OP
OP
Old Texan
member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2014
- Messages
- 199
- Gender
- Female
- Country
United States
Slept most of the night last night without the hydrocodone! (Got up to go to BR twice, I think). Still spending time elevating and icing, but walking around the apartment complex (I have a little square around the swimming pool, and another larger square around the 4 buildings that make up my little block, so I can just go home if I start to hurt). Learning that I don't have to avoid activities that I avoided before surgery because EVERYTHING was just so painful. Trying to balance rest, elevate, ice with gaining strength and endurance. Walk around house without cane most of the time -and beginning to walk less like a penguin. (But I have to really take my time and think-stride, heel, toe, etc.). Getting back into the routine of cleaning my own house (I don't have the housecleaners scheduled to return and will see how that goes!). Leg is moving better and I am beginning to be able to move it toward crossing at the knee. I am trying to get back to a normal level of activity before I return to work, but also trying to remember to take time to rest and heal-I do have some time to allow. It will not be a disaster if I can't return to work to full status the week after next. 
. I am ready. Will need to keep up with wound care because I have two places along incision line that don't want to heal, but no infection and they look like they are resolving. I am so glad that I had this surgery. Finally sleeping through the night -added Melatonin, then watch old Miss Marple movies -I get through about 30 minutes of those and am ready to doze right off! Haven't needed the hydrocodone for over a week now. I can see being able to stop the Tramadol soon -I am only taking twice a day now and forget about it in between times (I have set up med minders for morning and night). Taking Neurontin-mostly to help with pain in opposite hip -which will need to be replaced eventually. I can't believe that I finally found something to help with the hip pain. Still need to work on gait -I walk fine with the cane, but still very much like a toddler without it. I hope to continue to improve, but I am already to do so much more than I could before surgery. I am so grateful for this forum -it has helped me to slow myself down and let my knee heal at its own pace. Will continue to read this forum for further guidance.
So my knee was quite swollen by the evening, and I had paperwork to do until about 7pm. Then I went to bed and elevated my leg. Still quite swollen Friday morning. Also pain on the inside of my knee and hard to bend. No pain walking or standing, though. Had to go into the office and try to catch up on paperwork, so more swelling -I tried to elevate my knee at work, but was just awkward and painful. Since I came home last night, I elevated my knee, pulled out the ice packs, the hydrocodone, and even the hated TED hose. Swelling is much better, but heavens! The inside of my knee still hurts when I bend it (or if I'm not paying attention and move it sideways) -but the bulk of the swelling is at my ankle. I had to get a few things at the grocery, and sign my annual lease, but came right back to ice and elevation. (Resting from my TED hose just now). I will call OS Monday if it is not much improved (and it is already significantly improved), but I suspect that this is a soft tissue issue and not a problem with the knee or any of the shiny new parts. There is no fever, and I am checking for signs of clot or infection, but there are none. This is a whining and complaining post. I was starting to make plans to build strength and endurance, and hoping to be able to do things like join my middle aged neighbors to walk the sidewalk around the park, go to the zoo, the arboretum, etc. Now I have to call the OS's PA (who is very nice), and explain that I've messed up a bit and will probably need more hydrocodone. 
They will want me to come in so that they can look at it, too.
