TKR Puffin is soaring into the sky

[Hopper]

Being hit with the walker sounds grim! Bet your husband legged it?
Last week I took an easy option and said no to a flight of stairs and just stayed down. I realise its very hard when they are in your home and they need sometimes to be navigated but stairs can be very daunting and painful.
After such a traumatic op on your leg I'm sure it needs to do a great deal of healing. Take it easy Puffin, try to stay comfortable and be very patient. I know you've done that for some time now!
It sometimes takes a while to get those quad muscles firing up again - until they do the leg raises will be hard work. Do you try to engage the quad by tightening it first before you try to lift? That made a big difference to me.
You sound much more positive and its good news about he dressing and bleeding.
When you've got the next few weeks over I'm sure things will be really looking up for you.

 

[lavender]

Hi puffin Sorry that you are having all of the discomfort and wow that must have been really painful when you got hit with the walker. I am very protective of my leg and seem to put my hand sheilding the operated area. My husband and I slept in the living room the first two nights I was not really sure how to do stairs and I was also scared to try. Spent most of the night trying to get up to use the commode chair which was parked in the area didn't like using it but better then doing the stairs. I can go up the stairs now using the left leg to start the climb but my pt said that she would like to start me going up the stairs starting with my right operated leg not looking forward to it rather use my left still go slow but have to bedroom and bathrooom upstairs. You have a really good attitude and helped me alot with your posts and your positive encouragement when I was down you helped alot. Hope all goes easier for you it sure is a difficultthing to handle. I didn't have any extra bleeding but hope that this all clears up for you and things get better and easier. The recovery is a rough ride but now I am seeing what they said would happenn light at the end of the tunnel and aside from my bend coming slow my pain level is so much better. Hoping the best for you and a speedy recovery. Holly

 

[puffin]

Thanks everyone for all of your good wishes and ideas - it is so good to feel all of the support when you are having a down few days

My poor husband felt so bad about hitting me with the walker and he was trying to help me - we were both half asleep as it was around 2am and he had just helped me use the toilet and was lifting the walker out of the way once I was sitting on the edge of the bed as I cannot lift my own leg in - and bad luck he hit my knee with the heavy wheel of the walker as he was lifting it.

The stairs are a bit of a dilemma as I am so much more comfortable upstairs where everything is adapted to my needs, where I have an electric bed and the toilet is next door. I tried using a downstairs room for the first couple of hours when I came home but could not get so comfortable so in the adrenaline rush of coming home I came up to my own room. The problem is that there are a lot of stairs in this house (160 year old farmhouse) - 17 to the ground floor and 3 from the front door to the outside - so in order to leave the house I need to be able to do 40 steps (20 each way!). I seem to have some deep muscle hematomas that cause stabbing pain and my leg to give way if I take full weight on it.

The leg raises are problematic as I cannot get into bed myself without someone lifting my leg - it feels like if I really force it maybe it would lift but also that I might rip a staple out - so I am not pushing it until the staples come out

I am REALLY struggling with the staples They are more painful at times than the knee. My OS has a standard protocoll of 21 days before removal which seems a lot longer than everyone elses 10-14 daysI cannot wait for Monday when they come out However I think it will be tough to get them out - I still have the dressing which is very well stuck almost 2 weeks without changing it (last changed on the final day in the hospital) - also all of the dried blood seems really well stuck to the staples which also causes pain.

However some good things today as well
- My husband and I worked out a much better way for me to get up and down stairs with him supporting me under one arm - for me it was easier and I was a lot less shakey and in pain
- I went for a little walk outdoors today - not far around 150-200m - but a big step forwards
- we went for a drive as I wanted to get out of the house - it is a beautiful time of year as Sweden's big midsummer holiday is on Friday and all of the hedgrows are full of wild flowers - although I do not think I will be dancing around the midsummer pole this year

 

[skigirl]

Puffin----I have had wounds with blood on them and I am not sure that I would want a nurse at the doc's office in charge of getting it off me. Since you are going to have it removed, why not take a shower at home, soak that bandage and get the blood off the staples. Then, it will be just a staple removal at the doc's office, instead of having all that blood to complicate matters. They are going to take the dressing off at the office, so you will only be a little ahead of that problem. If it is still bleeding----VERY unlikely, you can put a dressing on it for the trip to the office. If it is dry, just leave it and go to the office for staple removal.

I never had staples--my knee was stictched underneath and glued on top!

 

[Celle]

They'll probably tell you off for removing the dressing, but at that stage what's done is done. If you do what skigirl suggested, do keep the old dressing to show them at your doc's office. They need to see how much bleeding/oozing you have had. It sounds yucky, but you can just put the dressing in a plastic bag and seal it up.

Someone suggested earlier that you can use a belt, a dog lead or even a small sheet to help lift your leg onto the bed. Did you try that? I did that after my TKR and it really did help. The other thing you could try is putting the foot of your good leg under the heel of your bad leg and using the good leg to help lift that reluctant leg.

I'm glad that you are slowly getting more mobile.

 

[My way]

You've been outside! It must have been wonderful! 21 days for staples does seem to be at bit long but the end is in sight. You may be pleasantly surprised to find the dressing is not stuck as bad as you think. If it is stuck squirting peroxide on the stuck parts will help loosen it. I'm sure they will have means to get it off as easily as they can. Feels so good when they are out!
I think dancing around the midsummer pole will have to wait till next year as well. Maybe you can try a small tip Toe Through the Tulips in a few weeks.
Take care
Wanda

 

[lavender]

Hi Puffin I was also worried about pulling the staples when I did my pt. I also used my other leg to help when the operated leg was having difficulty it helped when moving it side to side and was happy to get the staples out. Didn't have any bleeding but after the staples were removed my husband noticed a 1/2 inch gap which had not healed they removed the staples 45 of them 3 days early and guess maybe too soon doctor was surprised that they had made an apointment for that date but thought it would be ok. Hope all will go great for you and that the recovery will get easier for you as well. This is definately an experience for all of us.. Wishing you the best Holly

 

[Hopper]

You are doing so well Puffin. You are up and out! Sounds jolly good to me!

 

[puffin]

Hmm not sure whether I dare remove the dressing in advance of the appointment as they have drummed into me that I have a high infection risk and precautions must be taken. The staff had to suit up in scrubs and masks everytime they changed the dressing. The other issue is that I cannot be 100% sure that the wound has healed fully as I cannot see through the bubble/foam dressing.

 

[new knee in June]

Dearest puffin,
Please don,t touch your bandages until they do it for you. When is your app. With your doc. I can,t type to well on
This tiny computer. My fingers are to fat
Hugs to you and happy thoughts coming your way......
Diana

 

[puffin]

I am having a rather strange sleeping issue since my TKR and I was wondering if anyone else has suffered anything similar or has any advice.

Everynight I (finally) get to sleep in the early hours around 1-2am - but I only sleep for 20-30 minutes before I wake up with a terrible start/fright like a major nightmare (but I cannot remember what). I clench all of my muscles which makes the knee very painful and sometimes I even scream and wake Mr. Puffin. I am usually shocked and shaken - then of course I cannot get back to sleep for another hour or 2 and then feel exhausted the next day .

Has anyone had any nightmare-like occurences like this? What could it be?
- PTSD from the surgery?
- medication?

Any advice? It seems to happen most nights

 

[robynhood]

Hi Puffin. I remember vividly one night sitting up straight in bed screaming at someone who was stood in my room. I woke my daughter who said I look terrified. But that was only one night. Interrupted sleep is the norm after a major op but Im not sure about night terrors. My dreams seemed to be really strange and vivid but thats not happening now. Poor Mr Puffin. Bless him

 

[My way]

My best guess would be the medications. When I started taking stronger meds for pain relief ( codene or tramadol) I often woke suddenly several times a night with what can only be described as weird, vivid visions. I would be drifting off to sleep and out of nowhere would come an image of something ugly or repulsive. It seemed to become less frequent as time went by.
Wanda

 

[Hopper]

Too much cheese before bedtime, my old mum would say Puffin!
Seriously - it sounds awful and I've little idea why it's happening - except you have had major trauma and worries with that poor old knee. It sounds like your worries are coming out now or as Pat says it's just the norm after major surgery.
Don't worry too much about it Puffin - as theres nothing you can do about it and I'm sure it will pass.
Often easy reading or a puzzle can calm a tired mind.
You might of course, just be trying to scare poor old Mr Puffin.......

 

[new knee in June]

Hello puffin,
I wanted to reply about your sleep issue. The same thing happens to me and I end up with a cramp in my leg.
I believe it is because I am in one spot for awhile and then move. I usually rub my leg gently and return to sleep.
I HAVE WOKEN UP CRYING AND MOANING.....I HAVE A GREAT HUSBAND LIKE MR. PUFFIN......I AM ALSO DRINKING MORE
WATER AND A BANANA...FOR CRAMPS. Are you getting your staples out this week.
Take care....talk soon,
Diana

 

[lavender]

Hi Puffin I remember dreaming little dreams all through the night might of just started to fall asleep seemed to dream even if only asleep for a matter of minutes seemed so real. I found myself in between crying and waiting for pain pill time laying singing silly trying to remember words to songs I knew. Maybe it was the medication Thank goodness my husband takes his hearing aids out before bedtime or he wouldn't have managed to have sleep he said he could feel me getting in and out of bed. I also made so many trips to the bathroom that it wasn't even worth getting in back into bed just had to get back out..The nurse in the hospital in recovery said that I must have had a really relaxing sleep could hear me and I wonder if I was talking when I was dreaming and what I was saying maybe just breathing loudly she said she kept checking me to see if I was breathing hope you are doing well. Holly

 

[puffin]

Thanks for all of the comments - hopefully it is just the medications and nothing else - although I do sometimes get these flashbacks to watching my knee being cut open and sawed up

It seems strange to have no idea where I am ROM-wise thanks to the no PT/no measurements for 6 weeks thing here in Sweden - although on the positive side at least I am not being bullied by a PT over my ROM.

I am hoping that ROM will improve once the staples come out as I really feel them digging in when I do my heel slides. Well tomorrow afternoon is the day for staple removal I just hope they come out easily after being there for 22 days It is going to be really strange to see my scar for the first time

 

[Titianlady]

Good luck tomorrow with your staple removal Puffin. Getting them out does make the knee feel better..no more pulling and digging.

Let us know how it went!

 

[Josephine]

Since I came home on Friday some considerable swelling has come up above my knee with a fist sized swelling (I think it is a tourniquet swelling) and at the side of the knee where it has become rather numb.

That's swelling is not caused by the tourniquet. It's caused by the oozing - see my answer below. As for the numbness, that is perfectly normal - see this Numb area after TKR: how long will it last?

I find it better to take the ordinary paracetamol 500g every 4-6 hours than the 665g every 8 hours

I seem to have a lot of deep bone pain - the staples hurt - the hematoma hurts but may be reducing in size - the wound is still bleeding

500mg of paracetamol is not an effective dose. If you are going to take it, use a dose that's going to work which is 1,000mg 4 times a day to a max of 4,000mg per 24hrs. In the state your leg is in right now, you need maximum pain meds. Have you read the recovery articles Kelly left for you in post #15 of this thread? Anyway, I suggest you go back and read them all again. Sounds to me like you could use a refresher!

I cannot lift my own leg – either as leg-lift exercises or to get in and out of bed so have to have help

Does anyone know how long before the muscles/nerves will heal to allow me to lift my leg? - finding it tough that I still cannot get out of bed myself

although I still cannot do straight leg lifts

It's quite usual for folk to need additional help at first in the norm never mind with a grossly swollen and painful leg like that! Did you get one of the leg lifters suggested in post #19? And do not worry about not being able to do straight leg lifts (another recovery article you need to read!). I had a supposed 'stellar' recovery yet was unable to do that for at least three weeks.

The knee still hasn't stopped bleeding - the patch of blood is almost 50% larger. I doubt if the enhanced blood thinning protocol that I am on is helping

Does anyone know how long it takes for the scar/staples to stop bleeding? Is it unusual that mine is still bleeding? The blackish-red area under the plastic bubble dressing expands every day

Josephine, I wonder if you have time to answer the following question - is it problematic that my wound is still oozing? Not sure if it is blood or other fluid being discoloured by the the dried blood in the bubble dressing

It's not unusual and the picture you posted (which I have reduced, btw) is a perfectly normal post-op dressing apart from the extensive swelling. But I think you are spot on about it being caused by the anti-coagulants. I truly think you need to have a serious talk with your surgeon about this when you see him as this could well hold back your ROM progress.

also all of the dried blood seems really well stuck to the staples which also causes pain.

You think. These modern dressings are non-stick and you will be amazed at how easily it comes off. But staples are a real pain and extremely uncomfortable when the wound area is so swollen. You may want to time it so you have a generous slug of pain killers before you have them taken out!

I am in a bit of a pickle as at the moment I cannot get out of the house to see a doctor or nurse as I am trapped upstairs

And you shouldn't even be trying! You're not even 3 weeks out yet and have had extremely complex (i.e. traumatic) surgery so everything in the articles about stages of recovery you can at least double time-wise. This is going to be a v-e-r-y long recovery for you. You will need to be patient and resigned to long weeks of boring nothing! But you'll not be doing nothing, you'll be recovering!

I am however struggling with walking and stair climbing. I seem to struggle to bear weight on the bad knee - partly I seem to be getting a lot of pain when I walk from the tourniquet bruises/hematoma.

The problem is that there are a lot of stairs in this house (160 year old farmhouse) - 17 to the ground floor and 3 from the front door to the outside - so in order to leave the house I need to be able to do 40 steps (20 each way!).

I strongly recommend that you don't even try. You are in an unusually complex recovery and shouldn't be attempting anything like stairs (even if they were only a few!) this early.

I am REALLY struggling with the staples They are more painful at times than the knee

They are, aren't they? And it's made so much worse by all that swelling. You have my sympathies.

Since you are going to have it removed, why not take a shower at home, soak that bandage and get the blood off the staples.

NO NO NO!! Never EVER remove a dressing! And as I recall puffin is in a class of one with being specially at risk of infection.

Has anyone had any nightmare-like occurrences like this? What could it be?

It would be my guess that it's the medication.

It seems strange to have no idea where I am ROM-wise

And right now, it could matter less. Don't fret about it.

I have some questions to ask you - please tag me when you've answered ..
1. what medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?
2. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?
3. how high are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?
4. what is your activity level? (all of it!)
5. what kind of exercises are you doing? How much and how often?
6. have you read (or reread) the recovery articles?

 

[My way]

Hi, I finally have a day with not a lot to do! I'm trying to catch up with everyone. How are you today? You get to say bye bye to the staples tomorrow! You will feel so much better! As to the dressing, if it is stuck they have ways to remove it. I forgot to tell you, I had a ligament repair and a dressing was placed on in the OR. This under a cast that was on for 6 weeks. The dressing fell of with just a touch when the cast was removed. Like Josephine said, the non stick dressing are very good.
Please don't worry too much about the staples. Even if some of the little demons are happy where they are the discomfort will be nothing compared to what you have gone through these past years. It will be very short lived as well.
Thinking of you and wishing you all the best tomorrow
Wanda