with the beloved poop fairy forgetting to stop by I seemed to feel more nauseous than usual.
 
Thanks, @newlybionic
I'm actually eating something every time I take pain meds, plus an anti-nausea every time also. I'm also fine in the poop fairy dep't as I take two pills for that and haven't had a problem there from day one. It's just the build-up of Dilaudid in my system somehow-it happens to me every time after a while on them. I emailed my OS about it today and he replied about an hour ago to try just Motrin and Tylenol, and the ice machine. Hopefully the Motrin alone will work as Tylenol have never worked for me.
 
Kim,
You can take Tylenol and Motrin together. You might want to give it a go.


Sent from my iPod touch using BoneSmart®
LTKR Sept 13 2011
Revision April 15 2014
 
The effective dose of Tylenol is 1,000 mg, 4-6 hourly (only 4 doses in 24 hours) to a maximum of 4,000 mg in 24 hours. You need to keep taking it regularly, so you keep up the level in your blood. Make sure that none of your other medications contain Tylenol (Acetaminophen). If they do, factor their amounts into the calculation of your daily dosage.

Motrin is Ibuprofen, which is an NSAID, primarily an anti-inflammatory, not a pain reliever. It is a gastric irritant, so do be careful with it, as your stomach is already a bit irritated. Make sure you take it with food and stop taking it if you have any gastric symptoms.
The maximum total daily dose should not exceed 3,200 mg.
There are several serious consequences associated with taking NSAIDS, so do try not to be on Motrin for long.
 
Thanks @Celle I haven't taken anything at all since yesterday as my stomach has been so upset. Mainly I'm sleeping and sipping 7-up. But I'll take your advice as soon as I can hold down some meds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel
Corganics CBD

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 1,487 (members: 0, guests: 1,487)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom