TKR Need to vent, need help, don't know where to turn

[jarabas]

Hi Xena5380,
Hang in there. Your range of motion is so good! Congratulations.

What you are going through with the pharmacies is just so wrong. How can people who are supposed to be in a caring profession be so rude and unsympathetic?
I can understand your need to vent to people who know what you are going through.

I think that Xena is right--that the best thing people here can do is encourage you to rest and elevate and ice.
The only time I did the pt exercises is when the therapist came to my house. I never did them in between her visits. My rom at 3.5 weeks is 125 and -5. The more the swelling goes down the more use I get out of my new knee.
I am spending about 50 minutes out of every hour on my back with my ice bags and my leg up on my pillows. I'm starting to forget to take my pain meds. The first 2 weeks were hell, but I am feeling really pretty good now. I hope you will be able to give yourself some rest time now so you can get some relief.

 

[newlybionic]

Feel free to vent when you need to. We are all here for you. It will get better.

 

[xena5380]

Thank you BikeSouth. I am not one to call a lawyer either. And the CPM machine therapist ideal I did speak with the dr last week at my follow up and we both agreed I did not really need it. I am gonna have to speak with my dr a little more about it this week as I feel I just need more time to heal and rest. Bless each of you and thank you for you replies

 

[Celle]

Of course you need more time to heal. Recovery from a TKR takes a long time - as long as a full year before all healing is complete.

At 125 degrees, your flexion is good. You don't need to keep going to PT. You can do exercises gently at home to help with the extension. Extension: exercises for improvement
Choose one or two exercises that you like and only do them to the point of discomfort, never pain.

 

[Jamie]

You are correct that you're doing too much and that no doubt is causing at least some of your pain. I know it seems like you should be back to normal soon, but recovery from a knee replacement takes months. I strongly suggest that you reconsider taking care of a two-year-old toddler right now. This is a time you need to be resting and healing. It's just not possible when you have to be 100% "on" to safeguard a small child.

Try icing your knee more. Forty-five minutes isn't really enough. With my knees, I iced almost constantly throughout the day....any time I was not sitting in a chair. And I used ice packs on the front and back of my knee at night when I slept. Try a little more ice in addition to slowing down your activity for at least another couple of weeks. When you do start to resume more normal activity, go slow and don't try too much at once.

 

[analysta]

My one and only suggestion is to keep your meds on you all the time, not where somebody can get at them. Sounds like you are surrounded by untrustworthy people so make it hard for them.

Do you have a caseworker, i.e. a social worker? If you are getting food stamps you probably do. Perhaps they can help with other things, i.e. getting the pharmacy to cooperate. The suggestion about using the pharmacy that is attached to the doctor's office or hospital is a good one. Get the prescription filled as soon as you go to pick it up.

Good luck and God bless.

 

[xena5380]

I am not alone taking care of my grand daughter at all. They actually live in the home with me so that is not possible to avoid her that much she loves her Nana and think she has too snuggle he nana at night and waking up in the morning. I would love to stop therapy and do it on my own but my doctor would be upset and he is a great Dr that I want to do any follow up surgeries or when my other knee needs replaced I don't want him thinking I don't follow orders. And yes I only keep a couple pills on me at anytime and I have a large safe that was gotten for me to lock up my meds and money etc..... Well thanks again for the advise. I know I have a long long way to go and I am committed to healthy healing and no pain.

 

[analysta]

You're about at the point now where you will start noticing improvement --- the first three weeks are the most discouraging. In my experience anyway.

 

[Glamg1979]

Vent away @xena5380 , we are here to encourage you virtually. Helps to know you are not alone.
My blood boils when I read about how pharmacies are treating you. I live in FL and it is very difficult here to fill pain med prescriptions. I am a chronic pain patient and have been on hydrocodone for years and only take as needed. The stress of being judged by drs, pharmacy techs etc. I am so stressed whenever I take a script in I will be denied or worse my Dr. will stop prescribing. Fortunately I am a patient at Mayo Clinic and they diagnosed and treat my fibromyalgia and staff there are so well educated on it that when I had my surgery they were wonderful about pain control.
When the DEA stuck their nose into all of this it has become extremely difficult for people with cancer even to get their pain meds. Making a judgment that because you are 38 you "should" not be in pain is just absurd. You have gotten a lot of good advice and you are getting assistance. Would FEMA be of any financial help?
Best of luck to you and don't lose the faith.

 

[xena5380]

Thank you so so much Glamg1979. I truly feel so much better being able too vent and know I am not alone. I am trying to contact FEMA again and see if they will help any. My faith is strong even though its tested often but if it wasn't for god I would not be here fighting. Sometimes I feel like given up and sometimes I might try too give up but I vent and pray and move on. God bless each of you. Be blessed