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TKR ROM-chatter

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Good morning. I haven't been on for a couple of days. Feeling down and out! Had a completely horrendous time Fri pm in the bathroom trying to 'go'. Seriously, I almost passed out from it! I'm not kidding. I've done the power pudding every day, prune juice etc. One problem is my appetite is so awful right now I'm not eating too much at all. Not hardly hungry (very unusual for me)

I know the pain meds bind you up too, so I stopped those yesterday. Instead of taking 2 pills every six hours I'm taking 2 at night, then 1 6hrs later. I can't take the constipation anymore. I started out patient PT on Friday also. Unfortunately they measure range of motion when you're laying down instead of when you're sitting in the chair like my home PT did. So my actual range of motion according to them is in the mid 70's. also, don't know what I did Thurs but by Thurs night my leg was so stiff, I could hardly bend it! Pretty much been like that since. (Outpatient PT said don't worry about it you have days like that. ) I've been working doing my exercises the best I can it's so stiff and feels so tight and weird. I can't really describe it but some of you must know what I'm saying. I can hardly bend it still. Honestly, feeling very depressed.
 
Sorry to hear of your struggle. I think you need to not cut down on your pain meds yet! I would take them along with a stool softener like Ducolax. I honestly think you will feel better and more able to do the gentle exercises. Hang in there it gets better!
 
@bumknees09 Have you tried Miralax for the constipation? It's the only thing that works for me with narcotic induced constipation. You can double the dose, it won't hurt to do that. Just mix double the dose (2 cap fulls to the white line) into water, juice, tea, whatever. If you're seriously bound up it might take a day or two but things will start moving. Once you start going more regularly you should be able to cut back to just a single dose but keep taking it as long as you are on the pain meds. It's like a miracle! No gas, no cramping or anything with it. Give it a try if you haven't. And if you have, double up the dose. Good luck! p.s. the generic versions work just as well as name brand.
 
@gr82cu2 and @Jozilla - thank you for replying. I'm so bummed out I can't even think straight! I've been taking stool softeners for weeks. I didn't MiraLAX a whole bottle of it over the course of a week or so didn't do anything.
I have not doubled the dose but I will try that. I'm afraid I have to stay off the pain meds. I cannot have a repeat of fri night ! It was horrible!!!!!
 
@bumknees09 Wow honey, you must really be feeling awful. If the double dose of Miralax doesn't work I'm out of ideas. My first experience with it was following a major abdominal surgery in 2007. I got so constipated I couldn't pee sitting down. I don't know why except I must have been so full that it was pinching off my urethra or something. It's gross but I thought my bladder was going to burst so I had to pee standing up in the shower. It was absolutely horrible. A friend suggested Miralax and I've been a devotee every since. The only other thing I could think that might help is a mega dose of Milk of Magnesia but that might send you running to the bathroom again. You have my sympathy. I know how you feel with this. Been there, done that. If you feel like you could go a day without the pain meds I would try that too. You are 13 days ahead of me. I know we shouldn't compare but I feel like I could go a day without the meds as long as I was able to just lay around and not be up on my leg a lot. Good luck to you! I hope the double dose of Miralax gets you feeling better. :console2:
 
@gr82cu2 - you're so nice! I apologize for whining so much on this forum. I think I'm doing it because it feels okay to do it knowing almost everyone on here has had some kind a major knee or hip surgery. Probably seems silly but it's the truth. Some People have had it far worse than me, that's for sure. Again, I'm sorry for being such a downer. Unfortunately it's how I'm feeling right now. I will try that double dose of MiraLAX from here on out until I get back to being little more regular! Thanks again
 
[Bonesmart.org] ROM-chatter
Oooooh! @bumknees09, I feel your pain. No one warned me when I had my hip replaced about what pain meds do to your system. I ended up with pretty severe blockage----it was worse than the post op surgical pain. You can take stool softeners twice a day and the double dose of MiraLax everyday until things get regulated. Then be sure you're getting enough fiber. Here's a link to our Library article: Constipation and stool softeners

I don't know why this is not addressed more strongly and openly by OS and hospital staff.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.
 
@bottomshollow - love the graphic you added. Thank you for posting. Yeah it's awful absolutely awful. My husband thinks I should not go w/out the pain pills because I'm limping around in pain. he thinks I should just back up to one instead of two per dose. Your thoughts?
Another issue or strange phenomenon that's going on- (no, it's NOT menopause!) I've been mostly freezing cold since I had surgery. I mean unusually cold. At times I have on several layers and several blankets if I'm in bed. This does not only occur when i'm icing. When I say cold, I mean I'm shivering right to the bone my whole body. Has this happened to anyone else??
I should title my thread "issue of the day Or "issue of the hour " geez!
 
@bumknees09 No apologies necessary. That's why we are all here together, through thick and thin, for better or worse. I have no one personally close to me that understands what this journey is and it is a journey. Everyone here has been beyond helpful and compassionate.

I've been colder than normal too. Not shivering cold but feeling a little chilled, even without ice on my knee. And for me that is VERY unusual. Thanks to menopause I've been in my own little hell for several years. I don't know what is causing it? Maybe lasting effects of anesthesia or something. You sound worse though. Maybe you should be checked for anemia or something. But then, I think, with your other current problem, taking iron would be the last thing you would want to do for now.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. That's how my life seems to go anyway. Take care and whine when you need to.
 
I feel the pain of your constipation - you are so not whining. For me the pain of constipation was as bad as the knee pain. Mine was absolutely horrendous, but caught me totally by surprise as I didn't have the problem after my BTHR. I knew I couldn't give up the pain meds but had to deal with the constipation. I found a regimen that worked for me which was nightly miralax, 2 senna (a laxative pill) at night & 3 colace a day. I had to triple up on the miralax to get unblocked after lactulose, ducolax & mag citrate didn't work. Once I got cleared some of my appetite came back.

I also had the same experience with outpatient PT. she was measuring me her way and no other. So I honestly ignored the measurements & focused on functionality. Was it easier for me to pedal the bike, using landmarks, how far did I get doing stair lunges, how did I bend sitting in a straight chair. I became less number obsessed which I believe really helped me. Just ignore all the noise. She's down to measuring me about every 10 days which she has to do for insurance purposes.

Re feeling cold - are you on Coumadin? I was always freezing when on it after my hips but that went away once I stopped taking it. I was never on Coumadin after the knee.

I can only tell you that for me, it did get better - my depression and anxiety gradually lifted and I'm feeling more like myself. And you will too!
 
I also remember freezing and I sleep with a fan on all winter. I never thought it might be the blood thinner but that makes sense. I was on levonox for three weeks.
 
Wow, thanks again for responding. This is way more than I bargained for certainly. As far as bending my knee? I can barely bend it. I'm sitting in a chair right now trying to move it back and just flat I won't go!!! It's so awful so depressing. I may have to end up back on the pain meds every six hours like I was doing before. I don't even know if they help not sure about anything right this minute!!! Pain and constipation PLEASE go away! There let's see if that works. Uugggghhh
 
Oh, re: freezing most of the time... I'm not on any kind of blood thinner. Just an aspirin a day, but I've been doing that for a couple of years.
 
@bumknees09 How are you sleeping, your position? Are you sleeping with your legs well elevated? Are you icing many times per day? Are you spending the majority of your day off your feet with your leg elevated? Are you on any kind of anti-inflammatory medicine? How is your swelling as compared to the first few days? Is it decreasing at all? Here's a picture of the resting and sleeping nest I've made for myself. Last night I added another pillow and my leg had to be a foot above my heart! The swelling was noticeably down this morning. I could almost make out the outline of my knee cap for the first time. I've had a bit of a rough day today for unrelated reasons but my knee feels more moveable and flexible. I've slept so good in my nest. Maybe give it a try and see if it helps with your swelling. I'm convinced this stupid swelling is 90% of what we have to overcome to be able to bend.

[Bonesmart.org] ROM-chatter
 
@gr82cu2 - I also have a little nest somewhat on my bed. Had a harrowing turn of events today from about 6:45 to 830 . I decided I definitely needed to take my pain meds because things were really starting to hurt. I was hysterical crying, hyperventilating in pain, very quickly . I guess this is what they mean when they say don't want the pain getting ahead of you. It most certainly did!!

Also had pain in my leg hands that felt like it pins and needles, then I kept getting weirdo muscle spasms in my leg. Oh my God it lasted about an hour and a half and I was about to turned inside out! My husband was ready to call 911! All of sudden it started to subside. Thank God!!!

I've got to find a happy medium between staying on these pain meds are not getting constipated like I was. That was horrific too. I'm just not sure what avenue to take care but clearly I can't stay off the pain meds like I have been for the past two days . Just like you saad, the pain crept back and got ahead of me and took an hour and a half for it to simmer down, even slightly. Beyond exhausted . I hope everyone (includes all of you) sleep well tonight or at least somewhat. Thanks again!
 
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@bumknees My goodness, you can't catch a break. I'm so sorry. It sounds like you were having a full blown panic attack. I hope you sleep well tonight. A really good night's sleep can fix a lot of things. Sweet dreams!
 
:console2: You need your pain meds, but I suppose you could reduce slightly until you get things moving with the mirilax etc. I feel for you.

that tightness and stiffness and muscle spasms are all related to/ are a kind of pain.
 
@gr82cu2 ,@kneeper - yes, last night was a complete horror show. Payments and Xanax finally kicked in after couple hours sleep for a while. I am back on the pain meds every six hours like clockwork!! Taking several measures to make sure and I don't get constipated again too! The Whole thing is a complete bummer to put it mildly. Uugghgg!
 
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