PKR My Drama Queen Patellofemoral Knee

[Jockette]

@Ceegee Thank you for your encouraging and understanding words.

It’s amazing how many “miraculous” recoveries are out there that we are told about.

And if we don’t meet the expectations of people who are watching us, then “we must not be doing our exercises because so and so didn’t do theirs and now they can hardly walk” People seem to all know at least one miraculous and one really bad recovery.

In all the ways this has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, the comments from others have been the biggest shock and the most difficult to handle, and like you, those comments make me angry, and I’m normally a nice, sweet person.

 

[Jockette]

You are helping others decide on sensible ways to help their own recoveries.

It’s easier to help people here on Bonesmart than to offer people outside of Bonesmart a gentler and more sensible approach, even ones who admit they don’t like the pain of their PT. They just won’t accept that there’s another way.

I have met 2 people in my community recently heading for knee replacement. I gave them information on Bonesmart and suggested they look at it for information. I hope they look us up.

 

[sistersinhim]

It is so hard to change peoples' minds when they have heard for years that they have to do their exercises. I proved to myself way back in the 80s when I first started having knee surgeries that PT was unnecessary for complete recovery. If I hadn't had this personal experience, I might have believed that aggressive PT was necessary, also.

 

[Jockette]

@Shanari
After my drastic vision change overnight after surgery I found this link in my google search for an answer.

I don’t know the name of the patch I had to prevent nausea, but I did have a patch behind my left ear, just before surgery. It worked well. No one ever mentioned it again, and some time the day after surgery I took it off (it was like a little round bandaid) and just put it on my tray with other trash. I wonder if this is my answer. I did ask Josephine about it but she never heard of that drug causing permanent vision change.

In the link, look at the woman’s post who had foot surgery. Even the eye dr I went to 6 weeks after surgery knew nothing about it.

https://www.drugs.com/answers/does-anyone-feel-they-have-permanent-vision-loss-306475.html

 

[Jockette]

Here are 2 other things I found. I seriously think I reacted to the patch I had.

Side effects of Scopalomine:
“Temporary increase in the size of your pupil and blurry vision, especially if Transderm Scop® comes in contact with your eyes”
https://transdermscop.com/transderm-scop-patient-information.htm

Scopolamine can dilate your pupils
https://www.drugs.com/mtm/scopolamine.html

I had another link with better information but I can’t find it now.

 

[Jockette]

I don’t believe the theory that I’m at the age where my eyes will change and I’ll need reading glasses, since the change was drastic and overnight. Coinciding with major surgery on the same day.

 

[Mutti3]

I will my 2 cents in this discussion. Had vision changes after knee replacement. I didn’t have a patch behind my ear. Had the usual post operative pain medication. Vision dropped to 20/70 with corrective glasses. I think there are unexplained cause and effect like decreased vision after surgery .

I have another vision story, I had a baby later in life. When I came home from the hospital, I couldn’t read the directions on the can how to mix the formula. When to an eye dr, was told I needed bifocals! I was NOT getting bifocals and gave birth the same year!

 

[Jockette]

I think there are unexplained cause and effect like decreased vision after surgery .

I agree. Though we try hard to figure it out we get to a point where we just have to accept it and move on.

So did you get the bifocals after you had the baby? How old were you? I do remember you mentioning this but I can’t rember all the details.

 

[Mutti3]

I was 39years old when my daughter was born. I finally got bifocals at around 42. Been nearsighted since I was 8 years old.

 

[sistersinhim]

Very interesting, Jockette. I have had the patch many times, because GA makes me extremely sick for days. They would even put more than one on me to take and stop the vomiting. That might explain my eye problems. Thank God for Zofran now!

 

[Jockette]

I get so sad I’m not further along and best myself up - then it gets reinforced when someone at physio that’s 4wks out comments or zips by me.

I can relate to this. I don’t have the history you have, but my recovery has been very slow. Members have come after me with their TKRs and pass me by and go on to full recovery and here I am, always left behind, still trying to be positive.

I live in a 55 community and there have been lots of TKRs before me and several since. None of them have had the slow experience I have. It’s very discouraging.

 

[traceys]

@Jockette @Teecup

I propose we start a Turtle Club!
For anyone who feels like this little guy!
You both have been invaluable tonight sharing your story. I’m home alone for the weekend and knee is very grumpy and tight and swollen today so I was getting down.

Thanks - I needed that

 

[Jockette]

My knee is unhappy tonight also. I tried laying on my right side earlier (replacement is on the left) and it’s been feeling out of joint since.

 

[traceys]

Hands @Jockette an eggnog and cookie

 

[Shanari]

I like the notion of a turtle's club.
RE: eyes, I'm going to try to get by with just inexpensive cheaters rather than shelling out on a pair in a decent frame, just as long as I can, in hopes that my eyes will improve eventually, the longer I get out from dilaudid and the heavy-hitters last week in the hospital. Denial is a powerful thing!

 

[Jockette]

I was on Dilaudid for 10 days and quit cold turkey. I had tramadol the next day for one day and then stopped all prescription pain medication hoping my eyes would go back to their normal. They did not.

I probably shouldn’t have stopped cold turkey but I was upset, not thinking clearly, absolutely shocked by this recovery and just said, enough! Thankfully no major withdrawal symptoms, just one emotional melt down, about having invited this traumatic thing to happen to my body. My poor husband. All he could do was hug me and tell me, we’ll get through this. (He told me that many times in my recovery!)

 

[sistersinhim]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...you are so blessed to have a husband like that!

 

[Celle]

I propose we start a Turtle Club!
For anyone who feels like this little guy!

I like the notion of a turtle's club.

But you're both forgetting that you're still early in a recovery that takes a full year.
You're having relatively normal recoveries, even though they try your patience a lot.

 

[Cementless]

I understand the notion of a turtle club. I'm almost at 9 weeks and starting to feel impatient with the healing process. Although I am having the normal stiffness, limping, soreness, clunking....I am doing quite well. I have not been exercising except, ADL, sitting at my desk top computer (which makes me bend my knee), walking about when shopping, etc.
I notice at night when I sleep, my knee bends when I kinda get into the fetal position. Then it gets stiff because of that position, so I take my Tramadol 50 or 25 plus 2 ES Tylenol. I find it easier to take the meds than to be in discomfort. I am ahead of this recovery compared to my original LTKR.

 

[Jockette]

I am ahead of this recovery compared to my original LTKR.

That’s is definitely what we want when recovering from a revision! I’m glad you’re doing well. I was actually thinking about you yesterday, that we hadn’t heard from you and I figured it was because you were doing well. :santaclap: