PKR My Drama Queen Patellofemoral Knee
- Thread starter Jockette
- Start date
United States
Polkadot
graduate
My dear Drama Queen aka Jockette, you know what you did with all that sewing. You just made a visit to the ODIC (Overdoing It Club), where we all stop by occasionally. I have been guilty of that many times, and each time I wonder if I shouldn't be "further along." Just slap your brain and tell it to stop that unhelpful thinking! 
We are where we are, and it is what it is, and what will be, will be, kumbayah, my lord, kumbayah...
Oh, sorry, got carried away there for a moment. Where was I?
Oh, yeah. I think we should celebrate your ability to get at that sewing and dishwashering and whatever else made your knee sing a sad song this week. At least you are doing these things! How long ago was it that you couldn't do them? Be honest, now. It wasn't all that long ago that you were just wishing you could do the sewing and the dishwasher, right? (Well, I've never wished to do the dishwasher! But I know you're a better woman than I.)
So, let's all sing a chorus for Jockette (she's not really a Drama Queen! Not our lovely Jockette!) that she's getting on with her life while tolerating the twinges, zingers, aches, clicks and clacks of her bionic knee. Yay, Jockette! You go, Girl.
We are where we are, and it is what it is, and what will be, will be, kumbayah, my lord, kumbayah...Oh, sorry, got carried away there for a moment. Where was I?Oh, yeah. I think we should celebrate your ability to get at that sewing and dishwashering and whatever else made your knee sing a sad song this week. At least you are doing these things! How long ago was it that you couldn't do them? Be honest, now. It wasn't all that long ago that you were just wishing you could do the sewing and the dishwasher, right? (Well, I've never wished to do the dishwasher! But I know you're a better woman than I.)
So, let's all sing a chorus for Jockette (she's not really a Drama Queen! Not our lovely Jockette!) that she's getting on with her life while tolerating the twinges, zingers, aches, clicks and clacks of her bionic knee. Yay, Jockette! You go, Girl.
Last edited:
phrog
senior
@Polkadot, most entertaining! Thanks for the smiles. @Jockette , there must be some magic sew bug that hits at 8 months. I've been working on curtains for the guest room, and the up and down and standing and bending at the waist to measure and cut fabric are all bothering me. It's become a weeklong project - and would have taken me a couple of days before - but by before I mean two years ago. This is the first I've been able to sew since my surgery at the end of February. So - once more, Polkadot is right: we are doing things we couldn't do before. As the song says, "Celebrate good times! Come on!" I've got some other health things going on, and was doing the pity party thing this week - and you, Polkadot and @SusieShoes just helped me realize that there are things still getting better. Thanks.
OP
OP
@SusieShoes I just read on another thread that before surgery you took Alieve for your arthritis as that was the only thing that worked. I found the same thing, and I take ibuprofen for mine. I have arthritis in my other knee as well as in my spine and my neck. I know there are bad side effects but so far they have not affected me.
When I went off the narcottics at 11 day’s post op, my surgeon said to take both Tylenol and prescription strength ibuprofen, which I did and still do. My prescription has run out and I use over the counter ibuprofen now. As a result my non operated knee is feeling really good, as well as my spine and neck, and I really think it is due to the ibuprofen.
So, if I stop taking the ibuprofen because of the risks, would only Tylenol take care of my other arthritis pain, even though it is not an anti inflammatory? A while ago I was prescribed Meloxicam, but that did bother my stomach, even though promoted not to, whereas I haven’t had any bad effects with the ibuprofen yet.
I always thought an anti inflammatory was best for arthritis pain. Or is that just marketing?
When I went off the narcottics at 11 day’s post op, my surgeon said to take both Tylenol and prescription strength ibuprofen, which I did and still do. My prescription has run out and I use over the counter ibuprofen now. As a result my non operated knee is feeling really good, as well as my spine and neck, and I really think it is due to the ibuprofen.
So, if I stop taking the ibuprofen because of the risks, would only Tylenol take care of my other arthritis pain, even though it is not an anti inflammatory? A while ago I was prescribed Meloxicam, but that did bother my stomach, even though promoted not to, whereas I haven’t had any bad effects with the ibuprofen yet.
I always thought an anti inflammatory was best for arthritis pain. Or is that just marketing?
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
With my pre-surgical, arthritic knees (which my surgeon was amazed I could still walk on without assistive devices), the only thing I took regularly was Aleve. It helped... somewhat. Never got rid of the pain entirely. But it helped, so I used it. I stashed extra Percocet from dental work so I could occasionally manage a night out or a trip somewhere.
Pre-surgery I was told to stop the Aleve (bad for bone growth, I was told) and take Tylenol. It barely helped, and maybe didn't help at all. My knees killed me for two months. I missed my Aleve!
NSAIDs are notoriously bad for the gastro-intestinal tract. I never took Aleve without food, and I never had a problem. Still, they are risky in high doses and for prolonged periods. Anyone suffering horrible arthritis of the knees, though, doesn't worry too much about anything but dulling that pain.
If it's helping you, and your doctor says it's okay, you might as well take it --fully knowing there are risks involved.
Pre-surgery I was told to stop the Aleve (bad for bone growth, I was told) and take Tylenol. It barely helped, and maybe didn't help at all. My knees killed me for two months. I missed my Aleve!
NSAIDs are notoriously bad for the gastro-intestinal tract. I never took Aleve without food, and I never had a problem. Still, they are risky in high doses and for prolonged periods. Anyone suffering horrible arthritis of the knees, though, doesn't worry too much about anything but dulling that pain.
If it's helping you, and your doctor says it's okay, you might as well take it --fully knowing there are risks involved.
Polkadot
graduate
I can't advise you on taking anti-antiinflammatories, but I can let you know three things that might be helpful. My OS told me that if I did take Ibuprofen, I needed to keep up the dosage--that taking it occasionally and intermittently did very little to control pain or reduce inflammation. I decided not to take it for my TKR recuperation, mainly because of the second thing I'm sharing with you.
The second thing I can attest to is that overdosing oneself with Ibuprofen is horrible. I used to take the highest recommended dosage when I had major episodes of back pain. The final time I used it for an extended time for this problem, I ended up with an ambulance ride to a Toronto hospital--very embarrassing, and it cost me $700!--with severe stomach pain and back spasms, both of which rendered me totally incapacitated--and this hit me out of the blue, like lightning. There was no gradual feeling of malaise with it. I couldn't even climb onto the ambulance gurney under my own power! The constant use at the highest dosage caused both severe bleeding in my stomach, and (the doctors said) stopped working for the back pain. Without adequate pain control, evidently the muscles can clench around the injured, painful area protectively, which then causes more pain through muscle spasms. (This isn't through my own medical knowledge, but from what they told me when I was at the hospital.)
The third thing: That said, my mom has successfully taken anti-inflammatories for her rheumatoid arthritis for years. After my experience, though, I have read that if you plan on taking them for an extended period of time, you should do so under a doctor's care, with frequent monitoring. (And that's probably why my mom has been successful with it. I, on the other hand, had been off-handedly advised by a general practitioner to try them to see if they would help. No suggestion of monitoring.)
The second thing I can attest to is that overdosing oneself with Ibuprofen is horrible. I used to take the highest recommended dosage when I had major episodes of back pain. The final time I used it for an extended time for this problem, I ended up with an ambulance ride to a Toronto hospital--very embarrassing, and it cost me $700!--with severe stomach pain and back spasms, both of which rendered me totally incapacitated--and this hit me out of the blue, like lightning. There was no gradual feeling of malaise with it. I couldn't even climb onto the ambulance gurney under my own power! The constant use at the highest dosage caused both severe bleeding in my stomach, and (the doctors said) stopped working for the back pain. Without adequate pain control, evidently the muscles can clench around the injured, painful area protectively, which then causes more pain through muscle spasms. (This isn't through my own medical knowledge, but from what they told me when I was at the hospital.)
The third thing: That said, my mom has successfully taken anti-inflammatories for her rheumatoid arthritis for years. After my experience, though, I have read that if you plan on taking them for an extended period of time, you should do so under a doctor's care, with frequent monitoring. (And that's probably why my mom has been successful with it. I, on the other hand, had been off-handedly advised by a general practitioner to try them to see if they would help. No suggestion of monitoring.)
phrog
senior
Hi, @Jockette. After my TKR, I took both ibuprofen and Tylenol at the dose recommended by my OS - and both were pretty high. To sleep, I needed both before bed. The problem for me is that I take low dose aspirin for my heart and ibuprofen reduces the effectiveness of the aspirin if taken less than 8 hours before or 30 minutes after the aspirin. When I saw my OS last month, he told me I should still be taking ibuprofen along with the Tylenol for the arthritis pain I have in other parts of my body. So - my personal experience, and we are all different - is that the Tylenol alone will not control the arthritis pain. That said, talking to your doctor about whether it's a good idea to take IB makes sense. I see my primary at the end of the month and plan on asking her if she agrees with the OS and will make a recommendation for a schedule for the ibuprofen. Wishing you were pain free!
OP
OP
The other arthritis I have has been doing great since the surgery, especially the other knee that was almost as bad as the operated one, so the combination seems to be working well. I’ve been surprised at how well the other knee is doing considering all that has been asked of it since the left one has been recovering.
OP
OP
Progress!
I had an outing on Saturday, I was gone for 5 hours. Drove to a mall one hour away, shopped a bit, drove another 40 minutes to a birthday party. Sat for about an hour and a half before I had decided to get up and stretch my legs, more standing and talking, approximately a 90 minute ride home.
Knee was fairly uncomfortable when I got home but not actually painful, slept well with my leg elevated all night, knee felt back to it’s current normal on Sunday morning.
8 months post op with a partial, still have to be judicial with my activities, but it’s coming along!
Just want to let others know it’s ok if your recovery is taking the scenic route.
I had an outing on Saturday, I was gone for 5 hours. Drove to a mall one hour away, shopped a bit, drove another 40 minutes to a birthday party. Sat for about an hour and a half before I had decided to get up and stretch my legs, more standing and talking, approximately a 90 minute ride home.
Knee was fairly uncomfortable when I got home but not actually painful, slept well with my leg elevated all night, knee felt back to it’s current normal on Sunday morning.
8 months post op with a partial, still have to be judicial with my activities, but it’s coming along!
Just want to let others know it’s ok if your recovery is taking the scenic route.
Life is resuming to becoming normal! That's what it's all about!
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Well that's true, of course. But it's not just Tylenol that is unable to control arthritis pain - NO drug can. Not much more than 'take the edge off' anyway.
As for taking NSAIDs, I think you all know that I spent most of my life working in operating theatres and as a result, often got to see the less pleasant side of them! Many nights I was fetched out of my bed in the middle of the night to operate on a patient with a gastric bleed. It has to be seen to understand the severity of it - it's like a waterfall! More than one patient had to have nearly as much blood transfused because he almost died of the blood loss. I'd never take NSAIDs any more, not even if I was paid to! Medications: acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol) and NSAIDs, differences and dangers
phrog
senior
@Josephine , the side effects are why I am going to ask my primary care next week if she agrees with the OS. All we can do is listen to the advice of our doctors and then judge what will work for us with the least danger. I do not at this point regularly take ibuprofen, but when I wake up a couple of nights a week with a lot of knee pain and I have already taken Tylenol, I take two or three ibuprofen. And it works and I can sleep. Inflammation isn't just painful - it's dangerous. It's so unfortunate that a med that can help reduce inflammation carries such danger.
phrog
senior
@Jockette, thanks for the affirmation that it's OK to take the scenic route on this journey. Mine was a TKR and at nine months (in 8 days) I am on a very winding road. I love to hear that you are motivated to get out and do things and are finding that elevating and rest continues to work several months down the road.
jaschembra
post-grad
...there aren't just curves on this scenic route, there are switchbacks! Thank goodness we have some guardrails.
OP
OP
@jaschembra Yes, after the success of Saturday I had one of those switchbacks yesterday. So frustrating.
OP
OP
My knee doesn’t even like knee high stockings. It didn’t even touch the knee. But it was a tad snug at the top of the stocking. After only 5 minutes my knee itself felt like I had something around it with spikes poking into it. 
No discomfort at the site of the top of the stocking, but the knee.
Is it just nerves that are not back to normal? Will they return to normal?
My daughter is getting married next month. In northeast Ohio where it gets very cold. I cannot get pantyhose on, my knee won’t let me, so I figured no one will know I have knee highs under my long (very pretty!) dress. But I may not even be able to wear the knee highs. I will freeze if I have to just wear a sandal type shoe barefoot and bare legs under my thin fabric dress!
No discomfort at the site of the top of the stocking, but the knee.
Is it just nerves that are not back to normal? Will they return to normal?
My daughter is getting married next month. In northeast Ohio where it gets very cold. I cannot get pantyhose on, my knee won’t let me, so I figured no one will know I have knee highs under my long (very pretty!) dress. But I may not even be able to wear the knee highs. I will freeze if I have to just wear a sandal type shoe barefoot and bare legs under my thin fabric dress!
