TKR New Left Knee . . . Check!!

[Retsel]

Hang in there Niki, I look forward to your posts for an update. I would think the change in routine etc. could have caused the swelling. Over all though you still sound upbeat for what you have been through. Count the days down for when you can begin weight bearing...you will get there.

My thoughts are with you.

 

[Jazyb]

Only 3 weeks left Niki; I'm counting down with you!! You have a great attitude on the way you have dealt with your knee - well done to you. Keep us posted!

 

[just13]

Glad you are feeling better niki love to follow your progress as we are near the same date of surgery had LKR ON oct 3 2011 three weeks tomorrow have PT in a few hours good luck and keep up the good work
​

 

[MsHeidi]

Niki, three down, three to go. As a student, and now again as a teacher I've lived by semesters. It became my mantra long ago that "I can do anything for four months.". For you now, "I can do anything for three weeks!" Just keep repeating that to yourself. it's amazing how what we tell ourselves often becomes true. The second alf might just be more difficult because it may seem like you can push it a little, but don't do it. You don't want to compromise the healing and end up in a longer eating situation. I think you need to consider how wonderful it is that you haven't had to wear a cast! To me, that would be agonizing!

 

[editor98]

Today I am exactly 4 weeks post-op. I had my worst night sleeping last night. I have been thinking that I wanted to give up using the ice machine during the night cause it would be so nice to sleep without being attached to that machine. And my PT has been telling me that I can definitely cut back on the amount of time I'm icing. The only time I'm not icing is when I'm on the CPM. Other than that I'm elevated and on the ice machine. So last night I started out with the ice machine on cause I had just come off of the CPM before I went to bed. I woke up a couple of hours later and took off the ice machine, repositioned myself on my side (ahhhhh!) for a while and went back to sleep. About an hour later I woke up in some pretty good pain. (Kind of fuzzy as to when in this whole cycle I took pain meds, but I did and on my regular 4-hour schedule). But I have also been trying cutting back on pain meds with one dose of 2x7.5/325 hydrocodone and the next dose with only one--alternating that way. So that was going on during the night too. Anyway, I had to put the ice machine back on during the night because of the pain, and I also had to up the pain meds to the full dose as well. Kind of discouraging. I was really surprised by how much pain I was in without the ice machine overnight. Maybe I should try it again but with the full dose of pain meds instead of trying to change two things at the same time. I think I just want to be feeling like I'm making some kind of progress somewhere! Has anyone else been in a lot of pain when first stopping the ice machine during the night?

PT has also been leaving me in more pain the last couple of times. It's kind of surprising because we haven't done anything different than we've been doing all along. So I'm not really sure why it's been leaving me more achy and painful the past two or three times. I am still doing home PT and will be until I go back to the doc on Nov. 10.

Everything else is pretty much the same as it's been from the start. I have been working some. I work from home and I have one of those hospital-type overbed tables. So I can work in bed on my laptop with my legs elevated. The problem with working has been more with not being able to concentrate for longer than about an hour! So I've only worked in very short little bursts of time. By the end of this week though, I will be getting a package by FedEx that I have to quickly turn around (within 2 days). I'm an editor and this package is the close out round of editing on our January issue--so I will be reading and editing 96 pages! Have no idea how I'm going to manage to do that in 2 days time--or what it's going to look like with editing while on drugs! :rolleyespink:

I have actually been thinking about asking my husband to go out to eat somewhere this weekend. I think it would feel great to get out of the house, but it would probably also be pretty difficult. Could I manage on the walker, or would I need the wheelchair? Could I sit long enough to enjoy a meal? Would I suffer for it later? Hmmmm. I'll need to think about that one some more.

And finally--plumbing continues to work well with no further intervention!!
Niki

 

[kneeper]

I have actually been thinking about asking my husband to go out to eat somewhere this weekend. I think it would feel great to get out of the house, but it would probably also be pretty difficult. Could I manage on the walker, or would I need the wheelchair? Could I sit long enough to enjoy a meal? Would I suffer for it later? Hmmmm. I'll need to think about that one some more.

And finally--plumbing continues to work well with no further intervention!!
Niki

It would probably be good for you if you can make it a short trip.

Yay on the plumbing!

 

[Retsel]

I am 3 weeks out from my second surgery. I still find it hard to go out to eat. Sitting in a straight back chair with my knees bent and the chair hitting me in the thigh. I can usually only tolerate it for a short time. I do, however go with my husband to run errands even though I sit in the car at least it gets me out of the house to see something different if only for a time. I hope you can get out for a little while I know you need it and deserve it.

Yay for the plumbing!!!

 

[carousel66]

I'm a big fan of little outings, it is good to get out in the world, I always, always take some ice with me, it feels good as almost always even "little" outings feel "bigger" than you had planned on.
I had a great outing early on at costco, it was fun because I could ride in one of the stores scooters.

I'm so glad you have passed the 4 week mark!
I'm meeting a friend for lunch - we both had our surgery on the same day, same hospital SAME doc! Her knee is about 6 hours older than mine LOL I can't wait to catch up

 

[PhoenixS]

I have found that outings are absolutel nescessary for our recoveries. If I can't walk (and I cant walk more that 300 yards for now- NOT due to the knee), I ride in athe wheel chair. The scooters are really fun.A dose of fresh air is good.
I also have difficulty with eating out. For some reason the chairs hit me in one of the (many) trigger points down the back of my leg.
I now bring in my own pillow to sit on!
Sandy

 

[editor98]

Yes, I really do think I need some kind of outing this weekend. I have been in the house, and mostly in my bed, for almost 4 weeks straight! Enough to make me want to pull my hair out! I would love to go to church, but that is definitely more than a short, little outing--so I should probably start with something a bit more managable. Just don't know if anything will be really managable! I don't know why it makes me nervous. We can just come home if wherever we go turns out to be too much.

Okay, I tried to go without ice again last night. I iced right up until lights out and then took it off. I was only able to sleep for about 2 hours before the pain woke me up. Ouch! Throbbing, achy kind of pain throughout my whole leg--even into my foot. I was taking my full dose of pain meds right on schedule, so it wasn't for lack of pain meds. I just can't believe how much pain I was having just from not having the icing machine on. I still had my legs elevated as I always do, so the only difference was no ice. When the pain woke me up, I put the ice machine back on and was feeling much better in a pretty short amount of time. Wonder when I'll be able to sleep without being "strapped in"! Niki

 

[Josephine]

Niki, you're a little early in recovery to start cutting back on things. You know that as you are suffering the consequences, aren't you? Barely 4 weeks is not the time for this as you are slap bang in the middle of the 'angry tissue' phase. This doesn't start letting up until at least 8 weeks and maybe even longer.

Look at these again
How Long Does Healing Take ......
Chart representation of TKR recovery

 

[Jamie]

Niki....I didn't have an ice machine, but I iced the back and front of my knee will big gel packs for a good 4 months. It just felt better and let me sleep. So don't be in a hurry to stop icing!!!

 

[Retsel]

Maybe if you use Ice Packs instead of the Machine you wouldn't feel so strapped in. I use gel packs. I can't hardly stand to go without ice for any length of time, especially with my newer (3 wks out) knee but I use it on both most of the time.

 

[editor98]

Yes, I guess 4 weeks out isn't very long. After all of the reading that I did on here prior to surgery, I didn't think I would be one to try to rush things! But I also wasn't expecting to be so limited in what I could do. Lying here waiting for a fracture to heal feels like I'm making no progress whatsoever. It was my PT who suggested that I could cut back on icing so much. She was talking about blood flow being affected by icing so much, which kind of scared me since I've had a DVT before. So I thought I would try it. Today I told her how it went and how much pain I was in after 2 hours without ice and she said, "Well I guess you're not ready then." :skeptical:

Today we measured my ROM since we didn't measure last Friday because I was so swollen and stiff. Extension = 2. Flexion = 77--up 7 degrees since last time. Very slow going. We're hoping I'll make it to 90 by the time I go back to the doc at 6 weeks out. I am trying to be patient!

So tonight I ice! Looking forward to a better night's sleep.
Niki

 

[Josephine]

Today I told her how it went and how much pain I was in after 2 hours without ice and she said, "Well I guess you're not ready then." :skeptical:

 

[Retsel]

Yes, I guess 4 weeks out isn't very long. After all of the reading that I did on here prior to surgery, I didn't think I would be one to try to rush things!

Niki,
I think the same thing...I couldn't imagine being impatient but here I am wondering when I will feel normal again....and I don't have a fracture to content with. I can't imagine what it must be like for you...you have had such a positive attitude and that is admirable!!

Hang in there and keep using the ice and taking pain meds. You are more than 1/2 through this stage. We are behind you all the way!!!

 

[kneeper]

Today we measured my ROM since we didn't measure last Friday because I was so swollen and stiff. Extension = 2. Flexion = 77--up 7 degrees since last time. Very slow going. We're hoping I'll make it to 90 by the time I go back to the doc at 6 weeks out. I am trying to be patient!

So tonight I ice! Looking forward to a better night's sleep.
Niki

up 7 degrees is good! :yes 4: here's wishing you some good

 

[tyncam]

Congratulations on the progress and hope you're able to get some rest.

 

[MsHeidi]

Niki, I think you should do what you can do comfortably and no more. I have gone on little trips to the store without getting dressed, just staying in the car in my pajamas! I go everywhere I think I can, using electric carts as much as possible. I end to pay for it, though. I often overdo it, giving me more pain than is really tolerable. In a couple of days, I do it again! I'm finding that I can run one more little errand each time, or sit in the car a little longer each trip. I haven't used ice at night since I was in the hospital. I wake up every few hours with my thighs just aching. I take my ain meds and play with the iPad fr an hour r two until my legs settle down again and I can sleep. That's been my pattern since I came home. I am sleeping a little more each week. Tomorrow is eight weeks. I just thought you should know that, even though I am allowed to be more active, I still wake with pain, still take pain meds round the clock, and still ice every evening.

You will also be more active, but you have to remember everything you've read about how long this whole thing takes. A hell of a long time.

 

[editor98]

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. Y'all know how much it helps to hear from others who know what you're going through!

I am at 5 weeks today, and I have some mixed emotions going on at the moment. I did get out on Friday for the first time. A friend picked me up and we went to lunch at a little cafe that is only about three blocks from my house. I used the crutches and got there and back without any problem. I was able to prop my leg up on another chair while we ate, but still, after about an hour I was ready to head home. It did feel really, really good to be out though!

My PT is continuing to go well, although slowly. This is supposed to be my last week of in-home therapy. Yesterday my ROM measurements were still 2 for extension but up to 85 for flexion. That was pretty good for less than a week since we measured last time, when it was 77. I still have the CPM and am using it about 6 hours a day. I'm up to about anywhere from 83 to 88 on there.

Okay, the downside of things this week is with my pain and pain management. When I refilled my prescription on Monday (hydrocodone 7.5/325) my doctor had to authorize it. Shortly after I called it in, his office called me and the receptionist said that the doc doesn't think I should still be in that much pain, so he is only giving me a partial refill and wants to see me toward the end of the week. So I have an appointment on Thursday afternoon (a week earlier than my scheduled 6-week appointment next week). Man, I have tried every few days to cut back on the pain meds, but it just is not working at this point. I've tried taking only 1 hydrocodone every other dose instead of 2 every four hours, and I usually wind up having to take the second one at some point before the four hours is up. Yesterday and last night I tried taking 1 hydrocodone and 2 Advil every four hours. That wasn't too bad during the day, but at night I was awake and in pain for much of the night. At 2:30 in the morning I took 2 hydrocodone (about a half hour before my scheduled dose). It helped some, but I was still in pain through the rest of the night. I don't know--should I be able to take less narcotics than I am at 5 weeks out? I really don't know how much (if any) additional pain is caused by the fracture. When the doc called and said he didn't think I should still be in so much pain, my husband said, "Well maybe if he hadn't broken your leg, you wouldn't be!"

I would love to be off all of these drugs! But I just don't think that I should have to be in pain either when I could be comfortable by taking the full dose of meds at this point. I have no concerns whatsoever about becoming addicted to these pain meds. I hate taking medications of any kind, and the side effects of these (horrible constipation) are not something I want to have long term. I need to get some regular strength Tylenol so that I can try 1 hydrocodone and 1 Tylenol to see if that might work better than the Advil. The point is, I'm willing to take nonnarcotic meds if they work, but so far they haven't kept me comfortable. So not sure how this doctor's visit is going to go on Thursday. I'm pretty sure he has never had to deal with the pain of a knee replacement and a broken leg! I am hoping that he'll do xrays and tell me that I can start walking though! Probably shouldn't get my hopes up for that though.....don't want to be dissapointed if the fracture still needs more time.
Niki