THR NyLiz's Recovery

[NYLiz]

Thanks everyone for the concern and advice about not overdoing it and elevating and icing for the swelling. Whenever I'm sitting with my feet up (which is several times a day), I have my ice pack right there. It helps some. The swelling around my knee is almost gone, but swelling still exists in the upper thigh and then my ankle and foot. Spoke to the nurse and PT and neither were overly concerned since the pulse is good at the ankle, it isn't stiff, doesn't hurt and there is no bruising on the inside of the ankle.

It was great to get out with my dad and I found walking with the walker barely hurt, but sitting in the car was another story - just could not get in a comfortable position.

On Saturday I had to get blood work done, again sitting in the car hurt, tried with and without a cushion under me. Then later that day, when we were going to the cemetery since it would have been my mom's 70th B'Day, I told my sister, let me try sitting in the back seat on the drivers side (I'm short so there was no issue breaking 90 degrees) and lo and behold, pain was minimal and much more comfortable. Nieces loved I could sit in the back with them, we just pushed one of their booster seats in the middle so I could sit on the end.

Yesterday was the best day so far. I went shopping and to lunch! No problem walking with the walker. Went to Kohls to buy my dad a birthday present and then to a party store to look at and buy some decorations for my niece's birthday, which is in early Sept. We then went to Panera's for lunch. We were home by 12:30 and I then elevated, iced and took a 1 1/2 hr nap. Also yesterday, was able to get in and out of the shower on my own (my sister was right there in case I needed her). So all and all, yesterday was a very good day for me.

I have an appointment with my GP on Weds and then with my OS on Thursday to remove the staples. I'm hoping for a good report from both.

Josephine - I heed your advice and my sister kept asking me what my pain level was when we were out yesterday. She said she'd drag me out of the store if the pain got to a 4 and she kept checking the swelling of my ankle. My sister knows I will push to the limit, but she will push me right back if she thinks for an instant if I'm even close to the limit.

Liz

 

[Juliep]

Great report Liz !!!!! How nice that you have been out doing things. I haven't got out of house yet !! Still having issues with me leg and not being able to put a lot of weight on it. I too go Thursday to have staples out, woohoo, right!! :yes 4:

Do you find it hard to determine pain level? Pain vs stiff sore but not a real pain? Don't know if that makes sense or not.

You sound in good spirits and you seemed to get a lot done yesterday, good for you. Nice that you were able to do cemetary, I'm sure that meant a lot to you.

Keep it up and hopefully reports this week will be great !

 

[Jaycey]

Liz, sounds like you are doing very well. Glad you have a sister who is watching out for you as well. Getting the balance between activity and rest is key.

 

[NYLiz]

Do you find it hard to determine pain level? Pain vs stiff sore but not a real pain? Don't know if that makes sense or not.

You sound in good spirits and you seemed to get a lot done yesterday, good for you. Nice that you were able to do cemetary, I'm sure that meant a lot to you.

Julie - Sometimes it is hard to determine pain level. I have found that if it is stiff/sore pain, it eases up once I move around a bit. I pretty much determine 'pain' to be what I feel no matter how I sit, stand or walk - it is constant and does not ease at all until I take pain meds. I learned the very hard way how important it is to take the pain meds on time, whether the pain is at a 2 or a 6 when the 4 hours is up, just take them. Once pain gets to the 6 or higher range, it can take a couple of hours to get it back under control. I take Oxycodone very 4 hours starting at 6am until 10pm. I also take an Oxycontin 12 hr slow release at 8pm at night (don't need it in the AM any longer). I still take Regular strength Tylenol every 6 - 7 hours starting at 8:00am.

Going to the cemetery really meant a lot, in more ways than I can explain. When my mom was alive, my sister and I always took off on mom's birthday and had a 'girls' day out. Ever since she passed, my sister and I still do this. I have felt my mom's presence around me since I went into the hospital for surgery and know she is helping me through all of this.

Once you get out of the house, you will feel so much better, at least psychologically. It's those 'firsts' after surgery that make all the difference in recovery.

Liz

 

[NYLiz]

I just wanted to share with all of you, I graduated to a cane today!!!:yes 4:

PT was here and went over how to walk properly with it and made sure I could walk up and down my driveway, which is slanted. I won't totally give up the walker, especially getting out of bed in the morning and late in the day when I'm tired, but it felt soooo good to get around my house with just the cane. PT can still be torture though. The exercise that really hurts and I struggle with is lifting up my leg when standing. I can lift/bend it to 55 degrees right now, not sure if that is good or not at 2 weeks, but it hurts like the devil to do the 20 repetitions and when the PT makes me hold it up so she can measure the angle.

Tomorrow I see my primary doctor and find out if my iron level has gone back up and then Thursday I get the staples out -hurray!

Liz

 

[Jamie]

Whoop! Whoop!!! GREAT milestone for you!

 

[Juliep]

Whoohooo Liz !!! I'm so happy for you.

 

[cstreet]

Very cool congratulations on moving to the cane. The PT sounds like quite a workout.

 

[Renate]

Good for you Liz. Congratulations. It's only getting better from now on.

 

[Christina NY]

Woohooo liz!! I kept my walker for 3 weeks especially with the kids are I was always stepping on something. I can't believe it has been two weeks already! Time is flying. You sound like u are doing amazing! Your mom is definitely looking down on you! Bet she has a big smile on her face right now seeing what an amazing daughter she raised!!

 

[uktanny]

Oh my goodness Liz you are doing so well! Just take it easy, Its a fine balance between rest and moving about as I have found to my cost on a few occasions

20 times!!! I only have to lift mine 10 times 3 x a day. I feel like a slacker now...lol, maybe I should be increasing all my lifts to 15 now? I find the leg lift to the front the most difficult too.

Keep up the good work!

Tan x

 

[Jaycey]

Well done Liz! Keep up the good work!

 

[forbesy]

Hi Liz

Great news that you have graduated onto the cane and bet you can't wait to get the staples out, couldn't get mine out as I ended up with an infection an it started to get really itchy.
You will get there LIz all the best in recovery.

 

[NYLiz]

Went to my primary doctor today and my blood level is up to an 8.7, still low, but she said she feels it will slowly come back up, but I will get tired more easily until then. She thought I was doing great for 2 weeks post op, but is concerned with the amount of pain meds I'm still taking. She thinks I should not really need them at this point and thinks the pain I'm still having is probably coming from my back, which I know is an issue and was taking Meloxicam for it prior to surgery. She wants me to try Celebrex and was ready to write out a prescription, but I told her I want to first talk with my OS and Orthopedic doctor, who was prescribing the Meloxicam. So, my question is, at 2 weeks, is taking Oxycodone 5mg tabs (2 tabs every 4 hours), along with Oxycontin 10mg at night, a lot? There are times when I also will take reg strength Tylenol.

Liz

 

[cstreet]

I am four weeks out and doing oxycotin 10mg every 12-14 hours and 1 percocet every 4-5 hours including night. Keeps the pain under control for me. I tried switching the percoset over to Tylenol with codeine last week but too much pain. I'll try again in another week.

 

[Jamie]

Liz, that schedule for meds sounds fine to me for 2 weeks out.

 

[Christina NY]

Went to my primary doctor today and my blood level is up to an 8.7, still low, but she said she feels it will slowly come back up, but I will get tired more easily until then. She thought I was doing great for 2 weeks post op, but is concerned with the amount of pain meds I'm still taking. She thinks I should not really need them at this point and thinks the pain I'm still having is probably coming from my back, which I know is an issue and was taking Meloxicam for it prior to surgery. She wants me to try Celebrex and was ready to write out a prescription, but I told her I want to first talk with my OS and Orthopedic doctor, who was prescribing the Meloxicam. So, my question is, at 2 weeks, is taking Oxycodone 5mg tabs (2 tabs every 4 hours), along with Oxycontin 10mg at night, a lot? There are times when I also will take reg strength Tylenol.

Liz

You know me I am so anti meds but I kinda regret stopping them. Ever since cheer started I been hurting but now I can not take the meds anymore without throwing up Wish I kept them at least for the evening so I wouldn't be so sore. The motrin 800's dont even touch the pain at all

 

[Josephine]

Cstreet, don't plan to stop taking them. Let it happen naturally. When you find yourself forgetting to take a dose and going an extra 2-4 hours before you remember - that's that time to start on the otc meds.

Even then, you need to make sure you take enough. So many times I've read posts saying only took one standard Tylenol was being taken which is about one third of the effective dose - little wonder they then added "and it didn't touch me"! :DOH:

You need 1,000mg every 4-6 hours to a maximum of 4,000mg per 24hrs.
You can add to that 400-800mg ibuprofen 3 times a day as well.

 

[NYLiz]

Got the staples out today and even though I was told it will only pinch, they lied. There were 27 staples and about 10 already had skin starting to grow over them so it was quite painful when those were pulled. They used liquid skin and put steri-strips over the incision. Otherwise the OS said the incision looks great and thinks I'm going wonderful.

I did speak to him about the pain meds and he feels I'll still need them for a couple of weeks, but wants to see if I can get off the Oxycontin I'm taking at night. If I find I can't sleep with just the Oxycodone, then he'll prescribe more of the Oxycontin for night. I also asked about the Celebrex my primary wanted to put me on and he said no way until after 6 weeks. He does not want me taking any type of anti-inflammatory (the aspirin I take is ok) until then. He said he wants to wait and see how my lower back pain is in 4 weeks before using PT to try and address it since he said during surgery they use a type of pillow to raise the pelvis and this could have affected my back and thinks it will 'calm down' on it's own and wants to focus PT on regaining the strength in my hip and leg. He said though, if my back gets worse to call him, otherwise he'll evaluate it again when I see him in 4 weeks. Like Julie posted on her thread, my surgeon also said I can now sleep on my side:yes 4:, so this will help with the lower back pain at night (I was a side sleeper prior to surgery since laying on my back always aggravated it).

Except for the pain of the staple removal, all and all, it went well today.

Liz

 

[Juliep]

Yeah Liz !!! Sorry about your pain with staple removal. I had far less amount of staples and only one pinch that hurt the nurse more than me. Glad overall things are good with you.