TKR ROUND 2: MotownGirl made it to the other side

[skigirl]

I drove after a week---my doc never mentioned driving and I live in a small town---there are only two four lane freeways in Montana!!

At least from now on your recovery will be smoother after that spectacular start!!

 

[Jozilla]

I had a great recovery with my rtkr last December. I live in a very congested area and was not allowed to drive until week six - when I came off narcotics. I think that is the major issue with allowing people to drive by my OS.

With this tkr I am also planning on driving in the same time frame. Unless I feel much better and am off narcotics. Narcotics in my state are percoset, Vicodin and tramadol.

My pain right now is pretty controlled so I am hoping to just be on celebrex and Tylenol within six weeks!

I have really forgotten how painful and slow this recovery is. My Depuy Trumatch knee really feels great and I have a matching pair of straight legs and knees!

(((Hugs)))
JoAnne

 

[Jane B.]

@MotownGirl66, your experience is awful. Horrible. I'm so sorry. And the room temperature? Unbearable.

My nurses were terrific. I was written for two oxytocin, and took only one. I also took toradol, and tylenol. They would come at 3.5 hours for the oxy, because they knew that's when my knee would "wake up".

My knee felt better after the ace bandage came off, but not like your experience. So very sorry. The hospitals better realize that the ortho gods are cash cows. They need patients like you and won't keep them with that kind of care.

 

[Jozilla]

I so agree with Jane B. I was not at all happy with my hospital stay. They recently had budget cuts and unfortunately patient care was marginal for me. I do think if I ever need another joint replaced I would really consider another hospital.

On another note if you google pill identifier - I usually use drugs,com and fill the info out which is usually imprint, shape and color it will tell you exactly what the medication is and what the common dosage is. I almost always use this new tool when I am prescribed something new!

Hope each day things get a little better. I truly forgot a lot about this recovery - number one is patience!

 

[MotownGirl66]

@Jozilla-Thanks for the handy tip about pill identifier. That never, ever, occurred to me to research to make sure I was getting the right medicine.

@Jane B.- For my last few ortho surgeries, the nurses won't bring your pain meds unless you ask for them & they don't tell you that. With my first hip, I went 8 hours between meds and I finally called the nurse & asked when she was going to bring me some. She replied, "Oh honey..we don't just bring them to you, you have to ASK for them". I was dumbfounded. And that was my very first day after surgery.

@skigirl - Driving after a week? You lucky dog! I am getting a little bored these days and would like to go out, but I know any exertion will plummet my energy to the ground.

 

[MotownGirl66]

Thanks! @supjam.

 

[supjam]

I had a good hospital experience but the nurses do seem to have differences in the way they handle meds.
My nerve block lasted 2 days so I was happy and able to do all kinds of PT easily.
When I was transitioning to oral meds it was suggested by my nurse to I take the max amount every 4 hrs. At shift change she asked if I wanted the night nurse to wake me up to take meds. I said yes. The night nurse asked me multiple times if I was in pain. I said no, zero pain. To me this isn't the same question as " would you like to take your scheduled pain meds now". Also the doctor prescribed 1-2 percocet "as needed" that I think means you have to say you're in pain or have a plan with your nurse. The result was that I woke upat 4 am shivering because the oral & nerve block happened to wear off at the same time. So they get me blankets & I feel worse & worse yata, yata thank goodness that the PCA was still available with morphine. At breakfast I get dizzy and sick from the morphine. I was not in good shape when my doctor arrived & I was kind of emotional. But things got back on track and I went home later that day. So it can be a simple communication issue.

 

[madinana]

@MotownGirl66 that is an awful experience and if I had gone threw that I would not being my second knee. Kudos to your hubby for taking good care of you. I had a 9 lb weight gain and it was fluid as when my swelling went down it left that you start feeling better real soon, Take Care

 

[kaw205]

I was wondering what king of anesthesia you had. Also, my co-worker had his left knee done, so no problem with the pedals. I will call him Monday for a 3 week update.
Hope you are doing better.
Karen

 

[jeano]

I'm going to try driving Monday, just 3weeks out. My only concern is reflexes and attention span. PT asked me what my OS had said about driving and was a little surprised when I told him 'nothing.' For one thing, haven't seen OS, saw his NP at 2week check up. I haven't had any narcotics for two weeks. The plan is for Mr Jeano to drive me to PT, then I will drive us home and he gets to decide if I'm ready. He's the one most inconvenienced but I don't think that will affect his decision making that much...

 

[MotownGirl66]

Post Surgery Day 5 - I am sleeping whenever my body tells me to. Which subsequently results in me being awake at odd hours. In the middle of the night last night, I entertained myself by doing some of the PT exercises I was doing in the hospital. I noticed that I get swelling if I sit/lay/recline in any particular position longer than 10-20 minutes. To change things around, I sit on the side of my bed, with my left leg (non-suurgical) on the bed curled up behind me and my right leg (surgical leg) hanging off the edge of the bed. My foot touches the floor which allows me to bend my knee to about 90 degrees. It hurts a little but but the stretch feels good. I sit there and hold that position for a while until it aches and then I move to another one. Variety seems to be working.

The Physical Therapist I was working with before my surgery came to the house today. We did similar type exercises to what I was doing when I was being treated at his office. He says I am doing remarkably well for someone just home from the hospital. I told him about that weird flushing sensation I get whenever I first stand up from laying or being seated. He laughed and said everyone tells him about that. Woosh! It's like a warm fountain inside your leg is running down your leg to your foot. It actually burns. It lasts maybe 15 seconds until everything settles down and I can safely walk with my walker.

He likened our recovery as this: He said it's like slowly going down a mountain. You don't want to go to fast or you will trip and fall...he said you are descending slowly. I like that thought.

I've also come to realize something so obvious; the pain I am feeling is nothing more than swelling and stiffness. It is not joint pain, it isn't incision pain, it's merely swelling pain. Sure wish I could suck that swelling out!

@Josephine - I have a diuretic here...should I take it to help the swelling move along faster?

I am still taking my meds on schedule. I set the alarm on my iPad to remind me.

@kaw205 - Not sure regarding the anesthesia. They give me a certain kind because I have a family history of Malignant Hyperthermia. Subsequently, I get special treatment. I have a scab on my lower spinal cord so I think she might have given me a spinal.

Funny thing about the painkillers: We have a TV in our bedroom and my husband likes to sit and watch TV at night while I sleep next to him in our bed. Since we've gotten home, he wakes me up to tell me to STOP talking to the TV and answering the actor's questions. If the actors says something to the other actor, apparently I am answering for them! How funny is that! He says it's driving him crazy. It's like I am part of the show!

 

[supjam]

@MotownGirl66 , that's a great story about the tv.
I agree my pain comes from swelling, sometimes feeling like my knee is going to
pop by the end of the day.
I use the cpm to keep my leg moving. I feel like it helps me keep from getting stuck in extension or flexion which seems to come with the swelling.

 

[kaw205]

Thanks for including your post surgery day in your posts, it helps keep things in perspective. Hope all is going well today!

 

[Celle]

Dear @MotownGirl66
I am so sorry to read about your awful hospital experience.
And so glad that you are home now, where you can get some semblance of common sense into your days!

Unfortunately, what's done is done However, I'm going to write this - to you, for future reference and to anyone else who is about to undergo a knee replacement.

While surgeons and physical therapists are there to advise, you have the right to decide whether or not to take their advice.
It is your knee and your life. It is your absolute right to tell people not to do anything that hurts you and it is your right to refuse to do any exercise that causes you severe pain, or that you think is inappropriate for your stage of recovery.

You have to insist that NO means NO and STOP means STOP. If someone continues to do that action, they are assaulting you.

I know that is hard for some people, but in this recovery you have to be assertive and speak up on behalf of your knee.

Remember these items from the BoneSmart mantra:
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again


Now, that's enough of my lecture! (It wasn't just for you. I did it to try and prevent others from being hurt, too.)

Please take care of yourself and enjoy a more relaxed recovery at home.

 

[Jozilla]

It's funny how our minds work! My hubby woke me up three times from my dreams last night because the aliens were here and I was screaming my lungs out!

Sweet dreams to you tonight! Maybe your DH could record your conversations. Lol - I would kill mine. If he did!

(((Hugs)))

 

[MotownGirl66]

@Jozilla-that's funny about your aliens. I'm taking dilaudid with a fentanyl patch. What do you have?

 

[new knee in June]

@MotownGirl66
The horrific part of your time in the hospital for me would have been the broken AC
I was crying just reading about it. I hate the heat & sweating is just gross
A bit of advice....Ice as much as you can, even over night Make sure you put a dish towel between
The cuff & your skin. Meds on time around the clock Elevate toes above nose
When I had a Morphine pump, I thought time stood still at 2:00 A.M, the clock would not move.
It scared me so much I rang the nurse to disconnect me from it I thought the world had ended.
Take Care, I am glad you are home
Sincerely,
Diana

 

[MotownGirl66]

new knee in June, the lack of A/C truly might have been the worst part. I was not able to ever get comfortable. I felt sticky.
That's a funny story about your experience w/ morphine! Thank you, also, for your advice.

Robyn

 

[MotownGirl66]

Post Op Day 6: Still taking my painkillers religiously, by the clock. Since the surgery, I have never been without pain. Has anyone else? Mine is always there, usually at a 3-4 with the painkillers kicked in, and about 8-9 just before they are due again. Cotton-mouth is bad. I am guzzling about 10+ bottles of water a day which is beneficial.
Still wearing my pedometer. I haven't left the 2nd story of the house since being released from the hospital. In spite of being upstairs, I managed to earn 806 steps yesterday and 590 the day before (Friday). I hope to keep exceeding the previous day's during my recovery.
I managed to sleep on my non-surgery side last night...I stuck a pillow beneath my knees and laid down, found it was not enough support because my ankles were rubbing against each other. I then relocated the pillow to include my knees and my ankles and laid back down again. That felt much better. Of course, I could only maintain this position a few minuets before having to move again due to stiffness but at least I know how to set myself up quicker.
I spent much of yesterday sitting in the following positions: Sitting upright with the ice machine on, or laying totally flat with my knees elevated higher than my heart, or sitting in a chair with my knees bent about 90 degrees. I stood for short periods off & on, too.
My friend came over for a visit and stayed longer than I would have liked. I was in pain and very restless, shifting from one position to another, etc...she didn't catch the non-verbal cues that all I really wanted to do was lay down and go back to sleep. I didn't invite her over...she called me and said she was in the area and wanted to "stop by to check on me". Fine. Another friend made banana nut bread and wants to bring me a loaf. I really don't want any company. I know, I sound like an ungrateful little brat, but I just simply want to concentrate on healing and I am not interested in any flipping bread. (This has to be the painkillers typing this!! I am a carb junkie!).
One last thing, while @ the hospital, the PT guy Doug gave me this stiff blue knee brace. It has a flat steel bar on each side. Doug said I was to wear it anytime I was walking more than a few steps. He indicated the short trips to the bathroom didn't count. Today, I walked myself into the bathroom, took a shower, and got dressed. Then, I remembered I needed something from another bedroom. I was not wearing my brace. I used the walker to walk into the other bedroom and grabbed the backpack I was looking for. I turned around and felt instant pain on the inside area of my knee. I quickly remembered Doug's words that my knee couldn't support my body weight yet and that's what the brace was for. The brace doesn't bend and it provides support. Doug is right...I won't make that mistake again twice!

That is it for today - have a wonderful day!

Robyn

 

[supjam]

I had to dial back on painkillers for a while because I was getting bad headaches.
Since physical therapy, I have increased again because of pain mostly swelling & muscle pain from trying to walk with proper form or possibly from when there was difficulty removing the bone spur from the back of my knee. I am drinking a ton of water too. We are having a heat wave locally so I thought it was the dry weather. Perhaps it's increasing the meds.
I have weighted my knee without a knee brace since the day after my surgery. Each doctor must have their own preference with regard to bracing etc. It's good that you have one to help support your knee.
It must have felt great to shower! I am amazed that we are allowed to so soon after surgery.



My friends arranged a meal train for me and one good cook came over and prepared dinner (rather than drop off). I sat up in the kitchen and also wished she would go. I think we need to kindly say we are in pain and ask them to go. This is certainly a time we should feel okay about focusing on ourselves.I know I could always do better at this in my life in general.