Knee Infection* Question about dizziness

[Catalien45]

Hi, everyone....I’m a “ newbie”. My husband set this up for me, & I’ve been reading posts from other members, & learning So much! My right knee has been bone-on-bone for quite some time now, pretty much constant pain unless I was sitting; even sleeping was regularly interrupted.

I’ve been resistant to surgery. - as many excuses as I could come up with, and, the big one, our 6-year old grandson. He has been staying with us for 2 days & 2 nights every week so his parents could have a couple of full days to work their full time jobs from home. I decided to “ tough it out “ until he started 1st grade this fall; I just couldn’t bear to miss any of the time with him.

In early August, we saw the surgeon & set my TKR for Oct 6. LOTS of information; exercises to be done twice daily; it was stressed that this would be very important to my recovery from Surgery, so I worked hard on being faithful to that regimen. Really did help when I got home, another set of exercises to do, & most were the ones I’d been doing , only less reps! My Dr & his PA were very upfront, & stressed that the 1st 2 weeks are Tough, there Would be pain, & they had a multimodal approach to deal with it - not pain Free, but manageable. They strongly encourage you to take what you need to keep pain under control. I think my epidural probably helped keep meds to a minimum at first.

There have been some challenges since then. Some nights I don’t sleep well, & I’ve had a couple of nights with pain in my thigh, I think muscle. The muscle relaxant does not seem to work for me, but I think we have established an effective combination of Tylenol and Tramadol; the oxicodone & my stomach don’t get along . I see my PT tomorrow- she is Great! She may very well have suggestions.

A side note I think some of you might relate to. I grew up in the 50’s. My Mom had bone cancer,with a lot of intense pain. She was a nurse, & was well aware of the dangers of addiction. She only took her Percodan if she HAD to. We know so much more about safe pain control now, but I still struggle with that attitude of “ pushing through pain”; fortunately, my husband is very good at helping me to see when I do need to take something.
Also, to Rest when I need to. I’m a very active person, we have a serious garden each year ( bumper crop this year!) , I make peach preserves., love to cook & bake. - so like some others I have read, feel really lazy. But reading those posts makes me realize fatigue is common with this - don’t fight it. And I’m blessed with a loving & supportive family. And the Best medicine yet this past Saturday... a visit from our grandson!

I will close this on that note...I truly appreciate all that I am learning from others on this site, it has really helped me. Hoping maybe some of my experience might help someone else along this journey- it really is just that - a Journey, & I guess we are all travelers, meeting one another along the way, different experiences, different goals...but all of us, new knees! My big goal?... joining my husband on daily neighborhood walks!

 

[kate97497]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I've been bone on bone for at least 3 years, surgery is Thursday. You sound like you are doing great. Keep posting as your journey continues.

 

[Pumpkin]

@Catalien45
to BoneSmart!
Glad you have found BoneSmart helpful for your recovery.
Sounds like you are doing well with your recovery, everything you are experiencing is normal and will improve as you heal.

Here is your copy of the Knee Recovery Guidelines, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

​

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

​

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

​

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

​

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access these pages on the website

​

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds


We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

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[Jockette]

Welcome and Best Wishes! It sounds like you’re doing great!

 

[benne68]

Welcome @Catalien45! I'm just a few weeks ahead of you on the recovery journey. I've found this forum to be a great help, both for the educational resources and for the support of the community. There is always someone who can share their own experience or offer a few words to encouragement.

 

[Catalien45]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I've been bone on bone for at least 3 years, surgery is Thursday. You sound like you are doing great. Keep posting as your journey continues.

Hi,Kate! We have finally figured out how to respond...so, I believe your surgery is Tomorrow! Exciting! I am now officially 2 weeks out, an exciting milestone. It is going well, I believe, and this forum has been So helpful, and encouraging, I seem to learn constantly. I’m wishing you the best on your surgery & recovery. Some will not be easy, but totally worth it. I’m learning to rest a lot, which is not easy for me, but I’m seeing the value. And so very good to not be experiencing the constant pain in my knee. And I know the rest of my body will catch up ....then, walks with my husband, ability to get up with our grandson & play, and - a lot more involvement in our garden! I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts tomorrow, & looking forward to seeing your posts.

 

[hawk2go]

@Catalien45 I look forward to following your journey. Slow and steady, slow and steady.

@kate97497 - good luck tomorrow. See you on this side of the surgery.

 

[Catalien45]

Welcome @Catalien45! I'm just a few weeks ahead of you on the recovery journey. I've found this forum to be a great help, both for the educational resources and for the support of the community. There is always someone who can share their own experience or offer a few words to encouragement.

Hi, I am pretty sure I have followed some of your posts....we’ve just now figured out how to navigate the site so I can respond & more fully participate. I tend to be more of a “pen & pencil” person, thankfully, my husband of 51 years worked in that industry. I also find this site so very informing ,helpful, and encouraging. Today is my “ two week” mark.....my Dr & his PA were very honest about these first 2 weeks, and at times, it has been rough, but well worth it. Trying hard to do what I need to, main struggle is being so inactive! But, I am looking forward to being active without all the pain. Thanks for your note of encouragement...and I hope your recovery is going well .

 

[Catalien45]

@Catalien45 I look forward to following your journey. Slow and steady, slow and steady.

@kate97497 - good luck tomorrow. See you on this side of the surgery.

Hi, and thanks for your encouragement.....I’ve been reading your posts, & learning....your reminder to take it slow is timely. It is So easy to overdo! I don’t really think I am doing that much, but after the fact, realize that maybe I have “ pushed the limit “. And then it catches up. Years ago, when I had my hysterectomy ( abdominal surgery due to extensive surgery years prior for colitis), my Doctor cautioned me, “ when you get tired, rest. Listen to your body & let it heal. If you don’t, it will take a full 2 years to fully recover”. I did well at first, & then my beloved Father had a massive stroke; one sibling lived out of state, the other two working full time jobs. So I would go & spend most days with him at the hospital- would do it again, in a minute. Basically, it Did take about 2 years to fully recover. Guess I, like many of us, need that reminder, to not “ push it”.... like you say, “ slow & steady, slow & steady”. Thanks, & I hope you are still doing well.....gonna go & catch up, didn’t read the latest posts yesterday. have a good day - and, Rest!

 

[hawk2go]

I'm better at giving advice than taking it, even my own. I started working from home last week. 4hrs/day, but it adds up. Figured I'd do 2 hrs work- 1hr rest - 2hrs work. I'm finding that I need a longer break to be able to rest and grab some food. So this week I've moved the ice machine into the office and have started my day earlier to accommodate a longer break. So far it's better than last week (hard to tell since I'm also recovering from a too hard PT push).

 

[BBCG]

Welcome,@Catalien45! I am either 5 years or 5 months (2 knees done!) out from my last TKR snd #1 was so I could keep up to my granddaughter, too!

I loved being involved in her regular care, too, and getting my new knees has made that so much more possible! Now, mind you, I can’t really keep up with her now: she’s now a competitive gymnast, flying through the air with…well if not the greatest of ease, pretty impressive ease!

Like many of us, I’m also a very active person and resting was a new concept but it really DID work! I’m now almost 6 months out from
TKR #2 and am way better off than I was after #1 when rest, ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) were not what I initially did!

Rest, gentle movement, icing, elevating: these do the best to help us!

 

[Sisterpat]

Catalien! Give yourself lots of time. This is a slow, roller coaster recovery. Ice, ice, ice. And elevate. Don’t push yourself too hard and don’t let anyone else push you. You are in control.

 

[Catalien45]

you mentioned loss of appetite; I seem to be struggling with that lately. Not much seems to appeal; I don’t remember this at first, but definitely now. The Tramadol/Tylenol combination seems to work best for me... wondering if the Tramadol might be the reason

Hi @Catalien45 Yes, nausea is a listed side effect of Tramadol. For me, the queasy stomach resolved one I was off it. My surgeon did order an anti-nausea med, but it didn't help so he had me switch to a tylenol/naproxen combination.

Hi again. I’m Still learning how to navigate this forum, I’m a slow learner when it comes to anything computer related. A bit ironic, as my husband was a software engineer for nearly 40 years, our daughter, over 20 years now, & our son uses computers constantly as a physicist! So I am just now finding your response.
Timely , though. I’ve been thinking seriously about stopping the Tramadol. The last day or so, I seem to be experiencing a slight , dull nausea. Nothing too bad, ( to the point of actually rushing to the bathroom,or anything like that), but still, just “there”. But, I’m wondering about the Naproxen.... I have an issue with nsaids. I can take ibuprofen 2, maybe 3 doses for muscle inflammation, & it works. But by that 3rd dose, my stomach begins to send out warnings. I don’t have a colon ( severe colitis when I was 20). And, I had 2 bleeding ulcers about 10 years ago; they were a result of h.pylori, aggravated by my taking a bad mix of aspirin & ibuprofen for an abcessed tooth. ( I know better now!). So I really try to avoid pain killers in general. But my bruises ( aren’t they colorful??) are still pretty painful. And I know that being in pain does slow the healing process.

Today is starting off a little rough. I totally missed my 2 am dose of Tramadol & Tylenol. I woke up with the alarm, made potty run, ate my pudding snack, & fed kitty a bit scraped from the container. Then put my ice wrap back on, pulled blankets up & went back to bed!. As usual, it took a while to get back to sleep; this morning, my husband noticed my bottle with the 2 am dose. It’s down the hatch now, & I’m having yogurt ( had toast before taking the pills). So far, so good. Yesterday was a full day. PT , and, I just did a bit too much. I’m learning. For the time being, on my PT. Days, That will basically be my activity, other than the walking in the house. And, I know I’m in good company.... it seems Everyone has those ups & downs, overdone days, and, just “off” days. So I feel like I’m on track. Just hard to be so unproductive. But- my therapy is going well, I am walking pretty well, my PT Is coaching me on that.
OK ...this seems to be in “ installments! My better half brought me some yogurt & fruit & coffee- eating it a bit at a time, & so far, tummy doing OK. I did read earlier that eating several small meals during the day can help with Tramadol. And I do get that “stuffed feeling” pretty easily. So I may try that. I’m hoping to be down to just Tylenol before too long. Today is 3 weeks since surgery. Maybe I can take a very short walk with husband next week? Fingers crossed. Itching to get into kitchen, & make a full meal, or bake , but I know better and, no Farmers Market this Saturday, as I was kinda hoping for....☹️. Maybe next week.....
All this being said, I am SO thankful for this forum. I can see where the Dr. cannot cover everything involved, all the little tricks,etc that fellow TKRs can. And the sense of encouragement & community is just wonderful. I think it is a Huge member of the “ healing team.....
Thanks so much for your response. - gonna see how next couple of days go, & whether I should change. I hope your own recovery is going well.

 

[Jockette]

@Catalien45
I just want to let you know I copied your post from benne68‘s thread, I thought it would be good to have in your thread/journal of your recovery.

 

[Catalien45]

Hi... nearly 11 PM, but not really sleepy yet. I have a problem, maybe some advice...... I’ve been taking Tramadol & Tylenol, which is handling the pain well. But, I am Still experiencing a low grade, dull nausea. I have no appetite,& not much sounds, or tastes good. I do make myself eat small amounts so I don’t take anything on an empty stomach. Helped for a while, but now it’s back( nausea) .
I overdid, both Saturday And Sunday ( not anything really strenuous or extreme, although on Saturday, I also tried to do all of my exercises... too much.) My therapist even agrees that if I’m tired, the rest is more important. I have rested both yesterday ( after I overdid), and all day today. But I feel very weak. Could this be from the Tramadol? The opioids made me black out; Leary of nsaids, had a scary experience with those fellas some years ago aggravating 2 bleeding ulcers ( h.pylori caused). I have talked to my dr about cutting back & then eliminating the tramadol & they gave me a safe way to do it. Just now beginning that today. So hoping that will help. But I’m just wondering, did anyone else have this situation with Tramadol.....several folks have had problems with it. Kinda bummed, this recovery has been going well, not necessarily a picnic).. And,I do know there are ups & downs. Just hate this nausea! Any input greatly appreciated . OK! Gonna turn out my light. As my daughter always say, sweet dreams, everyone.

 

[Jockette]

@Catalien45

I have talked to my dr about cutting back & then eliminating the tramadol & they gave me a safe way to do it.

Hopefully this will lessen the nausea.

I overdid, both Saturday And Sunday ( not anything really strenuous or extreme, although on Saturday, I also tried to do all of my exercises... too much.) My therapist even agrees that if I’m tired, the rest is more important. I have rested both yesterday ( after I overdid), and all day today. But I feel very weak.

You are most likely weak because you just had major surgery about a month ago and you are feeling the energy drain of healing, which takes a huge amount of energy, leaving little for other things, and overdoing it has used up the little left over for other things.

By the way, I moved your post to your recovery thread, as we prefer that members ask questions about their recovery in their own thread, rather than in someone else’s thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

Best wishes on your continuing recovery!

 

[sistersinhim]

Here's an explanation of why you are feeling tired: Energy drain for TKRs

 

[kate97497]

@Catalien45 Tramadol made me so miserable, nausea never went away and it gave me migraines. I went off day 3 and just used Tylenol and Motrin. Thank goodness NSAIDs don’t bother my stomach. Only thing tramadol helped with was sleep. I was very sleepy on it. Now I only need one brief nap a day.

 

[Catalien45]

After talking to my dr’s PA, I am currently taking the tramadol at 8-hr intervals, rather than 6. In about 2 days, I’ll go to 12 hours for a couple of days, then to “ as needed”. already seeing improvement after 1 day! Started this last night. Nausea already improving, still there some, but better. Still little appetite.... I have lost 5 pounds! Without trying☺️. But I Am looking forward to enjoying food again.
It didn’t help that I overdid 2 days in a row, ( maybe a little the day before ... nothing big, but, boy, Sure caught up with me !!) And combined with the nausea, hit me Hard. I was able to go to PT today, big relief. Took it easy All day, tomorrow should be good. Oh, and my husband suggested we put a puzzle onto a big round table here in the living room. To keep me out of mischief, 51 years, & he knows me well. And we have a good one our daughter gave us several years ago, should be fun. I am just still having a hard time getting into my rather hard head that this was Major surgery, as Jockette pointed out. In my mind, I guess that entailed abdominal open-up, or brain surgery. This forum has showed me this, just having a hard time totally absorbing it, and being kind to my body. ( it’s served me well for 76 years, guess I owe it that ). I plan to watch that 6 year old little grandson grow up, so I’d better!
Thanks so much for your inputs, both of you, I really appreciate it.

 

[Booger]

Grandkids are great. 3yr old grandson here. Its killin me to not be able to wrastle with him. But he knows my knee has a boo boo. Its so cool how he acts about it.