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TKR Pulmonary embolism and heart arrhythmia complications

First visit to the OS this morning at almost six weeks post op. My bend was 110 and extension +8. He asked if I was going to pt and I said no! He said that's fine either way, and he'll write me a script for it if I decide to go in the future. I don't know if he's just afraid to touch me with a ten foot pole due to all the complications I've had, or if he is ambivalent about pt. I'm happy!

I've had near constant nausea since my second hospitalization. I called the cardiologist's office and told them I'm stopping the digoxin. Not asking permission, basically an fyi. I don't plan to take any more dilaudid. Never did have any constipation, so I quit all those drugs awhile ago. My med student daughter says the digoxin is the most likely culprit, but could take up to ten days to exit my system. I'm so sick of feeling sick, although I'm grateful to have manageable pain.

Doctor says I can drive whenever I'm ready, so I'm going to drive myself to get a haircut tomorrow. My husband will come with, just in case. If I hadn't had all these other health problems, I'd be thinking this tkr business is a piece of cake!
 
Agnes said:
My med student daughter says the digoxin is the most likely culprit, but could take up to ten days to exit my system. I'm so sick of feeling sick, although I'm grateful to have manageable pain.
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It wasn't a good idea to stop taking the Digoxin without your cardiologist's approval. That could have some consequences for your heart.

It would have been much better to see a doctor (your PCP?) about the constant nausea and get a prescription for something like Zofran, to prevent the nausea.
 
Agnes said:
I'm going to drive myself to get a haircut tomorrow.
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Yay! Getting a haircut always makes a girl feel better! Now, that you can drive, you have your freedom back. That's a huge step forward!
 
@Celle It isn't as reckless as I made it seem. I don't have heart disease. I'm taking a prophylactic beta blocker to help prevent the known benign arrhythmia. In the hospital, the digoxin was described to me as probably unnecessary but more in the spirit of throwing the kitchen sink at me. I am aware of it when my heart races (which hasn't happened in weeks) and I know how to disrupt it. I'm getting an echocardiogram in a week and will see the cardiologist soon after. He is aware I quit the digoxin and approved it. If the nausea doesn't relent in the next week, I will definitely see my pcp sooner than planned. At this point, I am loathe to take another medication!
 
Fair enough!
Thank you for explaining further.
 
Thanks for asking, @katchmo! My stomach is still off, but it is much improved since I quit the digoxin. I am eating normally, but there's an awful lot of rumbling going on down there. I am discouraged about my lack of progress with the pulmonary embolism, but my husband sees improvement. All I know is, the other knee isn't getting replaced even if I have to drag it behind me!
 
Progress takes a while, and for some of us, a longer while.

I sure don’t want to do my other knee, either. Thankfully it’s content at the moment and I keep telling it that it’s fine.
 
I'm holding off on my other knee, too!
 
All improvement is good, right? Appetite matters. Your husband sees improvement, too, so that’s something!

You’ve had your challenges, so if recovery rolls a bit on the slower side that’s okay. Your body has a lot of things to do right now.

Can’t blame anyone for not wanting to go through recovery again, particularly if the first TKR had a few problems. :gaah:
 
So glad to hear you are doing better with knee, arrhythmia and nausea, Agnes. Your upbeat attitude is really impressive!
 
Actually, I think I'm a tkr success story! My pain has never been bad, very little bruising and I've been getting around pretty well. When I read about the challenges some of you have faced, I'm humbled. I suppose none of us think we are going to be the one with complications.

I have done my internet research on recovery times with pulmonary embolism, and it sounds like it could be months. There are several happy events coming up in my family this spring, and I'm starting to have to consider that I won't be strong enough to travel to them. Not the end of the world, but still...
 
I had a good day yesterday, so naturally, I'm going forward with my travel plans. I'm doing a loop through the south, and the last segment to get home is about 15 hours. Normally I would break it into two long days, but I'm wondering if I should make it three. Between traffic delays and extra stops to stretch, I'm thinking of going conservative. The knee is coming along fine, but hasn't really been tested with a long drive. Thoughts?
 
You're still in the early part of recovery, so going conservative is the smart thing to do. You haven't tested your knee on a long drive yet, so you don't know how it or your body will react. You will still tire more quickly at this point, too, even if you think you might be past that. Driving is quite tiring in a sneaky way.

Planning for three days gives you leeway to stop more often, or earlier, and give your knee some elevation and rest, and icing also. You also have your other medical conditions to consider. Are you driving or a passenger? I'm hoping the latter, because it will make your trip easier and more manageable.
 
Thanks, @SusieShoes! The more I think about, the more I'm leaning towards three days. My husband and I are going to our daughter's boyfriend's graduation and he is going to propose! Then we travel on to visit my son and dil who are about to have my second grand baby! I've made this long trip many times, but I'm going to have a lot more things to consider. For instance, toilet height! Never thought about that before. I have five weeks to make more progress, and for the first time since the embolism, I'm not exhausted. I can do this.
 
Agnes said:
For instance, toilet height! Never thought about that before.
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You will think about it if ever you find yourself confronting a very low toilet and pondering how in the world you will ever use it. :heehee: First hint: Always have your cane! Never enter a stall or unfamiliar bathroom without one. If there are no grab bars nearby, you can make do with your trusty cane and a hand on the toilet seat. (Not optimal, but you can wash the hand.) Second hint: Consider taking a toilet riser with you. @Jockette made a denim cover for hers so she could carry it with her discreetly. It's not the sort of thing you ever would have thought you'd be carrying around, but...
 
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My portable riser is one of the best $18 I ever spent!!!
 
I got mine on amazon.

It came in very handy when I traveled back in December. We booked a handicap room in a hotel being assured the bathroom had a higher toilet and a walk in shower. Well, it had the walk in shower but just the standard lower toilet. Someone must have decided that if you add a grab bar, that makes the toilet “handicapped “. I was so mad.

They told us it was the only room with the walk in shower. We should have shopped around for another hotel but since I had my portable riser with me, we stayed.

It was still not ideal, the riser is round but the toilet was elongated, so not a great fit. I managed. We did get free breakfast every day to make up for the inconvenience. (The breakfast was not impressive). I will not be staying there again.
 
I'm going to be staying in lots of different hotel rooms, and only one had the option of handicap accessible. I'd better practice on a standard toilet and see if I can lift my leg into a tub. What a bother!
 
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