tiredwife
alpha
@PuppyLove
![[Bonesmart.org] Puppylove's New Knees](https://bonesmart.org/forum/attachments/aencrypted_tbn2_gstatic_com_images_902837b783d6f8c6af64ce75d19f5859-_-jpg.45555/ "[Bonesmart.org] Puppylove's New Knees")
Just for you! Sorry you had a rough morning! May tomorrow morning be much better.
Bilateral TKR Puppylove's New Knees
- Thread starter PuppyLove
- Start date
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meewee
junior member
@PuppyLove glad to hear you're feeling slightly better. I loved the "tmi"" bathroom hints and added the Costco wipes to my list. I also am planning on a peri bottle ;)
I also laughed out loud at the cell phone command to your son! We're semi empty nesters - adult son living with us - and I'll have to remember the technique.
You have been a great example to me and I appreciate your honesty in sharing your experiences. I'll begin my recovery in two days and have learned so much already...... mainly to have patience and courage and to let my knees set the timetable for healing. I think I will do OK at pt thanks to the bone smart mantras.
Best wishes for continued improvement and hugs from rainy UT.
I also laughed out loud at the cell phone command to your son! We're semi empty nesters - adult son living with us - and I'll have to remember the technique.
You have been a great example to me and I appreciate your honesty in sharing your experiences. I'll begin my recovery in two days and have learned so much already...... mainly to have patience and courage and to let my knees set the timetable for healing. I think I will do OK at pt thanks to the bone smart mantras.
Best wishes for continued improvement and hugs from rainy UT.
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
@tiredwife thanks for the chocolate- a dear friend actually dropped off some brownies after a church activity I missed last night!
@referee54 I talked my PA into gluing my knee so I could shower sooner. After surgery he said he might not have agreed if he had seen my hip scar before surgery (slight keloid scarring- didn't realize I was prone to keloids) but did it b/c we agreed. I told him I wasn't worried about what my scar looked like- I'm concerned with quality of life, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I think I may look into the Kinesio tape for my knees- My hip PT was an advocate, but I only used it for a week. Do you have any experience with this?
@meewee I completely forgot about peri bottles. They would be helpful. What part of Utah do you hail from? Hubby was born in Murray and he has relatives in Hurricane ( can't think of other cities right now- brain fog) and we went to a family reunion in Tooele a few years ago. I am all about honesty in recovery. I have good parts of day, but there are lots of painful parts too. Please feel free to ask anything, and if it's TMI, feel free to send a PM. Happy thoughts and prayers for your surgery!
@referee54 I talked my PA into gluing my knee so I could shower sooner. After surgery he said he might not have agreed if he had seen my hip scar before surgery (slight keloid scarring- didn't realize I was prone to keloids) but did it b/c we agreed. I told him I wasn't worried about what my scar looked like- I'm concerned with quality of life, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I think I may look into the Kinesio tape for my knees- My hip PT was an advocate, but I only used it for a week. Do you have any experience with this?
@meewee I completely forgot about peri bottles. They would be helpful. What part of Utah do you hail from? Hubby was born in Murray and he has relatives in Hurricane ( can't think of other cities right now- brain fog) and we went to a family reunion in Tooele a few years ago. I am all about honesty in recovery. I have good parts of day, but there are lots of painful parts too. Please feel free to ask anything, and if it's TMI, feel free to send a PM. Happy thoughts and prayers for your surgery!
rosietosie
junior member
I got a stash of baby wipes that could assist in keeping that fresh feeling between showers. Also took facial wipes to the hospital so I could have a clean face. With the nausea accompanied by sweats, these were very useful. I couldn't find my regular brand and got the night time wipes from clean skin. I liked the lavender scent but I think I will always associate that fragrance with the hospital stay.
My son is also under orders to scramble when I call him on his cell. His bedroom is right above the family room so I can hear him get moving when I call. So far he's done a great job and has been very helpful.
My OS used glue on my incisions and then put a long strip of tape over the incisions. It's pretty well attached but has been peeling from the top down. I've been snipping off the peeled parts when they get about 1/2 inch so they don't catch on anything. After showers I've tried to peel more but like I said before, it's pretty attached. The home nurse and pt had never seen that type of tape before. The incisions are healed nicely on the sections that are now exposed. Did you have tape?
Sounds like you are doing well. There will be bad days but the better days will ultimately outweigh the bad ones. Now that I'm more mobile, I'm having more stiffness. I try to not think of it as a setback but more of something I need to endure to get to the goal.
My son is also under orders to scramble when I call him on his cell. His bedroom is right above the family room so I can hear him get moving when I call. So far he's done a great job and has been very helpful.
My OS used glue on my incisions and then put a long strip of tape over the incisions. It's pretty well attached but has been peeling from the top down. I've been snipping off the peeled parts when they get about 1/2 inch so they don't catch on anything. After showers I've tried to peel more but like I said before, it's pretty attached. The home nurse and pt had never seen that type of tape before. The incisions are healed nicely on the sections that are now exposed. Did you have tape?
Sounds like you are doing well. There will be bad days but the better days will ultimately outweigh the bad ones. Now that I'm more mobile, I'm having more stiffness. I try to not think of it as a setback but more of something I need to endure to get to the goal.
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
@rosietosie i just had a shower and snipped all the loose tape!
Had a good laugh when I read your post. I haven't tried to peel off the tape as I'm afraid to. I don't remember this tape on my hip incision. Hubby was watching and I told him my seamstress skills are useful- it's kind of like lace insertion when you sew in lace and then cut back the fabric under the lace. In this case my skin is the lace and I don't want to snip wrong and ruin it!
If I don't get a cell phone answer, I call the house phone- it announces callers. As soon as "Mom's cell phone" is announced, everyone comes running!
I'm feeling a bit more lucid today and trying to catch up on threads- I should make it to yours soon!
Had a good laugh when I read your post. I haven't tried to peel off the tape as I'm afraid to. I don't remember this tape on my hip incision. Hubby was watching and I told him my seamstress skills are useful- it's kind of like lace insertion when you sew in lace and then cut back the fabric under the lace. In this case my skin is the lace and I don't want to snip wrong and ruin it! If I don't get a cell phone answer, I call the house phone- it announces callers. As soon as "Mom's cell phone" is announced, everyone comes running!
I'm feeling a bit more lucid today and trying to catch up on threads- I should make it to yours soon!
Threads
graduate
For some reason I haven't been getting alerts on your thread 
. However, I've just caught up on your progress. I'm sorry to hear that it's been a tough slog so far, but it will get better. I can't speak from personal experience yet, but I do know that lack of sleep can bring me to tears - never mind the pain, difficulty getting comfortable and just trying to do the basics. So, please don't be hard on yourself Chris - from my side of this screen I'm impressed with how you are managing, one day at a time.
. However, I've just caught up on your progress. I'm sorry to hear that it's been a tough slog so far, but it will get better. I can't speak from personal experience yet, but I do know that lack of sleep can bring me to tears - never mind the pain, difficulty getting comfortable and just trying to do the basics. So, please don't be hard on yourself Chris - from my side of this screen I'm impressed with how you are managing, one day at a time.
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
Thanks @Threads. My IPad just did some updates, and it seems like Bonesmart may have also? I'm not getting all of the same alerts I used to, either. Sleep , or lack of, really affects me. I had a good stretch from 5:30 - 9:30 this morning, then the aforementioned shower, and things have been better!
tiredwife
alpha
@PuppyLove It will get better! It just takes time, patience and a whole lot of ice and elevation. Glad you liked the chocolate emoticon, and glad you got brownies. Got to have chocolate!
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
Yesterday my new in-home PT came. Unfortunately, he's obsessed with numbers. I just nodded and moved on. I told him I would suffer discomfort but not pain, and he agreed. I had not slept well the night before, and was in a very tears mood. He's also one of those "20 minutes of icing" people. I tried to explain my new Cothera VPulse with cold compression to improve circulation, but he wasn't really interested and reinforced the 20 minutes. On a sidebar, as a nurse, when someone mentions a medical product I'm not familiar with, I always try to investigate before passing judgement on it. It seemed like he had the "oh, another new gadget" attitude. He encouraged me to do some of my exercises a bit differently to get more stretch. He's not one of my favorites, but I can deal with him for another week or so.
Now on to my lack of sleep. I just can't get comfortable. I've tried several positions in bed, and it's terrible. I'm still in the recliner, and I've tried sleeping without my compression ( I try to be really compliant as it's a replacement for TED hose), with and without the cold therapy, with and without my legs elevated with extra pillows, with pillows between my knees and slightly turned to the side (I'm normally a right side sleeper). Timing of pain meds doesn't help, and although one Benadryl usually knocks me out for four hours, it doesn't do much now. Anyone have any ideas? This lack of sleep is affecting my mental health. I'm going to talk to the PA about medicinal help on Thursday. I've never taken sleeping pills, but think they may be in my future.
@rosietosie I was telling hubby your tape story and he said I had the tape on my hip incision also. I guess my brain is still really fuzzy.
Our Golden Retriever escaped this morning when the younger kids were leaving for carpool and my son came to tell me I was not allowed to go look for him. As if I could!!!! Usually he would go on foot and I would drive the car to track Rex down ( he runs fast). Thankfully, we live in a very dog friendly neighborhood and an innocent bystander was willing to help play the catching game. Rex is having a nice long nap after his escapade!
Now on to my lack of sleep. I just can't get comfortable. I've tried several positions in bed, and it's terrible. I'm still in the recliner, and I've tried sleeping without my compression ( I try to be really compliant as it's a replacement for TED hose), with and without the cold therapy, with and without my legs elevated with extra pillows, with pillows between my knees and slightly turned to the side (I'm normally a right side sleeper). Timing of pain meds doesn't help, and although one Benadryl usually knocks me out for four hours, it doesn't do much now. Anyone have any ideas? This lack of sleep is affecting my mental health. I'm going to talk to the PA about medicinal help on Thursday. I've never taken sleeping pills, but think they may be in my future.
@rosietosie I was telling hubby your tape story and he said I had the tape on my hip incision also. I guess my brain is still really fuzzy.
Our Golden Retriever escaped this morning when the younger kids were leaving for carpool and my son came to tell me I was not allowed to go look for him. As if I could!!!! Usually he would go on foot and I would drive the car to track Rex down ( he runs fast). Thankfully, we live in a very dog friendly neighborhood and an innocent bystander was willing to help play the catching game. Rex is having a nice long nap after his escapade!
tiredwife
alpha
@PuppyLove Hubby had a lot of sleep problems with knee number 1. He tried everything (even bourbon), Benadryl, not napping, walking in the evening, heat on muscles (not knees) before sleep, ice on and off, leg elevated, not elevated, sleep on back, sleep on side, etc. Doctor finally gave him Ambien, but he saved it for after his second knee and after he is off pain meds (which he almost is). He is actually sleeping a little better with this knee. He will start on the Ambien pretty soon.
Glad you didn't go out after Rex! When my daughter had a dog, it would get out sometimes, but it always just went off across the street to the neighbors because they gave her treats.
Glad you didn't go out after Rex! When my daughter had a dog, it would get out sometimes, but it always just went off across the street to the neighbors because they gave her treats.
Threads
graduate
@PuppyLove - it looks like sleep and PTs are the hardest things to get in line. I guess if the sleep came, it would be easier to be more assertive with the PTs. I can't give any advice - haven't been there, done that yet myself - but hang in there, I believe every day will get better, even if it's just a tiny bit. You have a lot of people rooting for you! Thanks for the detailed report on how you are managing.
Yorkimom
graduate
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@PuppyLove Hi Chris! I wanted to check in as I am not getting any alerts. I haven't been on much, just long enough to type updates on my thread. I'm sorry to read that you are having such trouble sleeping. I wish I could give you some advice to help. After my first surgery I literally slept in my recliner night and day for six weeks. I tried the bed but it was just too painful and I only had one knee done. I am always cold and with the cyro cuff on it made me really cold. So along with my blankets, I also used a heating pad on my lower back. This was soothing and kept me warm at the same time. I know it's warm where you are so this might not help. I also had pillows under my leg to elevate. I just did trial and error until I found what was comfortable. While I was comfortable I would only sleep two hour intervals but would go right back to sleep. Hopefully you will find something that works for you. Hang in there, it will get better. Anne
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
@Yorkimom if I tag you do you get an alert? I'm also a fan of heating pads to the back- warms me up and makes my back less cranky. I have an appt with the PA tomorrow and will discuss sleep. I lasted an hour on the loveseat propped with pillows so I could join the family in our weekly NCIS viewing, but it didn't seem comfortable enough for sleeping. Back to the recliner
My inhome PT measures me after every exercise- isn't that excessive? He asked me if I ever thought I'd be at the measurements I'm at at this point. I told him I didn't want to be offensive, but numbers aren't the end all/ be all for me. I'm usually a nice person, but for some reason I'm not connecting with this guy. He wants me to stretch, stretch, stretch so we can " hit the number" but it's almost to the point of pain ( I already told him discomfort is OK but pain is NOT). I pretty much let him make up the visit schedule, but Tuesday I told him that I had a DR appt on Thursday, so that day was off limits. He came Monday and Tuesday and I'm supposed to have 3 visits per week. He called me today to check on my schedule and see if he could come Thursday. I reminded him about the appt at 11:00 and told him I'd be wiped out for the rest of the day (I was with my hip and knees are worse). He asked if he could call and check on me Thursday afternoon to see if I was up for a visit. How many ways do I have to say no?
I asked him if he was trying to take Friday off and he said a lot of his clients had medical appts on Thursday and didn't want visits. Then he asked me AGAIN about calling Thursday. I told him even if I was feeling OK and let him come, he wouldn't see much progress, as I would be in pain from my previous activity. Maybe I'm ready to go to outpatient PT?!!!
This morning I made steel cut oatmeal for my son and smoothies for all the kids, then heated and filled their thermoses for lunch. I took my pain meds and had a nice 2 1/2 hour nap!!! That pretty much knocked me out for the day. The rest of the day I ate, took meds, did exercises, iced and napped.
I have a little red bump at the top of each of my incisions that looks like an internal suture trying to pop out. The incision area looks fine but feels like it's burning. The skin on my legs is also hypersensitive (I always have sensitive skin but this is worse). I have a bit of numbness on the outer portion of each knee, and pain behind my left knee when I do exercises. I have a long list to discuss with the PA tomorrow!
Thank you all for suffering through my tirades. When I think about why I have such bad joints at such a young age, I wonder if the reason for this trial is so that I can share my experience with others and help (in whatever small ways I can) them through theirs. I once had a job in an area I really liked ( we thought we found our forever home) and had to leave after 6 months due to hubby's work. I was really stressed b/c I didn't understand the short stay after we had prayed about it. A fellow nurse said something I will never forget. She said that there must have been a patient ( or the parents, since I took care of babies) that I needed to be involved with and that I probably didn't even realize the difference I had made in their lives. After that, I always prayed that I would make a difference in someone's life. On this forum, we share and rant and rave and I don't think we always realize how much we truly do make a difference in the recoveries of others, even if it's a reassurance that we're not alone. I truly appreciate my Bonesmart Buddies!!!
My inhome PT measures me after every exercise- isn't that excessive? He asked me if I ever thought I'd be at the measurements I'm at at this point. I told him I didn't want to be offensive, but numbers aren't the end all/ be all for me. I'm usually a nice person, but for some reason I'm not connecting with this guy. He wants me to stretch, stretch, stretch so we can " hit the number" but it's almost to the point of pain ( I already told him discomfort is OK but pain is NOT). I pretty much let him make up the visit schedule, but Tuesday I told him that I had a DR appt on Thursday, so that day was off limits. He came Monday and Tuesday and I'm supposed to have 3 visits per week. He called me today to check on my schedule and see if he could come Thursday. I reminded him about the appt at 11:00 and told him I'd be wiped out for the rest of the day (I was with my hip and knees are worse). He asked if he could call and check on me Thursday afternoon to see if I was up for a visit. How many ways do I have to say no?
I asked him if he was trying to take Friday off and he said a lot of his clients had medical appts on Thursday and didn't want visits. Then he asked me AGAIN about calling Thursday. I told him even if I was feeling OK and let him come, he wouldn't see much progress, as I would be in pain from my previous activity. Maybe I'm ready to go to outpatient PT?!!!This morning I made steel cut oatmeal for my son and smoothies for all the kids, then heated and filled their thermoses for lunch. I took my pain meds and had a nice 2 1/2 hour nap!!! That pretty much knocked me out for the day. The rest of the day I ate, took meds, did exercises, iced and napped.
I have a little red bump at the top of each of my incisions that looks like an internal suture trying to pop out. The incision area looks fine but feels like it's burning. The skin on my legs is also hypersensitive (I always have sensitive skin but this is worse). I have a bit of numbness on the outer portion of each knee, and pain behind my left knee when I do exercises. I have a long list to discuss with the PA tomorrow!
Thank you all for suffering through my tirades. When I think about why I have such bad joints at such a young age, I wonder if the reason for this trial is so that I can share my experience with others and help (in whatever small ways I can) them through theirs. I once had a job in an area I really liked ( we thought we found our forever home) and had to leave after 6 months due to hubby's work. I was really stressed b/c I didn't understand the short stay after we had prayed about it. A fellow nurse said something I will never forget. She said that there must have been a patient ( or the parents, since I took care of babies) that I needed to be involved with and that I probably didn't even realize the difference I had made in their lives. After that, I always prayed that I would make a difference in someone's life. On this forum, we share and rant and rave and I don't think we always realize how much we truly do make a difference in the recoveries of others, even if it's a reassurance that we're not alone. I truly appreciate my Bonesmart Buddies!!!
@PuppyLove ..... if you decide to take acetaminophen with Norco, just be sure you are counting the acetaminophen in the Norco in your dosage totals (no more than 1000mg per dose every 4 hours) as well as the daily total (no more than 4000mg in 24 hours).
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
Good for you! Hope your doctor has some new options for you to try. If you haven't tried Tramadol, see if he will prescribe that. You can take it along with 1000mg of Tylenol and that works well for a lot of folks.
Threads
graduate
@PuppyLove - you are helping me. You and other Bonesmarties are preparing me to follow you down this path we've all been given to walk. I've got 6 weeks to go and the questions keep popping into my mind and when I ask - they are answered - not by my OS or friends who've never had this surgery - but by the wonderful people on this forum. So, thank you for sharing your journey. Trust you sleep well tonight.
OP
OP
PuppyLove
graduate
ljrfrm
graduate
@PuppyLove I'm sorry you are having such a hard time sleeping. I guess I was lucky that the meds helped me with that - even in uncomfortable positions. Hopefully you will get some support from you doctor, and maybe a prescription for something that will help. You definitely need your sleep during this recovery period. Let us know what the dr says..........
My one regret with my recovery is not napping/resting enough. I've been going to bed very late and waking up early. My oldest son has been home the last month or two, and is moving away next week. He's a night owl, and I love spending time with him in the evening (now that he actually wants to spend time with me!!). Then, while my oldest sleeps in late each morning, I've been getting up early with my youngest to get him breakfast and see him off to school. It's nice to be able to do that since I'm off from work, etc. So, while I'm loving spending time with the kids - it's definitely not giving me the rest I need. I need to focus on napping some during the day this month to catch up on some sleep while I can, before I go back to work.
My one regret with my recovery is not napping/resting enough. I've been going to bed very late and waking up early. My oldest son has been home the last month or two, and is moving away next week. He's a night owl, and I love spending time with him in the evening (now that he actually wants to spend time with me!!). Then, while my oldest sleeps in late each morning, I've been getting up early with my youngest to get him breakfast and see him off to school. It's nice to be able to do that since I'm off from work, etc. So, while I'm loving spending time with the kids - it's definitely not giving me the rest I need. I need to focus on napping some during the day this month to catch up on some sleep while I can, before I go back to work.
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