TKR My TKR Was Worth It!

[kiwicurls]

Thanks, glidefloss, the pain is not too bad. Just beginning day 5 post op, I have slept well and it’s 5am here. Just waiting for tapentadol to kick in and hopefully can sleep some more.
I’ve never heard of a “ pain ball”. What is it?
I do have a clicking feel behind knee when I walk but it seems to be quite common, from my reading?
So nice to have support in this journey. Wish I’d had it for my foot reconstruction which was much, much worse than this. ( Not that this is a walk in the park, but had both feet done at once and it was ridiculously difficult to recover,)

 

[glidefloss]

Hi @kiwicurls , a ball with a local anesthetic is attached to my thigh via a catheter and it feeds a steady drip of it via a controller and tubing (kinda like an IV). It has numbed my lower thigh and lower leg and the skin around the knee. I'd have hoped that it'd numb the knee itself but it doesn't seem to. It'll run out in 2-3 days.

I had it too for my right knee and both the tubing and the ball were a real nuisance. This time around I have it slung across my shoulder, so it's a lesson a hassle. Am not really sure if it helps (with my right knee, I didn't think it did) but it's there.

Yesterday I had a bit of clicking on the back of the knee. Today it's gone but I'm sure it'll come back again soon. All the components are still adjusting to each other, so I'm not surprised.

All the best!

 

[kiwicurls]

Glidefloss, that was very interesting! I think they do things differently in Australia ( or in Sydney anyway).
How far post op are you? I don’t know if I am talking to people in the April group or not?
I had a robotic surgery and am interested to hear if that is common worlwide now.
My pain is behind the knee, nowhere else. I think it’s the gross swelling, even though I ice it frequently.
Have a great day.

 

[CricketHip]

If you are worried about the swelling and want to try and help it a bit, I can leave you some Lymphatic Drainage Techniques to try. They are very light/gentle and can be very helpful, the swelling will return but just keep doing the MLD routine and it keeps some of the inflammation from sitting stagnant in your new knee.

****
Take deep breaths.. deep, as in breathing in to a count of 3 or 4, whatever is best for you. hold it for another count of 3-4, then blow out completely, still using the count that's comfortable for you. A series of at least 6 of these could help get your excess swelling to move. To ensure you are taking proper deep breaths, place your hand on your naval and watch while taking in your breath, if doing this properly you should see your hand move up.

Then, as you slowly breath out, to the same count of either 3, 4 or 5 gently press down and slightly upwards with the palm of your hand.
Do this whenever you feel up to it during the day or night. The more supine that you can get in the recliner or bed, the more effective this can be.. you have lymph nodes located in your groin and sitting up too much can cause a restriction of the lymph flow.

You can, after the breathing, place your hands lightly on your upper thigh, right where the crease is in your groin and lightly stroke upwards towards your naval. For your knee, reach down and begin closer to the top of your knee.
I did this quite a bit post op and while it takes a while for the body to wake up and respond, it will and it will help get things moving.
The reason this can help is because our lymphatic system doesn't use our cardiovascular system to help lymph fluids move.. no assistance from the heart pumping. Our breathing and our physical (muscular) movements keep it flowing.
****

 

[glidefloss]

Glidefloss, that was very interesting! I think they do things differently in Australia ( or in Sydney anyway).
How far post op are you? I don’t know if I am talking to people in the April group or not?
I had a robotic surgery and am interested to hear if that is common worlwide now.
My pain is behind the knee, nowhere else. I think it’s the gross swelling, even though I ice it frequently.
Have a great day.

Hi @kiwicurls , I'm on my 2nd day post-op. The first day was sort of a downer due to pain and an unstable leg. At 8pm I broke down and took a Tramadol and that allowed me to get ahead of the pain curve. I'm now down to 1 Tylenol and 1 Advil every three hours but know that I have the big "T" waiting just in case.

The pain ball will be kaput by early morning and I'll be glad to be rid of it. I'll be able to shower then

I had robotic assisted surgery as well (Mako) but if you read up on it, it just handles a fraction of what the surgeon has to do. I'm very lucky to have a great one!

I've found elevating and massaging works for me tons better than icing. Swelling this time compared to my right knee (soon to be19 weeks post-op) are a world apart.

All the best ... Power on!!

 

[kiwicurls]

Thanks again to everyone who has offered suggestions. Will certainly try the massage. It’s not easy for me to lie flat as I have a hiatus hernia.
Happy Easter and best wishes everyone for a less painful day ahead.

 

[kiwicurls]

Re sleeping: I can sleep on my operated side but not on the other side or on my back.
Am I alone in this? From what I read, I am the exception rather than the norm in this. Strange.
All of the pain is still behind the knee.
I have the staples removed tomorrow at the hospital. 7 days post op seems very early for this but apparently my surgeon says it’s fine and results in much kess scarring. We shall see.

 

[kiwicurls]

That should be less scarring. Apologies for any typos… brain scrambled just niw.

 

[Jockette]

Are you icing the back of your knee? That might help.

I still can’t sleep on my side, and my surgery was 5 years ago! I’ve come to be really comfortable sleeping on my back with my legs elevated.

 

[kiwicurls]

Hi Jockette. Yes I am icing behind the knee.
Have you asked your surgeon why you cannot sleep on your side?

 

[Jockette]

No, I have not asked my surgeon. We did not end on good terms at my one year check up and I’m fine with sleeping on my back. I actually sleep better this way. As a side sleeper I woke up a lot during the night. That doesn't happen anymore.

 

[kiwicurls]

Some surgeons can be difficult to get on with. As a nurse, I know this only too well. I intend to phone mine this week as after a nosebleed I realised he had me on voltaren plus a blood thinner. I wonder sometimes about their pharmaceutical knowledge. He also put me on iron tablets even though I cannot tolerate oral iron. Having an iron deficiency, I have intravenous iron every now and then when needed. Levels were fine pre op.

 

[glidefloss]

Hi @kiwicurls , sounds like your surgeon is a bit "sloppy" with meds/supplements! That said, I don't really know who (in my case) does the prescribing of pain and other meds for post-surgical use - whether that's the surgeon's job or someone else on the "team"'s job.

All the best on your recovery!!

 

[kiwicurls]

Thanks, glidefloss. Hope you’re feeling better now
Re meds: you could be right, perhaps it was another person on the team prescribing but they should look at our medical history first.
Had a sleepless night, hip and back aching but I suppose it’s to be expected. Not used to so much sitting around.
It will be interesting to see the suture line this morning when they remove the staples.
All the best!

 

[kiwicurls]

I am not a wimp.
I get cluster headache, the worst pain known to man.
But the removal of 40 staples this morning?
Absolutely horrendous.
Never again.

 

[Jockette]

I’m sorry your staple removal didn’t go well. The person who did it obviously wasn’t the right person for the job.

 

[kiwicurls]

Thanks. She was a student and because I was a nurse educator myself, I let her do it. They have to learn but it took her an hour! Also, the incision only being a week old, I think it was more painful.
Cheering myself up with some delicious sushi now. Gotta have a treat!

 

[FourCats]

Ouch. One week seems early and the skin is still so tender. You were very generous allowing a student to do it but remember now you are the patient, not the educator! During this time, put YOU first!

 

[kiwicurls]

Thanks FourCats, you are right. But I know how difficult it is for the students, getting the opportunity to do things. Back in the olden days I trained in the hospital and it was much easier. I will put myself first from now on, though, as this morning’s experience was very unpleasant.

 

[glidefloss]

Thanks. She was a student and because I was a nurse educator myself, I let her do it. They have to learn but it took her an hour! Also, the incision only being a week old, I think it was more painful.
Cheering myself up with some delicious sushi now. Gotta have a treat!

Hi @kiwicurls , hats off to you for being the educator/"victim"! Im impressed at how you put up with the pain for so long. Hopefully the student learned a lot and was appreciative of the opportunity you provided her! Whew!! You earned your sushi alright!!

I'm lucky in that my incision was closed with self dissolving sutures. The entire area is enclosed in a waterproof aqualcel bandage that stays on for several days. With my right knee, it stayed on till my post-op with the surgeon, 16 days hence. It kept the wound nice and dry and clear of anything outside its world ... But it also caused a lot of itching around it, some sort of contact allergy which, thankfully, was relieved by topical cortisone cream.

I hope all else is going well with your recovery!! All the best!