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TKR Martha's Journey One Day At A Time, Phase Two

Tomorrow will be a week since my LTKR and I think I am doing pretty well. My pain is pretty well controlled. They bring my meds by the clock, and I get something every 3 hours, the same schedule we had worked out at the hospital. My incision looks really good, not bleeding or discharge at all. My surgeon has changed his protocol and no longer sends you home on Lovenox, just aspirin. I think that will be better for me. Things have gone great at the rehab facility. Most of the staff remembered me from last time and welcomed me back like an old friend. I had PT over the weekend, but weekend staff took it really easy on me. Starting today I will have both PT and OT every day. The therapist here are good, and I know they won't hurt me. I am finding the energy drain this time is horrendous. By 7:00 I am totally wiped out and ready to get in the bed for the night even though I catnap throughout the day. I get so exhausted I feel like I am getting sick. I know this too shall pass and I just try to roll with the flow. I don't know for sure, but I may get to take the ice machine home this time.
 
I don't know yet. It will depend on how quickly I progress. I just need to be able to do the stairs. I don't think It will take me too long.
 
Glad to hear you are safely on the other side. Keep your eye on the prize at the end of this long and twisting journey. I hope you are content with the care you are receiving and that pain control is adequate.
 
Good to hear from you. Like you, my pain was well managed in transition unit and PT was good also. I'm not surprised you're feeling more energy drain as your body may still be healing from the TKR.
 
Sounds like you're doing really well. I had my TED hose off for a bit tonight and I felt freedom! I'm pretty swollen, hot and stiff but I just keep icing and elevating.

Do they have any projected possible dates for going home?
 
@jaschembra I have not worn the TEDs since I left the hospital. They were cutting into me and leaving sores. I just make sure I do plenty of ankle pumps and walk around some. I HATE those things. lol

I had a little mishap last evening. I was lowering myself back down in the lift recliner. It got about half way down and just dropped the rest of the way! Oh, my goodness!! It jarred my whole leg and hurt so bad it brought tears to my eyes. It is fine now, but it hurt for a while afterward.

Other than that things are going well.
 
Yep... before too long, I may be yanking these TED's off! My dr. says to wear them for 4 weeks but the left one, comes up to the lower portion of my incision, so once that's not covered I'm not going to have something laying on it. My incision does not need to be covered, but we did at night for those TED hose and just because. :)
 
Yikes, Martha, I'm glad your knee isn't still hurting. Make sure the staff knows you had a problem with that chair.
 
Today is two weeks since my LTKR. I am still in rehab, but will be going home on Thursday. Everyone here has been great, but I will be so glad to get home. The pain is pretty well controlled, but still hurts more at night. I still have to get up out of the hospital bed and into the recliner after a few hours every night. I am in the recliner now as I write, and thankfully I have had no more chair mishaps. My flex is 95 and my extension is 12. I guess that is not too bad for two weeks. My quad is still in the process of waking up. I can raise my leg a little, but not all the way yet. Tomorrow I see the PA and get my staples out. I will be glad when that is done. My incision looks great and I have had no bleeding this time around. All in all, I think my recovery is going pretty well so far, and I am very thankful for that. My RTKR is doing great and pulling it's load better that I thought I would. I am very thankful for that, also. God is good!
 
That sounds great! Long may it continue -until the wonderful day when you don't even think of your knee!!
 
Sounds like you are doing really well Martha. I am also 2 weeks and yesterday my flex was 95 and extension was 7-8. I too seem to have more pain at night and will be leaving my mom's empty house Sat. when my hubby takes me home. My sister leaves tomorrow. Once home, I can get up during the night and sit in the recliner or whatever and not wake anyone up.

Good luck getting your staples out today. I have glue and besides about 3/4 inch at the top where the knee bends the most, the glue shows no signs of leaving anytime soon.

How are you doing with winter and cold ice? I'm think hubby may need to invest in an electric blanket for me. :)

Here's to another day on this road to recover!
 
Martha, I bet you can't wait for Thursday! Two weeks is a long time. I was in rehab for one and was chomping at the bit to get home! But it is great to not worry about pain management. Have a great day and just two more sleeps before your home!
 
Martha, I hope your homecoming is a day of goodness in your recovery journey. Enjoy the peace of your own home tonight! It sounds like your doing well and your toddler knee is holding up well! Don't overdo it at home!
 
Thanks for the encouragement ladies. It is good to be home, but it has been one of those days. I have been kind of an emotional wreck today. I am having a horrible time getting up out of my recliner. It hurts both knees like crazy when I try to get up. My "good" leg is just not strong enough to compensate for the new knee, but I can struggle up with my husband's help. He is going to try to build something to raise the whole chair up higher, that should help, but it hasn't helped much today. I also started itching around my incision after they took the staples out and put the steri-strips on yesterday. When I got home today I noticed that I have big blisters all along the left side of the incision and a couple of small ones on the right side. It appears that I am now allergic to the adhesive they used for the steri-strips. I called my OS and he had me to take the steri-strips off, gently wash off the adhesive. and I am take Benadryl for a couple days. It still itches and stings, but not as bad as it was. On a more positive note, I now have an ice machine. They let me bring the one I used at the rehab place free of charge. That is a huge blessing.
 
It is great that you are home. Sorry some things are going rough. I will be sending you positive thoughts!!!
 
Wow! That's great! You can use ice packs on one knee and the machine on the other. Lifting the chair up a bit my help you to not have to lift up so much. This is when those lift recliners would come in handy. When my dad broke his hip my parents didn't have a chair high enough for him, but I had one of those Coleman camping chairs in my trunk. We set it up for him along with a chair to elevate on.
 
Martha, Welcome home. I am watching as you progress with your second knee. I will be having my second one done in 5 weeks, which is just 11 weeks from my 1st. Everyone says no recovery is the same so I am "kind of" ready for that.
You are a trouper and great inspiration. I have been trying to encourage the baby knée to keep doing more work because I'm going to need it to be the leader. At 6 weeks today, I have finally been resting well at night and getting around the house most of the time without a cane -except I don't trust that my "un-fixed" knee won't hold up.
May you rest well at home and continue progressing. Good night. Ginger P
 
I hope the Benadryl helps with the incision situation and helps you sleep tonight! While your hubby tries to get your recliner up higher can you add an extra cushion or pillows to help lift you a bit? We are lucky that we have hubbies that try to get us the help we need! Keep the faith, things will get better....
 
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