TKR Recovering and rehabbing

[ema8447]

Eleven days is still REALLY EARLY in the game, marrmrf. You need to give yourself more time. You are doing spectacularly well, and you need to give yourself credit for what you've accomplished thus far. I think I was well into my third week before I started cutting out my daytime meds, but continued at night with a small dose for several more weeks. And I iced and elevated for several months. I am still sometimes using a pillow at night. However, in another 36 hours my left knee will no longer be the center of my universe since my right knee will be the new kid on the block. We'll see how that goes

Take care - you're doing great!!!

 

[marmrf]

Thanks for your reply and encouragement, Elaine. Good luck with the RTKR. Will you be blogging and where can I find you? I will be watching for you! My prayers are with and for you.

Mary

 

[skigirl]

I also think that I moved from the heavy duty pain meds at three weeks and switched to Tramadol, which does not make me feel so loopy. There is no "norm" for pain meds---some people need them longer, some now--it does not
really matter---you need to treat your pain right now so that you can recover, that is all that is important.

 

[marmrf]

Thanks, Kelly. I don't know why I am struggling with this issue so much. I have had two rotator cuff repairs. three meniscus repairs and had my gall bladder removed. I never needed pain med much beyond the first couple of post-op days. I also did not experience the intensity and depth of pain that I am having with this surgery. I am also very tired and that does not seem to be getting better. As the saying goes..."fatigue makes a coward of us all". I find myself afraid of the next round of pain and the time that it takes to resolve it.......

Thanks for caring enough to read and respond to my post. It really helps....

Mary

 

[skigirl]

First, don't allow the pain to happen and then treat it---far better to take your meds by the clock so that you don't get pain. It takes about 30 min for the pills to be effective, so you must take them before hand to prevent pain.

I have also had gallbladder surgery and rotator cuff---tkr is MUCH more painful. I have a high pain tolerance, but I still took those pills every four hours. Don't try to be "brave" just give in that you need pain meds and take them!! In a week or two things will be different/.

 

[marmrf]

Thanks, Kelly! That helps.

Mary

 

[Ziggysmom]

I had the benefit of learning from my husband when he had his knees replaced last year (5 months apart). He was afraid of becoming addicted to the meds due to addiction problems that run in his family. The pain quickly spun out of control, and it took about 24 painful hours to get it under wraps. The nurse explained tkr pain this way: you and pain are in a race. You have to stay even with or ahead of the pain at all times. If you let pain get ahead, you will have a difficult time catching up to it. Boy, was she ever right! I am taking my meds by the clock, whether I feel I need it or not, and will do so for quite awhile. I will start to "step down" from the meds with the guidance of my OS. My husband did become a bit dependent on the drugs, but he never became addicted (there is a difference). By the time he was 8 months out from his second surgery, he was free of pain and medication. I hope our experience helps you!

 

[marmrf]

Hello Carolyn:

Thanks for your reply. I am glad that your husband is doing well. Happy holidays!
Mary

 

[marmrf]

Happy New Year.

I am four weeks post RTKR. I am very grateful for Bonesmart forum. The information and insights I gained from this site were invaluable. I am doing well and returning to work on Monday. I am a college professor so I have some control over my work schedule. I am looking forward to returning to work.

I am doing well at this juncture of the recovery process. My pain is manageable, physical therapy is going fine and I am anxious to get back into a routine that doesn't focus on pain, physical therapy etc. However, I would give anything for 8 hours of interrupted sleep that is free of painful positioning throughout the night. I sleep on my side and turn from side to side frequently throughout the night. Now, changing positions is uncomfortable as I try to position my knee so that it doesn't hurt. I have tried using different pillows, but nothing seems to work. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks,
Mary

 

[kneeper]

Sounds like you are trying the right things. I know it was quite a few weeks before I got uninterrupted sleep. ARe you getting at least a few hours at a stretch? Gradually I found I could change positions more easily and needed the pillow less. Maybe it just needs time?
Maybe someone will have tips for you.

 

[marmrf]

Thanks for your response. I toss and turn all night long. When I am first trying to go to sleep, I have the unrelenting urge to change positions. That means trying to find a position for my knee that will not increase the discomfort. I guess that I am too impatient...

 

[Josephine]

I have some questions to ask you:

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!

)

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

6. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please!)

 

[jeano]

If your experience is anything like mine you might start turning a corner in just a couple more weeks. Now, at nearly 8 weeks out, I am more surprised when I dont get 6-8 hours than when I do. Up until 6 weeks or so if I woke up at night for any reason I was done. Now I can get up, go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, get back in bed and get back to sleep. I might have a bad night but its due either to anxiety (like my first day back at work) or too much caffeine, or other aches and pains--the knee isnt really a factor anymore. Sometimes it likes to give me hell for a few minutes when I first lie down but then it gives up. And at this point, all I'm taking for pain is tylenol.

 

[Jamie]

I hope you can answer Jo's questions. My guess is that you are in need of a bit more pain medication. Pain can be worse at night when you're trying to sleep, so most people find they need to augment whatever their daytime pills are to try and sleep better.

But....that said, sleep can just take time. Your body has had a huge assault and it needs time to recovery. Actually going back to work at 4 weeks is way early. We normally recommend 10-12 weeks precisely because sleep is difficult to get until that time and your body will be tired trying to resume a regular routine when it's not ready.

 

[ema8447]

Hi @marmrf! If only the pharmaceutical companies could bottle "patience" for us, we'd be forever thankful and they'd be richer than they already are! I totally get you when you talk about sleep problems; I'm not a great sleeper to begin with and the knee-related interruptions just make it worse. I am reluctant to sound like I'm being negative, but I need to tell you that my sleep problems went on for quite a while. Gradually I started staying asleep for longer and longer periods. I had to learn how to survive on 4 or 5 hour chunks of sleep. I also napped on weekends and/or days off whenever I could. Are you still taking pain medication? That can help a lot in terms of keeping the knee calmed down. I also iced at night for several months which really helped. I am planning to continue that practice this time too.

Also, I continued to take something mild at bedtime after I stopped taking the pain medication. Something like a Tylenol PM worked wonders for me. It was just enough to calm the knee down so that I could go to sleep.

Now that you're returning to work (isn't it kind of early to do that?), you will find yourself even more exhausted. I'm hoping that you can sneak back to your office in between classes and prop up your leg and get an ice pack on it - even 15 minutes will help tremendously. I also spent a lot of time sitting while teaching, even though I abhor that practice - I feel like I should be up and roaming around the classroom and interacting! I know that when I'm exhausted, I am more restless when I'm trying to sleep. It truly is a crazy juggling act - we want to get back to normal, but the knee isn't ready; if only we could sleep - but we can't; and on and on it goes.

However, I am confident that we'll both get through these challenges (seeing's as how I'm a veteran of these knee replacement thingys!) and all of the discomfort and misery will soon just be fond memories.

Oh, one more thing... I found that as I became more active, my sleep improved too. And don't underestimate the importance of a small bedtime snack - a few crackers with peanut butter or a few slices of apple, or my latest favorite - a small glass of chocolate milk!! Keeps the tummy calmed down and the brain kind of likes it too, which allows me to forget about my knee for awhile.

Best wishes to you - it sounds like you're doing really great!