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Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

When I brush my teeth or wash dishes I try to extend that knee. I love functional exercise, an old OT trait. :)
 
I also try to extend as I walk, but have to be really careful there. If I extend a little too much, my knee kind of catches and causes me to stumble. I don't want to fall and I am afraid I will fall one of these times I try to extend as I walk. My knee is just really swollen still, and as a result my total ROM is still poor. I keep hoping the swelling will go down, but it hasn't in the more than two years since my TKR, and I suspect won't until or unless I have a revision, and have a gold knee, or similar type, put in. My gut tells me I have an allergic reaction of some kind or to some level, to the one that's currently in my knee. I could be wrong, but I know something isn't right considering all the swelling and pain still present. But a revision is a major deal, and now that we've basically exhausted all forms of narcotic pain relief, I am scared to death to have another major surgery of any kind, let alone one that carries the amount of pain that comes with this surgery. I don't have any more pain relief options, and there's no way I could go through recovery without it.
 
I'm so sorry that you're still having problems. My knee only started to get better ROM when the swelling went down. Is there something that your OS could do during surgery to help with the pain? I know I did have pain for about the first week after my revision but I've felt much better in the second week and really never needed any other pain meds since them other then an occasional dose after work. I don't know what my current OS did during the surgery. The only difference afterwards is that I was given a muscle relaxer which also helped a lot for a couple of weeks. Sometimes I think that maybe because my knee hurt so much before the revision that I don't really recognize much pain afterwards.
 
Thanks, Marian. Even with all they do these days in surgery to help with pain relief, it only lasts a short time. I also can't take muscle relaxers, unfortunately. I can take Dilaudid for a few days, but if I need pain relief longer than that, it somehow builds up in my system and then causes my entire body to go haywire and have a really bad reaction. I honestly can't take that again, and my OS, after seeing it firsthand this time around, agrees that my body can't do that again.
 
Just short of two months post op. Still quite swollen...sigh.
 

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  • [Bonesmart.org] Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery
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I wouldn't know if this is normal for 2 months out. @Timetolive had quite a lot of swelling months after surgery as well.
 
I know, but since I didn't have a TKR, just a spacer exchange, clean-out and synovectomy, it should be less swollen by now, IMHO. Even my OS was surprised at how swollen it still is.
 
Kim,
If in fact you need a revision, you will need to talk to your anesthesiologist, and/or a pain Dr about how to best control your pain. There has to be something you can use to at least take the edge off.
 
Thanks, Chris. I'm hoping to never need a revision, or another surgery again, in life. I've had somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 or 15 surgeries, most of them not minor. So, I think I'm done. :fingersx: :bignono:
 
I seriously was hoping I could go through my whole life and never be hospitalized or have surgery. :rotfl: What a pipe dream, but also totally unrealistic.

@lovetocookandsew do you know the symptoms for an allergic reaction to the implant?
 
Oh Kim, I'm sorry you're having troubles with your knee. It must be upsetting to think about an allergy or possible revision.
 
@KarriB My lucky husband has never been hospitalized nor had surgery, other than a small mole removed. He's never sick either, although he does have a couple of minor medical issues, but they don't really do anything as long as he takes meds. I, on the other hand, am healthy overall, as the surgeries usually fix a problem and I'm fine again. I wish I were one who was healthy as I am, and never needed surgery....I know-pipe dreams...lol.
 
I have Hashimoto's disease and take synthroid for it, but never any other issues until my knees. When I was in college I cut my finger in half and thought if I just held it together long enough it would heal. Eventually I went to the ER, but took the stitches with nothing to numb my finger because the needle was smaller for sewing, but I had to get a tetnus shot anyway! Even when I was a child the dr would have to chase me around the office to give me a shot. So the TKR, then the infection surgery, seeing my wonderful OS biweekly, having Visco shots in my knee have made me a little better, but not great. When I first went to an OS for my left knee (still not done) 5 years ago, the dr came in with a shot of cortisone, my best friend (who has cancer for 20+ years & multiple surgeries) saw my face and said, "If you scream I'm going to hit you with that cane".

I've proclaimed being a wuss loudly, I know myself well and know I couldn't have gotten through the TKR/infection without God and my family. Just not sure I'm ready to do it again. Next week I head to the beach which is where my right knee gave up the ghost. I'm praying I get through the week with my left knee in tact.
 
I hope you have a wonderful and pain free vacation! I hear you on the screaming about shots. When the OS did the aspiration on my knee, I yelped and maybe even screamed, not to mention I about killed my daughter's hand...lol. I'm sure you and I qualify as major wusses.....:loll:
 
Hi Kim. I am so sorry you have been having such a time with your knee. The photo of your knee reminds me of my knee's swelling. That "hump" you have over your knee is exactly what I have/had. I realize you didn't have a TKR this time around, but you have had a lot of soft tissue damage and that seems to be what causes the swelling. Karri is right, I have had my share of swelling. I am 9 months out now and still swell by the end of the day or if I am out and about on it. My ROM and extension have been getting better as the swelling goes down. I thought at 2 months, then 3 months, that it would never get better. But with time and God's grace, it is slowly improving. I, along with a few others, have started wearing a compression mid-thigh stocking for the swelling. It is wonderful. I haven't had it on in a few weeks though since the temperature has been in the upper 90s and the humidity 100%. The weatherman said we were having "wearable weather"! Hahahaha! I do wish you healing and a solution to your swelling and pain. I understand your narcotic problems. I never could find anything I did not have a severe reaction to. In fact, the morphine (MS-Contin) caused me to have diverticulitis that has morphed into IBS. There is no way you can have a TKR without something for the pain, but I don't know what it could be.
 
@Timetolive Thank-you for the info. The swelling I have has actually basically been there since the TKR. We were hoping this last surgery would fix it, but it doesn't seem to have yet. But I still have a little hope that it will go away. It was only 100 here today and supposed to hit 104 tomorrow. I don't know what "wearable weather" is, but anything out of the 80s is too hot for me. I have diverticulosis and have had a severe bout of diverticulitis, so I feel for you.
 
"Wearable weather" is when it is so hot and the humidity so high it feels it is clingy to you like a wet shirt. YUCK.
You have me beat on heat. Do you have much humidity there?

I am sorry you have had diverticulitis. It is brutal. I had no problems before my TKR. I had a reaction to the Xarelto I took as a blood thinner after surgery and it is felt that may have caused my worst swelling in the early days. My leg was massive and the skin was at the point of breaking down. I do hope you can find some relief. It does make wearing slacks difficult when your knee is swollen.
 
Kim,I am sorry for all the problems you are having. I wish I could say something to help, but please know that I will pray for a happy outcome after all your difficulties.
Love, Tabby xxx
 
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