TKR My Journey as of 12/16/13 - Over 1 Year and Still Trying

[DogLoverx3]

@TexasTee , you will be going into your surgery in such good shape and with such a plethora of knowledge about everything that I am certain you will be one of the stars of recovery. I highly doubt you will sit around and get fat. You probably won't even feel like eating much the 1st couple of weeks anyway (protein, protein, protein - very Paleo friendly ;-)). I never fully realized how intertwined the knee is with just about everything in your body. Even sleeping on one side vs the other was an issue at the beginning (oddly, I could only sleep on my surgical side - otherwise it just felt like my knee was completely unsupported even though I would have it on a pillow). Don't worry though, we'll all be here to keep you in check ;-)

@dogwheels , I mean to ask if your memory has improved the further out from surgery you get? Mine hasn't. I may just have early onset senility, but I had hoped that my memory (which was fairly stellar before my TKR) would come back and it just hasn't. Boo. Sorry about the humidity and fog today. Hopefully Captain won't be too grumpy (nor will your knee). Hahaha about your daughter's seemingly daft BF. Kinda fitting though that his posterior was on the 'back passage' wall. Guess he wanted to leave a little bit of himself to remind your daughter of him once she kicks him to the curb.

@Ellejay , thanks for posting all the pics from your trip! Glad you'll be seeing your surgeon soon. I know you're disappointed that you didn't get to run around and explore this holiday, but honestly, sitting, reading, drinking good wine and enjoying great views and food sounds totally like MY kind of holiday!

@yiayia3 , I love the pics that you've posted as well! Jealous that everyone is on these lovely holidays!

@Nana moon 27 , you will absolutely be in my thoughts on Monday! I'm so very excited for you! I am very hopeful that this surgery will do the trick and finally put you on the road to recovery!!! xoxoxo

So, as for me, Dick and Jane (those little people) are still acting up and last night the sharp pain on the very inside of my knee right where it bends was BAD, but I had decided 2 days ago that today would be the day that I took all 3 of my pups for a walk. Solo! And I did! It wasn't long or pretty, but I did it. Bean, the devil's spawn on a leash, certainly tried his best to ruin it all by pulling too much and being a spaz, but we managed about 4 blocks in all (maybe a bit less). I'm quite certain my neighbors think I'm nuts seeing me hobble down the street with my pockets shoved full of poop bags and muttering 'please don't trip me' over and over, but who cares. As it's finally cool enough again 1st thing in the morning for walks I will try (depending on what Dick and Jane have to say later today) to take them on walks every other day. I know, sounds so very lame that at 10 months out from surgery I'm excited about taking my 3 dogs for a very short walk, but whatever. I'll take the small victories.

Oh, and yes, I'm STILL putting on cabinet and drawer pulls. You'd think my kitchen was huge. I assure you; it's not. So weird that even leaning on the drill for leverage or sitting on the floor and pushing can affect my knee so much, but it does so I only do a few cabinets at a time (and then inevitably wander off to forget what else I was meaning to do)

@hopefaith , @71Beetle , @susanne , @Chihuahuan , @Pumpkln , @Jozilla and all else I've forgotten to tag, I hope you're all well!

Happy Saturday all! xoxoxoxo

 

[yiayia3]

@doglover3 wish you could jump on a plane and join us we would love to look after you for a few weeks xx

 

[DogLoverx3]

I wish that too @yiayia3 !!

Looks like I patted myself on the back too soon. After the dog walk, a quick trip to,Costco and some cooking, I am left with a very stiff, swollen and unbending knee. Boo. Annoying that the simplest of things still challenge me :(

 

[TexasTee]

I'm sorry for the consequences but I'm sure you and your pups were thrilled with the brief glimpse of the real life back! I would blame the Gaba for the current brain fog - it does work by interrupting the signals from your brain after all. Have you rethought adding back celebrex? seems to have few complications and isn't narcotic..

Thanks for the straight talk - I just have too much time on my hands to plan, I think. I'm probably in better shape now than I was when I was 20 so I know I'll be able to regain whatever strength I lose during recovery.

 

[Chihuahuan]

@DogLoverx3 Hope all goes well with your pup on Monday --mine has been a real terror since her non-spay and teeth cleaning

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @DogLoverx3 I hope that yr pup has a successful operation and recovery x x x I will think of him as I go in on Monday. Well done for talking all three for a walk, you are so brave. I bet that they enjoyed that. I'm very tired and I'll catch up properly in the morning x x x x
Love Nana moon 27 xxxx big hugs xox

 

[hopefaith]

@DogLoverx3 I get it. I walk my dog some and my knee swells. When will the simplest of things get routine and easier?

 

[Jozilla]

@DogLoverx3 much love and prayers that all goes well for your puppy tomorrow. My house is so lonely without a dog - I miss that terribly and maybe when I am strong enough I can think if getting another! Let us know how everything goes!

 

[yiayia3]

Good luck with your pup tomorrow @doglover3,there are so many wild hungry cats here in Spain breaks my heart

 

[dogwheels]

Hope all goes well for your pup tomorrow. Be thinking of you both.
Here is a card especially for him

XXXX

 

[cjf1222]

Hope the pup does well. Dogs are a wonder! You're very brave to walk all three and still remain upright. The gabapentin could make things a bit foggy.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Thinking of you x x x xoxox xxxx Good luck to the pup x x x x

 

[DogLoverx3]

Thanks all for the good wishes for my pup tomorrow. I drop him off between 6:30-7am. All the boys got scrambled eggs for dinner tonight (as I was too lazy to drive to McDonald's for the usual 'special occasion' cheeseburgers) ;-)

By the time I wake up in the morning, @Nana moon 27 , you will hopefully be out of surgery and well on your way to a bright recovery! You're in my thoughts ... xoxoxoxoxo

 

[susanne]

Hi@doglover been so busy with work and running to bf that I haven't been reading any threads so I'm popping in on yours. Jeez what have you been doing I don't understand about your knee. Since being back at work after 8 months my knee is not too happy. Sitting and hobbling after all these 3-4 yr old special needs kids is too much for my old replaced body parts
My knee hurts a little on outer side and I still have no feeling. Don't even feel what I'm scratching but I do anyway.
Hope everything gets better. I'm so impressed with you getting on floor to screw your knobs
I tried getting on floor searching for bfs hidden money cache and couldn't get back up. It's such a weird feeling to bend knee on floor. Plus in the classroom I was in was a 60lb 3 yr old think baby Huey for those of you old enough. So thus massive teletubby must have smashed himself into my knee at least 10 times today. He's like the old pin ball machine games bonk bonk bonk
So tired
Love to all. Feel good etc

Picture from fire island

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[DogLoverx3]

Hi All! I felt silly posting about my pup with @Nana moon 27 having her surgery today and still waiting to hear on how @Celle was, but now they've both posted (and hopefully both well on their way to recovery!)....TJ did fine in his surgery. Had to have 2 teeth pulled. My vet is awesome, he was texting me updates throughout the day, and surgery, to let me know how Teej was doing. He's home now (TJ, not my vet ;-)) and resting. He's in pain, so I'm sharing my Tramadol with him. So odd that dogs can take people meds!

My knee has hurt today more than it has in a long while, so not happy about that. I need to be more dilligent on my Tylenol and consider putting Celebrex back into the mix (I got a new card in the mail today so the prescriptions will only cost me $4 now instead of $15 - which would have been over $200 without the discount card).

@Josephine, might I ask you if you have any guesses as to what could be going on with my knee? Aside from the 'normal' TKR pain and swelling/'full feeling', for months I have had very bad/sharp pains on the inside of my knee right where it bends. It wouldn't show on your pain chart as it's directly on the side. Almost always when weight bearing, but sometimes lingers when I'm off my feet as well. None of my pain meds help with this specific pain. I've always felt that my implant was a bit too large for my knee or a little off kilter, but all x rays show that the implant is fine apparently. Just curious to know if you have any guesses for me Thanks so much! Oh, and I love your new avatar picture. Soooo cute!

Hope everyone is well! xoxoxoxo

 

[dogwheels]

Hi @DogLoverx3 - so glad that TJ is doing fine on the Tramadol and the dental surgery went well. It may hurt a bit now but I expect his mouth will feel a whole lot better very soon

.


Sorry Dick is being Dick like.
Hopefully NM27's sorted now and will recover properly - I just wish somebody could throw some light on what is happening to cause you this continued pain.
Anyway - beautiful Autumn day here and I have 3 cute foxes (the new batch from this year) playing tag in the garden.
Take care and talk soon

XXX

 

[Ellejay]

So glad pup is ok, don't let him use all your Tramadol, you might need it! Let's hope that 22nd is a good day for surgery, and that @Nanamoon will be perfectly ok now as well.


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[TexasTee]

Glad to hear that TJ did well!

I'd definitely try adding back in the Celebrex - I've been reading threads again and people have had great results using Celebrex and Tylenol without narc's to mess with your brain. Hopefully Josephine will swing by with some ideas as to why it's so painful so far out.

 

[Josephine]

for months I have had very bad/sharp pains on the inside of my knee right where it bends. It wouldn't show on your pain chart as it's directly on the side.

Yes you can, just indicate the square on the side of the knee!

I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels with this?

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that)

Note:
If you're not familiar with this, it goes like so:
1 lift of a 500kg bell bar = 1 rep or repetition.
Doing 5 reps and then a brief rest = 1 set of 5.
And doing 5 sets and finishing = a session.

 

[DogLoverx3]

HI @Josephine, thanks so much for dropping by. I feel like a doof for asking for your help this far out from surgery when there are so many others fresh out of surgery that need your help.

The pain is pretty much where C & D meet on RF2. It's a very centralized area; I can pinpoint it with my finger and it seems to be almost directly center when I bend my knee about an inch or two from the top of my implant. I can feel where my implant sort of drops off to the side and it's directly under that point.

1. what are your pain levels with this? My pain levels will vary anywhere from 2 to 6 and I haven't figured out what exactly prompts the worse pain as it can happen 1st thing in the morning as well as after a long day

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often? As I'm almost 10 months out, my pain meds have changed. Most recently I was on Gabapentin 300mg x 3/day, Celebrex 500mg x 2/day as well as Tramadol and/or Tylenol as needed. None of these effectively touched this specific pain and as all the meds were beginning to throw off my equilibrium and cognitive functions, I stopped them all a week ago. Yes, I know, not the brightest of things to do. The specific pain I'm asking about hasn't changed though, it was just the same while taking everything.

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long? I no longer ice my knee as it became painful to do several months ago (i've tested it again and it still hurts to do)

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long? I do elevate my leg whenever I can and yes, it's toes above nose. Probably an hour or two a day on most days. Longer on days that I am not working.

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness). I haven't been properly measured in months since I stopped PT but it was 140/-3 a while ago. I may actually be losing my ROM as it just seems like my leg won't bend as far as it used to.

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and. My activity level is probably medium. I live alone, so I cook and shop always. Not the best housekeeper. No stairs in my house aside from the sunken living room (1 mini step down and then back up). I do have a physical job in that I cater, but I only work a few days a week and only a few hours at a time. I do not go to the gym anymore or even take my dogs on walks as it hurts too much. No walks around the block or hikes or anything like that.

7. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that) None.

I have had issues with pain and swelling since the beginning. Odd thing is, although all of my swelling is on the lateral side of my knee, but all of the pain is on the medial side. I also have bone pain in my Tibia (I assume right where the bone was cut) right below the implant and about an inch to the medial side.

My knee has never NOT been swollen or 'heavy/full' feeling. It's always looked unusual when bent (sort of mongoloid-ish) and it's so much bigger than my other knee (the implant itself, not just the swelling). I've wondered if I have an 'overstuffed' knee or if something is a bit off kilter. The surgical notes I have from the procedure don't really say much of anything.

I was fitted for a hinged brace with metal pieces down the side that I wrap around my knee a couple weeks ago. It feels as if it's pushing my knee to the outside and although it doesn't hurt when I wear it, my knee hurts like the dickens when I take it off. Needless to say, I will not be wearing it again. I've been to 2 different Othopedic Surgeons, had x rays and a CT scan. They say nothing is wrong and have referred me to pain specialists. I am not interested in covering up the pain, but rather figuring out what is causing the pain this far out and fixing it. My quality of life is less now than it was pre operatively and I seem to be the only one interested in pinpointing and fixing the issue.

I know I am up and about a lot but from reading all that others do, much earlier on, I don't think I do half of what they do. Sorry for the ramble, I'm just frustrated beyond belief at this point and not sure what to do. Thanks for any advice/suggestions you can offer.