Bilateral TKR Oregon Mom's recovery journey

[Jaycey]

Just in case you want more details on using a TENs machine here is the article our Emeritus Nurse Director wrote. She even has a image of how to place the pads on your knee: TENS machines for pain management

 

[Dizzy]

Just in case you want more details on using a TENs machine here is the article our Emeritus Nurse Director wrote. She even has a image of how to place the pads on your knee: TENS machines for pain management

Yes, I saw that and it's what convinced me to get one. Hoping for good results!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

@Oregon mom @Disney Mom @leejaa
@Dizzy
Now I want a TENS machine!!! The last few nights my right leg has been hurting and spasming. I’ve used the heating pad and ice/elevation. Sometimes neither thing works. Which model on Amazon did you folks get?

 

[Oregon mom]

@Mrs. Ciz
LOL! The brand is called Belifu. I think the other folks got a pretty nice discount on theirs. We've had ours for about a year now and it's great. We did order new sticky pads a while ago, but that happens. Eventually they lose their stick. I'm surprised at how cheap this unit is for how much you get.

 

[Oregon mom]

Just in case you want more details on using a TENs machine here is the article our Emeritus Nurse Director wrote. She even has a image of how to place the pads on your knee: TENS machines for pain management

The picture in this article shows the pads placed very close to the incision site. I am just a few days post-op, so I place my pads on the meaty areas of my upper and lower leg 8-10 inches away from my knees joint so the pulses will cross through the operated area but nothing is physically close to the incision. This also works very well.

 

[Oregon mom]

Have a low grade fever of 99°
I think I've had this fever for a couple days now so I'm not overly concerned.. Maybe a little concerned. Feel a little achy too. I'm hoping I can just sleep this off..

 

[Oregon mom]

Still holding a fever, but was told not to worry too much unless it goes to 104°.
I had intermittent feelings of ability and strength dovetailing with throbbing pain and stiffness. I tried very hard not to do too much. I've read and ingested too many stories and advice on taking it easy these early weeks. I did a couple back leg lifts while in the walker. I'm trying to walk as normally as I can but it's difficult due to the pain and stiffness. I was able to achieve good standing posture a couple times. I am being overly ginger with my left knee because it was much worse than the right and my muscles lost tone and ability while my right leg took up the slack and grew more muscular and trashed what was left of my cartilage.
My husband looks like he's about to lose his mind. I am a total burden, but it's not forever.
Enjoying working on my coin collection today and trying to work through pain, body aches and low fever.
I got a little weepy today because I needed ice badly and my husband was outside and forgot his phone inside. I started to feel overly dramatic, abandoned, etc. But it was short lived.
I keep waiting for the blues to hit. I'm so excited to have these new knees and to be able to walk normally again.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

My husband had both hips replaced in 2018 about 9 weeks apart. He had a low fever during the first week at home after his 2nd hip. I freaked out, but when we called the doctor, he said it was a pretty normal healing response. We were also told to watch it. So we took his temp 3 or 4 times a day. It never went up and was gone in a couple of days. I hope yours is the same - just part of the body’s natural healing response.

I hear you about feeling like a burden. I had to be waited on hand and foot for the first 3 weeks. I just accepted it and enjoyed it. My husband was really good about taking care of me because over the years I got him through an Achilles heal repair and subsequent staph infection and 2 hip replacements. He was grateful when I was able to start pitching in again though. My kids (daughter21 and son23) also helped a lot.

I lost it a few times as well - mostly in the middle of the night when I’d been awake for hours not able to sleep. Another time I lost it over having technical difficulties paying my daughter’s college tuition (that one was a frustrating mess I ended up having to hand over to my husband to fix, but it did get fixed). It’s totally normal to get overwhelmed and lose it.

I hope you feel better soon!!!!

 

[leejaa]

You are not a burden. You are recovering from a major surgery and are unable to do certain tasks or most tasks this early. He will adjust. My husband had some hard moments and I just had one knee done at a time but he survived.

I found it helped if I suggested easy dinners (rotisserie chicken from the store) and salads and if I told him ahead of time that I would need ice and when. I know they should be able to figure it out on their own but not all men are able to think like that but often are better with a schedule.

It will get easier for you as the knees heal. I was glad that you had some good relaxing time with your coin collection. It is wonderful to find something to take your mind off the knees for a little bit. I hope the rest of your day is peaceful. Sending you some (((hugs))) and healing vibes.

 

[WhenImOld]

I'm very much like you, sitting still and having someone bring me things isn't something I'm used to doing either. I found scheduling reminders in his phone about 15 minutes before I'd need ice or meds was the best way to make sure they showed up. I had more than a couple mental melt downs too, especially in that first 3 weeks. It will get better tho

 

[Oregon mom]

@Mrs. Ciz @leejaa @WhenImOld
Thank you so much for the encouragement. This is the best part of the forum for me ; hearing that I'm not alone.
We got out our walkie talkies and turned his up full blast. He was exhausted from being Mr. Mom and schlepping ice, etc. all day. He just passed out on the couch and didn't hear his phone.
Someone on the forum likened this to having a newborn in many ways. It's so true.
I missed his company and wanted to chat last night but he was just so beat. He just needed a moment to himself. He said "When do I need to come back in here?"

 

[Dizzy]

@Oregon mom Remind him of " for better or for worse, in sickness and in health"...

 

[Oregon mom]

First virtual PT visit today. The therapist measured my angles on her computer screen. Very strange. Both legs measured the same.
3° extension
50° flexion
Was given home exercises, check back in one week
Ankle pumps
Quad sets
Forward leg lifts
Short arc quad
Heel slides
Seated heel slides
I walked with the walker. I'm encouraged to let the leg hang just a bit while taking a step to encourage the knee to bend, rather than walking peg legged, then land on the heel and roll to the toes.
I'm not sure what effect the session had on me yet. I went straight to the ice machines afterwards. I'm not experiencing excruciating pain at the moment. Some of the stretches felt weirdly good, sort of. Not sure I want to do anymore today, though.
I took off the waterproof dressing yesterday and I'm surprised at how squeamish I am. It was painless, but kind of freaky. The steri strips have hardly any blood on them. There are sets of horizontal marker lines from the surgeon. Bruising is minimal. Swelling has gone down. Aching pain and random "shooting star" pain within the joints.
Flexing my knee freaks me out. I have an unnecessary fear that my suture will pop open and my knee cap will skitter across the room. They've told me not to flex more than 90° in the first two weeks, which makes me laugh because who could even do that?
I was thinking I might have to take an extra oxycodone but so far so good. Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to my next dose of 2 Tylenol and 1 oxycodone in an hour.
One thing that is frustrating me is the size of Hershey bars these days. They are fully half the size they used to be! Therefore, I am forced to eat two bars.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I still sometimes feel like my stitches/scars will bust open when I do my heal slides! At one week post op, the PA took off my waterproof bandages, but he also took out my staples at the same time. Then he cleaned the scars and scabs and put new dressings on them. There were a couple of bloody spots. He told me to leave the bandages on until the incisions were totally scabbed over. I left them on for almost 2 weeks!!! I was so afraid to take them off.

Glad you had a successful PT appointment! Now go get your Hershey bars!!!!

 

[Oregon mom]

Had tremendous breakthrough pain at 0400 this morning. Had to call poor hubby in for ice. Took oxycodone and Tylenol two hours early and added an extra oxycodone. Still trying to get pain under control now, but not as bad as it was.
The PT recommended the 'assisted' heel slide (where you pull on yourself with a strap). This exercise is clearly a no - no according to BoneSmart. But also just seems plain dumb at 9 days post op. I nodded as she spoke but quietly thought to myself Yeah, won't be doing that.
I'm not blindly allegiant to everything BoneSmart recommends. Nor am I going to follow all of the instructions of my PT (whom, I might add, is significantly younger than me and I can bet has never had bilateral knee replacement). I'm not interested in spending half my day counting my reps and then praying I won't have breakthrough pain and then having to call the ortho nurse to beg like an irresponsible child for more pain medication that I don't even want to be taking in the first place.
I do so resent having to call the ortho nurse... Yes, I've been icing and elevating... Yes, I know that narcotic medication is only one way we manage our pain... Yes, I tried out the guided imagery podcast on the provider website... Yes, I'm trying to get up and move throughout the day... Yes, it still hurts like hell, which is why I called you, ortho nurse. I wouldn't call to go over all the basics with someone on the phone. I would call because the pain is so bad I have to do something proactive.
It's kind of a lonely place to be when you realize that only YOU will know what the best course of action is, and if you aren't tapped into your body's needs intimately, it's going to be a long road.

 

[Jaycey]

The PT recommended the 'assisted' heel slide (where you pull on yourself with a strap).

I'll be brutally honest - this is NUTS at only days out of what is basically 2 major operations. Listen to those knees and baby them for now. There is plenty of time to gain ROM after you get this pain controlled.

Very early days - hang in there!

 

[SpaceGirl]

Oh man, how did I miss your surgery and recovery thread??? Ahhh! I am sorry, I have been looking but I guess I overlooked it. You sound to be doing really well considering how far out you are from BOTH knees!

It is so hard to get used to relying on someone else when you are usually the go to person in the house, I totally get that. I cried off and on so much the first time around, that I felt horrible and at the holidays to boot! I thought wow, I don't know if I want to do this again! Then here I am lol guess it's a good thing about the pandemic my dh was working from home already so it wasn't a huge deal for him to keep staying home to help.

Be sure you're taking your meds on schedule. I know there were a few times I remember in the early weeks where I'd get terrible pains in the middle of the night, woke me up and I would take meds a little early too, so I could get back to sleep. My hubby set his phone alarms for every med I had to take, so it was easy to stay on schedule. I iced all the time in the early weeks, between ice packs and the ice machine, I was icing when I wasn't up and moving. I found just getting up once an hour was super helpful during the day, I would make a couple of laps around the house. I didn't do many exercises at all when at home other than heel slides in bed or when I was sitting in a chair and I did not do as many as they said LOL I am a horrible patient :p but hey it seems to work for me. Every knee/person is different, I am always amazed when I see people 2-3 weeks out driving, moving along like no issue! I will keep checking in!

 

[Murphy2013]

Had tremendous breakthrough pain at 0400 this morning. Had to call poor hubby in for ice. Took oxycodone and Tylenol two hours early and added an extra oxycodone. Still trying to get pain under control now, but not as bad as it was.
The PT recommended the 'assisted' heel slide (where you pull on yourself with a strap). This exercise is clearly a no - no according to BoneSmart. But also just seems plain dumb at 7 days post op. I nodded as she spoke but quietly thought to myself Yeah, won't be doing that.
I'm not blindly allegiant to everything BoneSmart recommends. Nor am I going to follow all of the instructions of my PT (whom, I might add, is significantly younger than me and I can bet has never had bilateral knee replacement). I'm not interested in spending half my day counting my reps and then praying I won't have breakthrough pain and then having to call the ortho nurse to beg like an irresponsible child for more pain medication that I don't even want to be taking in the first place.
I do so resent having to call the ortho nurse... Yes, I've been icing and elevating... Yes, I know that narcotic medication is only one way we manage our pain... Yes, I tried out the guided imagery podcast on the provider website... Yes, I'm trying to get up and move throughout the day... Yes, it still hurts like hell, which it why I called you, ortho nurse. I wouldn't call to go over all the basics with someone on the phone. I would call because the pain is so bad I have to do something proactive.
It's kind of a lonely place to be when you realize that only YOU will know what the best course of action is, and if you aren't tapped into your body's needs intimately, it's going to be a long road.

Hi Oregon Mom, oh you are so very right that the home Pt givers who are so far experientially and age removed from what they are saying and have no feedback loop to understand when to modify or back off. I remember thinking the same thing. I’m an athlete;I can push thru pain but is it really important now or is this a checklist item.
There really needs to be growth in this area of care. I would have national certifications set up in knee aftercare so we could get the best of the best. I hated begging for meds too.

 

[sistersinhim]

Unfortunately, some therapists treat a joint replacement like a sport's injury. That is far from the way it should be treated. TKRs need gentle, no-pain movements. You have 2 bones on each leg that has been cut off and foreign material pounded into them. Would you treat a broken leg like your PT has treated your knees? Those bones take at least a couple of months to heal. Then you have all those soft tissues that have been cut, shoved aside, and traumatized in an awful way. These take a year or more to get back to normal.

Doing exercises that cause more pain and swelling is counterproductive. You have to heal from the new, increased pain and swelling until you can get back to healing from the surgery. Letting your knees'
reactions be your guide, and keeping that pain and swelling down is the best way to recover.

 

[Oregon mom]

Ah thank you so much for the support!
Yes, they essentially are broken bones! I felt like I would really be doing myself a disservice if I plowed ahead with this laundry list of drills.
I emailed PT and told her that I felt things were moving too fast and pain wasn't under control. She responded that the exercises were standard protocol for knee replacement patients and that I could just do fewer reps. Standard protocol... I asked if this was also for bilateral patients and haven't heard back yet.
I swear, if I hadn't found this site before my surgery, I am sure I would be in the emergency room with pain and that I'd have caused more trauma to my joints in trying to do these exercises at only 9 days out.
I have to shake my head... I waited 15 months for this life changing surgery. And now the same system is expecting me to enter boot camp not even two weeks after my bones have been operated on. And I have to have multiple long conversations about pain management. I'm not bitter or anything, just irritated and amused.
I am an incredibly active person. I worked out nearly 2 hours a day prior to surgery with cycling, weights, recumbent elliptical, stretches. If I am inclined to stay still for a while and heal that tells me something. I must be very injured.