Newcomer 3 weeks post TKR questions

[AnetMarise]

I am so glad to have found this place. It has really helped to read the posts. I had a miserable time post surgery in the hospital. They never did get the pain completely under control. I have just really struggled with disappointment ever since. I thought that because I was 48 and in pretty good physical shape things would go better. For the first 10 days after surgery I couldn't do a straight leg raise. They did Estim at PT and got the quad firing and now I can do that.

My questions are: Is it normal to still be using crutches at 3 weeks?

What kinds of pain meds are others having to use at this stage? I use Oxycontin at night and percocet every 4 hours in the day time. That makes the pain bearable, but not absent. My OS is not at all sympathetic to the pain issue.

Looking forward to more conversations.

 

[Josephine]

Hello, Anet. Welcome to BoneSmart!

That is always distressing when the people in whom you have to put your trust let you down like that. But is all too frequent a story we hear.

And to answer your questions, yet it is entirely normal. Most people are still using a walker as it gives mot stability.

As to the pain meds, what is the dose of percocet you are taking? If it's only a small dose (sorry - not too familiar with US meds and pharmaceuticals is not my subject anyway) then it's clearly not enough.

Some OS don't interest themselves much in the post op period at all so that is not surprising. Don't you use you personal physicion, or GP(?), for this? We do in this country. Anything like that once we're out of hospital is down to the GP. I suggest you go see him and ask his advice. He should review all of your meds and adjust them if they are not hitting the target.

I would also suggest you keep a diary and each time you take the meds, note what your pain score has been previously on a range of 1-10 - 1 being no pain and 10 being the most excruciating you can imagine. If your pain is generally between 4-7 then something needs to be adjusted.

 

[Doug]

AM,
Good morning..
I had my TKR 6 1/2 months ago. I stayed on pain meds of one degree or another for most of three months. I hit them pretty hard the first month.
If I were you, I'd be on the phone to the Dr.'s office or (I actually did this with my GP), go sit in the waiting room and tell them they are going to see you.
I understand your plight though. My 74 yr old mother had TKR three weeks ago. I went down for the surgery and spent the following two weeks with her. She actually had an in home visiting nurse tell her she needed to start weaning from the pain meds at two weeks. I about went through the roof....I won't even post what I said as Josephine would have to edit it.
As for the crutches at three weeks..You need to progressively be adding weight to your new knee. You don't want your quads to weaken too much. You won't injure the new knee. I went from a walker to a cane. I kept use of the cane for about two months. Not really from a need, more of a security blanket. Pulse I could hit my son with it when needed....just kiddin'.

 

[JenniferG]

Welcome Anet. I like Doug took some type of pain med for probably about the first 3 months after. My surgery was March 18. In time it was less and less. at 3 weeks I'd imagine percs would be normal. I was taking them thru 4-5 weeks . By that stage it was just at night and minimal dose, but still taking. I also was on Ultram (or generic) and eventually switched to Vicodin. now I just use ibuprophen. My thought, if you still hurt call the OS.
Cane use - Normal, again, like doug said, security. You will find yourself using it less and less, raelly. Some day you'll forget it and only later realize you don't have it in your hand.

 

[AnetMarise]

Thanks so much for the excellent support.

 

[AnetMarise]

. I also was on Ultram (or generic) and eventually switched to Vicodin. now I just use ibuprophen.

Were you taking ultram with the perc and/or vicodin?