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TKR Recovering & Getting Ready for #2

Thank you Jackie and Jamie and Micha. I keep thinking the journey should be a straight road, but I guess it is the little detours that make things interesting! Jackie - I have followed you and love your naming process. Thelma and Louise definitely would have been a bad choice - things didn't go too well for them and mickey and Minnie seem to hae a more positive zest for life - like you!
Micha - I so agree about the massage and am blessed to have such a talented one as a friend. The first time I had her come was a week after my first knee - I was crawling out of my skin and it was the only thing I could think of that would help relax me. And boy it did! We are now negotiating this week's visit! Get theyself back to yours, my friend!
 
Little detours, Lynn? I'm pretty sure that having another TKR is a BiG detour! Oh, and falling (now strictly forbidden). I admire your strength. One day this will all be behind you, now that's something to meditate on! Two working knees-woohoo! :happydance:
 
Thanks Randi!! :friends:
OK - new question: woke up this morning and when getting ready to treat my scars with Vitamin E oil, I was staring at my legs side-by-side (guess that is the normal way, isn't it?). Noticed something and I don't know if it is worth a call to the doc - 5-week knee is "flushed" at the lower half extending out about 2 inches either side of the scar, it is warmer (understandably) than 12-week knee, but the length of the shin below the knee looks sunburned and it too, is considerably warmer than right shin. The scar has been totally healed for over a week. Need I be concerned about an infection? Anyone familiar with this? Advice greatly appreciated. :kittykiss:
 
What Joy said. I hope it was just a temporary thing and better already. Maybe the result of eating too many GS cookies.
 
OK friends - we are almost 7 weeks and 14 weeks. First post-op with my OS yesterday and he was really grinning with my extension and flex. He was again surprised with my lack of swelling on newer knee. I told him about starting with the massage more out of desperation shortly after first knee and then realizing the impact it was having on swelling reduction/lymph systems, PT's liking of it, etc. He actually made notes and commented he learned something new! So that is the good news.

The bad - and I do need help. I am trying to get off - or at least reduce my meds to less toxic and today tailspun into a depression, even though I thought I was doing it "right" this time. My stomach is and has been a mess from the chemicals. History: when we finally got pain under control 2 weeks post-surgery on #2, I was taking 10 mg oxycodone @ every 4 hours with 1000 Tylenol 2 x/day and 1-2 Advil PM at night for sleep. For the last several weeks, I was really only taking the oxy every 5-7 hours. About 10 days ago, I cut back to 5 mg. oxy - all else the same. Again, gradually reduced frequency to every 5-7 hours, just because I didn't need it. Several days ago, I started the switch to hydrocodone by adding 7.5 mg hydro with the 5 oxy. I discontinued the oxy about 3 days ago and switched to 10 mg hydro, again with frequency 5-7 hours. I also went back on Celebrex on Tuesday after consulting with my OS's PA since I was getting some new swelling, and have discontinued Advil PM at night. Yesterday I dropped to 7.5 hydro and thought I was doing fine. OS suggested reverting to Tramadol, though I haven't gotten there yet. Today, as mentioned, I went into a royal funk. Have to contribute it to withdrawal, but how much slower can I go? And I don't want to up dosages at this point, but I have so much work to do and could barely drag myself out of bed between crying jags.

So ... how does one reduce without going into depression? :sos:
 
Hmmmm...... that sounds like a question for Josephine.
There is a chart on this forum somewhere that talks about how to reduce and withdraw very slowly.
And I mean reallllly slowlllly. The rest of us might think cutting in half is slow but perhaps it needs to be even slower. Of course, I should stay away from med questions like this and leave it to the experts.

I do want to say it sounds like you are doing fantastic. :yay: And isn't lymphatic massage wonderful!?
I had believed it to be "woo woo" when my PT first used it, but became a believer quickly. :)
 
Oh dear, oh dear! I'm neither surprised you are in a funk nor that your stomach is in a mess! Most of your being in a funk is because you are switching back and forth with no plan and no stability. That's going to mess with your mental and physiological state not to mention giving zero pain management on top. Besides which I am confused why you would take an NSAID at night as a sleep aid when your stomach is empty :scratch:

To start with, you need to PLAN your withdrawal over several weeks, not days. More on that later.
Then you need to quit ALL NSAIDs as they are probably responsible for the stomach problems.
And finally, at 7 weeks it's far too early to be messing about with your pain management like this.
You need to sit down - preferably with your doctor/GP - and write out a plan over an 8-10 week period and then stick to it. But please not yet!

Somewhere on here Jamie posted a really great timetable for this but I can't find it anywhere! Jamie - help please!
 
Lynn...I'm an RN and I have no idea about this.... but looking at your meds...having the crying jags 3 days after cold-turkeying off the oxycodone might be your problem. Hydro and oxy are similar but not the same. Maybe you have to treat them separately? Wean slowly-er off the oxy, not just substitute the hydrocodone. What do you think? Okay someone's got to find that chart! Also my doc wanted me to stay on the Celebrex for several months following the surgery. I take the 200mg caps in the morning with food and it doesn't seem to bother me (typical nurses's stomach of iron).
PS I will see Dr. Klapper on Mar.5.
 
I hate to say it but I used to work in medical detox and they would wean people off heroin in three days! Of course there were lots of meds given to accomplish that. I'm not saying that you should do that at all but I am saying you can do it with medical supervision (I was a counselor). I will say this, a side effect of taking those drugs is depression and crying. My OS more or less pushed me to get off and he was right. I didn't need them. I agree about the NSAIDs, they tear up the stomach. Okay, I recommend that you call your GP and get them to put you on a taper. Don't be scared, you will feel better. Don't just stop everything cold turkey. It's normal to feel crummy in the transition but that shouldn't last for long. I don't agree that the taper needs to take months but of course, each person is different and what pain management you need after TKR is different for everybody. I tend to lean toward less drugs as you can see, just in general, but it depends on your needs. I hope you feel better very soon. Tomorrow is Monday and you can get started on a plan. :console2:
 
Aw Lynn, I'm sorry to hear that you hit a brick wall, so to speak! I did that too, went a little too quickly and "BAM", it seemed that I was crying at the snap of a finger! I didn't even understand myself, most of the time! I've never liked taking any kind of drugs and I certainly never took anything like these heavy duty drugs that are given when you have knee replacements, so it kind of scared me, the effects and withdrawsl from stopping this drugs too quickly! So, I do agree with those above, contact your GP and they will help you with a safe and right way of weaning off those hard drugs! I wish you luck my BoneSmartie friend!:console2: That depressed feeling is the pits, to say the least!
 
How are you doing today, kid? I'm thinking about you today. Depression is the pits!
 
Thank you for asking and for all the support. :kittykiss: After another 2 days of the blues, crying, pain developing in both hips (10 years old yesterday!!), ongoing nausea (all I could tolerate was frozen yogurt), I gave up (for the moment) and upped the hydro to 10 mg. every 4 hours this morning. As Josephine suggested, I am clearly not ready to be off the stronger meds yet. We have all learned we each respond to pain differently and like Jackie, I hate putting any chemicals into my body. However, my "back story" is I have fibromyalgia too, which is likely impacting my pain response (as well as years of lower back and neck issues, years on Vioxx, hypothyroid, etc.) :headbang:

Josephine, I did have snacks before taking the Advil PM at night; did not know it was an NSAID until you mentioned it and I looked it up. But I did stop it now about a week ago and have been sleeping pretty well.

As of this evening the pain is somewhat reduced to almost tolerable, I have been tear-free for almost 4 hours, and actually ate about 6 oz. of pasta for dinner. :) (Jackie, unlike Norm, my Joe is a marvelous cook!) So for another day very soon will be a talk with my GP or finding some pain mgmt group about how to withdraw and when. If I am not feeling even better tomorrow, that discussion will have to be moved up because I cannot tolerate more days like the last three or four.

Still, all suggestions are welcome. I surely cannot be the only one struggling with this issue.
 
Here is the link to the thread from our BoneSmart Library that provides a schedule for stopping prescription pain medications. It's in the thread on addiction to pain meds in the General Topics.

I'm glad to see you've allowed yourself to get back on a schedule for prescription pain meds. It doesn't seem to me that you're quite ready to wean off them yet. But.....when you do want to try again, go VERY slowly. It will be a lot easier.

I know you want to get on with it, but this is the time you really, really need patience. You'll get there....honest!!
 
Aw Lynn, I'm glad you got back on the meds that you obviously need for now! This game of recovery really plays a trick on us! We think we're in charge, and then we come to realize that we are not, our knees are! I wish you the best my BoneSmartie friend, because we all hate that feeling of "I have no control" and we want to move on, I guess we have to be patient! Dang, but I want it NOW! :scratch:

Stay well my friend, and enjoy hubby's food! :ok:
 
Lynn, you're only seven weeks on the second knee, brave soul that you are! I'm sure it feels like you've been taking those pills forever but at seven weeks you still kneed (ha ha) them. You will feel better one day and just think how much better everything will work then; beach walks, heck, beach volleyball :dancy: , in bikinis, well now I probably have gone too far. But you get the point, some day this will all be behind you and you will have a nicely functioning knee. In the meantime, take care of yourself, take enough pain meds and talk to your doc if you need help or to change them.
 
Hi Nightquilter,
What a misery for you. 2 years ago when I did my first knee there were no anti nausea drugs given and I lept all over the pain drug checkerboard desperately seeking relief. Lost 20 pounds as I couldn't eat beyond a bit of yogurt or applesauce or broth and a cracker. Took over 2 months for any easing and I felt like a hideous person for all my meltdowns.

I just wanted to die and stopped caring about anything.l Was dreading the 1/23/13 surgery for the other knee, but did spend many weeks alerting every doc I had and gathering info--wish I had known of Bonesmart--and I have so far been ecstatic to have only low level pain (2 weeks). Then I started feeling that (therefore) I "should" cut down by one dose of oxycodone and have had a horrible day, not seeming able to catch up.

Why not take an extra oxy, said Randi. I am allowed two at each time slot and I've only been taking one. Hmmmmm, said I, why not? What's the rush? Is there something "wrong" with feeling "good"? With slowing down and letting myself be taken care of and of giving myself relief a bit longer? I'm going to take 2 at the 9 o'clock "feeding" also.

My goal for tomorrow is to be a bit more trusting of what my body is telling me it needs instead of me saying to it, I'm rather busy, and I'd like you to step up to the plate and perform as I desire". Never ending learning to be had.

Will be thinking of you, ruffian
 
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