PKR One Year Out - Pleased With Outcome

[EalingGran]

Thanks everyone for your support.
I am still very washed out but my inflammatory markers in the blood are finally starting to come down- so hopefully these are the right antibiotics.

 

[JusticeRider]

EalingGran you have really been through it! No wonder you’re tired of all this. I hope you continue to improve quickly and get to go home soon. Great news about your knee! You’re a star! We’re all rooting for you

 

[EalingGran]

know your medical system is different from ours, but they may be able to help with the side effects.

I have had odansetron and cyclizine for nausea and both were helpful.
Worth noting for anyone post surgery.
The nausea is ok now. Just very washed out and hard to tell how much is the infection and how much is the meds.
What really worried me on Sunday though was my son's reaction to my blood results. He is a GP and although he gets great patient reviews he is pretty no nonsense/ tough love with family illness.He hasn't been that sympathetic with my knee recovery and I feel a bit of a negative comparison with his wife's father who breezed through a medial pkr last year.
He was clearly very very worried and wanting to get in the car and drive a couple of hours to see me and getting a colleague to cover his Monday clinics. I had to talk him down from this but it freaked me out!

 

[Flashlight]

I am glad to hear you are on the right antibiotics for the infection and the nausea is getting better. Do you like yogurt? If they have it and you can tolerate it, it might help. I think sometimes when you are in health care and especially a doctor you have to have a no-nonsense approach. You are his mom and he let his guard down. I bet he can see right through his FIL. Hang in there.

 

[beachy]

I think your son's reaction is more the way boys are to their moms. My son is an Iraq war veteran. Tough Marine. But, when I'm sick and/or in hospital he's a big MUSH.
Hang in there and try not to worry too much. Sounds like you're in great hands and getting excellent care.

 

[EalingGran]

Feeling a lot better today and blood markers/ temperature/BP/pulse all a lot better. Just seen the infectious disease consultant. He is stopping one of the antibiotics ( clindomycin) which should improve nausea and make me feel even better. Just one more day of IV Augmentin and hopefully home tomorrow on oral antibiotics and review in the clinic next week.
Knee seems fine but keeping a careful eye on it. It can get slightly warmer than my unoperated knee but no dramatic warmth/ swelling.
This has been a real shock and just praying I got onto it fast enough and no consequences for my lovely new knee.

 

[Mojo333]

@EalingGran
I'm just catching up on you, but I'm sure this has made you anxious.
Glad you we on the mend and hope all goes away soon so you can feel less anxiety about the knee.

 

[beachy]

Yay for feeling better! Sounds like each day you have improvement!
Hope you're out of there soon and all the yuck is out of your body!

 

[EalingGran]

Thanks everyone- really appreciate the support. Only someone who has been through a knee replacement can really understand the anxiety around infection risk.

 

[Layla]

This has been a real shock and just praying I got onto it fast enough and no consequences for my lovely new knee.

Will pray with you, but feel pretty confident you're safe and on the right path since you acted so quickly and you're receiving good care. It is a relief to read all is improving, EG. Hope you're back home resting comfortably soon!

 

[EalingGran]

My infectious disease consultant said Strep A can affect knee joints but isn't a common pathogen to do so. This is mainly because it makes people very sick very quickly- so is generally treated fast.
The bigger risks were more chronic low grade infections that people didn't realise they had and therefore left untreated.
Makes sense but also makes it hard to stay alert.
I am at slightly higher risk of infection because I have a type of mild chronic low white cell deficiency ( neutropaenia). I find for me my fitbit helps me notice infections. If I have the slightest fever my resting pulse goes up- as happened dramatically at the weekend.

 

[beachy]

Will you still be on target to go home tomorrow?

 

[EalingGran]

Hope so.
Will depend on bloods this morning and ward round later. But pretty sure if my bloods are OK I will be home later today.
My knee has been incredibly good- not even giving any twinges at night.
It probably liked the regular IV paracetamol ( I think that is Tylenol in US?) I have been on for fever and all the rest it has had. It has basically been given a holiday by me from exercise and strict instructions to just stay out of the chaos going on elsewhere in my body!!

 

[Layla]

With the time difference, hopefully you're home by now, EalingGran. Safe travels if you haven't been discharged yet. Glad to read your knee is behaving in all of this! Dealing with one thing at a time is enough.
Best Wishes!
@EalingGran

 

[EalingGran]

Thanks @Layla! I am still waiting for one last blood test.
A clotting screen which I have to have because they have referred me for a lymph node biopsy next week,as a precaution. I am not worried about it as the node is almost certainly just due to the recent infection- but glad they are covering every base. Itching to get home but was warned they are busy and discharging lots from my ward today- so also got to wait for my oral antibiotics.
It has been an interesting experiment with my knee- giving it pretty much total rest and some elevation for over 5 days ( Although definitely not an experiment I would want to repeat!)
My knee has been totally happy with no swelling or pain at all- even at night. My knee hasn't stiffened at all and my ROM is exactly as it was before. I haven’t needed any ice.
My new knee and I have made a good pact over last few days- I would leave it alone so long as it stayed out of my current trouble and it has agreed!
Will gradually resume exercises tomorrow.

 

[EalingGran]

Got home on Thursday evening.
I overdid it on Friday because I had some longstanding tickets to an exhibition, and was taking a friend I hadn't seen for a while. My husband thought I was a bit mad to go, but I was so sick of staring at four walls in hospital and had complete cabin fever. I coped really well although needed my stick to lean when I got tired standing. I even managed to do a short flight of stairs going down correctly. It was at a station with no lift and quite busy. I was worried I might get jostled if I was too slow- so I just walked down normally holding the rail and carrying my stick but not using it. I was fine - minimal discomfort.
But that night I had some warmth and a little bit of swelling/ tightness again. Not surprised really as had done 8000 steps after a few days of bed rest.
Feel tired today and going to take it easy for rest of weekend. The baby grandson has brought home yet another cold from the childminders and everyone else has already got it......

 

[sistersinhim]

Wow, it's great that you got out and had minimal recuperation! Be careful being around anyone sick now. I imagine your resistance is pretty low.

 

[Layla]

Happy Four Month Anniversary!
I am happy to read you are back home! Not only back home, but out on adventures already, landing yourself in the ODIC. At least you were able to get out of the house and enjoy some time with a friend. I hope you didn't catch the cold from your grandson also, you've dealt with enough lately. Get lots of rest this weekend and hopefully you'll feel a lot better by Monday. Take good care, EG!
@EalingGran

 

[EalingGran]

Happy Four Month Anniversary

Thanks everyone for your support over the last week or so particularly.
Had sort of forgotten it is now the full four months since my surgery.
It has been a tough time and a total rollercoaster recently but now can hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel. Doing a whole flight of steps down normally on Friday felt like enormous progress- even though I can't yet do it at home ( ? steeper steps).
Reminded myself that I had not been doing stairs normally for a year or two pre surgery. So this is a real sign that I am
now definitely better than my pre-surgery function.
On the downside- I have definitely got the chesty cough from baby/ husband/ daughter. Just resting again and thankfully I had already cancelled the one day of work I still do.
Have learnt from hospital stay that rest is OK and won't do my knee any harm.

 

[beachy]

You really have been through the wringer!
Absolutely rest! I'm sick and tired of not going anywhere, but still don't have the energy.
Before long this will all be a bad memory, spring will be here and you'll be back to your old self