Revision TKR Now what???

[Josephine]

Sandy, I know what you mean about being hotwired to care for people. This story will give you a chuckle!

Many years ago, when I was a theatre (OR) manager, I had a hysterectomy. I went to a neighbouring hospital as I didn't want to be in theatre with my own staff - certainly not for an op like that!

I had my surgery early afternoon (Pfannenstiel incision) and was up walking about the ward at 7am the next morning (this in the days when people did no more than just sit out of bed for at least 4 days!). That evening, a lady in a nearby bed came back from theatre having had a thyroidectomy. She began to vomit and without a single thought, I was out of bed by her side, holding the bowl for her, wiping her mouth and making reassuring noises. Eventually she said "that's very kind of you but I really think you should get back to bed before someone sees you"! It was only then I realised I was standing there in my nightie, barefoot and freezing cold! :hysterical: (In those days well-bred ladies just didn't go about in their nighties!) Did I feel a fool! But you know what, that was a purely and totally instinctive reaction and truthfully, what nursing is all about - and medicine. We can't escape our calling! :wink1:

 

[Deeden]

Sandy, I know what you mean about being hotwired to care for people....................... what nursing is all about - and medicine. We can't escape our calling! :wink1:

And thank God there are people like both of you and the other medics on the forum who do have that calling.

We all appreciate you people enormously!

Sandy, the very best of luck - I hope it all goes well for you.

 

[PhoenixS]

At my pre-op visit, I will give them a list of the meds I am taking, including the big boys for pain, which my Pain Doc said should be ordered IN ADDITION to the other pan meds for the post-op pain coverage..

I have also requested that a Pain Management consult be done at the time of my pre-op (I am there all day anyway)
I am restlessly awaiting confirmation of that appointment (I just calle my OS's office yesterday so I need to give her time to get it done)!

Thanks for your support.
Sandy

This is one of my biggest fears, that I'll be under medicated because of the pain meds I take daily.

 

[sunflower]

Sandy, I'll keep you close in prayer that your anxiety will be diminished and that you'll receive more than adequate pain control. We will be looking forward to the day when you are moving forward with your life and leaving behind the debilitating lifestyle that you once knew. :doggieshmooze:

 

[Greda]

I have had the same fears and my doctor did what your pain doctor did. I took the regular pain meds and then had a few other pain meds that could be tried to keep my pain under control. I had one nurse who was leary of giving the meds but she did it and saw I was okay and I didn't have any issues after that.
Hope it works out.
Greda

 

[Jaycey]

Hi Sandy, I was thinking about you this morning as I argued with my GP about her continuing to prescribe the only painkiller that works for me. I did succeed but I was firm and stressed I was responsible for my own health.

Stay tough! It's terrible we are put in these situations but with reasoned argument I am sure staff will listen!

 

[PhoenixS]

Ok, this is ridiculous!!!!
I am having 2nd thoughts.
This knee has been nothing but a horror story from the start.
I fought it until I fell flat on my face and my PCP pulled me out of work last June.

I have a horrible back situation in that I have a potato chip at L5S1 instead of a disc.
This greatly exacerbated my pain. We weren't sure whether the pain in my knee was from my back, or the other way around.

Turns out it is both.

My Pain Dr. has completed a series of 3 shots to the nerve root, so the pain is no longer running down my leg (I still have it, though more managable in my butt and back at the joint itself), and I guess this is why I'm tormenting myself over the revision.

My OS injected lidocaine into my knee and the pain went away not only in my knee, but my upper and lower leg as well, so the knee affected my leg pain too.

What my Pain Guy, God that he is, couldn't do, is stabilize my knee.

I went to a brace clinic and they suggested I see an OS (I had already seen 4-who blew me off), because there is no brace other than a cast, that will fix lateral as well as front/back instability.

Medical students andresidents were called into the exam room as the Physiatrist demonstrated my wobbly knee.

So now I'm facing this awful surgery (I had a very bad experience) again.

In the back of my mixed up head, I think that as long as we can keep the pain under control, I could live with it, wobbles and banging around and all.

The darn knee is unstable and non-functional and painful unless I take pain meds. I have been in pain since I got the darn thing.
I lost my practice, isolated myself from friends and co-workers, quit all the activities I loved (hiking climbing) AND gained 20# due to inactivity.

What the heck is wrong with me?

I am seriously thinking of cancelling this surgery to see what happens.
I'm terrified about EVERY aspect of this surgery.

I trust the OS The hospital is well known for its Orthopedic department, I hear the food is good, I have my Pain consult along with my PAT's and again on admission.
All the bases are covered, right??

Then why am I so scared?
Sorry for the rant. I'm waiting for the Ativan to kick in...

 

[Josephine]

Sandy, of course you are scared. No-one in their right mind wouldn't be.
You're scared of the surgery/anaesthetic
You're scared that they won't manage the pain properly afterwards
You're scared that it won't work
You're scared that it will actually make things worse

All perfectly normal and, this side of the surgery, logical.

BUT ..... you know it's got to be done. What ever else happens, you cannot hobble around with a wobbly, excruciatingly painful knee for the rest of your life.

You have maybe a 80% of it being made a somewhat better, a 70% chance of it being made a lot better, at the very least probably a 60% chance of it being fully resolved.

Don't have it and it is a 100% certain that it will only get worse.

 

[zjrog]

Sandy, I sure hope you can relax before your revision. I sure can't imagine doing it again, but if thats what it takes to move forward, I'd like to think I could too. Then again, I don't recall having second thoughts for the first surgery. Its good that the lidocaine calmed the rest of your leg pains too!

 

[Jaycey]

Sandy, Sandy, Sandy - you can't live on injections and drugs for the rest of your life. And you certainly don't want to hobble around with that wobbly knee. Things might seem better temporarily - but you need to move to a better space.

Keep coming here and talking about it. Of course you are scared. But as you know it does help to talk about it. Take care Sandy!

 

[PhoenixS]

Thanks for your replies.

I'm pretty sure this is going on because I have gotten somewhat more comfortable,and while it has always been loose, it was the pain in it that brought me down.

I guess it really hit me when I was at the brace clinic, and the guy examined me and looked at me with a quizzical look. Then he turned to the Physiatrist, and told her, there is no brace....That is when I realized I was headed for a revision.

I guess I need to look forwaed instead of back.

That surgery broke me, and I vowed never to do it again. I couldn't handle the pain, the PT, the...anything.

Now after almost 2 years of pain and awful treatment by Physicians, I'm just mad.

I'm just glad you are here for me, because my family has just about had it with listening to my whining. Even I'm tired of it!!!!

Trying to be more positive, I should try to work my muscles so I can get into somewhat better shape.
I need to work on my stamina, which is shot after the inactivity of the last several months.
I am backing off the pain meds, as I need less.
I guess these are positive things.
I should be happy that this is happening, but at the same time, a revision is looming.
UGH.
Thanks for listening
Sandy

 

[Greda]

I totally understand what you are going through...keep venting because it does help. I know when in your head you know that it has to be done, but every other part of you is scared to death of something not working or getting worse. Surgery is very scary no matter what is being done. To add to that you have had horrible experiences with doctors and had to make so many difficult decisions. What you are feeling is totally justified. It is hard on family to know what to do or say. We are hear for you while you are waiting...
Take care,
Greda

 

[Jamie]

Sandy, I'm sending you a big ((((HUG))))). I so wish I could deliver it in person! I agree with everything that Jo said in her post. You have every right to be scared. But you need your life back. You need YOU back. This is the only path to do that. We will always be here for you. Lean on us as you meet this challenge.

 

[Lindawalms]

Sandy I feel for you in that your greatest fear is in-adequate pain control and I was (am for dental surgery now) there myself...I cannot tell you it was great but I did the same things you are doing pre-op and it was somewhat tolerable...but the surgery has to be done - imho that is the bottom line - just try as hard as you can to convince the nurses its ok to give as much as the Dr.s prescribe...I've been following your story and continue to wish you the best of luck,
xoxoxo,
Linda.

 

[LaPaz]

Hi Sandy just want to wish you the best. Going into my revision I had horror stories in my mind, too. It was more about my reaction to the drugs and my stomach that feared me. I was dreading it all having to go through it again because the doctor the first time did not do his job right. Like you I was very unstable but did not have a pain issue like you. But now I am 2 months after and that is all in my past. What I am saying is look to the positive side to get you through this. And what others have said just be demanding when it comes to your pain tolerance.

 

[PhoenixS]

Hi all:

So I HAD a decrease in pain. What did I do?
I did 5 squats (I have been at modified bedrest for 6 months and have significant atrophy).
THEN, while watching the Patriots squeeze by Baltimore, did 3 sets of 5 quad sets, followed by 3 sets of heel slides. THEN climbed the stairs.
Nice, huh?
I am my own worst enemy.

I spent the night at an 8 out of 10, and had to resume my hated opiates. I am exhausted. Finally went to sleep at 3am, and hubbies alarm went of at 5:50. I usually get up with him.
I feel like .....fill in the blank with any expletive you want.

I saw my Psychotherapist today and we talked it out.

Could it be possible that I have been living with this awful pain for so long that I have become used to it and created it my norm?

Is it possible to "miss" the pain so I go out and do activities that cause pain because I am uncomfortable with being (relatively) comfortable???

What the heck is wrong with me?

Why am I "celebrating" my pain????
I feel like I am losing what little is left of my mind.

Well, I got my way, am very uncomfortable and exhausted from a sleepless night.
For a theoretically smart person, I am behaving like an idiot.

Thanks for listening.
Sandy

 

[karmigirl]

Sandy,

I don't think you are going crazy. I like you have had chronic pain for many years do to spinal issues and had to learn to live with it. After my knee surgery when I was pretty much out of pain I kept thinking something was wrong, it just didn't feel right not to have pain.

My pain level was doing great until I torqued myself just before Christmas and got my back aggravated and my calves did I start to feel "right" again because the pain had returned. Seems like our mindset takes a bit to change and subconsciouly we think we need to be in pain to be "right"

 

[PhoenixS]

I'm back to "normal" again.

My back/knee woke me at 3am, I took some tylenol (which doesn't cover this pain), tried to read, meditated, and ultimately sucked it up and took a pain pill at 4:30.

I can't live with this pain, yet I don't feel like ME without it!!
I really wasn't expecting this to pop up.

Well, I always like a challenge, and this is a biggie!!! I just wasn't expecting to be uncomfortable with being relatively comfortable.

Sandy

 

[Pumpkin]

Hi all:

So I HAD a decrease in pain. What did I do?
I did 5 squats (I have been at modified bedrest for 6 months and have significant atrophy).
THEN, while watching the Patriots squeeze by Baltimore, did 3 sets of 5 quad sets, followed by 3 sets of heel slides. THEN climbed the stairs.
Nice, huh?
I am my own worst enemy.

I have had to re learn several times, that just because you can, does not mean you should. When the pain subsides I remind myself I am still injured, take it easy!

 

[Greda]

Sandy,
I know when my pain has let up I tend to do too much. It isn't that I am uncomfortable being comfortable. I just have this unrealistic hope that maybe something finally clicked and I am better. You used to have a really active lifestyle and are frustrated with the way things are. You had been told by the "professionals" you are fine and should not have pain and there is nothing wrong with your knee. I know that you have found doctors that know there is a problem and are working with you to fix it -- from my experience those other doctors are still in your head. I still remember the doctor who told me my jaw pain was from issues with a boyfriend (I didn't even have one). What I am trying to say I totally get where you are coming from. I have had better days than others and think I should do whatever I can (I don't think I am really trying to cause more pain but am trying to make up for what I feel I "should" be doing). I know this is kind of rambling but I hope you can follow what I am saying. You have been through so much and I know when I was going to have another revision of my jaw I was so afraid from what the other doctors had said that this doctor would open me up and not see anything wrong. I really felt like I was crazy because so many doctors just told me my pain was not real. Pain is so complicated it is hard on us physically and emotionally. It is hard to explain why we do the things we do. Don't be so hard on yourself. It is my hope that this surgery relieves your pain.
Take care
Greda