TKR ROUND 2: MotownGirl made it to the other side

[Homeport]

Dihydrcodiene is a opioid drug other then that I don't know except it woks with paracetamol well for me I am in uk so maybe it is not used in usa


20/01/2015

 

[kaw205]

I have to check my log, but I don't think I started cutting back for 3-4 weeks.
Maybe that's why I felt so good !!!
I just checked the weather. Looks like you're getting slammed with rain right now!
Cool weather soon come!!! Getting on the bike tomorrow!

 

[MotownGirl66]

Left TKR Post-op Day 6:

Good Sunday morning everyone! This recovery is just like all the BoneSmarties said: It would be nothing like my previous recovery, nothing like anyone else's recovery, and it will have a mind of its own. True, true, true!

Swelling: I am icing and elevating the same as I did last time. The swelling this go around is very minimal. In spite of that, last night it felt like I had three tourniquets on - 1 around my ankle bone, 1 around my calf muscle, and 1 around the back of my knee. Upon visual inspection, however, those areas weren't all that swollen (compared to last time!). My calf and knee were warm to the touch, tender when pressed, and the skin was tight. I was worried maybe I had a blood clot. I went back and read my first thread where I was at this same point in my 1st recovery and saw that I was severely swollen last time. I wouldn't call last night's swelling "severe" at all.
I tried to recall if I took a Xarelto (blood thinner med) that day or not. We did a count of the remaining pills in the bottle and determined I had not. I took one and went back to icing and elevating. The Xarelto took the tourniquet sensation away.

Pain relief: That comes and goes. It still never gets below a 3 1/2. I am keeping a diary in my iPhone's calendar and what I took and when, how many pills, and what relief it gave me. Sometimes the Oxycontins work; sometimes they don't. Same goes with the Percocets and the Dilaudids. I am also taking Flexiril, as needed, but no more than 3 times in a 24 hour period.

Sensations: I am still under the effects of that nerve block. I swear, it has to be the longest acting nerve block out there. Over the course of last week, the block began wearing off at the top of my calf and is S L O W L Y working its way south. It started leaving my foot yesterday morning when I woke up. I was relieved because my PT guy was coming over for my 1st PT home visit and I wanted to be able to do well. Right now, it feel as though the top part of my foot is not attached to my body. I can feel my heel resting on the sheets and I can wiggle, curl, and bend my toes. When I put pressure on my foot to walk, I feel pins and needles. When I walk without the walker, the entire joint feels completely different than the first one. It feels like I am going to be up and on my feet very quickly. Did I mention it, too, clicks?

Pain: The pain is different than last time. It is especially tender where the top joint meets the bottom joint. Almost feels like I am rubbing two bloody, raw, steak bones back & forth together. LOL! Can you tell I've watched the ConfoMIS "operating room live" videos a few times?

Please excuse this rambling, non-sensical, post. Gosh! I don't even know if I am adequately conveying the information the way it sounds in my head! I feel like I am rambling as I write this. It has to be because I am under the influence of my painkillers.

Physical Therapy: I used the same PT guy as last time. He was very impressed by my ROM yesterday afternoon and said two things: he was shocked I went through this surgery again because of how bad off I was the first time, and #2, he thinks my PT on this surgery will be very minimal because I am already able to do things that they usually have people do 2-3 weeks out.

That's is for now! I will add more as it occurs to me. Have a blessed day!

Robyn

 

[BananasKnees]

Hi, Robyn. That is a great progress report! I couldn't agree more about everything being different for every knee. My first knee recovery seemed to be much smoother and quicker than the second is, as far as it got in the 6 weeks in between that is. It could so be that I have forgotten exactly how the first one went/felt. I thought I had done a lot of updates, but going back & re reading it doesn't seem so.
I hope your recovery continues to progress well. Enjoy the day!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[kaw205]

Hey Robyn,
Happy Sunday!
That was a great report and you're not quite a week post op!
I kept a log of every pill I took during recovery up until the day I returned to work. It was really helpful for those times when I wasn't sure if I took something or not.....
Perfect weather these past two days, right? I'm finally getting back into my daily bike ride routine.
Hopefully, I'll start feeling the results soon.
Keep up the good work!
Karen

 

[Blendab1]

Hi Robyn!

Glad you got the meds back under control and I am mega impressed with your ROM as I have yet to achieve that at week three. YOU GO GIRL!!!


Brenda aka Bionic B

 

[MotownGirl66]

@BananasKnees Hi there! Thanks for your encouragement- we are surgery buddies! Yours was only 5 days before mine. How are you doing? It takes concentration to do the BoneSmart updates. I really have to remind myself that, even if no one else reads what I've posted, the information may be useful to me at a later date.
@kaw205 The weather has been gorgeous! For a while this early afternoon, the doors were open and a nice breeze came in.
@Blendab1 I am as bewildered by the ROM at this early stage, too, because I have done nothing different this time around, but the surgeon did. He did a peripheral nerve block in addition to the femoral nerve block the Anest. doctor did. The whole joint feels better, like maybe a better fit or something? Or maybe the surgeon wasn't as rough with me this time as he was the first? I am walking pretty good around the house without the walker. I know, I know! BAD GIRL! But it trips me up!

You guys are awesome! Wishing all of us a speedy, pain-free, recovery so we can jump off this crazy merry-go-round ride we call a total knee replacement.

 

[kaw205]

I was off the walker within a week too. I just kept walking away from it without thinking.....
Happy for your great progress!!!

 

[MotownGirl66]

Here's a picture of the bruising.

 

[kneeper]

Good report!

 

[kaw205]

Hey Robyn
How's everything going? Time for an update! I hope your recovery is still on track.
take care,
Karen

 

[MotownGirl66]

LTKR 9 days Post Surgery:

I am back to using the walker. I found that I was walking very sloppy without it so I went back to using it to perfect my form and to make sure I was raising my heel towards my butt when I walked. My PT thought it was a good idea, too, to ward off any bad habits.

I've had two PT sessions at the house so far. He thinks I am doing very well and my ROM is remarkable. We haven't measured it yet because you can just tell by looking at it that it is very good. The swelling is there but nothing compared to what it was before. (I am so glad I have pictures to go back to as well as old posts here to re-read.) I have severe bruising on the back of my calf and my hamstring. Like "really bad". If I were a dead person, it would be called "lividity setting in". My calf actually hurts and feels like I overworked the calf muscle. It is extremely tender to the touch. There's even a knot in it. He has lightly massaged it and I have, too. I've rubbed in that Voltaren cream but haven't noticed any difference.

I would be more enthusiastic if I wasn't in constant pain. Why on earth don't painkillers completely take away the pain? Why is it always about a 4-5? I need to call today for a refill so the RX will be ready by Friday for pick-up.

I left the house yesterday for an unrelated doctor's appointment and was gone approx. 1.5 hours. I was miserable while we were out. I couldn't get comfortable, the knee ached, throbbed, and burned, and it was just a crappy experience and I couldn't wait to get back home to ice and elevate. After we returned, my PT guy arrived about an hour later and we did our work. I did very well. It was funny; he had me walk with the walker back and forth across the house to evaluate me. The entire time I did it, I was escorted by my devoted Golden Retriever. He walked at my side as slowly as I did. What a sweetheart!

Does anyone else experience that "whoosing" sensation upon standing? It feels like warm water is rushing to my lower leg like bath water. But it burns so bad while it is occurring. It lasts about 15 seconds. I think it is the fluid, that I just removed from my knee by elevating and icing, returning to my extremities. In my previous posts, I had it with the first TKR, too. It should stop in the next few days.

Then, yesterday, my girlfriend came over unexpectedly and told me how hurt she was that I push her away when I have any surgeries. She wanted to come to the hospital last week but I wouldn't let her; she wanted to come over Monday night but I said I wasn't up for guests. So yesterday, she decided to just come anyways because she was feeling hurt and wanted me to know she doesn't expect me to entertain her, etc....that she just wanted to do something nice for me to help my recovery along. She brought us dinner. It was very sweet of her and I felt like a total you-know-what. She joined me in the bedroom and sat with me on my bed for about 2 hours while we chatted and I iced and elevated.
I am also dealing with another friend who is insisting on coming up to see me today. She lives about an hour and 10 minutes away one-way. I really am not up to visitors but she is insisting. I hope she doesn't bring her husband! She was like this before my surgery about us getting together, but I came down with that Bronchitis and we never could connect. I spend 90% of my time in my bedroom, on the ice machine, either laying totally flat with knee higher than my heart or sitting on the edge of my bed doing stretches. Or I am sleeping. I guess I will just have to entertain today's friend in the bedroom again, too.

Pain Level: It varies but it stays below a 9 if I take my painkillers on a 4-hour basis. If I take two Oxy's at 8am and then again at 12p, when I take them at 4pm, I find they don't work. So at the next dosage, at 8pm, I will switch to a 4mg Dilaudid but that doesn't completely take the pain away. By the time midnight comes, my knee is screaming, I am miserable, and scrambling to see what else I have like Nucynta or Norco to alleviate the pain. What are you guys taking out there in BoneSmart world for pain relief? I am 9 days out.

That's it for now. It's 4:45am and time to ice. I cannot believe I did this to myself all over again. Poor me, right? LOL! NOT! Have a great day!

 

[BananasKnees]

Good morning, Robyn!
Love the image of your Golden faithfully accompanying you on your PT walk! Sounds like my guy. My left knee is at two weeks today and I too sometimes wonder why I signed up for round two! Not really, though, as I was miserable because of both knees, not just the one.
I don't have the whooshing sensation you describe but I do have a big change in swelling in my legs. When I get up in the morning, my legs feel pretty good but within about an hour the swelling increases and the ROM goes down the tubes with it! It sounds funny, after all we've been through, but the tight feeling of too much fluid in my legs is the thing that bothers me the most!
We all feel and react to pain differently, so it makes sense to me that finding that "sweet spot" of zero pain can be tricky. I was sent home with Oxycodone 5mg only, with the option of taking 1 or 2 every 4 to 6 hours. Plus I was allowed to resume my pre surgery meds - Celebrex. The only other thing was Tylenol. At first icing & elevating was helpful, but now heat is more of a comfort.
I hope you can find your magic relief combination soon. Healing happens pretty quickly so soon it will be better.

Patience, for me, is the hardest pill to swallow! Have a great day today, I hope you don't get "fooled".


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[kaw205]

Hi Robyn,
For pain, in addition to the oxy, I had celebrex and gabapentin. For the most part, my pain was well controlled.
Also, when I got my refill for oxy, I complained about the small amount (60) and he changed it from 5mg to 10 mg, so I was able to get 60 of the 10 mg which lasted me twice as long.
So cute that Shadow walked with you. What would we do without our fur babies?
When your friend arrives, have yourself in bed with the cryocuff on and when you get tired, just "nod off".
I had 6 friends come over for my birthday, 4 days post-op. I sat on the recliner with an ice pack and had them serve themselves pizza and cake. It was fun not having to do anything for a change....
I also found that with the walker, I had a better gait. One therapist had me march with the walker....
I go back to PT this evening for the first time since returning to work. This will probably be my last visit as long as my ROM is at lease 120. I think Cigna approved 99 visits and I'm sure they'll find some reason why I need to continue, but with a $40 copay, I don't think so.....
Hope you have a great day!
Karen

 

[MotownGirl66]

@BananasKnees Thanks for your kind words. I noticed the cute dog you have as your avatar photo. Is it an Australian Shepherd? Do you feel your pain is under control? I think I have Celebrex somewhere. Maybe I should try it.
@kaw205 Ouch! A $40 co-pay! Holy cow. How do you feel your range of motion is? Mine improved even after I finished PT. The diminished swelling helped a lot. I bet you were a sight, marching with the walker, although I might try it to see what it's like. I still can picture you bar-be-queuing so quickly after your TKR. You're my inspiration. I feel like such a baby. My friend came today and was here almost 4 hours! It was okay. We stayed in my bedroom and I iced & elevated the entire time. She was cool about it. What's your leg strength these days? Have you gone up or down any staircases yet?

 

[BananasKnees]

Robyn, Wilbur is an 85# mutt - rescue said probably shepherd and spaniel, but I have no real idea. It's more fun to guess!
The Celebrex is the anti inflammatory I was taking pre surgeries for OA pain. It helped then but did not give me 100% relief. I can't say that pain now is completely controlled either, but it is at a level that I can deal with most of the time. The oxy allows me to relax & not care so much about hurting.
There are times when I hit a wall & just cry - I get so tired of dealing with pain. It will get better. It does get better. It just doesn't get better as fast as I want!
I hope you have a decent, pain free night.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[kaw205]

Hi Robyn,
The $40 copay is for outpatient, the home visits were free, but only had 7. Go figure....
It seems like so long ago that I was grilling with the sisters!
I mentioned on my thread that my ROM was 120 today and I had to really push it. It was after work and my knee was swollen and tired.
My legs feel strong, the knee feels strong. I can go up and down stairs like nobody's business. I have not run into anything I can't do with this knee!
I'm disappointed my ROM wasn't better, but I know it will come.
You are doing so much better this time around! Remember, you're only 9 days out.
I'm going to work really hard on my ROM this week and I scheduled another PT session next Thurs.
Well, it's been a long day.
Take care,
Karen

 

[Blendab1]

Hi Robyn,

Sorry to hear that your pain is not under control. At 9 days out I was taking Norco 10-325 mg every four hours and before bedtime I would take a flexural and my pain levels were pretty low. Maybe you just need a higher mg of your pain med? When you call for your refill ask about it or just let them know the current script isn't working. I would also mention that whooshing feeling too, that actually made me cringe.
I hope you feel better soon and that your company doesn't drive you nuts


Brenda aka Bionic B

 

[MotownGirl66]

Two weeks LTKR Post Surgery Update: Good morning all! Today marks two weeks since my surgery. I am doing very well with my physical therapy. The therapist is still coming to the house. I think I have 3-4 more home visits. My range of motion is about 110 and 3 (or is it -3)? I can almost go totally straight. My swelling is a lot better this go-round than the first. I used the same PT for this knee and he is amazed at how well I am doing so early in my recovery. I hear what he says, but to me it seems just as painful as the first knee replacement.

I haven't left the house all that much but I did venture out yesterday for Easter dinner with my family at a restaurant. It was miserable! On the ride there, the seat cushion in the SUV was hitting my sciatica nerve in just the right spot and it was aggravating it. When we got to the restaurant, the seats were bar-height seats and the cushion was aggravating my hamstring, too. I had to stand throughout much of the dinner. My knee swelled up big, my painkillers weren't working, and I was still 2 hours out from my next dosage. The dinner lasted about 1 1/2 hours and my son graciously offered to drive Grandma home so I could rush home to ice and elevate. I was practically in tears by the time I got home.

@Blendab1 I am taking two Oxycodone's 5-325mg. every 4 hours, one long-lasting Oxycontin 10mg "controlled release" every 12 hours, and one Zofran for nausea every 8 hours. When I called for my refill, I did ask for a stronger dose and they gave me Oxycodone 7.5-325mg. but I am saving those for really bad days since they only gave me a limited amount. My PT says the whoosing sensation is the fluid returning to my lower extremities (that I just elevated out of my flipping lower extremities!) It feels very weird. It sometimes burns and hurts.

@BananasKnees Wilbur is a good-looking dog! I know how you feel about hitting the wall. My first knee is 7 1/2 months old and it still swells up a little. This is going to take a very long time.

@kaw205 You will find the range of motion will come all on its own, especially since you are so active.

 

[kaw205]

Hi Robyn,
So sorry about your Easter dinner. I had a few friends over. We colored eggs and ate pizza. LOL
Your ROM is great at 2 weeks out!
It sounds like you're taking plenty of pain meds. Are you taking anything like Celebrex or ibuprofen?
I've been working hard on my ROM this week in hopes of having a better number at PT on THurs.
Whatever it is, this will be my last visit!
take care,
Karen