We both watched it Spex10. I couldn't have watched it before my operations but it was very interesting now I have them done. The pain now makes sense when you see just what they do to your knee.
It's 5.40am and it's day 5 post op. I have spent the night counting down the hours between medications. I wouldn't say the pain level was a 10 but most definitely at an 8. I think most people would say they were OK at that level but for me it's getting very much to the unbearable stage. Brain at the fuzzy stage trying to work out when next meds are due. 8am before I can take anything more.
Despite the pain I keep falling asleep when trying to type this posting or when I try to read. I am sure that is the morphine causing that but I can't do without it yet. I only have enough morphine to last till Friday then I am expected to go back to dihydrocodeine. Will wait and see how bearable the pain is at that point and may have to see the doctor.
Sorry I am having a moan folks. I really just want to cry right now. I know you all understand where I am coming from. Hubby is trying to understand especially now he has watched an operation. He now realises what my knees have been through. My children don't see the pain as only at the end of a phone for the time being. I wonder if my little doggies understand.
OK off for a cry and get hubby up to make me a cuppa.
Oops here is a funny story . It seems in my morphine fog I was on a local selling website looking at a motor bike. I was only looking but I have just had a message telling me the bike is still available. Seems I sent a message enquiring about it... Lol. Now I know I want to buy a new motorbike once recovered ... just not yet....lol.
Last tkr I managed to order 3 travel kettles from Argos in my brain fog. I did actually want one so I could make a cuppa in the bedroom without going downstairs as I live on my own. My sister went to Argos to collect said kettle and came back with 3. Much laughter when she had to return 2!
Roll on the day you’re ready for the motorbike!
Re the keeping track of the meds I had to use my smart phone to record each time I’d taken them otherwise I’d totally have lost the plot.
Hang on in there till 8am !
@Newboots I love the buying of 3 kettles. So add I didn't go on and buy the bike.
I have taken to writing down my meds on my phone and the time I took them so I can see when next is due. I just seem to be in a fog and not quite reading when they are due properly.
Was posting on FB about the pain level and a friend who is a renal consultant asked if I should be in that much pain at this stage and was it not that something was wrong. Got me a bit worried.
I was in a lot of pain last tkr that first week but it’s so hard to judge your pain levels against other peoples even using the ‘score’. I would say it was an 8 in that first week but not constantly . Maybe today you could ring the hospital for advice? My GP has been very helpful this time round for pain management.
I know what you mean about the Morphine. I couldn't bear the way it made me feel so I refused it completely for the latest TKR. Pain is so subjective. What's horrible for some is OK for others I think I'm one of the very lucky ones. I wonder if there's a connection between how an op is carried out and the resulting pain level? The most recent OS used a tourniquet (with resultant thigh bruising and pain for a week or so) and made a longer incision as he said that made access easier. Much less bruising too. Oh well. Whatever he did made a big difference to my recovery.
Sleep when you can and keep off Ebay!!
I guess I am worrying more this time. The calf is very sore to touch and feels like cramp at times. I am sure it's just radiating from the knee but for some reason the thought of a blood clot is in the back of my mind. I don't want to keep taking the morphine as I hate what it does to you. If this raidiating pain can be normal then I won't worry.
What would they say? Mondays probably pretty busy so 'someone' would probably have to phone you back. Poss DVT in someone who'd had one before would be taken seriously though. They might want you to come in so they could have a look at it. Alternatively they might say that's very common and don't worry about it. Sorry. I'm not helping. I'm just sorry you've got this worry.
I am probably just being a worrier this time. I am on my feet a lot more here than I was in caravan and of course toilet is upstairs so I think I am using my leg a lot more than I did on operated one last time. I am on blood thinning tablets so I shouldn't worry. There is no redness in my calf and its not any warmer than the rest of leg. Foot is pretty podgy today and the bruising has started to come out. This pain is worst than last time. Had a few tears this morning as pain meds don't seem to be helping. My last blood clot was a PE and it came with a heavy feeling in my chest. I don't have that. Just cramp from toes to thigh so I need a good talking to and told to man up its just a bit of pain. Now to figure out if there is any way I can get a shower... Lol.
I phoned the ward. They were very nice about it. Says she doesn't think anything to worry about as no redness or heat in the calf just tenderness. Also the increased pain probably coming from the reduction in medication from hospital and there was another reduction in tablets last night which will continue till the morphine is finished on Friday. Thinks that using the stairs so much is possibly causing more fatigue. She got the nurse practitioner at surgery to call me and they have given me 5 more days of morphine and more senna seeing as still not been to the loo. Just advised to keep a check on calf and if worried to go to doctor. Also told me to ice plenty.
So everything seems OK.
Sorry for moaning folks. I don't have anyone to talk to about things so it is good to feel I am able to come on here to ask questions.
@Mollymax, the first couple of weeks for me were very painful, too. My calf was black and blue and so swollen, I was stunned when I saw a picture of it. I’m happy you were able to get more pain meds, (over here in Canada it’s very difficult to get more)
@Mollymax , So glad you’ve got reassurance.... it really helps doesn’t it ?
No probs with the moaning cus it’s not. I was lucky to have my sister to talk to as she’s had a knee replacement and knows what it’s like.
Hope things go a bit more smoothly now you’ve got more meds. Ah that’s just reminded me to take some paracetamol. Whoops !
Glad to hear that the hospital was reassuring. That must have helped a lot. Better to have done that than worried about things for days.
Ooh. Morphine side effect! I've already mentioned strong coffee and oranges How about a nice lentil curry or something similarly effective? Good luck with that!
Post away. I'll keep checking.
Thanks everyone. Feeling more positive now. Physio phoned me and got first appt to see them on 28th Dec. Got nurse appt for dressing to be removed and wound checked on 24th Dec. Hopefully by then the calf and shin will have calmed down. Yep bruising starting to look nasty but it's not as bad yet as in June. I am amazed that I am having no problem lifting my leg this time. No dead leg and no horrible pain putting foot to the floor. I really thought each leg would be the same. How wrong can you be.
Strange thing is my other knee is quite sore in the same way as after op. Strangely I am bending it more and it feels as though movement is much more free. I wonder if surgeon manipulated it a bit while doing this knee just to see how it was bending as I had told her my ROM still wasn't very good.
This time I am listening to my body more and taking naps when needed. Last time I resisted the naps. I have just had a lovely afternoon nap..lol.
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