TKR Marge's recovery thread RTKR 7/15/22

[badkneesnyc]

I decided to take a couple of more weeks before I go back to working. That experience (plus thinking about doing the other knee) put me in a funk for several days.

MyChart had some exercises for me, I think it was the prone hamstring curl that irritated my knee. Nixed that. Did resting and icing and took 2 acetaminophen. After a couple of days it's just about back to ok.

Rob and I made it up the block Tuesday to a local cafe. I got coffee and an almond croissant and we sat and watched people walking their dogs. That felt good. Going again tomorrow to have coffee with a friend I haven't seen since before the surgery.

I started listening to 9 Perfect Strangers while I am knitting a scarf.

Angus (cat) has significantly calmed down, and if I am sitting on the couch he lays on my lap again.

Boy, when people say this takes patience... Are we there yet??

 

[hawk2go]

I got coffee and an almond croissant and we sat and watched people walking their dogs. That felt good.

That was was an accomplishment. Way to celebrate by doing something you like.

As to patience - it will be the most extensively used tool in your kit.

 

[benne68]

Are we there yet??

Love this. When I was one-month out, I posted the following in my thread: "I need a magic wand that speeds up the recovery and jumps me ahead about month. If anybody has come across one of those, please share!"

 

[badkneesnyc]

@hawk2go I went again today with a friend. Ho Chi Minh City, it was hotter and we went after lunch. I had a dizzy spell and had to sit on a fire hydrant for a minute. It's true that chart here about your energy going into your healing.

@benne68 I know, that transition from, yay, it's done, I will be able to walk again to I'm going to blow like Vesuvius if I have to lay in bed and knit and read for another day with ice on my knee and a water bottle. Knowing that I am super lucky and should zip it.

 

[badkneesnyc]

Nov 15th will be my 4 month anniversary for RTKR. Tomorrow I'm going to see the surgeon to start the process for LTKR. I did do a couple of months of PT and I like the PT woman very much, had worked with her before surgery. I get that it's not for everyone, but it helped me, thank goodness. Lots of stretching and strengthening. We followed my body and how much it could do.

Today I was able to walk a little over 1/2 mile with a friend. I can go up a flight of stairs one foot over the other instead of one at a time. I still walk with a cane, and probably will until the left knee is taken care of. So, whew, here we go again.

 

[hawk2go]

I'm glad you've found your formula @badkneesnyc. Let us know when you get a date for lefty.

 

[Susie-Q]

Nov 15th will be my 4 month anniversary for RTKR

Wow! That went fast!

 

[badkneesnyc]

I had my second replacement, TKR-L, 1/27/23, a little over a week ago. They gave me extra strength Tylenol, 5 mg oxy, and tramadol 50 mg. Instructions Tylenol 2 every 6 hours, oxy every 6 hours for breakout pain, tramadol every 6 hours as needed for severe pain, 7 - 10 pain scale. Not to take oxy and Tramadol together.

last night I got confused and missed taking the Tylenol and Tramadol and so the doses were essentially 2/4 at 6:30pm then 2/5 at 9:15am. I started feeling a lot of pain, 8, and called the on call nurse to go over my meds. She suggested taking the Oxy right away to get the pain level down, keep the Tylenol at every 6-8 hours, then take tramadol in a few hours. She said I should have the goal of having the pain at a 4.

I took the 5 mg oxy at 2:40pm after I spoke to her. At 3:30 I took 2 Tylenol. I was still in a good amount of pain so I took 5 mg oxy at 4pm. I ended up falling asleep and waking up at midnight, that's when I took 2 Tylenol and 5 mg oxy. I used the walker to go to the bathroom and the pain level shot up again. I'm icing it now.

My plan is to take the 2 Tylenol again at 2/6 6am then the Tramadol (or maybe oxy) at 6am. Home PT is scheduled for today, 2/6, some time between 11am and 1pm. I told him I was having issues with pain and the medication schedule.

I just am feeling like I don't have a great grip on how I am managing the pain with the meds and keep getting the answer to take them as needed. Frustrating and distressing.

 

[InkedMarie]

I’m sorry you’re having a hard time, @badkneesnyc

Marie

 

[Jaycey]

I just am feeling like I don't have a great grip on how I am managing the pain with the meds and keep getting the answer to take them as needed.

Establish a schedule for your medication and use a chart so that you write down every dose and the time you took it. Now is not the time to take medication "as needed". The trick is to stay ahead of the pain.

Ice and elevate as much as you can.

 

[badkneesnyc]

I’m sorry you’re having a hard time, @badkneesnyc

Marie

Thank you, Marie

 

[badkneesnyc]

I just am feeling like I don't have a great grip on how I am managing the pain with the meds and keep getting the answer to take them as needed.

Establish a schedule for your medication and use a chart so that you write down every dose and the time you took it. Now is not the time to take medication "as needed". The trick is to stay ahead of the pain.

Ice and elevate as much as you can.

I spoke to the home nurse this morning and went over everything with the home PT person this afternoon too. I am scheduling alarms in my phone and filling in the scheduling chart. Thank you. You'd think after going through it a few months ago I would have handled it better this time. Enough things were different and I had a weird confidence that I could go with less meds.

 

[benne68]

You'd think after going through it a few months ago I would have handled it better this time.

Every knee is different -- even two knees in the same person -- so don't beat yourself up. You got through the first one last summer, and you'll get through this one, too.

Sending hugs

 

[beachy]

Those first 2-3 weeks are tough. Like you, I also had my second tkr. I needed 2 tabs of hydrocodone @ 5 mg each during the first 2 weeks. I hope the new schedule keeps you comfortable.

 

[Susie-Q]

Yes, go easy on yourself.

I also found that writing down each dose of what I took and the time helped me keep things straight. Otherwise I would forget when I took what. Setting alarms on my phone was also crucial. Now is the time for taking them on a schedule to keep ahead of the pain. You can worry about "as-needed" later when much more healing has taken place. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[trinket]

I'll just chime in on what others have said ... I had to chart out my medications, put reminders on my phone and take them religiously even if my pain was "ok". There is no way I was in any state of mind to keep it all straight without a written chart. Good luck to you.

 

[badkneesnyc]

You'd think after going through it a few months ago I would have handled it better this time.

Every knee is different -- even two knees in the same person -- so don't beat yourself up. You got through the first one last summer, and you'll get through this one, too.

Sending hugs

Thanks so much. The two knees are really different.

 

[badkneesnyc]

Those first 2-3 weeks are tough. Like you, I also had my second tkr. I needed 2 tabs of hydrocodone @ 5 mg each during the first 2 weeks. I hope the new schedule keeps you comfortable.

Thanks. PT guy said getting the swelling down will help. Going into the second week, so elevating and pumping my feet.

 

[badkneesnyc]

I'll just chime in on what others have said ... I had to chart out my medications, put reminders on my phone and take them religiously even if my pain was "ok". There is no way I was in any state of mind to keep it all straight without a written chart. Good luck to you.

They gave me a chart of my medications. Last time the nurse wrote down specifically what to take when and I was religious about it. I am going back to that, and Rob is helping me with reminders, plus alarms in phone. You're right, I couldn't do it in my head in this state of mind. Thank you.

 

[beachy]

Tomorrow is 4 weeks for me. Today is the first day that I've noticed a huge difference in the tight band feeling. Its still there but not nearly as bad as it was even yesterday. Crazy.
It just takes time, ice and elevation.