Hi Becky! Glad you are back in touch. Pain control is my biggest problem. I came home on the 12th. Started home PT on 13th. I do just great during PT but about 2 hours later....ouweee! I am still in that "ouweee" stage from yesterday's session. So, I am boycotting PT until I see the surgeon on Tuesday. I keep wondering if I should have gone to in-pt physical therapy instead of straight home. At the time I wanted to come home! So I did and now I will just move on from here but ....ouwee!! I hope all is well with you!! Thanks to your hubby for letting us know you came through with flying colors! Looking forward to an update!
Patti
Patti, glad that your surgery went well too.
I'm working on my pain control "schedule" too. It was harder in the rehab facility (also a nursing home). My room was on the end of the orthopedic section and also the END of the line in the whole facility in getting anything -- meds, food, etc. So if I didn't call and ask for pain meds before 7 am, it was usually between 8:30 and 9 am before the nurse made it to us with meds. I was scheduled to get an extra pain med every morning at 6:00 which would have been in time, but they skipped it if I was asleep when they checked. After I asked them to make a note to "wake me up" at 6:00 to ask if I needed it that I was finally able to get it in time to help. That took care of "starting the mornings" better.
Today I talked to the home-health nurse who said that taking a Flexeril (sp.?) tablet would help with relaxing the muscles -- particularly AFTER PT. I decided to try one tonight to see if I get more sleep. In Rehab, I didn't get much sleep the first night, but after that it was easier -- waking occasionally when my leg started getting sore.
I spent a lot of time (a few minutes here and there) gently massaging around the stapled "zipper". I also used a bit of Effleurage as a massage -- a French word meaning "to skim" or "to touch lightly on". Once in awhile a staff member would ask me if I was "playing with" my knee, and I'd tell him/her what I was doing.
As for going to a rehab facility first, they had some equipment that I wouldn't have had at home. So I figured it would give me a "jump start". However I am GLAD to be home so that I can spread the exercises out to suit how my knee feels at the time -- and NOT have it go past uncomfortable into pain that lasted too long.
The doctor used a femoral block on my leg for the surgery. So I wasn't even able to get up until Wednesday. After that they started doing a little exercise with me which mostly involved my getting up (with assistance) to go to the toilet and sitting in a chair for awhile to start working on ROM. Since I didn't get to the Rehab facility until 4 pm Friday, I didn't even get a PT evaluation until Sunday morning, and didn't start PT until Monday morning. So my leg had 3 more days than you did before starting active PT.
I'm glad that we have each other here with our other friends on this continuing journey "on the other side". I'm SOOOO glad to be through the surgery and back home. One day at a time now.
United States
Wish her well for us when you see her next and God bless you for being there for her! Stay well and safe!:biggrin:
Most of the time I was doing good to either call someone and talk -- or play games. 
Rest, relax and go slow, this is not a race! Oh yea, and ice, ice and more ice!:wubroses:
