TKR Puffin is soaring into the sky

[puffin]

Just to make it a little clearer

Here is my knee around a month post-op - the hematoma has just about resolved apart from bruising but the whole leg is swollen

And this is what it looks like now at 3 months with the sunken scar

 

[maryo52]

Oh my! Has your surgeon explained what the surgery would entail?

 

[puffin]

If he decides to do it he said that it would be a small laproscopic procedure where the excess tissue between the scar and muscle would be cut away. So it does not sound like a huge deal but his reluctance is making me wonder ....

 

[Josephine]

small laproscopic procedure

Arthroscopic - laparascopes go in the belly!

I don't see what your reservations are. This isn't going into the joint, just underneath the fat/muscle layer. I think it would be classified as minor surgery. And it obviously needs doing - so, get'er done!

 

[puffin]

Josephine - it's not my reservation - it's my OS - he's not sure about doing it and wants to reassess in 6 weeks. I am not sure why the wait

 

[Josephine]

Ah, sorry - I should read your posts more carefully!

 

[maryo52]

Puffin, he's being conservative. I love conservative physicians. They wait and see and intervene when it's clear that is the best or only option. Other than that, my sentiments are with Josephine. I've had two arthroscopic procedures that were in my joint since TKR and was glad for that option. This one is not in the joint and could really make a big different. I'm sure you and your ortho will work it out.

 

[My way]

Wow puffin I can see why you are uncomfortable! I have the nerve to complain about a bit of tightness along my scar. I guess the OS thinks it may resolve itself if not it doesn't sound like the procedure would be too hard for you.
By the way have you been harvesting lately?
Wanda

 

[HorseyLady]

Hi puffin
I agree with Wanda - WOW. I thought my scar was lumpy and sunken but I can really see why you're unhappy. Hard to believe that this is not affecting your ROM - you've done so well to get to where you're at without that baby interfering with the bend You should definitely get the surgery done. Your OS is conservative but he seems to want the best for you so I can understand him holding back until he is sure. Mine is very confident and not conservative and is happy to intervene immediately which is why he did MUA and arthroscopy together

Do you massage the lumpy bits? Has your PT tried to do any scar tissue massage to break it down? Yes this is absolute agony because mine tries to do this and it kills me, BUT the lumps do go softer and on one side of my knee started to reduce. My PT thinks I should be able to inflict this pain on myself so just wondered if you had tried it?

Stay strong

 

[Orthodoc]

Puffin,

I guess I lean more towards your OS as per the decision for going back into surgery. I am, however, a rather "conservative" surgeon as well. Since it is only 3 months from your surgery, there is still time for the adhesions and scar to mature a bit. It doesn't sound like there is much of a reason to rush back into surgery, but I do not know your complete situation. I hope this works out well for you. Let me know what you ultimately decide.

Orthodoc

 

[kneeper]

Just wanted to say congrats on taking the shower by yourself! A great milestone for you.

 

[puffin]

having major energy drain today after being invited out to lunch yesterday

Some Swedish friends have bought an abandoned wooden village school-house by a lake and are turning it into a holiday home. It was a long day as it is in the forest about 75 minutes from our home - but I really enjoyed going. My knee and especially my shin is complaining a lot today as a result of spending 7 hours without icing - and a short trip to the supermarket today left me exhausted and needing a long nap

 

[puffin]

Having REALLY bad shin pain today - it's really hard to walk - I know that some shin pain is common after a hinged prothesis with support stems but I'm not sure why the shin pain is getting worse ......

 

[new knee in June]

Oh, puffin,
I am so sorry you are in pain it's very hard to get on with activities & then be in so much pain after.
I hope you have enough pain meds. I think a call to your os today should be in order. I hope you feel
Better today !!!!!
I hate when my " sun beams " are in pain it makes me so sad.
Take care,
Diana

 

[puffin]

The energy drain and pain thing is really getting to me. Last night was bad again sleepwise as I kept waking up every hour through the night

Has anyone had the feeling of hitting a pain/exhaustion wall? I seem to be OK if I do very little and ice and elevate most of the day but if I try and do normal activity such as walking/chopping veg for dinner etc - even for a relatively short time of 30+ minutes I suddently hit a wall of pain and exhaustion and start to sweat profusely enough to soak my clothes and require an immediate shower. I look like I have run a marathon rather than walked 30 minutes with a walker (in fact I think I did look better when I ran a half-marathon )

Has anyone experienced anything like this?
- am I doing too much? but surely 30 minutes of activity at 3 months is not a lot
- could it be the meds? (Tramadol)
- is it a pain issue cause be the effort of walking/standing up with the shin and adhesion issues?

The OS has promised my an appointment in a few weeks but I would rather not go up a lot in meds

 

[HorseyLady]

Puffin - this could be me writing your above post! I am so glad you wrote about the sweating because I had seriously started to wonder whether I had started with the menopause I have the pain and exhaustion and also the sweating after some minor activity! In the morning I am often drenched too - and yes I wake up lots of times in the night.
I wondered if it was the Tramadol. I did investigate the side effects and sweating is listed but it is listed on most pain killers and also as a withdrawal symptom too. I tried to cut down on my Tramadol to see if it went away but it didn't, I was just in more pain so sweated some more Like you I don't want stronger meds, if anything I want to cut down.
Is your leg always hot? Mine is so I wondered if there was some kind of inflammation issue that was causing the general sweating and also elevating my temperature?
For some reason our recoveries seem to be very similar so I do know what you are going through. I get the shin pain too but as far as I know I don't have a special stem!
I don't have any answers but hopefully someone will come along with some answers for you

 

[new knee in June]

Dear puffin,
I am so sorry you feel so poorly I think you are wondering about exhaustion from standing for 30 min.
When you are not counting your other activities ( standing & not icing for 7 hours) going out to lunch, apple
Picking. You have been one busy girl, doing far more than you think.
Although these pleasures are good for our happiness, sometimes our knees have other ideas
& to not sleep on top of that is a mixture for exhaustion oh, & then the wedding. ( forgot about that)
& aqua therapy.....my dear, you make me look like a slug
I would call your primary doctor, for help with sleeping.
Thinking of you & hoping you feel a bit better today
Diana....June sunbeams ...better days ahead

 

[My way]

Hi puffin and HorseyLady You can add me to the extreme sweating group! maybe we could form a new club! I sweat a lot and have for the past few years. I think it's a combination of meds and this surgery. I've been on pain killers and arthritis medication for a long time and sweating was always an issue but yesterday it was above and beyond anything I had experienced before.
I went on a trip to the city for an afternoon shopping. I only did four smaller stores and rested between each. Even at the first store, by the time I was at the checkout, the water was actually running down my face. It must be that we don't realize the strain we put on our bodies and the energy drain is greater than we think. I know I get tired after just a little work and yes standing to chop vegies tires me as well.
Someday......
wanda

 

[puffin]

Hi HorseyLady and My way
I am glad that I am not the only one suffering from this dramatic sweating problem
I googled tramadol and sweating last night and found that a lot of people report the same problem
Obviously at the moment I cannot do without pain relief but I think there is a pain element as well as when I start to ache the sweating becomes profuse
It concerns me as it appears that I cannot return to work whil on tramadol - if I walked from the handicap parking to my office I would need a shower and change of clothes - not to mention walking to meetings, seminars and lectures in other buildings

new knee in June
you are right - I have stepped up my activity levels in the past few weeks
however it does concern me a little that I sometimes struggle to do one short activity each day

 

[new knee in June]

Dear puffin,
I hope today finds you pain free did you say you had an os app. Coming up ? Will you be discussing
Arthroscopic surgery ? Percocet always made me sweat, but I do remember a long time ago, when my knee
Would get stuck & I couldn't move. I was sweating & felt physically sick. I was on no pain- meds at the time.
I do agree that pain alone can make someone sweat & feel sick.
First time I moved my bowels after surgery, same thing sweating so much & felling sick
So pain in & of it self can in my opinion, cause sweating.
Take care,
Diana...June sunbeams hang in there, it does get better