TKR P.Renee's Recovery Thread<

[Jockette]

I had more than one melt down in my recovery.

 

[sistersinhim]

I had the crying fits at least once a week for the first couple of months.

 

[Josephine]

Sorry - I will get around to your responses soon but it's been my experience that if I post questions in amongst my answers, they never get answered!

So my next question is this

2. Tramadol HCL 5 mg - as needed

I've never heard of a 5mg Tramadol. Was it a typo and you meant to say 50mg?

 

[p.renee]

Sorry it was a typo- 50 mg. Tramadol.

 

[Josephine]

1. 3-4

Well you're only 9 weeks out so it's to be expected.

2. I try to get by with Tylenol Arthritis strength, every 6 hours, but have Tramadol 50mg on hand (does not work very well for me) , as well as Percocet (5/325 mg) as needed. Usually nights I end up taking a Percocet, along with Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg prescribed 2x a day. Also just finishing up Gabapentin & Celebrex that I have been taking since surgery per my surgeon. He is the mind-set to have them on hand and not suffer or try to win any contest by just taking Tylenol if you need something stronger.

I think you should be 'trying to get by' with Tylenol. It's too early. You'd be better off taking Tylenol 1,000mg every 6hrs along with 50mg of Tramadol with 2, 3 or 4 of those doses.

3. Moderate to slight

I trust you remembered that swelling should also be factored as pain?

4. 108/-5 yesterday due to bad swelling. I wasn't happy. Have been at 1.

If you're saying you weren't happy with your extension at 5, then it wasn't minus 5 but plus 5. Good is zero, better is -2. Worse is +2. But it's okay because 5 degrees is virtually nothing. It's as near zero as can be. And at 9 weeks, you still have plenty of time for it to improve.

5. Yes I ice 2-3 times a day for 20-30-minutes.

You accomplish little or nothing in 20 minutes. Ice for at least 40-60mins and more than 4 times a day.

6. I elevate a couple times a day for probably 30 minutes.

Repeat as above.

7. Light housework, back to all cooking, husband vacuums, does laundry as it's in our basement. I have had to go grocery shopping a few times this past week. I started back to work yesterday part time 3-5 hours a day at a desk job.

Okay but please do make sure you go easy on yourself. And get up and walk about your office for 5 minutes every so often to keep your knee loosened up.

once a day
Heel slides x10
Quad stretches x20

Physical Therapy:
recumbent bike 8 minutes
walk stairs x3
up & down chair x30x
gait walking;
Wall stretches x10 x2

I think that now you are back to work, you need to quit all this. You don't need it anyway as you have excellent ROM anyway. Remember, going to work is not just going to work. There's lots else added to your day along with it, like this which often gets forgotten

having to get up earlier in the morning
getting washed/showered, putting on the 'face',
getting dressed
getting a fast breakfast and eating it in about 5 mins instead of casually
getting out the car
driving to work
walking from car to office
actually being up and about and unable to take the appropriate rests during the day
walking back from office to car
driving home
putting car away
making an evening meal
probably feeding pets and/or others
washing up and then finding it's almost time for bed!​

And remember, the less you stress your knee with pain, the quicker it's going to get better and have better ROM.

As a footnote: if you are concerned about refusing to do therapy, you need to read this Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

 

[p.renee]

I started back to work yesterday and did good, granted only 3 hours but felt pretty good. Went to Physical Therapy and she was amazed at how much better I was doing. I will be graduating PT next week!!!!! I am so relieved!

Just trying now how to get my sleep back. I still toss and turn. Was after 2am before I got to sleep last night and up and 7. The night before it was 3 am. Have taken myself off Tramadol and hydrocodone at night, which I admit I was taking when needed. I think my body is now expecting it at night. Trying Tylenol with Benadryl.

Seeing my primary physician tomorrow to talk about this insomnia as it is becoming a psychological thing now.

Any others have any insight into this? From this site and others, probably most patients that have a knee replacement suffer from insomnia.

 

[sistersinhim]

I found that Tylenol PM helped me sleep or an OTC sleep aid. Lack of sleep is a terrible side effect of this surgery. I'd sleep just about an hour at the time, that's it. I slept when I could and where I could for the first month or so.

 

[Josephine]

Have taken myself off Tramadol and hydrocodone at night, which I admit I was taking when needed. I think my body is now expecting it at night. Trying Tylenol with Benadryl.

Most people's sleep disturbances are caused by low grade pain and you didn't say what doses you are taking so I cannot tell. So tell me what doses you are taking and I can advise you.

 

[p.renee]

I think I'm down to one more PT appointment and I'm done! Saw my surgeon today and he was okay with my range of motion and straightness (120/-1). However, wants to see me in 6 weeks, which I don't totally understand unless it is because I haven't been signed off yet by PT.

My surgeon is very pro-therapy. I mentioned they were treating me as if I were an athlete and he said 'good, that's what I want'. I was not let go this week because I don't have my balance to stand on my surgery leg only with my eyes closed without losing my balance. I don't think I could do this BEFORE surgery! Really!

I told my PT that and she laughed and said 'one more day then'. Sorry just venting a little as I thought at 10 weeks I would be done! Thinking positive that it will be next week. I am back to work and doing well. Sleeping better at night. Icing at night and putting heat on my quads has really helped. Gonna start walking in the pool next week!

 

[sistersinhim]

Your ROM is fantastic! That's what mine is and I can't stand on either foot with my eyes closed and stay on balance. You can stop PT anytime you want to. You are the employer and the boss. With that ROM and being back to work, you are getting all the therapy you need! Don't let them talk you into paying for something that you don't need!
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/saying-no-to-therapy-am-i-allowed-to.36688/

 

[p.renee]

Today was my last PT appointment! Very happy, after 10 weeks! Was a lot of ups and downs but finally feel I accomplished this. I have two issues still: 1) a very tender scar. I am massaging, and still have to cover it at night as my bed sheets really cause discomfort still. Any ideas? 2) I still have a Baker's Cyst behind my knee. My surgeon is not willing to do anything with it, just see what happens. See him weeks. It is uncomfortable, but tolerable. Working 12 hours a week now, which is my normal. I retired after 36 years with a very stressful job and this job is just fun. I have a desk job so not much physical work other than occasionally going downstairs to storage. I am hoping to start walking in our indoor pool for 20 minutes as tolerated. Thank you all for your help! God Bless You All!