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TKR Post Op Shenanigans

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Hi there - congrats on all the progress so far!

Like @lunula I'm curious about the pain meds - I have never been a fan of narc's so seeing people do fine on less is great! I was also wondering about the flexion - what was is like pre-op? I can fully extend (or very close) but the last bit is excruciating and I'm sure I'm not walking with a straight leg.
 
I am 4 days behind you and I think you are doing great! Congrats!

I have been going to outpt PT since day 4 and walking unassisted since day 7.

Everyone is different, but in response to TexasTee's post, I wanted to share my experience with pain meds.
For me, pain meds were worse than pain. I stopped all narcotics including tramadol (narcotic-like) on day 3 and have been using celebrex, tylenol and ICE.
Ice is my best pain management. When I can't sleep, I go ice for 15 mins and return to my bed.

Take what you need, but it is possible to go easy on the narcotics in some cases.
Good luck.
 
Hi,
I was actually sent home on Dilaudid but I started hallucinating. It was probably about a week when I quit the oxy during the day. I think I've taken it twice during the day in the past two weeks. The tramadol works very well for me. I have such a low tolerance for opioids.

I'm kind of stuck progress wise. This dang quad is still kind of asleep. I'm starting to worry. The PT and OS's office isn't. I guess it's just slow progress. Practice patience.

I had a rough weekend. I felt really blue. And cried for no reason. Today I feel so much better. I read through lots of posts last night. I sure appreciate not feeling alone.


LTKR November 20, 2014
RTKR sometime in 2015
 
You are doing well I.found soft tissue trauma the worst. Oh.yes we all have down days even ogres like me. Spoil your self. Again doing well. Toodles

Legin THR Sep 14
 
I know you feel like your progress is slow, and to be honest, I'll probably be saying the same thing in a few weeks, but you're hitting milestones every day! To be off of heavy narcotics so soon...I dream of being able to say that. You're up and walking. Going to PT. Maybe even getting some sleep here & there?

I'm sure that quad will wake up soon, I haven't even had my TKR yet but I can attest to how quickly my quad atrophied between my 2nd & 3rd cartilage tears when I was so inactive. My leg would get so tired, so quickly and it just wasn't strong. Even now, years later, my left quad is noticeably smaller than my right. That soft tissue trauma is rough.

And I'm so sorry that you were down this weekend. I can totally understand - your entire life was just flipped upside down AND you're in that cold Minnesota winter...Brrr! I lived there for about 3.5 years (after leaving Wisconsin) - so I remember those days!!

As you're recuperating and just lying about, make sure to watch comedies! If ya gotta lay there, at least have a laugh or two.

I'll be thinking about you!
 
@GamsGoneWild and @Saaryia - thank you for the info, I also over respond to narcs so hopefully I'll be another lucky one that can do without relatively quickly. Wine I'm a champ at :martini:

GGW - so sorry you had a rough weekend - I have read several journals that have mentioned the blues and crying over anything - specifically from week 3 to 5 if I'm recalling correctly. Makes sense, you've probably never in your life been sick or layed up for 3 weeks, it's gonna show somewhere.

The crying thing should be interesting - I'm really not a cryer for the most part so my newly wed husband will be put to the test! He was a bachelor for 44 years so the chick aspects really freak him out. That might actually make me laugh, something to look forward to, right?
 
GamsGoneWild said:
I felt really blue. And cried for no reason
Click to expand...
Not only does the physical aspect have its ups and its downs, after the TKR, but our psychological state is effected, too. This is all normal, and while it does not make you feel any better, it will subside.

The pain meds, the lack of independence, the isolation or "cabin fever", and other aspects---all factor into this.

I did not really cry, but I would go stand by the front living room window and watch the world go by and get mopy. When I started to take little trips out into the "real world", and when I began going to out-patient PT, things got much better.

I made the right decision to have my BTKR done in November, as the weather is lousy here in the Cleveland area---but the weather and lack of sunshine can have an impact on how you feel, too.
 
@GamsGoneWild I had LTKR a full month before you and had the sleepy quad problem. Not sleepy- comatose! Apparently this is a fairly common occurence, which is why your PT and OS aren't alarmed. Too bad nobody warns us about this possibility up front. I was actually told, "You can't leave the hospital until you can do a straight leg raise". Of course I didn't, and couldn't, for three weeks. They let me go home on day two. Leg raises are still rather difficult, and imperfect. You'll get there!

My quad weakness is a result of "arthrogenic muscle inhibition" combined with pre-existing atrophy. I rode my bike a lot leading up to surgery and did what leg exercises I could manage. Didn't help.

I'm affected by gloomy weather. On rainy days (we've actually had a few!) I watch happy movies and read amusing books to keep my spirits up. Hang in there!!!
 
Clipless said:
I'm affected by gloomy weather. On rainy days (we've actually had a few!) I watch happy movies and read amusing books to keep my spirits up. Hang in there!!!
Click to expand...
I see you are in Southern California---you haven't had gloomy weather until you live in the Great Lakes during the winter months.
Here is hoping that you can get those quads will get up and start firing again like they are supposed to!
 
Lol, I know, right? I am a total sunshine girl. We need rain & snow so badly here, I have no business complaining.
 
I had to postpone my Feb trip to Cal because of this blasted knee!! As soon as I transferred my hotel room in Newport Beach to my friend I had instant SAD!!

Quad slowly but surely waking up. Flexion is anywhere from 95-110, I'm starting to think that number we all work so hard to achieve is bunk. :)

Extension is getting better, too. Not quite 0.

Went backwards and forwards on the exercise bike today for 10 minutes!!

My IT band is acting up. I've been foam rolling and the PTA gave me a mini massage today that made a huge difference!

Icing and elevating quite often still. Taking 2,000mg total of Tylenol per day. Maybe another 750 on PT days.

Battling nausea the last few days. I think it's from the month of pills, pills and more pills. Increasing the water and prepped some clean meals today. I think that's a huge part of my crappy mood over the weekend. I'm at the mercy of my over stressed husband, hands me a plate of chicken nuggets and flax chips, just going to smile and be grateful. ;)

As you can see...still battling sleep. I'm not napping during the day. But my job before had me going nonstop, just all an adjustment.





LTKR November 20, 2014
RTKR sometime in 2015
 
Hang in there! You are still early in the recovery process.....and you are doing great!! You mentioned in one post...."practice patience"......Those were wise words. Many of us find it hard to be patient. Been there done that kinda thing.....and not overdoing...easy to do.

Best to you
 
Celle said:
Ahem! Could it be that you have been working too hard?
Click to expand...

I wish I could pinpoint the source and cut back/modify. Only thing I do know is some days if I don't get up ever 60-90 minutes I get so stiffened up. I'll just wake up with it, foam roll my outer thigh out and sometimes it goes away, sometimes it comes back.

The measurements were at different times during therapy. It was interesting seeing the difference depending on positioning, quads vs hammies doing the work. I can get about 90 with no pain. Some pressure I'm not a fan of, pushing it past that causes a ripping, stabbing sensation straight over my knee cap scar tissue releasing maybe?

Today I'm really swollen I had to take my JOBST off. I couldn't deal with the tightness for the first time in weeks. Practicing that patience!


LTKR November 20, 2014
RTKR sometime in 2015
 
@GamsGoneWild
Hi, I had my LTKR done the same day as you. It is interesting to see where you are on this journey, as compared to me. First, I've also had some low days. One day I sobbed to my visiting nurse (I didn't have a specific reason for crying, but couldn't help it--I hadn't cried like that in years!). These days I realize I get a little blue when I have too many things to do on my calendar. For example, we were invited out to a casual dinner tonight and I'm dreading it. I'd rather be home icing. I truly can't figure out if this whole thing has made me lazy or if I have a legitimate reason for having a lack of motivation right now.

I stopped taking Oxycodone after the first 2 weeks and replaced it with 3000-4000 mg of Tylenol per day. That works most of the time, but a couple of days ago I went back to taking 1 Oxycodone before bedtime to stop the aching and let me sleep. I feel guilty sliding backwards with the meds, but it does help with the discomfort.

PT: My OS has been extremely hands-off, so he hasn't assigned me to an outpatient PT yet. My in-home PT is still coming once per week. The exercises are extremely basic and I don't feel challenged at this point. I'm afraid I'm losing ground at this point. My PT has never measured me, so I don't know what my flex percentage is, but my PT assures me that I'm ahead of the curve right now.

The really bad thing for me is that I started working again last week. I'm working from home for another week, but it was absolutely overwhelming. I thought I could ease back into it, but it didn't turn out that way. Everyone wants everything NOW. Do you work, GamsGoneWild?

I didn't mean to take over your thread... I just wanted to compare our experiences:). It sounds like you're doing very well.
 
I would speak to work. You have gone.through major surgery and lots of soft tissue damage. Your brain.naturally want you to shut down.and.rest to recover its a gene thing. You both are doing amazingly well and.blue days are allowed. I used to.go to back door and.RRRRRRRRRRRROAR it the.ogre in me. Did have to appologise to neighboours tho

Legin THR Sep 14
 
4 weeks today!! That flew by! I am getting around the house with one crutch. Sometimes none, but I'm super careful and toddle. ROAR!!!!

Biggest grip I have is the tightness right on top of my knee cap. I'd guess it's either scar tissue or when my quad was reconnected. I've done some stretches and it helps, but within a few hours it's ripping, searing type pain. Any suggestions for good stretches or if it's scar tissue I should be worried about? PT agreed and didn't really have any suggestions either way.

Icing and elevating multiple times a day. The swelling has gone down considerably. So much so that I have "Rob Lowe skinny arms" left quad. Atrophy happens so fast!!

Tylenol twice a day and Ultram on Pt days. If I forget the second dose of Tylenol, I can really feel it by 8-9pm. The pain overall has been good throughout. I'm a giant wimp. But I was in so much pain before, I think I'm just conditioned to it.

Annnnd my employer ms HR Dept called yesterday wondering when I'm coming back on light duty. I'm seriously annoyed. It's been a month, we are a homecare company. People are there know better! If told them I'd talk to them after my appointment on the 2nd.


LTKR November 20, 2014
RTKR sometime in 2015
 
@GamsGoneWild .... how are you doing these days? How did your appointment go?
 
Hi @GamsGoneWild - I was actually thinking about you this week and wondering how you were doing, so I was glad to see your thread bumped by Jamie! How are you? You're last post was at your 4-week mark, and I hit my 4-week anniversary today. Curious to see how you're doing now that you are past 8 weeks!


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