TKR Rita's recovery

[RICBAK1]

Well this thread explains something my husband has noticed. I'm now walking without crutches and concentrating on not limping (not easy with a limited ROM!), but he thinks I'm walking as if the tkr leg is longer than the other. I have my OR report which says they used a 10mm PS Prolong, and I'm sure I didn't have 10mm of cartilage left on that knee! So I guess it's bound to feel weird for a while.

PS You guys have me feeling nostaligic for Yourkshire hills. Taught in Donny and Edlow in the past.....

hi i live in edlo and live on a hill bernard road, hills are no good when trying to walk with crutches.Big changes in edlo since you probably worked here ,new school built and no pit

 

[reetpteet]

How did we get to pits?

 

[RICBAK1]

How did we get to pits?

sorry was meant for vancouverite if worked in edlo before she would know

 

[BLAKQUEEN]

Rita, welcome to the other side!!! Glad your surgery went well!!!! I am home from rehab and am doing ok some stiffness but ok. kept up with your exercises and rest so that you can heal
Kim

 

[Jazyb]

Rita, I'm glad you worked out what was causing the spinning head business. Some people do so well with Tramadol and others not so good , I could not get on with it - made me so bad!! Good luck with your new regime. I hope all is well tonight and your knee is behaving

 

[vancouverite]

hi i live in edlo and live on a hill bernard road, hills are no good when trying to walk with crutches.Big changes in edlo since you probably worked here ,new school built and no pit

Pit was open in 1979 when I taught there! Had no idea they'd built a new school. Taught in Donny during the miner's strike and had to cross the police road blocks in my Citroen van on my way from home in North Notts. A pretty bleak time. I left Yorkshire soon after it was all over.

 

[1ELISEA]

Have had an interesting 24 hrs. Woke yesterday (Saturday) with the room spinning round everytime I moved my head, slightly better when I was upright than when I was lying down. So ............ Tramodol + low sodium = dizziness! Good detective work eh? Am feeling better already, dizziness is abating & I amanged to go to church this morning, which was lovely.

Tramadol did funny things to me as well; glad you found out what it was and switched to something else.

And it sounds like you are doing marvelous. You are remarkable that you have been posting, I for the most part, haven't had the energy to think of anything to say.


And even finding the energy to attend church. wow. I am as worried as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs to get anywhere near a group of people. Little children running around or an errant purse swing banging into my knee might send me into agony.

 

[reetpteet]

Elisea - I warded off the little children & purse swingers by waving my crutch menacingly at them ............

 

[reetpteet]

Day 12 & first Physio (PT for you guys over the pond!) appointment. She did absolutley no work on my knee at all, just asked me what I was doing & said keep on doing more of the same! Flexion today was 110 & extension was 0, so I am very happy. She gave me one or two hints about relieving sciatic pain & gave my knee a nice massage. Thanks to Bonesmart, all of my new Bonesmartie friends & Brugioni/Falkel I am doing OK - Praise the Lord!

 

[Coniglietta]

Oh well done reetpteet, I have my first physio today and dont feel I am doing so well as you. I had to have my dressing changed yesterday as it had leaked and look "green". The nurse at my practice said it looked fine but that the staples had gone in so deep they were restricting movement, hopefully this is the only reason why I have not been able to complete any worthwhile exercise on my knee..
I am having them out on Thursday, so perhaps things will improve after that.
I am suffering at the moment with my hip pain again, I walked around the shops yesterday after getting my dressing changed and wanted to get a card for my sons birthday tomorrow. I never realised how little you have to do before you get a knock on effect. I was supposed to take my last meds at 10pm but fell asleep without them and woke around midnight to take them instead. Must have been really tired to not need my pills lol.
Well its 5.24am and I have woken in pain, cant take meds till 6 so am wasting time till then.
Best of luck everyone, I will check back in later after physio.
Viv xx

 

[reetpteet]

Hi Viv, I was awake at 05.00h as well, we could have had a chat! Like you I am suffering with hip/lower back pain, much worse than my knee really which is doing excellently. I have just called my GP to consult about pain relief & next I am going to call my (non NHS) physio to see if she would recommend acupuncture. So sorry about your nasty staples, you'll be glad to get them out. I am so grateful that my surgeon didn't use them. We are very much at the mercy of each individual surgeons 'whim' aren't we? Look forward to hearing about your physio session. My physio (NHS) had not heard of either Bonesmart or the Knee Replacement/Rehab book, I'm going to take it along & show her next time I go! Am doing my best to spread the word. Good luck today, thinking of you. (ps -Where did your lovely name come from?)

 

[reetpteet]

Took my new knee for a walk in the park today & it was .... well .... a walk in the park! After having spoken with GP this morning about the way ahead with hip/butt pain have added a little Tramadol back in the mix & am having acupuncture tomorrow which has worked for me in the past

 

[Nyland]

Hi Rita!
Just checking in on some of my friends. I LOVE acupuncture. Let us know how you do. Hope your pain subsides.

 

[Coniglietta]

Hello all again from my " 4 in the morning bed".
I had a phone call from physio yesterday asking if I could cancel and come along on thursday instead. I agreed thinking that my staples would be out before I saw them and hopefully some of the stiffness would have gone .
I have made an appointment with my GP to see why I am in so much pain with my hip, its so bad its taking over from my knee pain which incidently is not that bad now, just stiff and tight. I am not a very good patient I am afraid and since I am usually so active I find it difficult to take things easier now that I am in recovery and this unexplained hip pain is getting me down.
On a plus note, I can walk without my crutches now but only indoors of course, this has pleased me and given me a little boost.
Like all of us I cant wait to be back to normal, there is so much going on in my family at the moment, a new baby due Jan, a christening next month, an engagement party in Aug and a wedding to plan for next year. 2 birthdays in August and 4 this month, life goes on.
To reetpteet, my husband is of Italian descent and Coniglietta is his pet name for me, it sort of means bunny rabbit in Italian, he says I am always bouncing around the house doing stuff but not doing much of that now ! lol.
Best of luck to everyone and I hope that you are all in the land of Nod and not like me awake and in pain.
Bye for now Viv xx
Good luck with the acupuncture reetpteet, let us know if it works I am willing to do anything to get rid of this throbbing hip pain.

 

[reetpteet]

We are definitely recovery buddies Viv - I too was up at 4, needed to walk about (can you believe it!) hip pain is better when I am moving. I too am walking around the house without crutches & I too am delighted that my knee pain is not at all bad (have we been twins in a previous life?) We too have a new Grandchild due in the autumn ...... perhaps we should meet up! (but then would be one more thing to add to the busy schedule!!!

 

[reetpteet]

Have changed my pic (avatar?!) to include my 'carer' hubby, (it only seems fair as we're on this journey together) - he's fab, currently doing grocery shopping, hope he brings some chocolate!

 

[Jacky48]

Ahhhhh! The healing chocolate! Now if they could only wrap our pain pills in chocolate we would get the double whammy,
Nice picture of you and hubby!
It sounds like you're doing great for being so early on! Each step forward is wonderful, isn't it!

 

[Coniglietta]

Hello all,
What a lovely picture Rita, I hope your hubby is doing better with the shopping then mine lol. Oh well he does try but we have slipped into an Italian-esque menu, so it seems, but then he is wonderful at cooking pasta and he does the most amazing sauces too. Must be passed down from Mama !
I saw my doctor today about the pain in my hip, she said it is probably due to the pulling around during the operation and that of course it will settle down in due course but she has given me something else to take at night, to help me sleep and to deal with "nerve" pain as she called it. I cant use it till this evening but have to stop the Tramadol and Paracetamol and just take co-dydramol during the day.
The new pills are called Amitriptyline, sounds like something out of the 60's ! Well if they work I dont care what they are called, a little more than 4 hours sleep a night would be most welcome.
I wish Bonesmart had a chat room where all us insomniacs could get together for a good old chin wag till one of us falls asleep it would be just the thing for us night owls.
Its 2 weeks tomorrow for me and the staples are coming out in the morning and my first physio is afterwards so I do hope I get a few extra hours kip tonight.
Wish you all well and I will check back tomorrow after all the events have happened.
Viv xx (Sleep well Rita)

 

[reetpteet]

Amitriptyline works well on nerve pain Viv so you should get some sleep x

 

[Coniglietta]

Oh thats brilliant, I hope I snore so loudly I wake my cats up lol.
Viv xx wish you all a peaceful night too.