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Now what happens AFTER a TKR!

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Re: What happens during/after TKR

Colleen, it isn't the normal practice to take antibiotics following "routine" knee surgery....even though yours was involved, it still was routine for the surgeon. So don't worry about that. Just be sure you take your meds on schedule all through the day and night for a while. The pain meds will make you constipated, so don't forget to take stool softeners each day too. VERY important!!!

Having 18 staples in a scar that long is actually not very many. It would be good to post a photo. Did the doctor explain what all he had to do in there? I guess we all know now that you've got....GRIT!!! You'll be wonderful in recovery with that spirit!!!

Rest and ice along with those meds. Your body needs all of that it can get as it goes into super duper healing mode. (((HUGS)))
 
Re: What happens during/after TKR

You poor girl! What dumbos they were to start doping you with tranqs instead of trying other medications. Trouble is, morphine just doesn't work with some people and some mixeso of meds cancel each other out as my sister found when she was in a similar state. Happily her nurses had the commonsense to speak with the hospital pharmacist who checked out what she was on and discovered that. Once they stopped one of the meds, the other started working and she was heaps better! Sometimes I despair of my fellow professionals.

Glad you're better now, though.
 
Tell your mom to investigate someone who does minimally invasive surgery. My scar is 3.5 " long---I did not have staples, the doc glued it together. It is much easier to recover from without the huge scar. I could walk the first day without a walker or crutch.

I was in good shape before the surgery--worked on my quads, but I still think the MIS surgery is easier on the body and leads to a quicker recovery. I had a 10 degree bow in my leg--he told me is one of the worst he had seen--so, even with rearranging my leg bones, I could still walk.

I think your mom would be able to get a replacement with this type of surgery.
 
Word of caution - bigger knees need bigger incisions. MIS (or reduced incision) TKRs are only possible on skinny people! :wink:
 
I must of counted the staples in an oxi haze this morning
before i showered mom and i counted the staples and i have a total of 30 staples, One part between 2 staples started to bleed this morning when i took my bandage off
we stopped it with some gauze at least i know i have bright red blood flowing thru my knee.

Some one asked me earlier if i was able to take home the cmp home with me no they didnt give me that option all i was able to take home was the Polar ice care thinga ma gig.
I have a therapy appt today at 2pm i will mention to my therapist that i was bleeding alitte this morning see what she has to say about it. I have been taking my meds
so the Pain is chasing me not me chasing the pain, altho
he only gave me 50 norco and 30 oxi I fear of running out my appt for staple removal will be on 8/10 I hope he will give me refills on these meds i know some doctors can be very stingy with pain meds.

Otherwise all is well with me getting by ok day by day i guess is my montra for now.

Hope this post finds everyone pain free.

Hugs
 
I hope the gauze you used was sterile! And why were you taking the dressing off anyway? It's so easy to get the wound infected.

If you have problems getting refills from the OS, go to your primary care doctor. They're often more sympathetic, I believe.
 
Josephine

They told me to take the dressing off everyday shower
clean the wound with plain soap and water air dry
and re dress the wound with the long pads they provided me, i have been doing this from day one. Thats why i asked about antiboitics .

Well im off to the tourcher chambers (PT) for an hour
this is be my first real visit the first one was to assess my leg wheel and deal out a price per visit

today the hard stuff begins

i just popped on oxi and one norco was icing my leg for an hour before trying to do this all the right way

later gaiters
 
I had a waterproof bandage on which the physical therapist removed when it was time for staple removal at 14 days. Then she put steri-strips on. The doc said he used to tell patients to leave them on till they fell off, until one patient came in months later with a couple still on. They ripped mine off at PT at 5 or 6 weeks.

I had a catheter while in the hospital. I don't see how you could use a bedpan! It was wonderful to not have to get up lots. Didn't they check and change your bedding when they thought the wetness was pee?

You're using oxycodone and hydrocodone at the same time? The oxycodone knocked me out, but it was wonderful till 5 1/2 weeks. I had anxiety and depression from the drugs, but the doc said depression is not at all unusual around that time.

Your experience at the hospital is one of the three worst I've ever heard. There are two people locally who almost died the day or two after surgery. Tell your mother that surely her surgery wouldn't go like that. It would be a shame to spend the rest of her life with a very bad knee.

Things should go smoothly for you from now on, hopefully!

Pat
 
Colleen - Knee surgery without morphine. Now that is impressive even if you were crying the whole time. What idiots! It is no wonder you were in such pain when you got home. Take your meds regularly don't save it. I didn't have any problems getting refills from my OS and if you do then talk with your prmary about the pain to get refills. You sound like you are doing just fine. Keep up the good work but don't forget to post when you have bad times. We all have been there. It does get better and you'll be glad you did this. Best wishes.

Hope
LTKR Feb 23, 2009
RTKR June 8, 2009
 
Jo, is that true about MIS? They made such a big deal about how BIG my knee bones were--and I am not skinny--size 12, just average. I got so sick of hearing about how big my knee bones were---everyone thought it was very unusual. Gee, my doc seems to do MIS on everyone--he never said anything about the size of the person to me.
 
Colleen you are to funny . I was reading on and on and I so remember that. They couldnt figure out a combination for me either. Anyway, so your mom really isnt doing it??? I was wondering that before your surgery when you said you would be taking care of ea other. Once she saw you woud she change her mind....Take your medicine and ice. Take it easy. Good luck....I hope you keep that pain away.....
 
Nope Mom decided she wasnt in that much pain to go thru what i am and will be going thru to get thru this.

I miss counted the staples it had to be in a drug induced haze Mom counted the other morning and i have a total of 30 staples. Its a really unusal long incision.

All is well i go to the therapy every other day its hurts but i will survive yesterday i was able to do a complete revolution around the bike , it was a breaking point and everyone in the room cheered me on , so i kept going around and around like a trouper faster and faster then when i stopped it hurt like the dickens what made me go so fast like that was that the famous Runner High !

Well today i paid for it , i felt like my knee cap was on fire the whole night and day, so I haven done much today buy sleep rest with my leg up and iced been in and out of a oxi haze all day.

Hope this post finds everyone pain free

Hugs
 
Colleen,
Woooooo Hooooooooooo all the way around on the bike!!! Was that going around
backwards or frontwards?? Frontwards was the hardest for me. You did really GREAT!!
And it will hurt after you do this for awhile. So after you do these things you must Ice and Ice!!!! OK? But do not let the knee stiffen up on you.
 
I was able to do both fowards and backwards on the bike
one i got passed the inital pain and breaking thru point
i was riding it like lance armstrong, but in the long run I think i did too much for the first time Im surprised the therapist didnt stop me from doing it too much and too fast,

Yesterday was a good day at therapy, She didnt make me to the bike since I hurt so much from the last time
but she said I have no Quads whats so ever and I need to build them in order to progress, so she had me doing lots of squats and a rubber band around my calfs and push back on them to build my quads.

Since I had bad knees for many years I was walking with a waddle which she said was the lack of no quads.

I asked her once I get the staples out what should I be doing in the pool and she said just walking and more walking in the water that will be the only way to build the quads..... So there for I push on
 
Colleen,
I vote for walking in the Pool!!! I hate polishing the wall and back rubber band pushes.
I wish we had a pool around here that I could walk in!!! I bet you will be glad when you get the staples out!! Now go slow ok!!!
 
Be sure to wait until your scar is well healed to get into a pool. My doctor said around six weeks after surgery should be safe. I think I waited till after I saw him at 8 weeks till I went. A couple people from the Y pool class have had post-surgical infections several weeks past surgery....you sure don't want to do anything to increase your chances of infection. Doing easy water walking and stretching hurt, but I'm sure it was good exercise. I've only been three times since we've been out of town a lot.

Pat
 
Colleen,
You said you had 30 staples? I had 28 in each knee. The funny thing about my knees, my Dr. told me the next day they had problems getting my new knees to fit because I am so small boned. He said there's only one size smaller than my knees. I was so disappointed when he told me how small boned I was. I am very very over weight. I always tell people I'm not fat...I'm just big boned...guess I can't use that excuse anymore...Rats!:hehe:
Anyways, hope you continue to improve. They say it's a long process. I'm ready to be all better NOW! How about you?

_____________
BTKR 7/20/09
Cindy:flwr:
 
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