TKR Op on 7/3 home 11/3<<

[MezRebuilt]

@Celle no it hadn't occurred to me, I've been I pain with serious back issue for 22 years many of those on morphine amongst other things just to keep going. I had just had my daughter and I lost the feeling in my big toe on left leg then the pain set in! Oh boy it was not a good time when it should have been after having our second baby. At same time I had to have a piece of bowel removed caused from a massive abscess. Anyway I've walked with a limp for long long time on that left leg and it is probably that which has caused the knee to wear requiring this LTKR the other isn't good but not as bad. My shoes always wear out in an odd way too due to this limping. So when the left knee got to bone on bone I was really struggling I was walking as my friend said - where is your horse I was that bad with bow legs lol
I was also dropping my left shoulder and leaning forward to try and keep pai at bay this has caused tearing in y shoulder which will suddenly spasm and my neck and now upper spine is stiff painful - basically I a mess but it's the left side that is worse.
So going back to do you gai length I had a good day yesterday and walked .88 of a mile with Harley to get him downtime and me some fresh air sun was shining it was lovely.
Whilst walking I noticed I was more upright not leaning it was like someone had put a wedge under my foot. It felt good really good. I was still limping from op pain knee felt odd because of numbness on the out side of left knee to scar but I was upright for first time I ages!! This is why I stopped using crutches at two weeks they just caused more pain.
I came home elevated and iced while knee but did notice pelvis pain last night and my legs were going into spasm and flying out in all directions I've got used to it now- for doe reason my kids still laugh if it Suddenly happens.
So today is a slob PJ day resting elevating icing etc so I can give knee a chance to settle although it's not that swollen not as much as I thought it would be after yesterday's walk.
So that was why I was asking if the leg length is increased with new joint because to me it feels like it has. It was a great feeling to be walking like that, it's been a long time but just felt so good.
Wishing you all a good day mx and a healing woofs from Harley actually make that a heeling Zzzzzz he's fast asleep but on alert bless xx

 

[Josephine]

Q1. Right this minute 1. no pain. Walking I did 0.88 miles today pain 4

Really? I thought you said you had this pain ...

apart from nerve spasm which I can only describe as make my knee feel like it is bending backwards lol like being zapped.

That very much sounds to me like neuropathy and therefore the dose of Gabapentin 100mgs is insufficient. It's actually a very mild dose so I suggest you speak to your GP about it and tell him it's not controlling this particular pain. btw, you never told me how often you are taking each of these medications, specially the gabapentin - is that once, twice or three times a day? When I was taking it, I was on 300mg twice a day.

My comments in bold
Everyday I walk one day short walk next day slightly further - probably good but you haven't said how long you walk for - 10mins, 30, an hour?
5x heel slides twice a day - the walking is quite sufficient so I suggest you stop these
Straight leg lifts 5x morning 5x evening - remember what I said before? If you can do SLRs, you don't need to do them any more!
squat x5 - squats are the worst exercise you can do as it really stresses your new knee. Stop doing them
knee lifts as above alternating good knee x5 secs on each - a flexion exercise so unnecessary as your walking is good enough
I also lift good leg so weight on TKR (no pain) and then reverse holding for 5 secs on each x5 - well, okay, I suppose these are good for balance

 

[MezRebuilt]

@Josephine sorry I copied my prescription but the hospital now have me on 1200mg gabbapentin.

Fencino Fentanyl 50m change every 72hrs
Diazepam 5mg at night
Gabapentin 1200 300mg four times a day
Co Dydramol 500g two 500mg as and when needed
Zopiclone 7.5m at night
Venaflexine 75mg one 75mg in morning one at night so total 150mg
Oramorph as and when needed

The zapping pain like knee is going backwards happens intermittent I never know when so during my walk yesterday that took approx 1hr and the spasm happened four or five times. Apart from this and the deep numbness on out left leg I feel really good.

I mentioned above when talking to Celle that last night I did have pelvis pain level about an 8
Knee good just kept it elevating but I was getting leg spasms going off in all directions - this is a problem I have had for years since back issue. Above post tells you an bit more about my health.

Today I'm in PJs elevating icing and resting after yesterday. Hope that helps cover issues.
I have a lot of nerve pain in my left side. I know it stems from my spine and the operations and it's always been the left side that has the issues.
Thanks Josephine

 

[MezRebuilt]

@Josephine Well I'm slowly wanting to stop the extra pain killers prescribed since op I just feel I on too many opiates but pain at times fro pelvis back etc is too much to bare
But have managed to go to now 14.17 before taking the oxicontin or co- didramol. I forgot to add the hospital putting me on oxicontin also that is 30mg per day
Thanks for al your help and everyone else I was feeling quite happy earlier and upbeat but for no reason gone all how strange theses operations can play on your emotions I think it's also a lot to feeling exhausted from not sleeping well this is me through the night

 

[Celle]

Hi @MezRebuilt
Thanks for your long explanation about why you asked if you could gain leg length after a TKR. Since you were bow-legged, it seems quite likely that you did. That would, indeed, account for your feeling that you are walking straighter now.

Your body would have adjusted to the way you were walking before, so now it will have to re-adjust. Legs, hips, pelvis, back - they'll all have to re-align themselves, which will take some time and could cause some aches and pains until they get used to the new mechanics of walking.

Your pre-op shoes, with the old tread pattern, won't be helpful now. You'll need to buy some new shoes that can develop a tread pattern to match your new gait.

It's early days still, but I think it would be a good idea to ask your PT for help and guidance with your gait, as your body adjusts to the new way of walking.

Best wishes.

 

[MezRebuilt]

Well the sun is shining and I'm exactly four weeks post op! Oh I remember the pain for hours in recovery me screaming them trying to get pain meds right for nerve pain it was bad but here we are four weeks later no crutches getting out every couple days resting in between as feel so tired but today I'm going to the garden centre and choose something for the garden. Then home and elevate and ice. Which I'm doing now before I get up and give Hal a run. No doubt tomorrow will be tired but today will be worth it. Happy healing everyone
Hal and Mary

 

[MezRebuilt]

Hi all missed a day to say hope all are well and those in there first week not too much pain.
I started Tuesday feeling so upbeat then had some major issues with DLA or Called PIP now!!!
So we didn't get for a walk and I spent two hours trying to sit on an upright chair while somebody phone for me- again the frustration of needing someone to do that for me. I was up and down on chair I couldn't go far because I was answering things being relayed.

However I noticed a my big toe hurt when I was walking and in the night was throbbing and this morning I'm aware of horizontal a line couple inches up over my knee a tightness when trying to walk which makes big toe throb I know it's the old nerve issue in my leg as it's always been problem since back ops.**

The Band throbbing seems muscular maybe ligaments or just where the swelling is going down. But I'm more inclined to think it was caused when sitting on that chair.

Maybe @Josephine or @Celle have heard of it. I now have peas in again and also have a small area of pin prints in my calf muscle but I'm sure it's nerves just from experience. Has anyone else had nerve issue after op?
Harley sends his Hearing Dog love to you all. Mary x

**EDIT I meant to add it's as bad when flexed as straight! adding ice seems to hurt the area more xx

 

[Celle]

I'm not sure, but it could be that sitting in a hard chair has caused some nerve pain to kick in.

 

[Josephine]

I agree. But Mez, did I read correctly that you are putting ice on your toe? Because that's never a good idea. There is little or no fatty padding there and ice most certainly will hurt even with protection.

 

[MezRebuilt]

No @Josephine not sure where you got that idea. When I put ice on my knee it makes big toe throb and I get little pockets of what I think is nerve pain in my calf as well and it's shooting and prickling in leg. Before this pain I found icing relieving but since Tuesday I'm finding it painful. Particularly where this new pain has started. Very strange. I wrap ice in towel so not direct on skin.

But I'm am sure it's nerve irritation but apart from large area of numbness still there at the outer side and spasms and now this odd pain, I'm doing okay I think

Thanks all speedy recovery to all mx and Hearing Dog Harley woofs

 

[Josephine]

No @Josephine not sure where you got that idea

Oh sorry - you didn't actually say either way so I jumped to conclusions! My bad!

When I put ice on my knee it makes big toe throb and I get little pockets of what I think is nerve pain in my calf as well

Well, that could be because the nerve that runs on the outside of the knee also runs down into the foot as you describe and as you can see in this image. It's called the peroneal nerve.