Well here's the report:
They did a femoral nerve block. The doctor then put a cortisone shot in my knee to help swelling and pain and they put me to sleep. They told me that the block could last up to three days and the cortisone would most likely last for 10 days. So I was happy about both those things.
He then bent my knee back to 135 and then they they sent me back to recovery where I was badly swollen and in horrid pain within the knee cavity and all around the knee. But I had no idea what was coming. To deal with the initial pain they had given me Dilaudid but it wasn't touching the pain so he gave me some Fentanyl which took my pain to about 3-4.
At that point PT came in and had me do heel slides several times to loosen up the muscles which were not happy about it, and measured me at 83 and also measured my extension which was the worst it had ever been at 10. So as of now any swelling is holding me back from any good improvement of flexion and it has worsened my extension at least for the time being. Then the doctor then came in and told me the major part of the problem was behind the kneecap which popped loudly when they bent me back and he agreed with my theory that the hematoma ordeal must have really frozen that kneecap in place, adding to the continual inability to move normally which affected the rest of the knee as far as the feeling of a block which included pain stopping my bend from increasing.
So then they moved me to the 2nd recovery area and that's when the nightmare started. The muscle on the outside of my thigh a couple inches above my kneecap went into such horrible spasms that it felt like someone squeezing my muscle as hard as they could and sticking a knife in it all at the same time. I was almost screaming in pain. I ask the nurse for more pain meds so she got a IV Dilaudid put in and said that's all she could do.
So when she came back in I ask her how long before it would work and she said muscle spasms are a different kind of pain then the TKR surgery and that opioids don't work as well for that. I was in such pain that she softened and gave me a Dilaudid pill. This went on and off for an hour and finally I ask her to call my OS to get a muscle relaxer on board.
I had talked to my OS about that previously and so he did indeed called in Flexerile. I have taken one and it has helped somewhat. I don't have the stabbing knife pain and it's not going into spasms anymore but it's sore like someone has repeatedly beat it with a baseball bat. As I'm writing this, the pain in my knee cavity is increasing horribly since the first round of Dilaudid is wearing off so I just took another. I hope to only take them for a couple of days. But today is a must. sigh.
So I'm home and I can tell you now, this knee is not bending or does it want to do anything. Just getting up to go to the bathroom is going to be about it for today and that is going to just kill me to do it.
The OS ask me if I had PT lined up and I said yet. I didn't tell him it was just me at home doing PT! The nurse in the recovery room told me NOT to do anything extensive on the first to days except to walk, elevate and ice which was different from what the two PT's in the room who had told me to keep it moving through the pain. And that it was going to be very hard to do that - but do it - and sit down and ice if it swells. I was glad for the nurse's advice which is more in line with the BS suggestions.
I'm envious of those who sailed through the MUA without much pain and were able to bend and walk out of the hospital and bend regardless of the swelling and pain. For me, it looks like it's going to be a waiting game of rest, elevation and ice. Also I think I'm going to definitely use heat on my thigh muscles.
I found this online and I think it's useful:
- Remember the phrase: "heat to play, ice to stay." Use heat when activity will occur afterwards. Use ice when you will be sedentary and resting after.
- Apply heat for 15 minutes every 4 hours until the cramp is gone. Apply a cold press every 2 hours for the first couple of days.
Thank you for all your amazing support and I hope and pray the pain and swelling begin to go down so I can walk without pain and causing it more irritation.
@sistersinhim - I guess we can change the thread title now... sigh. I was indeed hoping against hope to not do it but here I am.
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