TKR Not a new patient but I need help, lots of it

[Texaslady]

Well here it is 3:30am. Every time I think things are starting to look up I take a step back. I posted the other day about not sleeping for 6 weeks. It is really crazy. It seems I feel better or should I say don’t hurt so bad most of the day. During the day I rest, elevate, ice. I don’t get a lot of rest - couple of reasons, it is hard for me to sleep during the day but I still try to rest.

I am still not doing housework. I can put clothes in the washer for my husband transfer to dryer. I still don’t cook because it hurts so much to stand. I have been a housewife for years and love it. I am one of those clean freaks. I like washing my baseboards and cleaning my house. My husband has always took good care of his family. Now I feel like a lazy bum.

The pain and inactivity along with not being unable to sleep is driving me crazy. Just last night I am sitting in my chair and the next thing I know out of nowhere a sharp stabbing pain in the side of my knee. It happens frequently and every time it comes out of nowhere. It is so sudden I jump nearly out of my chair. Last night it scared my poor husband half to death. I have no questions, I know this will go on as it will, at least the pain is not constant. I am trying to be grateful for small things.

I will stop my rambling now. Thank you guys for being here to listen.

 

[kmak81230]

You are in a very challenging phase of recovery now, and I can say that it will get better - perhaps even in the next few weeks (looks like you are about 6 weeks out from surgery). I started to notice improvements, particularly in sleep, around weeks 9-10. A lot of people call those shooting pains "zingers" - the nerves starting to do their thing. I was fortunate to not have those but it is very common from what I've read on here. I, too, found it hard to be lying around all the time and my mantra became "messy house = happy knee." I still find standing in one place for any length of time time uncomfortable. I would much rather walk than stand in one place. Patience, if you can muster it, will be your companion for the next couple of months.

 

[SusieShoes]

You are in a very challenging phase of recovery. It’s easy to rest, ice, and elevate when you’re not up to doing much else. As you get stronger and some of your energy returns, naturally you’ll want to do more and see more progress. The progress your knee is making is invisible and often much slower than you hoped. You begin to see all the things you want to get done and wonder why you can’t do them. Next thing you know, frustration sets in.

At six weeks it was painful still for me to stand at the kitchen counter and make dinner. I had a chair in the kitchen and a snack tray, so I could dice vegetables or peel potatoes. I would sit for a bit, then stand up to turn pieces of chicken I was sautéing, or add an ingredient I’d prepped on my snack tray. You better believe I opted for simple meals! Standing gets better; it really does, but like @kmak81230 says it will be easier to walk for a while. In your stage of recovery, you’ll still be wanting to sit down a lot.

 

[Polkadot]

I still have those "zingers" occasionally, and they still make my husband practically jump out of his skin! For some reason, they happen in the evening when we're watching TV.

I am in awe of people who love housework. I hate the little tifflings that gather on the floor--bits of whatever, dust bunnies, etc. So when I was at 6 weeks or so, I was struggling with not bending over to pick those things up every time I walked (lurched?) through the house. My DH is wonderful at the basics of keeping us eating, including a fair job of cleaning up the kitchen afterward, but he is totally blind to the pieces of onion skin that float to the floor, the almond that escaped off the cutting board, etc. I'm sure you get the idea! I have to say, though, that I have never--I repeat, NEVER!--longed to clean our baseboards. And I was perfectly happy to let DH do the cooking, such as it was, in those early weeks. I too had quite a bit of pain standing at the counter to do anything. Sitting down to chop was the only way I could find to help. And you know what? We discovered that DH is sooooo much faster than chopping than I am! He may have inherited that job permanently.

@SusieShoes helped me during this time of fretting about household chores I couldn't do, with a comment about "the camping theory of housework." Whenever I got upset about the condition of the house, I'd remind myself that we were " camping" for the time being. And, lo and behold, the house was in really great shape for a campsite!

You'll get back to all the things you love. Try not to push it, though. Your main "work" is to heal your knee, which unfortunately means a lot of time that feels "idle" to you. You are actually doing a lot, though, when you rest and let that knee heel. It may be one of the hardest things you have ever done--much harder than cleaning baseboards!

 

[Texaslady]

I know I am some kinda nut about wanting to scrub the baseboards. My friends think I am too. I really do appreciate all of you guys, you keep me centered. At 2 and 3 in the morning and you hurt, I love being able to have you all out there to talk to. It is good to know that those “zingers” are my nerves healing. I wasn’t sure what it was. All I knew it hurt like crazy.

 

[Polkadot]

Hey, baseboard-love isn't too nutty. I have a friend who got new windows in her house. Now it seems that all she does is go around and dust the window sills and frames. She is so proud of them! And I have to admit that they look great!

 

[Texaslady]

Josephine Would be glad to answer you questions

 

[SusieShoes]

You mean some people wash baseboards? I kind of dust mine once in a while. I have a neighbor who dusts everything in her house... every knick-knack, every light fixture, every curtain rod -- every day. Nonstop. She's always moving. Not only that, but I swear you could eat off her floors. It's rather amazing.

 

[kmak81230]

While I would love to be an "A" student in knee recovery I'll gladly take a C- in house cleaning. Dusting and baseboard cleaning are not in my toolkit.

 

[Jockette]

My mother in law was a housework-a-holic, I am not. Need I say more? Today I despise it even more.

 

[Josephine]

Here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?

4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?

6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

 

[Josephine]

BTW, on here we use the @ sign, not the # hashtag!
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

 

[Texaslady]

@Josephine,

1) Pain level at this moment is between 5 and 6 stabbing on the sides of my knees these come on sudden and very painful, some stiffness,throbbing.

2) 10/325 oxycodone every 4 hours in the beginning then every 6 hours with ibuprofen 800mg every 8 hours. I had to stop the ibuprofen because it was making me sick to point of vomiting.

3) moderate today others lately slight.

4) I can straighten my leg out and bend it 110

5) I ice my knee a least 4 times a day for about 30 to 40 minutes a time.

6) I elevate every time I ice and while resting in my recliner

7) minimal. I don’t cook family dinner,.I load the washer and my husband puts it in dryer, shopping very little and I have to use a electric chair.

8) heel slides 3x day
walk
use recumbent bike 10 minutes 2x day

9) I gave up PT at about 4 weeks for being to aggressive. My opinion but they bent my leg back to the back of my thigh using two therapists push as hard as they could and then turned me over and pushed my leg flat. That is only a couple, I believe they set me back.

I hope this was what you need if not let me know.
Thanks

 

[Texaslady]

@Josephine I am sorry I used the wrong sign to tag you.

 

[Josephine]

Before I can deal with your answers, you said this

8) heel slides 3x day
walk

That wasn't all I asked. I want (and need) to know how many heel slides you do at a time and how far you walk. Plus if you have to use an electric chair how can you walk?

 

[Celle]

I know I am some kinda nut about wanting to scrub the baseboards.

Dust bunnies are your friends. They show that you have been resting properly.

My mother in law was a housework-a-holic, I am not.

So was my mother-in-law. She would start vacuuming at 6 a.m. every day. 'Nuff said!

 

[Texaslady]

@Josephine
To be honest I try to do 5 to 10 depending on how my leg feels. Yes I can walk but I have a terrible limp. Around the house at least 15 times a day. I have tried to go to the grocery store but not able to walk around the store. The two times I have gone to the store it is a combination of Dr. visit and stop by store. Time I return home my leg is swollen and hurts. I don’t even drive yet, My sleeping is a joke.
I am adding this in hopes it helps I started PT the second week after surgery the first couple of visit was fine,then they keep getting more and more aggressive, the last 2 days I went after nearly 4 weeks the two of them had me lay flat of my back and picked my leg and the forced it back to my thigh then they to my leg flattened it out my pressing down on the mat until it was flat. My walking and pain has not gotten better since. I have had a x ray and could not find anything, so the Dr. decided I must not be healing as quick as I should. That was two days after my last PT which a week before my 6 weeek check up. So now I go back to the Dr. in 6 weeks instead of months. His is a lot more than you asked for but I thought you might like to know I feel PT hurt me but set me back.

 

[Mscant]

@Texaslady, I totally understand how you feel about not being able to sleep. Been there, done that. May I suggest that you buy some magnesium citrate supplements? I was having the same problem as you last year after my TLHR. Someone on this forum told me to try 250 mg along with 5mg of melatonin about an hour before I went to bed for the night. That is what worked for me. I also took an ice pack to bed with me at night. I didn’t get 8 hours, but I got about 5. That was heaven to me. I have continued to take the magnesium at night. I have just had my right hip replaced on 10/3. I have had a sleepless night or two, but it seems to have settled into about 6 at a time. Close enough for comfort. Be sure to buy the citrate as I bought the oxide first time around and it gave me diarrhea. Take your pain meds too. I hope it works for you.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Celle]

The two times I have gone to the store it is a combination of Dr. visit and stop by store. Time I return home my leg is swollen and hurts.

For a long time yet, it will be wiser to do just one outside thing per day. So, try not to go to the store on the same day you have a doctor (or PT) visit. It's too much for your knee to do both.

the last 2 days I went after nearly 4 weeks the two of them had me lay flat of my back and picked my leg and the forced it back to my thigh then they to my leg flattened it out my pressing down on the mat until it was flat. My walking and pain has not gotten better since.

That's terrible! It's bullying and assault. No wonder your knee didn't like it!
You won't go back to that place, will you?

I have had a x ray and could not find anything, so the Dr. decided I must not be healing as quick as I should. That was two days after my last PT which a week before my 6 week check up.

Did you explain to your surgeon what those PTs had done to your knee only 2 days before?
Not healing as quickly as it should? What does he expect after that treatment? The poor thing has been mistreated and abused. It needs rest and gentle treatment, so it can recover.

 

[Texaslady]

My husband and myself decided as usual I over did it with going two places.

Oh yes I spoke with my OS she told me quit going and just do exercise at home like walk and use my recumbent bike. I can do full rotation on bike but just 5 minutes in the morning and 5 in afternoon.

I try to take it easy when I hurt I rest.

Tuesday will be 7 weeks since surgery I will be glad to get this over.

Could you tell me how much longer? I hate taking narcotics so when the knee doesn’t really hurt but just a really bad ache I trying Tylenol.

I am still following bone smarts mantra rest, ice, elevate and take pain medication.