New Partial Knee

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Mizen

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Hi everyone,

Its 8 days since surgery, and me and my new knee are becoming more aquainted with each other,. there have been a few times like yesterday where I was ready to give it back, - I think we fell out big time, especially at 4.04 this morning !!!!

The surgery went well, the spinal didnt take completely so they converted to a GA. I didnt mind either way except my room mates who had spinal slept very well the first night while I battled with lots of discomfort and pain. After that things improved until I was given Tramadol with paracetamol my second last day in hospital ( up to that I was on oxycontin and oxynorm plus paracetamol ) My head went into a spin my eyes flickerd and I felt quite unwell, I had to lie down as it was quite sudden.

I asked the nurse was it because I took the two together (I did check with him if it was ok prior to taking them ) i.e. paracetamol and tramadol he said no but that they would change the tramadol to difene as it obviously didnt suit me.
So I was sent home on Difene twice a day, pradaxa once a day ( blood thinner) and tummy tab to help ease the harshness of the difene. It has become apparent that Difene alone is not enough, I did add paracetamol into the cocktail but I am still struggling.

Because of that I am treating myself to a visit to my GP this afternoon to work something better out.

My Surgeon was very pleased with his work, he said the other compartments of my knee were pristine and they did look good on the x-ray.
 
Hello and welcome to Bonesmart - you have done the right thing in coming here - the mods and others are very knowledgeable in all aspects of knee and hip replacements.

Nice to hear you seem to be making good progress I can empathise about the feeling of wanting to send it back I've had a few nights like that lol - hope you get the pain meds sorted as they are vital. good luck and keep getting better x
 
Hi Louise, I have been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing - so pleased you have posted an update for us. Welcome to the other side - you are all done and dusted :yay:.

I didn't get on with Tramadol either, made me very unwell!! I'm sure your GP will help you out with some more pain medication. I hope you are taking it easy with your recovery and not doing too much. How are you getting on with Cryo-Cuff - wonderful I bet :ok:. Take it easy and keep us posted :thumb:
 
Mizen,

Hope you will get the pain meds sorted soon.

At least you've turned the big corner in having the op, and you are now just in the long haul of recovery. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors)

Yes, it can be frustrating at times, but soon you will start doing things you haven't been able to do for years.
 
Louise, Hope you sorted out the pain meds. I am still chuckling over you having a falling out with your knee. I felt that way plenty in the beginning!!
 
Jo, the Cryo cuff is wonderful it really is. I took it to bed with me last night "just in case" but thankfully I had a very good night, woke once around 6 didnt need anything or the cuff and went back to sleep again till 8am ! What a difference from the previous two nights.

My GP was amazed at my wound he went down on his knees and spent about 5 or 6 minutes talking about it and examining my knee, my leg, my ankle he said it was extremly good for 8 days, it didnt look at all angry. He was suprised though that the staples are to come out tomorrow (10 days post op) he expected it would be 2 weeks.

Anyhow, we had a chat about the meds, and this is what we have agreed.

difine after breakfast with tummy tab
solpadeine ( paracetamol + 8 mg codeine) 10am and 4 pm
difine after dinner - late eveneing
solpadol (parcetamol with 30mg codeine ) at bed

If I feel I need to I can change the daytime solpadeine to solpadol

How does that sound to you old timers ?

Josephine I have become queen of Rest, Ice and Elevate, in particular yesterday when it was the only "medicine" that worked. I learned a very important lesson too, and that was although I thought I had done very little the day before I had obviously done too much!

On the funny side of things, my husband keeps telling people how able I am at giving up to 14 orders and directions at once ( big exageration by him of course) but it is funny the look on his face when I issue 2 or 3 instructions at once, he is like a child in a maze, does'nt know where to turn.

Yesterday, we recieved a wedding invitation for April 27th, thats something nice to look forward to.

Thanks for listening everyone
 
Hi Louise

That medication sounds good to me, I think having the codeine in the mix will make a difference to you. Well done for getting some sleep - it makes all the difference to your mood. I love that reference you made about your husband - very funny :hysterical:. Have a good day!
 
Hi Louise,

Good to have you back and I am glad everything seemed to go ok.
As you know I am just three days ahead of you with my BPKR. I, too, am on paracetamol, voltarol (diclofenac), and dihydrcodeine (codeine). It is working for me - very little pain more stiffness, just sometimes late afternoon. Time for another rest. If I overdo it and am between doses of painkiller, I shove on the cryocuff. Bliss.
I didn't have staples or stitches, my incision scars were glued together. I have a physio twice a week and she wants to start massaging them to get a better healing process on them.
Good luck with the rest of your recovery.
S
 
Wishing you well in your recovery. I find it hard to do exactly what everyone says but take it one day at a time. Family is in this together and needs to do what is asked.
 
Spot on, Louise! and I love to see your sense of humour! :thumb:
 
Louise, it's good to hear from you and know you're on the mend. I really got a chuckle picturing your poor hubby just spinning 'round with all the directions you're providing! It's tough on the guys to have the lady of the house down and out for a while. Guess that means they really need us...
 
HI all,

Yes Jamie, "spinning" is exactly what he does its really funny..

Well its day 12, the staples are out !! ( boy did my GP hear another side of my delightful tongue that day ) and I had my first out- patient physio on friday and that went well, he did no measurements though. The pain meds are working a treat and I am sleeping well - I find the pillows for elevation in bed are very comfortable and I have one to my side also in case I move onto my side,.

I had a niggling pain from my "bee hind" along the outside of my thigh for a couple of days, especially after doing my exercises, I would describe it like a cold ache, if that makes any sense and my instinct was to rub/massage it and put something warm on it, in fact once or twice I sat alongside the radiator if it was on and got great relief, the opposite to the knee where I wanted my cryo cuff and didnt want to touch it.. It has passed for now thank goodness.

Each day I get very weary about 3.30pm and have a little nap, I cant stop it or prevent it, it just comes upon me like a wave, 30 to 40 minutes later I am right as rain.

I am moving a lot more the past two days, and I have had two outings into civilisation, once for a quick meal with bewildered hubby and once just for a drive into town to see the world at work. Its funny how you become wide eyed at people going about their daily business and how interesting it appears after two weeks of magazines all telling the same stories and day time tv !!

All in all, things are going very well and each day is another 24 hours further on in my recovery.
 
Hi Louise, I had that same niggling pain up outside of my leg and across my "bee hind". Stopped me from sleeping. Massage from physio helped.

You have a great positive attitude "... each day is another 24 hours on in my recovery". What a great way to view things.

Take care
 
Hi Louise, I am too still chucking over your husband trying to decipher all the "orders" we do 30 things at once without messing up our make-up, but they can't handle more than 1 order at a time ! It sounds like IT band pain, that evil and from hip to knee. Jo will be along to explain, but it can be fixed. In the mean time, meds ( yes!!!) ice, elevate!!!! Oh and yes, order your honey around!!
 
Hi Louise
You are doing just great - well done. You will find that you will get all sorts of little niggles that come and go, sometimes they come on so quick and then they disappear as quick - all very strange! I know what you mean about going out and seeing people rushing around - it feels you're not part of that world, make the most of not being part of it though :snork:

Take care and keep up the good work!
 
Just pottering around on the laptop this morning and bewilderd hubby suggested a short trip to Spain in April as our daughter will have 6 days respite the week of April 8th to 14th. I will be 6/7 weeks post op by then. I have read the post in the library about flying and was wondering if anyone had actual experience of flying around 6 weeks post op ? The flight will be about 2.5 hours but the idea of some warmth and sun at the end of it is soooo appealing

Happy Sunday everyone
 
Much, much too soon. I think you will regret it that early.
 
Its day Mmm, wondering about my physio, he put me on the bike today told me to cycle and walked away, had me stepping up and down on a box and walked away,, had me pushing the back of my knee into a flat ball and .... yep, walked away. I am sure in the day he was enthusiastic but I am not feeling the energy from him. I complained that there was a clicking noise when he told me to do the step faster and when he heard it he took off and apparentyl rang my surgeon who said it was ok. Me thinks my surgeon is extremely busy and I doubt he is able to take a call at the drop of a hat like that, and I do know that he operates all day thursdays ???

I had lots of knarling aches last night, it was my underside of thigh, my shin, my calf, back of knee oh and the "bee hind" too. There was great heat below the knee and to the left of the incision. Took my meds at midnight but woke again in discomfort at 4.00am, it was too soon for more meds so I rubbed gels ( not ibruprofen) into the muscles.

The heat has disapated today and the aches are better, no physio today just lots of rest, ice and elevate.

I would like to know from others how long you took anti coagulating medication for. I never took anything like it before the op but understand the reason for taking it post op to help reduce the risk of clots. I was prescribed pradaxa for 33 days - just wondering if thats long enough, too long or not long enough
 
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