TKR Puffin is soaring into the sky

[puffin]

A quick question for those of you who have already stepped down from opiates - what is a good drug to go down to?

I have too much pain to get by with paracetamol but I doubt I will get more morphine - added to this my OS is on holiday so I need to see the GP. What should I ask for?

 

[Titianlady]

puffin I'm so glad you got some good sleep!! I think you're right on the money about the weather causing extra aches and pain..it sure affects a lot of us that way with our knees.

I hope your Dr gives you some more pain meds..we all need them at this time during recovery.

Take it easy, and I'm glad you're doing well!

 

[new knee in June]

Dearest puffin,
I am so sorry you are in pain today. At least your sleep was great. I forgot to ask, will you be going home in July
Remember to ice, elevate & pain meds on time.
I think about you every day & wish you the very best.......hugs......diana

 

[My way]

Hi puffin How goes the battle of the lump? I hope it's shrinking. I take tramacet (tramadol with acet.) for my arthritis pain and it works well. You might ask your Dr. if it would be suitable for you. Are you able to get out a little more? Might be a good time to work on a tan. That's my plan for the summer. I've told Joe the Lads could come and help with sunscreen and I could send a couple of them your way.
Off to bed
Wanda

 

[Hopper]

It must have been good to sleep for six hours Puffin! I hope maybe today you are feeling a bit better.
Have a restful weekend.

 

[lavender]

Hi Puffin Well they said it would get better and during the last 8 weeks had moments of high moments and so many low but I am no in start of 9th week. I didn't thin it would but the pain does get better just taking tylenol now still low bend stiff tight but driving is making the pain and stiffness tolerable just trying to get my mind off of it and although it is hard it helps. How are you feeling I actually had decided last week that I would just manage and probably driving not going to happen but things seem to change and we do better without realizing it till we look back a day or two and to go through this type or surgery and handle it as well as you have you are made of good stuff. Wishing that everyday for you just keeps getting better didn't believe it but there is light at the end of this long tunnel so much less painful without the pt think the massage has started to help just one time and think it will make a big difference. Wishing you a painfree comfortable weekend Holly and thanks for all of the kind words you have sent my way helps so much

 

[My way]

puffin Hi, Did you have any luck getting a step down pain medication?

 

[puffin]

I have switched to Tramadol at night which is working OK

I am a little concerned about my lack of walking ability - I still struggle to take weight on my TKR leg and I still have a lot of pain in my shin area (not sure if it is tissue injury of the hardware inside my leg bone). I am still having to use the walker for everything and still cannot do stairs without help. So recovery seems slow at the moment and I am wondering when I will be able to do things for myself again.

On the plus side - my ROM exercises seem to be going pretty well - it is hard to judge but my husband says it looks to be over 100 and I can press my leg onto the bed so I can feel the sheet on the back of my knee

 

[lavender]

Hi Puffin You are doing really good ieither way has been less then a month for you and for that amount of time you are doing really good. I had my surgery on April 26 and still use my walker when my leg is tired in the house. Take it with me in the car find that sometimes using can rather then have my husband keep taking it out but always have it nearby . I find stairs hard still can do them ok but not my favourite thing not using the operated leg to go up with 14 stairs to bedroom you have more if I remember correctly. Your bending is nice and sounds like your husband is also caring about you like my husband is caring for me. I am still finding my leg can get really sore mostly along the inner edge of knee where I would thing it attaches to top leg bone can get really sore sometimes mostly in lower back though. You have only had your leg operated on recently and sound like you are doing really good. I have never had anything like this in my life that hurt to the pain degree that this surgery does sometimes you just want to scream it hurts so bad and I have never been a screamer just cry. the pain medication the surgeon gave me from the beginning never seemed to work was told one or 2 ever 4 to 6 hours always took the two and every 4 but no relief pain like we have never probably ever had before. I am no sleeping better keep waking up really early about 4 in the morning and not always from pain just restless. No longer being prescribed painmedication just use tylenol sometime wish I was but Puffin you have a good outlook and positive and things for me have been improving didn't think they would and yours will didn't believe it but they will. actually reached down in shower from bathseat and washed my feet usually use a brush but didn't even think about tiny baby steps but i all means something Hope you are feeling better and wishing you the best. Holly

 

[My way]

Good morning Puffin, I've been thinking of you and hoping things are improving. I'm no expert but I think the pain and discomfort may be normal at this stage. you must be pleased with your ROM!

 

[puffin]

Thanks lavender and My way

It is good to know that I am not doing as badly and slowly as it sometimes feels. I just wish that I could walk better and lift my leg better at this stage as it is hard to still be dependent on help from others. My husband had to go back to work today so now I am dependent on help from my teenage kids when there is something I cannot do for myself

I also seem to have a worsening energy drain at the moment - just feeling exhausted all of the time

 

[lavender]

Hi Puffin I am sure that your family is happy to help and are happy to be able to do whatever they can to make it easier in any way. I still have lots of help from my husband each day a little bit more you can do without even knowing you did it and the pain now after 8 weeks is no comparison to what I had before finally a bit of peace and a little more tolerable. You are still very early in recovery and are doing from what it sounds really good. You have a really good outlook and are really trying and that is all we can do. I still have problems bending pt had my bend up to 82 after 45 minutes of pt and when i went for massage it has slipped back doctor says that the scar tissue is making the bend difficult hope that the massages will make it easier he is going to work on breaking the scar tissue will see surgeon on July 17 he wanted to let my leg have a bit of time to calm down and rest more and see what he says at this appointment. Just trying to feel that he will have the best interest in my leg and me and whatever happens will be to help me walk better. Hope you feeling better and be proud of how far you have come less then four weeks ago you were having major surgery. I wish you a painfree comfortable day Puffin Holly

 

[HorseyLady]

Sounds like you are doing well Puffin. You must be pleased with your ROM. I take Tramadol and I have found it works well for me, particularly at night when taken with 2 paracetamol.
As for the energy drain, you are not alone! I feel totally wiped out and I'm always so tired. A short trip out yesterday to see my horses resulted in me having to go to bed when I got home.
Stay strong

 

[My way]

You use that energy drain to your advantage and rest when you can. I think it's our body's way of forcing us to slow down and recover. I have seem that my pets will rest and sleep when they are injured while we humans feel we have to push ourselves to keep going. I for one am guilty of this (and I will be again in the very near future) so I have to I wonder who is smarter!
Take care and know you are recovering well.
Wanda

 

[bottomshollow]

My way, Of course, the pets are smarter. They not only rest when they need to, but they have us taking care of all their other needs and spoiling them to boot!!!!

 

[Titianlady]

Hi Puffin..100 degrees bend Is great!! I know you are concerned about not being able to do more than you are able right now, but considering the amount of pre existing damage you had to your poor knee, and the long time you have been disabled by it, it only stands to reason it may take a bit longer to get going.

I think once you can put weight on your knee, things will start to move along faster.

Hang in.you are doing well.

 

[puffin]

Thanks guys - I don't know what I would do without the support of this site

I feel I have taken a step back this week - although perhaps I was just expecting more improvement
- I am happy that the bend seems good although I will not find out exactly where I am with that for another couple of weeks as my hospital in Sweden does measure ROM between the day you leave hospital and the 6 week PT assessment
- I am a lot more tired this week and the pain levels are worse - perhaps it is the step down to Tramadol will take some time
- It is frustrating having been disabled for so long to find that my walking is even worse than before a month post-op

 

[new knee in June]

Dearest puffin,
Please don't be discouraged..your rom is fantastic....if you are in pain, go back to the med. you were on before tramadol
You also I think have been through a harder surgery.
Everyday is like a roller coaster& I hope your on the upside. Yesterday i my eyes out because I didn't want to do
Therapy.i did it & feel much better today.
Chin up my dear.....I hope you have a good day, ...hugs....diana

 

[puffin]

new knee in June
Thanks so much for your support - this is such an up and down experience having TKR
You are right - I may need to try and get a prescription for the stronger pain meds - I am a little concerned about taking morphine long term and am not sure that I will get a new prescription. I will try the Tramadol again today - may need to play with how much/when I take it as I took a new one that I got yesterday which is slow release Tramadol - but it seemed to take a lot longer to start working last night compared to "normal" Tramadol which allowed the pain to build up

 

[new knee in June]

Hello puffin,
I hope you are having a pain free day have a great 4th of July & rest as much as you can.
Thinking of you.....diana