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MUA My LTKR journey continues to RTKR<

Hi Becticu, I hope your second surgery in a few weeks will be easy on you and that this summer you will be back hiking and doing all the outdoor activities you enjoy. You live in a city that has some great outdoor living. I know because we live in the same town.

It is interesting hearing about the CPM. I was curious about people using them. Apparently my orthopedic doctor does not use them so I have no first hand knowledge. I'm on day 10 after my surgery and doing well. It is hard not to compare my knee to others but I remind myself everyone is different and every knee is different - even on the same patient.

I have to be careful with the pain medication too. I completely understand how it can make you crazy. So you aren't crazy at all - it's not you. Hang in there!
 
You asked about the CPM - my instructions were to use it 6 hours a day. I discovered the first day, I wasn't doing it more than 1 hour a day. It was causing me to swell too much (everything caused me to swell lol). I knew that not even 50% of doctors use them anymore. My hospital didn't keep them because so many doctors don't use the (yet, my mom's hospital had her on it the night of her surgery) and from what I had read here I knew I'd be okay. I had the machine a month, but stopped using it completely after a few weeks. I did always start really low and worked my way up in the digits. It was relaxing for me.

I had several nights when I would wake up with wet jammie tops. My home health PT told me it was most likely the pain meds. I was sure to keep a second top handy for a quick change in the middle of the night!

Hang in there. It only gets better!
 
Hi @Kayte, I was happy when I learned you live in our beautiful city! As you know we have been voted the number one outdoor city in the United States for two years in a row! We are several weeks apart in our recovery but I have lots of questions since we are in the same town, such as doc, hospital and PT. Maybe some could be off line since it's not really recovery related but just interested in as we might even have the same doc. I decided to stop the CPM altogether. Originally the Dr said he doesn't use them and we didn't at all in the hospital but then he ordered one for home. I got up this morning much less stiff than the last two mornings. I also ordered the colpac's they use in therapy and actually like them better than the machine. I get better coverage because the machine doesn't fit correctly. I got two, so one is always ready while using the other one. Take care, I would love to meet you, we could even be neighbors!
 
Hi @jaschembra, thanks for the reply. I believe they had said six hours originally to me as well. I didn't do that early on but felt I needed to make up lost time. Really my mistake because it did more harm than good I believe. I feel much better getting up today without using the machine at all yesterday. I'm not near as stiff as I was. My dr originally said he didn't use them and they didn't at the hospital but then he orderd one for home use, all rather confusing. I spent yesterday icing, elevating and resting and feel like I can face the weekend much better now. I'm through menopause but had been hormones. I was a little nervous about still taking them so I went off them this winter in prep for my upcoming surgery. I couldn't believe I would still have night sweats and hot flashes going on. So between my age and the pain meds I'm really feeling it. I found some natural (black cohosh) supplements that help but I have to go back off them in a few days because my right knee is May 3 and they make you stop taking the supplements early on before surgery. Thanks for the encouragement and have a wonderful Easter weekend!
 
It sounds like getting off of that CPM gave your positive results. Wonderful! I"m so glad to hear it!
 
Hi @sistersinhim, yes, I feel so much better today than the last several. You wouldn't think that motion would make you stiff, but I guess the same principle applies here as when you over do other things. I also am really big on essential oils. My mind has been so foggy with the drugs that I didn't really get back using the oils except for diffusing. Yesterday I started layering Deep Blue, Frankincense and Marjoram all around my knee and down my leg. I am taking care not to actually get it on the incision. All those oils are really good for inflammation so hoping I am on the right path with that as well. I haven't seen posts about essential oil use on here and curious if anyone has used them and what results they had. I hope you have a blessed Easter weekend.
 
The essential oil therapy is something I'm completely ignorant about. Let us know how they do. You are right about being very careful to not let the oils anywhere near your incision. That is extremely important!
 
It sounds like your getting good results with the mantras. It is so hard to do less when we're type A RNs! I believe less is best in this recovery. I also found drinking lots of fluids helped probably because I had to get up and go every two hours during the day! Those little walks around the house are healing! I hope the path continue to improve for you and you have a beautiful Easter. Don't over do it!
 
I wanted to see if anyone has had issues with varicose veins with their knee replacements? I had more spide veins with a few mild varicose. I believe the pain from the veins bothers me more than the knee. Standing in one place is tortuous. I guess it is from the tourniquet. I'm dreading the right knee on May 3 because of the veins. I'm pretty faithful with the ted hose but it is difficult as summer approaches because you can't have them hang out of Capri's or skirts. I feel like when this is over I will have to have something done to my veins! Any suggestions? Thanks everyone.

As a side note, I did not have pain from my veins before surgery. Now even my right leg, which is not the surgical knee hurts from the veins. It's hard to discribe that feeling. It is a real heavy, achy congested feeling.
 
becticu said:
Standing in one place is tortuous. I guess it is from the tourniquet.
Click to expand...
Most of us find that it takes a long while into our recovery before we can stand still without pain. It's not necessarily from the tourniquet, but seems to be just a normal part of recovery.
 
@Celle, thanks for your quick response. Years ago after I had my babies I had some veins that were very painful. It made the whole leg ache. I had them fixed and have never had pain from veins again, although I had developed some minor new ones. I thought my problem feeling all the heaviness might be from veins since that is how it felt before. So a person without varicose veins has that feeling of heaviness in the legs and problems standing still after their replacement? That is good to know, I thought maybe it was my veins. I actually have minor pain in the actual knee right now (unless some tries to make it flex when it doesn't want to...), it's all over leg pain that is more troubling now. Also do you have any knowledge or experience using essential oils with TKR? I've been exploring some use of oils for inflammation. I am careful to not use them near the incision. Thanks much.
 
I don't know anything about essential oils, but I understand that @PolarBear60 uses them. She may be able to advise you.
 
I'll ask my daughter about essential oils. She know a bit about that stuff. I just know that some of them smell really good. That's the extent of my knowledge. :smile2:
 
Thanks @KarriB, when does that feeling go away? I have 12 weeks off work which I thought was plenty but that will only be 6 weeks post second knee. I'm a little concerned already that might not be enough after the second. I just need to let my mind quit racing ahead and take this one day at a time. I'm trying to make my type A personality go away, it's not working!

Thanks Celle I will contact Polarbear60 and see what she might share.

Thanks Kayte, I'm not sure what brand your daughter uses but I use DōTERRA. A lot are very similar.

@PolarBear60, Celle said you use essential oils. I love my oils and have been trying to make a blend for inflammation and or stiffness. Did you use oils when you had a replacement? Thanks for any advice or knowledge.
 
I'm afraid 6 weeks post op for the second knee isn't going to be enough time. I went back part time at 12 weeks and spent the afternoons resting/icing/elevating. It's also possible the energy drain will be worse because you'll still have the hangover drain from the first knee. Every knee is different, so maybe it'll be ok, but it'll be your right knee which means driving will be difficult. What type of work do you do? When are you having the right knee done?
 
I also have varicose veins and I don't think the heaviness is from them as that feeling dissipated as the swelling went down. I hope you won't have to deal with the veins in the future.
 
I don't have varicose veins, but my knee felt like it weighted a ton! As the leg gets stronger and the swelling goes down that feeling will get better. My leg and knee feel normal now!
 
I've seen a big difference in the pain levels when standing between week 10 & 11. I can now do quite a bit more standing before I have to take a break, not gone completely but a lot more bearable
 
Thanks everyone for all the responses about varicose veins. What is so strange is that on Friday and Saturday I was so uncomfortable with that heavy feeling,etc. I wasn't bothered with it at all yesterday. I've de used this knee has a temper of its own and I will never know from day to day. I don't think it was activity level as it was about the same. I appreciate all the encouragement I get here!

@KarriB you asked about my second knee. I am having it done May 3. My concern about going back to work is I don't have a "normal" job. I am a RN but I don't do bedside nursing. I am a clinical specialist for a large company that has a healthcare division. I teach cardiac monitoring in hospitals that purchase our cardiac monitors. I am in all departments of a hospital, anywhere where a patient is connected to a monitor or telemetry. I have a territory that I cover and I drive a lot. My furthest hospital is about 4 hours away and I am in a hotel usually 2 nights a week. Some weeks none and some weeks more. So I have a lot of travel, a lot of walking through very large hospitals and a lot of lugging luggage and monitors around. It is usually a different hospital each week. I am on my feel constantly in the hospital. I do have some office days at home as well. See why it scares me to think about going back? I think 12 weeks for one knee doing what I do might have worked but since I am having the second knee done it will only be 6 weeks after that one. I have a lot of short term disability (26) weeks but not sure how all that works. Everyone talks about that 12 week FMLA that protects your job. I don't think my my job would be in jeopardy if I took more time but again, not sure how all that works. I am hoping that maybe I could go back part time to start with and just do account management from my home office instead of teaching in all the hospitals. I found going full force with an extremely busy schedule like that to the immediate stop of a knee replacement has also been difficult! I worked right up to the day before surgery. I was so excited about all the time off and home but find I don't feel well enough to do all the things I thought I would do! I have a hard time concentrating to even read a book. I am at the point now where I feel clearer but I'm getting ready to start all over. I am learning to use this time to rest, stop my type A personality and trust in the One that has all this in control because I found out quickly that I have no control! I wish I had found this site before my surgery, it would have been so helpful! Sorry I wrote an epistle!
 
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