TKR Recovery as an April not very patient patient!

[katchmo]

Lots of people said it would be painful but my surgeon actually said "for a couple of days", that's not even funny.

My surgeon said, "Some of my patients don't even need narcotics once they go home." Yeaaaaah, no. Fortunately I was able to have what I needed as long as I needed it but it took some arguing with the nurse to get it.

 

[kneeper]

Anything you want=what the knee allows. The knee is the boss.

 

[lizziescam]

@katchmo I had someone tell me they didn't need any pain relief at all for their knee surgery, most discouraging when all you want to do is swallow everything they've got in the pharmacy
Not really very helpful information is it!!!

 

[lizziescam]

Anything you want=what the knee allows. The knee is the boss

Yup the knee is certainly the boss, in fact on reflection I'm not sure how helpful the OS actually was, surely there must be some activities not advisable 6 weeks post op????
I try to alternate days when I do things with days when I do very little....seems to work reasonably well as long as I don't do too much.

 

[katchmo]

I talked to a friend who had a total knee replacement a couple of years ago. I was at three months out finally getting out and about but still not anywhere near where I wanted to be. I said, "No one tells people how hard it is going to be!" She replied that she didn't have any trouble at all, which made me feel like a whiner baby. However, further conversation revealed that her recovery was not so different from mine, but two years later she is doing well and that's how she views the whole process. We'll get there!

 

[lizziescam]

@katchmo that's really interesting, I guess in the whole scheme of things these first few months are only a part of it, so she can now see the bigger picture. I was lucky in the sense that several people who I trust said it would really hurt so I was prepared for the pain, but the didnt say that the pain would go on for sooooooo long and the painkillers wouldnt touch it (sorry that's my pet whinge, hopefully I will get over myself soon!)

 

[katchmo]

I was shocked at the pain. I had already had several major surgeries and sailed through them so I thought I had a high pain tolerance. This was much different. I started on gabapentin at three weeks which was a major turning point in pain control. I'm still on it.

 

[lizziescam]

@katchmo me too!!! In fact I think on reflection I was probably a bit smug.... (pre-op) because I thought I had experienced lots of pain....stitches without anaesthetic (aged 7!!) severed arteries and stitched up tendons, major bowel surgery, three babies blah de blah, oh yeh I knew Mr Pain, or so I thought. When I came round in recovery post op my first thought was "Oh my goodness, now that IS pain" but apparently I told the nurse my pain was 0 (I have no recollection of this at all but that apparently is what I said) so it took a bit of persuasion for her to get me some meds. On discharge three days later I was given 3 days of codeine and nothing else so I struggled like crazy.
Happily I do think that the first two weeks were the most painful and although it still hurts and drives me crazy with its unpredicatable nature it is definitely improving. I don't know if they prescribe gabapentin in the UK as pain relief, I just looked up on the NHS website and its cited as used for epilepsy.....

 

[lizziescam]

So here's my recovery timeline:
How I see it

How my knee says it will be

 

[SusieShoes]

Your recovery timeline is brilliant!

 

[Marguette]

My surgeon told me the first six weeks would be brutal. No kidding! He also said I would start to feel more like myself by 12 weeks. I'm at 10 weeks now and not feeling it. I sure hope two more weeks will make a difference. Hang in there. It gets better. Hugs!

 

[katchmo]

@Marguette I just turned the corner rather dramatically almost overnight. I don't know what happened but I like it. I am just passed four months postop so I was starting to lose hope. As you see in my signature, I even scheduled the second one now.

 

[katchmo]

I don't know if they prescribe gabapentin in the UK as pain relief, I just looked up on the NHS website and its cited as used for epilepsy.....

Yes, it is an antiepileptic but is rarely used for that any more. In the US it is most commonly prescribed for peripheral neuropathy and other nerve pain. For me it has been a godsend. However I am going to start weaning off of it tomorrow and see how I do.

I can't even imagine three days of codeine. That's just cruel. I took oxycodone and acetaminophen (which are about the only oral pain relievers I can take) for six weeks! It took me three weeks to taper off it.

 

[lizziescam]

@Marguette I think I prefer honesty even if it's a tad scary, maybe my surgeon just has a dry sense of humour that I failed to appreciate!!
Hope these next 2 weeks are your turning point but hey why not give your knee a special "bonus" 2 weeks? I'm absolutely fascinated by the psychological aspects of all this (I'm NOT saying this pain isn't real) but because I didn't seem to have much medicinal pain relief I had to have words with myself.......
If you build all your hopes up for that magical turnaround in 2 weeks but your knee is just visiting the naughty step and doesn't want to play then you've set yourself up for disappointment. If however you say to your knee, okay you can have 4 weeks to pull this off it might surprise you!
Apols if I make no sense, I know what I mean but it can be tricky to explain!!

 

[Larryhg3]

My doctor said
1 day to 1 month = “What the hell have I done”
1 month - 3 month = “ Why the hell did I do this?”
3 months + = “Why did I wait so long to do this”

I am starting to understand

 

[NavyGunns]

@lizziescam, I completely agree with your comments regarding pain experience with your knee. Two years ago I underwent two major bowel surgeries. The first left a 8 1/2 inch scar don the middle of my belly, the second one (6 months later) replaced that scar with a 12 1/2 inch one. All thanks to a perforated colon. I thought I was well aquainted with pain and slow recovery. Boy was I wrong! I was well aware that PKR/TKR was supposed to be very painful. Have a friend who had THR and he says knees are worse than hips. As you’ve said, our knees will dictate what they are ready to try and when we force things, they are just like that stubborn two yr old throwing a screaming tantrum

 

[lizziescam]

A new dilemma has now got me in a pickle......if I take the pain meds my tummy is kicking off, reduce the pain meds and my tummy pains go but knee kicks off. I take omeprazole one each morning which I beleive is supposed to protect the stomach. I have lots of fresh fruit to counter balance any possible constipation due to meds and I drink between 1 litre and 2 litres water a day. HELP!!!!!
I was just hoping that things might be getting easier but have had two consecutive nights of little or no sleep and afternoon/evenings of crampy tummy pains.....

Sorry for the whinge....

 

[lizziescam]

@Larryhg3 your Doctor is a star - did you check up his trouser leg to see if he/she has had a knee replacement

@NavyGunns funny how until you have knee surgery pain is just pain!! I had three babies with no pain relief so had assumed my 'pain threshold' was high......ah well, you live and learn!!!

 

[Josephine]

Larryhg3, my surgeon told me he never sees his knee patients before 10 weeks because they will all hate him at that stage!

if I take the pain meds my tummy is kicking off, reduce the pain meds and my tummy pains go but knee kicks off.

@lizziescam Tell me what you are taking, how much and at what times.

I take omeprazole one each morning which I believe is supposed to protect the stomach. I have lots of fresh fruit to counter balance any possible constipation[/QUOTE]
One omeprazole per day is rarely sufficient. I've been taking this for about 25 years and am currently taking 2 capsules (40mgs) twice daily and if I miss a dose, boy do I know it the next day!
Oh, and if you have reflux, then be careful of the types of fruit you are eating - citrous fruit and apples can play havoc with a sensitive stomach!
BTW, you're not taking any NSAIDs are you?

 

[Marguette]

Mindset is a big part of it. My surgeon was honest about the first six weeks but not so much about the 3 months "feel like yourself", although I suppose some people do. On good days, I tend to overdo; then I take 2 -3 days to recover - terrible. I feel so limited and the thought of dealing with this for the next year is overwhelming. Glad to hear about your turnaround point. It gives me hope that things will improve. Although I don't feel like it, I think maybe when I return to work, I will have less time to feel sorry for myself and will just get on with DLA. Thanks for sharing. Hugs!