Revision TKR Revision RTKR due to laxity in ligament 3rd March 2015

[Josephine]

I merged your threads. Please read this One thread for your recovery please

 

[Josephine]

1. I would say a 7.
Tramadol 100mg every 4-5 hours,
paracetamol 500mg every 4-5 hours
Ibuprofen 400mg 3 times a day.
Morphine sulphate 20mg twice a day.

My gosh - can't say you're under medicated then!

3. I am icing about 5 times a day for 20-30 mins

Ice more. Any time you are resting/elevating, ice.

4. I am elevating have 3 staggered pillows underneath as shown in the reading material on here. Was doing it incorrectly previously.

Jolly good but you haven't said how long you elevate during any given day. Should be at least half the day spent resting, elevating and icing.

5. No driving, online shopping and light housework like wiping up in kitchen, vacuuming downstairs only, bed making. Making only odd meals that take little prep and watching.

Watching TV? that's good! But nix the vacuuming and bed making. Remember the mantra
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it!!

As for these exercises, you haven't said how many of each you do each session! I need to know everything!

Twice a day I am doing
- straight leg lifts (stop if it hurts) perfect!
- heel slides same as above? also perfect!
- side leg slides unnecessary - leave them out
- knee pressing into sofa/bed although my flexion was 0 before discharge .... unnecessary if you are already at 0 - also sliding foot back at dining table.

And do just 5 of each once a day. That's plenty for now at only 3 weeks out.
You can build up after you reach week 5 but slowly

 

[chereb]

Sorry josephine. At most i can manage 3-5 leg lifts the rest of the excercises about 7 reps I find my knee is much tighter in the morning as well and by 2-3 pm
Its at its best.

Watching was dinner watching lol. As in checking back and forth to make sure its ok.

I am unsure hours of resting bit probably spend 6-7 hours on my feet.

The bottom of my leg under where the computer attachment marks are . That is probably the most painful site. The knee is now starting to bruise black which i am surprised at after 3 weeks. My foot to ankle has been pretty black and thats getting better. My blood count is still low at 10.2 although better than the 8.8 it was.

How long until i can climb the stairs normally? And go down lol.

Also how long until i can immerse in a bath? Desperate to have one.




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[Celle]

It should be OK to have a bath once all your skin is completely healed - no scabs left, no areas still open at all.

A word of caution, though. Practice how you are going to get out of the bath before you try the full, wet version - you don't want to find that you can't get out! It's good idea to have someone around while you bath, so that you can yell for help, if necessary.

 

[Mazza]

chereb Knowing that I still can't get up from the floor without floundering like an upside down tortoise, I wouldn't even attempt bathing yet. If you do then make sure you have a couple of those clamp on grab handles available to help lower yourself down and to haul yourself up again.
My husband and I were cracking up yesterday when I tried to get off the floor having done some PT. I had to get an elbow onto the sofa, but as it is leather I kept sliding off again . Amazing what the rest of our body has to do to compensate for the TKR stubbornness ..

 

[chereb]

Ok well i am now 25 days post op. I dont know how to explain it but woke up today feeling different. The pain level has dipped a bit and i have ditched my morning morphine for a few days now. I can get myself up and downstairs one after the other with a little effort so happy about that Managed to have a bath twice and got in and out with no problems. Big reduction in swelling as well. My ROM is probably right angle? Cant measure it and no formal physio to do it either. Still a lot of bruising coming out and i am feeling pretty good working on the walking but still limping and tight at bend.


Osteotomy January 2009
Osteotomy revision September 2009
TKR 1st November 2013

 

[referee54]

You are doing great!!! That is an excellent report! you are taking these slow, but steady strides forward. These are all elements of reclaiming the life that arthritis stole from you.

Those baths are so very important in establishing normalcy---something that we crave before the TKR as well as during recovery. It is a milestone that is exciting for you!

orking on the walking but still limping and tight at bend.

Take it slowly and gently---work on your gait and do not be afraid to use an aid if you need to.

Big reduction in swelling as well.

Keep icing, elevating, and resting and the swelling and the bruising will subside!

 

[Mazza]

chereb That's wonderful progress. I can slowly walk upstairs one foot at a time, but absolutely NOT coming downstairs; the TKR just won't bend sufficiently for me to get the foot forward .
I walked quite a bit further this morning, to the bottom of my daughter's garden and back to collect fallen apples. Having an intent gave me the encouragement to forget about the leg and just get on with it. Having said that, the grandchildren had gone to school, my daughter is away and my husband was at our house, so if I'd fallen I would have stayed there

I feel a lot better and it is just 4 weeks tomorrow since surgery. Bring on another 4 weeks!!

 

[chereb]

Well 33 days out and i feel like i went back the way :-( Swelling is up more, pain increased and feeling very tight. Really down heartened as i have been like this for a few days now with no improvement. Feeling quite depressed now and wasnt expecting to feel like that as i can normally reign myself in.


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[Josephine]

The bottom of my leg under where the computer attachment marks are .

Oh you had a computer navigated replacement then?

The knee is now starting to bruise black which i am surprised at after 3 weeks

I'm not - it happens. don't sweat it!

How long until i can climb the stairs normally? And go down lol.

I could go UP normally at about 8 weeks but it was 4 months before I could come down normally! And even then it was with great care for a few more weeks!

My ROM is probably right angle?

90 degrees. Not bad.

Well 33 days out and i feel like i went back the way

Where are you from? Not the North East, by any chance? Recovery is never a straight line, more like a roller coaster. There will be days like this and different days. Again, don't sweat it. It happens. It will also go away again. Go look at your recovery articles again and read the one on post-op blues!

 

[referee54]

Well 33 days out and i feel like i went back the way :-( Swelling is up more, pain increased and feeling very tight. Really down heartened as i have been like this for a few days now with no improvement. Feeling quite depressed now and wasnt expecting to feel like that as i can normally reign myself in.

Recovery is not unlike a roller coaster ride. you will have some ups and some downs--and for no valid reason, will the surgical knee decide to cause a few issues.

I know that it is easier said than done, but you have to be patient and just ride it out. In the end, you will arrive at the destination of being fully recovered.

Understand and remember that recover does not go consistently upward---it looks more like a stock market report.

 

[chereb]

Hi Josephine i am in Scotland (west)

Yes i had computer navigated surgery due to previous distal femoral osteotomies twice lol. Was actually worried about infection as i felt really sick and dizzy then the knee was hot. Feel a little better today. May just have overdone the housework on Monday :-(


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[bottomshollow]

chereb, you are ONLY a month post op. You are doing too much. Please go back to page one of your thread and read the articles in the list Tim gave you. You need to be resting, elevating, icing, taking your pain meds on a schedule, and doing as little as possible.

TKR has a LONG recovery period---and not taking proper care of your and your knee in the beginning will only make it longer. And to put your mind at rest---it is totally normal for your TKR knee to be "hot" for the first couple of months---has to do with all the healing that is going on in there.

Slow down, take care, and keep us posted. We care.

 

[speccybecky]

chereb . Did you have your tkr in golden jubilee hospital? I did !

 

[chereb]

Glasgow Royal I had it done


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[chereb]

Bottomhollow i think i am impatient. I was under the illusion this was a six week recovery :-( Thanks for putting my mind at rest about the heat. Was a bit panicked last night. Looking back i have also been stopping my lunchtime meds. Maybe im not ready yet. Im off the morphine and dropp


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[chereb]

Sorry finger slip haha.

Anyway stopped the morphine and thought i would drop tramadol and paracetamol at lunch. Think i will go back to them


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[speccybecky]

Take the medication if you need it...you've a way to go yet. I was taking tramadol for at least 3 months, be kind to yourself

 

[chereb]

I have just in the past couple of hours developed a pain on bending. Like a really burning/nipping pain at the thigh part of my incision. Has anyone had this? Could it be a sign of infection? Feels almost like it could open up.


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[speccybecky]

Could it be a rogue stitch? I had my wound open and a stitch knot came out. Could it be nerves reconnecting, try gently rubbing and manipulating it. I think if it was infection it would be red and hot but I'm not an expert.