TKR ROUND 2: MotownGirl made it to the other side

[BananasKnees]

Oh, Robyn, sorry you had a miserable time at your family Easter meal. I hate those bar-height chairs with a passion. If you're "vertically challenged" like me, they are never comfy.
Your ROM is great for two weeks! I know exactly what you mean about feeling that the second knee feels worse in spite of everyone's encouraging words. Maybe we have a little selective amnesia or maybe we are weary of dealing with knees that hurt. It does get better! Soon we won't even think about our knees!!


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[Celle]

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.

I'm sorry you had such a miserable time at the family Easter dinner.
I hope you're feeling better now.

Really, 2 weeks out was much too early to be doing things like that and I totally understand how bad you felt. I well remember Christmas dinner 3 years ago, 3 weeks after my revision. The family came to our house and they all made or brought something towards the meal. I only got out of bed to sit at the table for the meal and then I went straight back to bed. I was completely wiped out.

I'm concerned that you are still having a lot of pain. Can you discuss your medication regime with your own doctor? He/she may be able to suggest some alternatives that will be more effective.

Your ROM is great. I'm glad your home PT is so good. Please don't get encouraged into doing lots more exercise when you go to outpatient PT - you're getting along fine with what you are doing now.

 

[MotownGirl66]

@kaw205. Your Easter sounds like it was fun. I'd much rather be at your house than at mine. I have used Ibuprofen along with regular pain meds as a booster and the ibuprofen did help. I don't have any Celebrex here at the house anymore. I know it's only Tuesday and your trying to increase your ROM by Thursday but, honestly, it will come all on its own.

 

[MotownGirl66]

@Celle Thank you for your words of encouragement. I may be trying to wean myself off the OxyContin too early. You know what a terrible reputation that drug has as far as addiction goes. My elderly neighbor lady had both knees replaced when she was about 79. A few months later I asked her husband how she was doing. He told me she was a mess and that she ended up addicted to the OxyContin and he had a heck of a time dealing with that along with her recovery. I never forgot that story. (You'll never believe what happened to her about 2 years ago! She tripped at home and struck her head, the temple area, on the corner of their marble coffee table, crushing her skull! He's a former Fire Chief from Chicago and he was not able to save her. She died right there in their living room! She was such a sweetheart.).

Anyway, you're right about something else - I am doing too much too early in my recuperation. I have to keep reminding myself it's only been 2 weeks. Seems lots longer!

Best regards,
Robyn

 

[MotownGirl66]

My sciatica is rearing it's ugly head. It did it on Easter but I thought it was a one-time thing. This morning I had to go for my allergy shots. Got into the SUV again and the way the seat hit the sciatica, it aggravated it all over again. Drove 10 minutes to the allergist's office, sat on their seats in the waiting room, same sensation on the sciatica nerve again. So today, when my PT guy comes, I'm going to see if we can' work on that. It's bothering me in my hamstring area, down the back of my new knee, around to the outside of my calf, and down to my ankle around to the top of that foot, which just happens to be very bruised as well.

 

[kaw205]

I was worried about getting hooked on oxycodone and found that I just weaned off naturally starting at about week 4-5. I took it around the clock until then.
I didn't take OxyContin, so that may be different.
Hope your PT can help with the sciatica.
take care,
karen

 

[BananasKnees]

Robyn, you might try using a flat foam cushion in your vehicle. It might give you just enough of a different position to relieve the sciatic pain of at least not aggravate it further.


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[Celle]

@MotownGirl66
I think you do still need the Oxycontin at this stage. Can you talk to your primary care physician about your concerns concerning becoming dependent on it? A little later on, with his/her help, it should be possible to plan a gradual weaning off, using smaller doses and step-down medication.

I'm sorry your sciatica has come back. I've had it and I know how miserable it can be. It's a good plan t talk to your PT about it. Later on, perhaps a chiropractor could help.

Unfortunately, a lot of people experience back pain after joint replacements. It seems to be something to do with re-adjusting to an altered dynamic of walking.

 

[wberry]

I have to use a pillow between the center pillar and my rt knee or I get the same pinch


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[MotownGirl66]

I was worried about getting hooked on oxycodone and found that I just weaned off naturally starting at about week 4-5. I took it around the clock until then.
I didn't take OxyContin, so that may be different.
Hope your PT can help with the sciatica.
take care,
karen

I just looked at my meds....I have Oxycodone 7.5-325 and Oxycontin 10mg. controlled release. Did you take 1 tablet every 4 hours or 2 tablets every 4 hours? All we did for today's PT session was work on the sciatica. We did stretching and light massage in various locations. After he left, I used the TENS unit on it for about 45 minutes. Thanks!

 

[MotownGirl66]

Thanks all! This whole sciatica thing certainly changes the pain, doesn't it? I haven't ridden in a car much since I was driven home from the hospital but each time I did, the seat aggravated the sciatica. My PT is confident this will go away when my swelling lessens and everything calms down in the next few weeks. He left me with instruction papers on how to properly stretch my piriformis muscle without aggravating my new knee. (He's such a good guy!)
@wberry I have to go to Gainesville later this month. It's a 4 hour drive and I will be doing all the driving without my husband (big surprise there!). Do you mean like a travel sized pillow? Under your leg, right?
@Celle I think you are right - I am definitely trying to lower my dosages too soon. It's only 15 days after all.

 

[Celle]

I have to go to Gainesville later this month. It's a 4 hour drive and I will be doing all the driving without my husband (big surprise there!).

That's a big ask, so early in your recovery. Your knees are going to get stiff, so plan for frequent stops and short walks. You'll need to be completely off the strong pain killers too.
Can you put it off for a while?

 

[kaw205]

I took 5/325 oxycodone, 2 every 4 hours.

 

[Blendab1]

Sorry that your Easter dinner was not enjoyable, I dread having to out somewhere but I need to get on with it as work starts on the 20th. Your numbers are amazing, you are doing wonderfully.
Hope you have a good night.


Brenda aka Bionic B

 

[wberry]

I drove to the next town over today and it was only 20 min and I was dragging. Wife drove back while I slept.

It is a inverted shaped pillow that straps to my leg. I wear it at night to help me sleep.

Can you get someone to go with you. Please be careful.


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[wberry]

I drove to the next town over today and it was only 20 min and I was dragging. Wife drove back while I slept.

It is a inverted shaped pillow that straps to my leg. I wear it at night to help me sleep.

Can you get someone to go with you. Please be careful.

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[MotownGirl66]

That's a big ask, so early in your recovery. Your knees are going to get stiff, so plan for frequent stops and short walks. You'll need to be completely off the strong pain killers too.
Can you put it off for a while?

Gosh I so wish I could put this trip off but my son has decided to join a new religion and he is being baptized in it that weekend. The ride up there and back is going to be brutal. I am trying to coax a friend into going with me.

 

[MotownGirl66]

I took 5/325 oxycodone, 2 every 4 hours.

Okay- I have those plus 7.5-325 ones.

 

[MotownGirl66]

@Blendab1 Thank you! I had PT today and he checked my ROM and it is 122! WooHoo! He said I practically don't need any PT so we worked again on getting my sciatica to calm down. The IT band going from my butt to my knee (around the side) is extremely tender to the touch so he massaged that for a while, too.

@wberry That looks like a cool pillow! I am going to look it up. Thanks!

@Celle I agree with you - no painkillers while driving and frequent stops are a must.

@kaw205 I had a dream the night before last that you and I were co-workers. I was new to the job and you were training me. We worked for Code Enforcement but our duties include rescuing injured or abused animals. We were in the office and someone brought in a giant pelican whose beak had been mutilated with a chainsaw by someone and it could no longer feed itself. Then there was another giant bird, maybe a pelican or an egret or something, but it's beak was damaged, too, and it died the office right in front of us! Then, you and I were dealing with this cat who was the office pet. It was born deformed with no front legs and it kept shimmying its way out the office door and I had to keep rescuing it and bringing it back to our office. But when you looked closely at the cat, you'd notice it had two little deformed legs, two baby geese attached to it's belly like it was a siamese twin...Anyways, totally bizarre dream and I think the drugs caused it! LOL!

 

[MotownGirl66]

I had PT today. Didn't do too much related to my new knee because my sciatica is still acting up but he measured my range of motion and it is a whopping 122! The straight leg is about a -3 he said. Yay for me!