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TKR Right TKR is done

I bet your antibiotics are adding to your tiredness. Right now your body is concentrating on healing your knee. I'll be praying for you.
 
I remember being tired with my wound vac also. It wasn't that the vac was too heavy; it was quite light. It was just the fact of it. Knowing you have this wound, and always having to be mindful of your vac and tubing, can certainly weigh on the mind. And all the while your body is doing some serious healing. Not just the incision but your knee is still healing, too. It sounds like you're in capable hands with the wound doc. My wound (not a knee, but quite a wound) needed opening at one point also, and resolved more quickly after that. Hope to hear soon that you're seeing more progress and feeling better. :ok:
 
Today I saw the os and the wound clinic then put the dressing on after. The os said that it looked good and said it seemed quite large and wondered how long it may take to heal. There was a stitch inside too that he took out. Part of it is the undermining and the nurses who change the dressing at the wound clinic says it seems to get larger the first week. I'm glad the os thought it looked good. I'm ready for some rest this weekend.
I appreciate the good wishes and @SusieShoes your experience with the vac. It certainly is a constant reminder that there is that big hole in me and I've been able to shower and do most everything, so I'm grateful for that -especially that it's my left leg so I can drive too.
 
I'm so glad the OS says it looks good! Can you get us a photo of it?
 
I don't like looking at the opening myself, but I will ask the nurse to take a picture next on Mondays dressing change. From what I could see oN the sides there was more blood vessels in the fat that wasn't there before. It is hard to see the big old wound open on my leg and I just can't get myself to look down into the opening. That's depressing to me so I will take the word of the nurses that it is coming along. It's a mind game with me I guess.
 
The nurses have the experience and know when it's looking good! Take their word for it.
 
So this is what my opening looks like today. I tried to find my picture from the first day to upload but didn't seem to locate it. It does look like it's filling in a bit from what my memory of it was and of course it's a tad bit longer now that it was opened to get to the tunnel. The dark area is where they used silver nitrate when it was opened last Wednesday so that shouldn't alarm anyone. I see the wound dr on Wednesday so we shall see what his thoughts are. I do not remember it being as pink because it was more yellow where the fat tissue was so it may be getting better.

[Bonesmart.org] Right TKR is done
 
I saw the wound dr today and he was happy to report that he can see some granulation happening. They are going to concentrate on working with the undermining so that we don't get an open area. They are encouraged that the tissue is looking good inside.
 
I'm very happy happy to hear that healing is under way. Hopefully in a few weeks you will finally have all this behind you.
 
Great that your doctor is seeing improvement. You are on the right road!
 
Your wound is like deja vu for me! I am the type of person that likes/has to look at the stuff that's going on, like wounds, scars, needles, etc...so I had taken pictures from day one. Personally, I'm glad I did because when I get down, I can look at the first few and see how much better it looks and feels.

I totally understand how you feel about feeling "icky" or weird (whichever word works) about having a wound like that. When they did my first dressing change, I couldn't believe that I had this huge, gaping wound on my leg and I barely felt it or knew that it was that big! It was definitely a surreal experience, that's for sure.

It will get smaller, but the wound does look nice and "beefy," which is a good thing I'm told!

Jen
 
More news.....seems I have cellulitis on the outside of my knee/leg where the opening is on my knee. The have given me a vac vacation for at least a week and changed my antibiotic to cipro. I have been having a lot of pain in my back, arms, and my bad leg and since that is a side affect they have changed to cipro.
My vac apparently isn't sucking out the fluid enough and actually over the weekend I had a blockage alert problem and had to remove it. Tuesday I had to have the wound center change the dressing because I had fluid all around the incision. Then by evening it was again all around the incision and was leaking out even. I wasn't supposed to have it changed on Tuesday but I was at the wound clinic with my mom's appt. and asked them to take a look at it.
They have it dressed with gauze and a cream which I can't remember the name of and pharmacy will be getting it in tomorrow. I change the dressing once a day. I see the OS on Friday. A culture was taken today too. I'm upset that I'm not gaining and have these set backs one after another. Pretty hard to stay positive and even dream of the day when it will be healed right. My new summer job wants me to start coming in to work a couple of days a week already. I was thinking maybe late May. I hope I have enough stamina to keep up.
 
Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear of your set back. I pray you get this under control really quickly. Hopefully, the cipro will heal you quickly.
 
A vac vacation can be a good thing. I had a couple of short ones during my stint (abdominal wound), also for skin care purposes. I suspect skin on the knee is even more delicate. I hope the Cipro treats you better than your previous antibiotic. Sorry to hear you're having so much pain, though. Take heart, though, because wound closing can be a one step forward and what looks like no steps for two weeks, and then suddenly it does move. If you are oozing this much, best leave things to the wound doctor, who sounds very conscientious. I check often hoping to hear you're doing better.

My doctor used Manuka honey, or Medihoney, on my wound at one point, but that was near the end of the healing when I was off the wound vac.
 
@GingerP

Please stay positive. It will get better. I remember my OS telling me at my first wound change appt that the size vac I had was just the right size and suction. Maybe they have a larger one with more pressure? Enjoy the vac vacation though, maybe you'll see a big improvement.

Good luck on the cipro. I had Keflex and cipro before settling on the nasty Levaquin. Please stay positive.

Thinking about you,
Jen
 
@ACDCJen, @SusieShoes, @sistersinhim . Thanks for your encouragement. It is really hard right now. I really wasn't feeling good on Sunday, but my son was home to celebrate my mom's 89th birthday and I did what I could. Looking back I was probably having that infection working on me. I hope the OS doesn't have some other idea and praying that cipro does its job. Although I don't mind having the vac with me, I'm afraid it puts me back another 2 weeks. If I get rid of pain in my arms, back and my bad knee (outside of the bone on bone ) I will be much happier.
At first they were thinking that the position of the suction cup needed to be down and not up my leg since gravity always wins. They talked about incerasing the pressure too, but for now - the vac is on the shelf. The cream I put on the gauze is thick like cold cream and called something silver.....
I will get my tub of that tomorrow. Just want something to go right for a change. Think I will be waiting a long time yet. Sorry, I'm in tears right now. I'm grateful my knee surgery went well but so worried all of this will compromise it...blessings to you my dear friends.
 
The cream is probably silverdene. It can help with any pain you might have too. They might have to use different vac settings or different sizes/types of sponge within the wound. A wound vac can usually help close a would faster than other dressings IMO.
 
@SusieShoes . It is interesting that you bring up the medi honey. My mom used that for about a week and she said it stung just like the bees stingers were still in it. I have seen her go through a lot of options trying to get her sore healed so I'm sure I will have some of the same things she has before this is done.
Today the redness isn't as bad as before on the side of my leg where the cellulitis is. One positive. The dressing in the incision seems like it has gooey stuff coming out so I've had to change the outside covering often since it leaked through. I guess that is good. Tomorrow when I see the OS I'm going to ask about options for my right knee be it a brace or just an injection or something to assist for a good 6 months until I can get my next surgery. The bone on bone is getting worse and so hard for me to go anywhere where I have to sit in low chairs - nasty getting up out of them so I try to stand which is only good for 10 minutes or so.
Today I was able to get some training for a summer temporary job. 6 hours away from dr appts was good. Still praying the cipro takes over and my cellulitis clears snd I can get back to healing with the vac.
Appreciate all of your thoughts and wishes.
 
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