Revision TKR Mamie's Recovery Thread

[Pumpkin]

Mamie,
I used a small camp stool under my desk for support. For example, these stools.

 

[Jamie]

@Mamie, a sling like that might be helpful. But you shouldn't be using it as long as you're experiencing pain and swelling. It doesn't give you enough elevation. Until you get your pain and swelling under control, you need to be lying down with your toes elevated above your nose and ice on your knee. Try to remember that you are very early in this recovery process. It's honestly too soon to think about spending much time sitting at a desk.

 

[Mamie]

Good morning Jamie,

Thank you for the supportive comment. I have so much writing to do and I behind two weeks. I write from bed now but it’s not easy Tonight I’m nuts with pain and not sure why tonight. I thought maybe the office chair would be a good switch off from leg up in the air. That’s tough with a computer in the lap! Lol.Goodnight!

Hello SistersinHim

Well, until now I had not seen a way to attach files.Ill try now quickly and if not later after I sleep a bit. I can’t get to amazon from the attachment icon.
goodnight or morning!
Mamie

 

[sistersinhim]

Well, until now I had not seen a way to attach files.Ill try now quickly and if not later after I sleep a bit. I can’t get to amazon from the attachment icon.

That's OK, don't worry about it. It's my computer. It's working for the rest of the staff.

 

[Revision lefty]

Mamie the work will always be waiting for you, get your pain and swelling until control. Take care of you first, can’t afford for this recovery not to go well. God Bless you and be well.

 

[Mamie]

Thank you. I love my work but can't sit right with my leg. It keeps me from thinking about this awful pain.

The PA called me today and it looks like she has switched back to how she was before. I was told to get into PT quickly and she said they sent the orders in to get my leg to 90 degrees in a week. I am frightened but if they hurt me, I will never go back and ask my kidney doctor who takes care of everything, to take over. There is no way they can force my knee to 90 degrees without hurting me badly. I try every day to do the heel slide and the exercises given plus walking every few hours if my knee is not too bad. I have been experiencing some fairly bad pain with the last few days being more intense. I would think it to get better but it has grown worse. You can visually see the knee tightness and either side of my knee is both tight and painful.

My knee parts that are in the calf...I feel it strongly whenever I walk. It is not a nice sensation. Will it ease? Or quit? Today is my day for being depressed and I hated it. My pain was so bad last night I could not sleep until 6 AM this morning.

Take Care
Mamie

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Remember, you are only EIGHTEEN DAYS into a recovery that takes, on average, THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE DAYS! Most people feel better around three months, but it takes that year to fully heal. Heavy PT, and forcing your knee to go where it's not ready to go, will only cause your recovery to go even slower with many setbacks. Spend as much time as you can icing, elevating and letting your knee recover from the assault that is a TKR, in between walking, gentle stretches and movements.

You own that knee; not the PT, nor your doctor, nor his evil PA. Therefore you, and you alone, make every single decision as to how you want it to recover. IMHO, I'd tell that PA where she can put her 90 degree deadline, and tell her she's fired. You also don't need PT, but if you decide to continue PT, you can choose who to go to and what they can and cannot do. Remember, ultimately, it's you paying for PT, therefore you're their boss, and you tell them what they can or cannot do-they have no ability to do any more than you allow. If they are allowed an inch, they'll take a mile. You are in charge and are the only one who decides the path you will take.

 

[Jamie]

Mamie, be sure when you go to therapy, you sit down first thing with the therapist and tell them what you will and will not permit. Let them know you are willing to work with them, but they must adhere to your rules about no pushing beyond what you tell them is okay. No surprise pushes and when you say stop, they need to stop right then and there with no extra nudges. If they are not willing to work with that, you can call around to see if there are other therapy clinics in the area. Call and ask if they will agree to your requests. Then if you find another therapy group, call the surgeon and tell them you want the therapy order sent to the new clinic. You have the right to choose where you go.

It's not going to be possible to get to 90 degrees in a week when you have swelling. Your knee started at 60 degrees before surgery. You've not had a single day without all that fluid in your knee. Hang tough!

 

[Mamie]

Hello!

I am having huge issues with pain and do not feel like doing anything but cover my head and hide. Just one day! But exercise and walking need to happen every two hours. Tomorrow for the last time PT comes to our home. Then it must be done in a PT's office. My surgeon says home PT is too soft and canceled my home care. My foot feels strange-numb but with ants feeling. It is not neuropathy but is totally different from the other foot. It makes me a bit nervous as it is slightly like it was in recovery after surgery. My knee feels different as well but not the same as my foot.

The TED Hose my surgeon tossed at me a few days ago telling me to take them home and if they don't fit do not to use them as I missed the critical window when he forgot to put them on in surgery. Well, he sent one pain that would work if I were 6 feet and the other would work if 4 feet. Unbelievable as now he says I need to use them.

Thanks for listening.

Mamie

 

[leejaa]

Mamie, sounds like your swelling is causing a lot of issues for you. You do not have to exercise every 2hrs. Take a walk around the house every couple of hours just to move; for me this was usually a trip to the bathroom anyways so it was easy to take a short walk. Ice and elevation were my greatest tools to get the swelling down so that the knee could recover.

Before my first PT session at home and then in OP I did what Jamie and bonesmart advised. I asked them their philosophy of PT and explained my belief of no pain will equal gain and that I wanted the no pain rule. They all agreed. They were encouraging but not forceful. I was the patient and patients have rights. If they do not listen when you say stop and force you it is abuse. Keep advocating for yourself. There are physical therapists out there that similar philosophies as bonesmart. Sending you some cyber hugs ((())) and I hope you get some rest today.

 

[sistersinhim]

Please don't let PT force anything with your knee. You are already quite swollen and that will cause even more swelling. You have all those internal stitches that are trying to heal. When your knee is forced the tissues are pulling against the stitches. That causes more inflammation, which causes more swelling and pain and less bend. It's common sense, which your doctor is not using. Find another PT facility that agrees with the Bonesmart way and your knee will love you for it and you'll end up loving your knee! Sending prayers your way.

 

[kneeper]

Doing a few heel slides on and off through out the day is ok. Walking to the kitchen, bathroom etc. as leeja says is enough walking at this point. Make sure you're really elevating and not just sitting in a recliner.
And if you're sitting in the chair to work for any length of time (I'm talking as little as 1 hour), I know from experience, the knee will swell more--and be painful. A swollen knee isn't going to bend.

 

[Jamie]

These folks are right, @Mamie .... you just need to move about a little every few hours or do some stretches and bends while in bed or sitting in a chair. No actual "exercise" is required on the days you don't have a therapist.

You had indicated your desire to have an actual consultation with Dr. Sinha following the August Ask the Expert program. Dr. Sinha agreed to have his office contact you to try and set that up. I believe he is licensed to perform telemedicine in your state and, as such, the consultation should be covered by Medicare. You would only be responsible for the copay. If you don't hear from his office by early next week, give them a call and pursue it from your end.

Contact your GP and see if you can get a prescription for Gabapentin. That could help with your pain and discomfort. When you talk to Dr. Sinha, ask him about prescribing a wearable product called Geko that can dramatically reduce swelling quite quickly sometimes.

 

[Mamie]

Thank you everyone for your comments.
PT went well today and no pushing or surprising. I told her straight up.
But another problem has coime across my plate today and yesterday. Yesterday was a bad day, all day. My entire leg was burning hot and the incision line appeared really red both sides PT said I needed to call my doctor G.P. he told me to watch for signs of infection. This morning my leg was hotter than usual and burned badly. We elevated and iced it before PT. On tge on the way there my leg began burning again but with deep awful pain. I tired massaging the leg around the area. Two area in the incision broke open and drained a yellow pus. It was not much but it stopped. My lag and foot tonight are really swollen no shoe will fit. We are planning to go to ER. Do you think this is over reacting? The surgeon told us when being discharged not to go to the ER.
Thank you
Mamie

 

[Jaycey]

@Mamie I hope you went to ER. Can you follow up with your PCP today?

 

[sistersinhim]

No, you are not overreacting. Go to the ER if you haven't already. Please let us know how you are doing. We are praying for you.

 

[Jamie]

Mamie, the things you're experiencing (heat in your knee, redness, yellow pus, swelling) can be signs of an infection. When this happens you need to be checked immediately. Go to the ER then contact your surgeon. You may need to go see him as well, but you need to have the fluid draining from the incision checked for infection and blood work to see if you have increased markers that can mean an infection is present in your body. Don't fool around with this, please.

 

[Mamie]

Jaycey, my surgeon has asked me not to go to the ER. We are not sure why but when discharged that's what he said. I did go see my PCP. But he felt we should watch and see. Not much was draining when there bt for a watery bloody discharge. This morning it is different with what looks like a white-yellowish discharge. Again, not a lot but could it be trapped? I am not sure. I have an appointment today with a different doctor for a different reason but I called him and he said he would be happy to look at it.

Thank you for caring,
Mamie

 

[Mamie]

Hello, I see I posted my question last night. Sorry for the repeat. It was still showing not posted as not hitting enter, so I did send it. It had additional information for what the GP said and the new looking drainage. Still unclear what to do when my GP said to watch and wait. I have been anti-biotics until several days ago. This new looking drainage this morning is no longer that yellow discharge but a whitish-yellow. Leg still really hot-more so than it is already and so swollen my shoe won't fit. PT yesterday measured my legs and said they were really different.

I hope you won't think I am nuts posting twice. I am just so worried.

 

[Jaycey]

@Mamie I really think you should see someone who will directly treat this. If you are so swollen and the area is hot - you need to see someone. This is not a wait and see. Can you call your surgeon's office?