Revision TKR Never give up, keep trying, don't settle - that's me, Bonnie

[referee54]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Don't worry about ROM or extension---we all heal differently. Mine tended to gain some then plateau a little, for some reason. You are doing great! One thing that my PT told me about these rehab/recovery things was "that the only thing that was normal was there was no normal!"

As Josephine also stated, there were days when my ROM would, for no reason other than to frustrate me, regress a little, too. It is a roller coaster, but when the ride is over, you will be great!

 

[Josephine]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

He told me that a father of a co-worker had surgery same day as me and that he was doing 90-95 on the CPM

:hissyfit:

The old "my husband's cousin's next-door-neighbour's friend's brother" ploy! Please tell him that person is not you and you are not him! He never had the same conditions in his knee, the same surgery nor even the same surgeon. And you are most certainly not lazy! If you have absorbed nothing else on here, it should be that this procedure takes time and has its own clock which is not under our control or influence. If necessary, please get him to read this post or print it off and staple it to his forehead!






(can you tell I am a tad frustrated on your behalf? :th_heehee

 

[RunA42K]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

I love it Josephine!! Will be heading out in about an hour to see the OS and get these staples out!

Bonnie
RTKR 3/28/11

 

[RunA42K]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Saw my OS yesterday, everything is healing great, staples out, incision looks good, using the cane not the walker, swelling very reasonable. I got some x-rays and saw my new knee in there and it looked great! Now the negative....the doctor wanted me to be at 90 ROM by now so I felt very disappointed in myself yesterday. I did more sitting and bending yesterday with icing and resting in-between. I see my PT today and tomorrow, I just have these visions of never being able to fully bend my knee again. I guess I am on the down side on the roller coaster right now. I will see what ROM I can eek out at PT today then maybe I will feel better. Btw...I have lost a full 7 pounds since my surgery, so that is a little good with all the bad!

Bonnie
RTKR 3/28/11

 

[PhoenixS]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Dont stress about the ROM. It will come. You will be able to bend your knee again, particularily if you had good ROM to begin with. I had 90 at my post op check, and my surgeon told me I should be at 110. We just can't satisfy everyone. I am a year out and I have full ROM, every degree was fought for. That is just the way it is. Some of us get the healing done right away and great for them. Some of us (me) are on a slower trajectory.
As far as emotions, Chocolate is a wonderful mood enhancer. I fancy the Chocolate chocolate chip ice cream by Haagen Daz. Makes all the bad stuff go away. It will take that weight loss away too....:wink1:

 

[jerseychick]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

RunA42K...don't worry about your ROM...it will come. When I got my staples out (2 wk check-up) my OS said I was doing poorly...I could only bend about 20 degrees. He also wanted me at 90 degrees at that time. I thought to myself, how in the world was I supposed to bend my knee with staples and swollen. I could not even lift it off the couch or bed by itself. When I went back for my 6 week check-up I did get to just about 90 degrees and he said looks good and come back in a year. I did have to work at it and my PT was wonderful. We worked, breaking through adhesions and getting my knee stronger. I did do PT for 5 months and was on the CMP machine for 6 weeks, 6 hrs. a day. Now at 10 months my knee if fabulous. I can bend around 110 degrees which is way more than I could before the surgery. My knee is so much more stable and stronger than before and I can do just about anything I want. I cycle, work out and play volleyball. I can't wait for my one year check-up to show him how far I have come. You will also get there. I was also discouraged, but you know your body. Some of us take longer to heal and bend. You will do just fine.

 

[RunA42K]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

In PT today I was able to get to 75 degrees. I had to work to get it there, will have to work again tomorrow to get it back to 75 and beyond, no one ever said it was easy, but I do feel better tonight!

Bonnie
RTKR 3/28/11

 

[jerseychick]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Bonnie, that is great. I remember those days...lots of work, but if you are motivated you can do anything. I still work on my flexion everyday and I know I am still gaining. Way to go!

 

[referee54]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Keep on going with the positive attitude. These things take time, but your work will pay off.

You are right about no one saying it would be easy; however, the hard work and dedication will pay off down the road.

 

[Josephine]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

After pushing it, you'd do better to rest it a day and let the swelling go down some. Most of the hindrance to flexion comes from the knee being so swollen. If only people would get that - it's not because your knee won't bend, it's because it's being blocked by the swelling. A swollen knee can't bend.

(There, I've said it three times in one post! :th_heehee

 

[parla]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Hi Bonnie,
I have been following your posts and have question or 2 for you. I think aside from the pain of losing your dog-- I am the one who lost my dad. I think you felt great coming out of the hospital and were at 90 in the first week or so? Then at home with cpm machine it was hard to progress within the tolerance of pain and you lost some rom?sorry in hospital using iPhone mostly and hard to go back and read. I am just looking at your advice. It some ways we are similar you're a runner and I was a devoted golfer. Anyway I am going home with cpm machine & they saying I need to go up 15 degrees a day in 5 degree increments. I told the nurse I think that is too much to expect. In hospital you are only focusing on getting well at home you have to factor in tasks of daily living and I am not trying yo be non compliant, I just think it is somewhat unrealistic. What do you think & I know everybody is different but I was curious. From reading your posts it sounds like you are doing well but disappointed not at 90 by first post op visit,is that correct? I am a firm believer in the necessity of self advocating -- especially in medicine I think patients often feel like a # I also had a similar experience with nasty pharmacist So how are you feeling and do you think 15 degrees a day is somewhat crazy. They said I should be at 120 by 2 weeks. Last surgery which had different issues it took me months to get to 120 but again I had other issues? So if you have time I am curious to know given your experience if you think that is doable ? I hope you are doing well and I hope I am not bothering you. I think it is nice when we can learn from each other. Thanks & I do hope today is a good day. From past experience it seems like some days are better than others.
Parla

 

[kneeworn]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Bonnie I was a slow bloomer too. Today I got 125 with assistance and am 4 months and a week out. I have gone up and down after returning to work. But what I found for myself even in the early days because of swelling issues I tended to be behind everyone else in flexion.

We all heal at different rates but that does not mean it will not come. I think well meaning therapist and doctors tell us we should be at a certain point and then we get discouraged. I know I have been there. Just hang in there and listen to your body as you are doing and it will come. From experience pushing too hard will backfire. I rested too on non PT days and sometimes I didn't. I just took a look at the swelling each day and decided what was best for that day.

Good luck.

Donna

 

[RunA42K]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Parla, I was never measusered for ROM before leaving the hospital, so I don't know what I was. I had a CPM in my room, at joint camp they were very gung ho about using the CPM 6 hours a day.

The first day I was able to use it, I only used it two hours. If I am lying in bed I can't do anything about this when the CPM is across the room. I would call for assistance and ask for the CPM. When they got around to me I would get it. Never once did I use it 6 hours in the hospital for 6 hours as suggested.

My pain was horrible in the hospital, it seems like I was constantly counting the hours for more pain meds. One night I had a mean night nurse who flat out told me that she would NOT give me pain meds at the prescribed time because she said...you've had enough Tylenol for now! I asked...does my pain medication have Tylenol in it? She said yes, you will have to wait longer. Even though it was prescribed by my doctor.

Long story short my pain was out of control, I went for 9 hours over night without the pain meds. The morning duty nurse came on and I asked her for pain meds telling her that what was written on the white board about my pain meds was not correct that the night nurse would not give it to me. They inquired as to when exactly I last got pain med and when I told them 9 hours prior they called my doctor. I not only got my oxy codone, but got a shot of morphine in my wrist IV.

So I definitely went through a period in the hospital where I didnt exercise my knee too much because of pain. My doctor was not too crazy about the CPM saying you can only get so far with it, but should do most of the work yourself...so he left me the feeling that it was not as important as I was led to believe earlier.

Now I am at home I go to bed to do 2 hours on the CPM before going to sleep. Turns out to be most painful night ever. Pain, fever, trembling, cold, having to potty constantly, crying, no sleep. I don't use it for a few days, but I do start PT on my 6th day post op. My ROM was 30, next time at PT ROM was 40. PT was not gung ho on CPM, but gave me exercises to do at home.

Still having a lot of pain, I get the pain pill lecture from the pharmacist. I try to skimp on my pain pills as a result, always in pain. Go to PT Monday 4 days ago, ROM is 62. See the doctor on Tuesday 3 days ago and he says that I should be at 90. I email my PT that evening in anticipation of Wednesday's PT and let him know what the doctor said. Arrive at Wednesday's PT and we work on ROM, several new exercises and I get up to 75. Went back yesterday and could only get 70.

My ride brings me home from PT yesterday and waiting on my front porch is a delivery from FedEx containing the memory box that I had ordered for Molly's ashes. Home alone, husband in Canada on business, I get Molly's memory box ready for her and cry, and cry, and cry like I had just lost her all over again.

Then I get an email from an old friend who has btkr and she says..."Bonnie, what is wrong? What happened? Why can't you get your ROM? Please tell me that you checked out your surgeon first! You ARE working hard aren't you?"

So here I am 18 days post op and I am so confused, have had so many mixed messages, and alarmists like the last night. I feel emotionally drained. I go to PT, I do the work, at home I rest, ice, elevate, but also get up and move around regularly, It seems like I just don't know what to do next. I worry about ever being able to fully bend my knee again. No PT now until Monday I am worried about regressing over the weekend. I still have the CPM, and home exercises. I just want to do the right thing. Thank you for letting me ramble on...

Bonnie
RTKR 3/28/11

 

[parla]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

oh, Bonnie, ramble, rant, or scream anytime. i went on my little journey to hell & back so I understand The day my Dad's ashes came home was upsetting, even my calm husband was upset. I still feel very sad that I have not been able to take him to his final resting place for awhile Also can not have traditional (jewish) grave unveiling cause I won't be ready for plane travel, etc by 5/2/11. i think G-d does allow for special circumstances but I still feel terrible . Not controlling your pain in the hospital is horrible. I am lucky that this time my hospital situation was better. I was on IV morphine & they gave me shots of Toradol (sp)? and kept me well controlled until yesterday, my last day. I am not sure why yesterday they were tough with me, maybe to get me ready to go home?
You can not second guess yourself or have people do that (but i know they do) after the fact. I had many people last go round asking me "why are you doing so crappy, aren't you trying?" you have to just stay in the present & deal with it the best you can. Talk to your friends here, they understand things the most . With my husband at work all day being home alone & trying to do pt, care for yourself is hard. I am also having fever, chills, sweats (alternating) & in hospital said normal reaction to surgery but also worried i was getting mixed messages. Last night, my first at home, chills & sweating, were driving me nuts. Took narco every 6 hours (2 pills) did cpm for 2 hours, iced & elevated--but it felt like a long night.
So sorry you had Nurse Rachett at the hospital, don't worry you will get ROM again, but remember getting your leg straight is important too. Also I think there is a thread on ROM. We both should check with the pro's here, but at the hospital they told me to elevation from under foot, not under knee. Also we need to work on extension as well as flexion but Jamie or Josephine hopefully will clarify for all of us. Hang in there better times ahead.
Parla

 

[Jamie]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Dear Bonnie.....I feel your frustration when I read your posts....especially the last one this morning. Sorry that I'm just catching up on what has been going on with you while I was off the forum for a few days.

First of all, I am so sorry about the loss of your faithful dog. I know that pain all too well myself! Your tears are just part of the grieving process and time will help (plus that new little one when you're ready!!).

Please try not to let everyone's comments get to you. If you read back through your thread, you HAVE a plan and the more you can stick to it, the better! Only YOU know what is right for YOU.

I believe your original goal of slowing down the activity to PT and maybe some gentle stretches on the in-between days is still the best way to proceed. You have the ROM. You won't lose it. It sometimes comes and goes because of swelling on a particular day. Even if you don't see swelling, it can be there and stop you from fully moving your knee. The knee compartment is so compact, it doesn't take much fluid it do it's dirty deed!

As for the pharmacist lecturing you on pain meds, GEEZE!!!! He obviously never had a knee replacement!!! You are very, very early in recovery. You desperately need proper pain management. So cut him off or at least put his words completely out of your mind. Your prescriptions are between you and your doctor. Do NOT scrimp on your pills to please anyone else. You need to keep that pain under control....plus it helps with the swelling, which helps with the ROM...which helps with your frustration levels.....see, it's all connected!!!

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with a triple whammy. You have the pain from this very major surgery, the loss of your dear dog, and not having your hubby there to comfort you through the rough times. I'm sending you some extra ((((HUGS)))) to help you through this rough patch. Please come online here and chat when you are feeling down. We'll be here for you to help fill in the gaps. We care about you!

I especially want to reassure you that you WILL be able to bend your knee and do the things you want to. It takes time....sometimes a LOT of it to feel that you are getting back in the game of life. TKRs can be tough and you should never forget that. You are strong mentally and physically and you will recover. Your BoneSmart family will help support you until you are able to skip about on your new knee without our assistance...

 

[Jamie]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Oh....Bonnie.....one other thing I forgot to mention was to encourage you to continue your icing both front and back of the knee as much as possible. Keep a cloth or kitchen towel between you and the ice packs to be sure your skin doesn't get over-chilled. But you should be icing as much as you can - even while you sleep. This helps not only with the swelling, but also your pain levels.

I religiously used my big gel packs for over 4 months on my knee. In fact, at night, it (plus my pain meds) was all that worked to keep me comfortable.

 

[Josephine]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Bonnie, I concur with what Jamie has said. Please don't get scared about this ROM thing. Nobody gets good flexion at first because everything is so swollen. That's all it is - just swelling. Your knee can bend already - it's just blocked at the moment because of the pain and swelling you have. You don't have to fight for it and you don't have to worry about it - it's there. And when the pain and swelling has subsided some, you'll find your knee bends beautifully all on its own!

 

[NaNaKnees]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Hi, Bonnie. I have nothing to add to the advice you have already been given by the prior posters, but I want you to know that I understand where you are at in this recovery process. Please feel free to come on here any time of the day or night. We have all had our times of reaching out, just to hear that somebody else understood where we were at in all of this! It's a tough haul, and I also remember times of utter frustration when I would cry myself to sleep. Everything upset me and everything seemed impossible at the time.I want you to know that it will get better - SO MUCH BETTER! Hang in there and here is a great big hug - hope you have a better day - ((((HUG))))
Take care.
Maggie

 

[kneeworn]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Bonnie I don't know where to start except that Jamie and Jo are right on with everything they say. It is the roughest weeks you are going through right now. Your barely over 2 weeks. Your knee has been traumatized. You might as well have been through a bad car wreck.

I work in surgery and I know just what they do to our knees. They bend them in ways they were never meant to bend. The cut off the ends of our bones. They pull and stretch our tendons and in my case turn around and put painful stitiches in them to shorten them. Mine still are tender four and half months out. They hammer on our bones to put the implants in place. Our bodies swell in response. We ARE sore. For the pharmacist who does not understand let us do that to him and see how he does.

As for the nurse who made you go all night without pain meds she is cruel. Even if you did have meds with tylenol there were other drugs she could have given you instead and should have. There was no excuse for that. None what so ever!

I know your friend with the bilaterals means well in trying to motivate you but the truth is well all heal at different rates. My cousin had his knee done about a year before me and stopped taking anything but Motrin or tylenol by about two weeks. Me I took hydrocodone until the week before I returned to work (3 1/2 months) and am now taking tramadol when I need it. We need pain meds to even think about moving these painful knees. My Mom would call me everyday and ask how much pain meds I was taking and put a lot of pressure on me to stop. It was a lot of stress I did not need. Don't let people put a guilt trip on you about your pain control or how fast you progress. It is not their knee and they don't feel your pain. Pain can increase your feelings of depression too so you need to take your meds. Don't forget the ice because it adds to the meds and is a wonderful way to add relief.

I bought two icepacks and would use them off and on day and night. I put them on the front and back of the knee and elevated it when icing. I still use them but don't have to as much. My sweet Ray would get up and bring them to me and take them back to the freezer after the 20 minutes. He was a saint. I wish your husband could be home with you right now to comfort you but as we know sometimes that can't be helped. The ice helps with the swelling too.

As for the therapy don't let people push you when you feel that the knee is swelling more in response. It should never be excruciating painful. My first two and half weeks I paced myself. Sometimes I pushed too hard and the knee rebelled and I hard to learn that the hard way at times. I did go to a rehab center because the OS did not want my fresh wound around my three indoor cats. They took me to the PT room in the morning and then for OT in the evening. They gave me homework for night and I did not do it as I would feel my knee swelling in the evening. They gave me TED hose to help with swelling and they really helped. On the weekends they gave me a day off. Your ankle pumps and gentle heels slides will help your swelling and help you maintain the movement you have. When the swelling goes down that movement will improve. I was and still am slow in gaining my ROM. (On my own I bend to 110 and yesterday with assistance I got to 125.)The one thing I remember is that it is more important to get your knee straight first. Until the swelling lets you, your knee will only bend as far as the swelling permits.

My OS told me Monday you will get the most flexion in the first 6 months but you will continue to gain it for up to a year or more. So don't worry and put a lot of pressure on yourself to do it all now. Pushing too hard will only slow you down and you already have a plan in place to listen to your knee so don't let people make you feel bad for listening to your body. I think you are on the right track in taking care of your knee like you do and listening to it signals.

Missing Molly has got to add to all the sadness. Hugs to you to help with the pain of the loss.

So you are doing well. Your still early in your healing. Let your body heal and sleep and pamper yourself. You have been through a lot. Make sure your getting good nutrition for your healing. Protien drinks and high protien yogart were a staple for me.

The sweats and chills I remember. I remember getting up and changing clothes. I think the pain meds and our bodies are going nuts. They took my hormones too because of the risk of clots and that did not help with the hot flashes. They have given them back now.

You come on here and vent any time. We all understand. We did too. It is great to have this site where others really understand and will share things that helped them.

Take care,
Donna

 

[RunA42K]

Re: I am on the other side now friends!

Dear Parla, Jamie, Josephine, Maggie, Donna, (((((BIG HUGS)))) to all of you for your caring response to me today. I am glad now that I opened up this morning, because now you all have made me feel so much better! You did wonders for my mental state! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So today...no PT, slept in, when my knee felt ready I did some bending stretches, sit on the edge of my bed (it is high) and let my legs dangle freely letting gravity help to bend my knee. I am walking around pretty well now without even the cane! I am going up and down the stairs faster but never carelessly. Making a conscience effort to make sure I bend, not swing my leg around. I realize now that when I am walking I do not feel that pain that I felt for years. There is some good stuff going on here!

Not to worry, my husband made it home from cold snowy Canada back to warm sunny Texas, so he will take good care of me. I am obviously not working so he needs to do what he has to do. I have two children in town, Jake age 28 and Lacy age 31. The two if them took turns staying overnight with me this week. They were at work all day long, but they took turns coming here after work each evening and make me dinner, do dishes, help me however I needed help then sleep over, get up and go to work next morning. I have two wonderful kids!!

So I am going to keep a positive attitude because of all of you. I have my feet up, I am icing, front and back of knee!!

Bonnie
RTKR 3/28/11