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TKR Question on pain and swelling six months post TKR

I’m using an ice machine. My hourly routine will be 20 min ice, 20 min walk and 20 to watch a show. The bed I got into is a very high mattress so that hurt. This is how the conversations went:
Me: ok on the count of three lift my leg and slide me down.
Me: on count of one I sat “don’t touch me I need to catch my breath. Ok I’m ready know.
Friend: ok after you slide back I’ll slowly lift your leg.
Me: I agree to the plan. She went to say ok ready, slide back.
Me: ok let’s do this. Then I snapped and said you aren’t supporting the leg enough
Friend : finally says ok this is happening and tames my leg I was able to communicate what do and now I’m in a great big bed out of the hospital.
 
Onestepatatime said:
Hi All, ortho decided to keep me tonight in the hospital. I did clear PT so that was good news. I feel less nervous about discharge tomorrow. They were ready to discharge me today but my surgeon said if I felt unsteady and got behind bc of pain issues to keep me here. I wish I was going home but I think going to my friends for a few nights is necessary so I’m not alone. Once I get home I arranged for a food service delivery called Chefs For Seniors. They come to your house and cook everything in your kitchen, pack it up into meals and freeze it. It’s reasonable priced and I picked high protein low carb meals. I hope in another week I’ll be ok to be alone in my place.
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just be sure you don't over do it once you are alone at home. I have had both knees replacement and yes it is going to hurt like heck the first couple of weeks, but remember everyone is different and heals different. I just got released from my OS Thursday at 6 weeks because he knows what I can do and what not to do. Every single day for a year you will have pains, aches,soreness,stiffness,sometimes hip pain, shin pain. I hate to put it to you that way but this major surgery takes so much time. I over did it the last two days and today and last night I payed for it. Knee and IT Band is killing me. Started my day off after coffee and took a hot shower and let the warm water hit the back of my knee/IT Band area and felt so good. Now I am icing the knee/incision area now after riding my bike. You will learn what the knee wants and not want in your journey. Just listen to your body and please don't let no PT hurt you in anyway! This is your body not theirs! I know with both surgeries I have had bad experiences with PT and MUA ... will not go though that again! I know with my journey especially my first knee replacement, one day I would hate it and the next I would love it. I have cried more in my lifetime with both surgeries due to pain at first, depression on why in the world did I do this feeling, but you will overcome these feelings! It is our way to except somewhere down the road that there is LIGHT and you will get there like everyone of us has gone though or going though..... Talk to everyone here, we know your pain! hugs and much healing to you! :prayer: :)
 
My first TKR I was offered a silly little ice bag not big or cool enough to get through all the bandages. I had no effective icing whatsoever and had a poor recovery. Surgeries #2 and #3 I iced day in night in the hospital, and continuously all day at home for 2-3 weeks. I think it makes a big difference.
 
Onestepatatime said:
I’m using an ice machine. My hourly routine will be 20 min ice, 20 min walk and 20 to watch a show.
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A couple of things...

20 minutes of walking is too much too soon. At this point your hourly walk should be 5 - 10 minutes.

20 minutes of icing is appropriate following an acute sprain. Our knees do much better with a minimum of 45 minutes icing - it avoids the risk of rebound swelling from shorter icing, and it provides better pain relief. As long as your skin is protected with fabric, it's safe. Many of us iced all night.

My routine the first couple of weeks was ice continually, doing some quad sets exercises now and then, except when taking my hourly walk or up for hygiene and meals.
 
Thank you for the tips. My leg swelling is awful and worse from yesterday. I’ll up the icing immediately. Every summer for past four years I’ve had a surgery ruin my summer and I get depressed missing out on stuff. And I need to check myself not to overdue anything
 
Are you able to elevate "toes over nose"? It's incredibly helpful.
There have been a few members who in the early days found this degree of elevation very painful; I'm not sure why. If you're in this minority, don't stress over it - they recover ok too!
Here's an article about how to safely elevate.
 
I wrestled with a three pillow stack for a few weeks before giving up and buying a Lounge Doctor.
The small I ordered was a tad too small so I mostly used it with a pillow on top.

It contributed to me getting my first decent night's sleep on post op day 24!
 
Trying to find how to get it delivered overnight. Do you use a wide for both legs?
 
I bought the narrower 18" for economy. As it happens I was able to get comfortable with both legs on it.
 
@Onestepatatime sorry I'm a bit behind, trying to juggle a bunch of things before surgery. Happy that you're out of the hospital and resting at your friend's house.

I am one of those folks that don't really elevate a lot. My feet have a tendency to get icy cold (more than normal) and go to sleep. I'll maybe prop them up with a small pillow for a short time. I am a huge fan of icing since I had my THR. Matter of fact just put my one ice pack back in the freezer from an icing round.

Love the idea of a chef coming in and cooking all my meals and freezing some for future use. You'll have to keep us posted with how that goes.

I had to chuckle at your account of getting in the bed with your friend's help. Ok, we're going to do this, umm nope, just kidding, that's not working! Sounds like me with my hubby when I'm in recovery. :heehee:
 
@Elf1 I bought a wedge from Amazon to elevate that helps a lot. I can have my friend help me now without a whole one sided debate. I’ve used this cooking service once before it’s pretty decent. They are called Chefs For Seniors. I managed to almost shower myself, go to the bathroom get dressed and ice today. I think I’m going home Thursday.
 
OMG I just tried with PT to get in the car. Did not go well. Having a very tough time with bending. I thought tomorrow I’d go sit by the pool which is a short drive. That seems like a dumb idea now. I’m going to practice heel slides seated. I also cannot lift my leg without using a band. Feeling a bit defeated today.
 
Many of us could not left our leg this soon after surgery. It took me a couple of weeks.

Also, it was very hard for me to get in the car, for quite a while, and I was sent to out patient PT 48 hours after surgery. Trying to get in the front seat was awful!!! The first week or so I rode in the back seat with my leg up in the seat.

Try not to be discouraged, you are only days out of surgery. :console2:
 
I, too, iced and elevated almost non-stop the first few weeks. And I started sleeping with my lounge doctor and ice machine at bed time. however, I wake up after two hours so do without the rest of the night as I'm not going to figure out the wrapping in the middle of the night. I just want to get back to sleep. I'm 7 weeks post op, but still ice 3 times a day and at night for 45 minutes. I'm also reconciling myself to walking in 10 minute excrements rather than doing it all at once to get it over with or ramp it up quickly. it's hard not to. I did it a couple of times and paid. my best to you on your recovery.
 
Have faith that it will get better, as you know from past recoveries. That heavy (log leg) is very common and is the
first stage of healing...the inflammatory phase, when it is very common to notice swelling. After lower extremity surgery, or trauma involving bleeding and inflammation, there will be fluid in the leg causing the sensation of heaviness. Gravity pulls the fluid downward and since you're less mobile the fluid is not pumping back through the heart as quickly. The swelling gradually eases, but can last for months in some cases. Regular movement will assist in the reduction of swelling, as will elevation and ice. So keep up the icing. :ice:
A great rest of the week to you.
@Onestepatatime
 
101 said:
I, too, iced and elevated almost non-stop the first few weeks. And I started sleeping with my lounge doctor and ice machine at bed time. however, I wake up after two hours so do without the rest of the night as I'm not going to figure out the wrapping in the middle of the night. I just want to get back to sleep. I'm 7 weeks post op, but still ice 3 times a day and at night for 45 minutes. I'm also reconciling myself to walking in 10 minute excrements rather than doing it all at once to get it over with or ramp it up quickly. it's hard not to. I did it a couple of times and paid. my best to you on your recovery.
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@101 at your stage of recovery ten minutes of proper heel-toe walking a few times a day is great.
 
@Onestepatatime just wanted to.pop in real quick and see how you're doing. Sorry you're feeling a bit defeated. Hoping things get better with each day.

Having my own issues with weird leg today after my surgery. They gave me a nerve/pain block in my leg. I commented to the recovery nurse it seemed to affect everywhere on my leg but where the surgery was. :heehee: Hope you're resting comfortably tonight, I'm getting ready to try and do the same.:friends:
 
Oh, dear. I don't feel defeated at all. just trying to say I'm working hard not to over do, and that I was still icing. i'll have to work on my language. And here I am, a writer. I did find out today what it feels like to sit in a writing workshop for 2 hours. ouch! but otherwise all is well except my cap key.
 
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