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TKR Round 2, RTKR, a new journey and hope

Just got back from removing the staples. My surgeon, Douglas Armstrong, he is not just a OS but is an Artiste also, such a beautifull job :roseshwr:. I am so happy :flwrysmile:
Now it is time to ice and rest, that 1st trip out of the house has been exhausting!:sleep:
[Bonesmart.org] Round 2, RTKR, a new journey and hope
 
I had a rough night,:oyvey: with calf muscle cramping ! I guess I walked just a bit too much distance yesterday! I think also the re-alignment may be at cause here also!
I took a Robaxacet (w acetamiphen) and it help...today it is the IT band and that hip socket that are troubling me. My body needs to re-learn and adjust to the new knee alignment. I just hope that things will settle...I am a bit worried that I may have caused some damage to my hip having waited those extra 2 years before getting the knee replaced!:sorry:
 
Hi Creation, Sounds like you're doing great. I think we all tend to overdo when we start feeling better. Most of the time lately my new knee feels better than my tkr done 10 months before. I probably just have been putting a lot on that one while the new one is healing. Need to remember they are both still recuperating. I see my OS for my 3 month check up next week. Almost off the Tramadol now, only taking 1/2 pill a day, I talked Tylenol x-strength morning& Tylenol PM at bedtime. Seems to be working for now. Glad when I can stop all of it, but not yet.Hope you get s good night's sleep tonight, it makes the next day so much easier.
 
Pillows! I currently use 3 different types of pillows.
1- Memory foam: to relax and give me a break from pain....wonderful
2- thin stiff and
3- thicker soft...
Use combo 2 and 3 in T shape pilling for icing, leg is straight and higher and works well

I Sometimes mix it up with the memory foam until I find the right combo that alleviates pain and keep my knee extended. It is at night when I find it the most difficult to be comfortable, the first 30 to 45 minutes I am in bed I switch around combinations and positions until I find the one that works....I know it will settle in a few weeks, just that for now, it is really annoying.
 
Creation said:
I Sometimes mix it up with the memory foam until I find the right combo that alleviates pain and keep my knee extended.
Click to expand...
It's not necessary to keep your leg extended all the time. When trying to sleep, it's OK to use any position you find comfortable.
 
I have question:

My new knee does not seem as stable as the left one is since the surgery. It gave away a few times while I am in standing position. I do not trust its stability because of that. Never had that problem with the left one after the TKR, but did before it got replaced. The TKR made the left one more stable, but for the right knee it is the other way around.

Will this get better ? ( my leg had a valgus prior to surgery)
 
Your muscles might not be quite adjusted yet--I had more of the giving way issue with my first knee for several weeks with the first knee; not with the second. use a walking aid while this is the case.

My hip acted up after my first knee--it cleared up as the knee recovered. Hopefully that will be the case for you.
 
I wouldn't worry about the apparent instability just yet, because it's still such a short while since your surgery. It will probably correct itself. Meanwhile, keep using your walking aid (walker/crutches/cane) so that you don't have a fall.
 
I went over my treads from my 1st surgery....what a story! I was really pushing myself and did not understand much during the early stages. Luckyly the Bonesmart people where of great support.
I am doing so much better this time, better control of inflammation, taking my meds, more rasonable in my expectations....makes a huge difference.
What really suprised me is that at 3 weeks, my rom was 74. I was so worried back then...time made it that my left leg now has somehere around 125 and that is plenty to live well, no issues.

I am doing better with my right knee but if I do a full set of exercise, inflammation kicks in for 12 hours! So I do stretches spaced out througout the day and do only one set of muscle toning in the afternoon because my knee can not take more than this. It has a mind of its own and I have to work with it.
 
:wowspring::spin:
This morning after my stretches I decide to try the exercise where you are sitting on a chair and raising your leg from the knee. The PT told me to wait to do this one until I had more strenght....well on the 1st try the leg raised to almost horizontal :dancy:! I did 10 reps, held for 5-8 sec each and was most of the time about 10-15 degrees to horizontal. I am so happy! My body just totally suprised me.

I am glad I gave the time to my leg to heal a bit over the last 2 weeks enough so I can do this without major pain!
This is day 17 post op! :yahoo:
 
It's great that you can do that exercise, @Creation , but don't go overboard with it. Doing it once or twice is enough.
 
Well, it is time for a medication adjustment...last night I did great with half a percocet and 1 tylenol arthritis. Woke up, pain at 1 . This is good. But then got up to make breakfast and within 30 minutes my pain rise to 4... Took 1 percocet and it took the pain away to 0 but made me feel sleepy and drowsy....maybe I am good to go half percocet with a tylenol. I guess I will need to do some trial and error over the next few days to adjust my medication since the pain level has decreased.
 
Good luck, Creation with cutting back on meds. I have been having a tough time since I probably cut down too fast At one point. Sick for several days, seems like withdrawal and it's lousy. Slowly getting better, hope it's over soon. I have only been on Tramadol for 3 months, tapering off slowly till I tried rushing it at the end. Always something else to deal with it seems, ugh !!!
 
I guess I did not pick a good time to start playing with medication reduction. It is raining and humid like crazy . My knee is OK but my hip, lower back and left shoulder are just complaining. The extra exercise and demands on them over the last while has just agravated those other crapy joints. I tried to modify my med by cutting in half my painkillers so I took 1/2 percocet, 1 tylenol and added 1 robaxacet for my back. So looking at the clock and if I still feel crapy pain from the neighbourhood , I will go back to my 1 percocet at lunch.... No need to make myself miserable, especially on a rainy day!
☔️I

Update 30 minutes later...just put my heat pad on lower back. My back is really acting up!

Update 10:45. Slept on the couch until 9:30. Pain is a 1-2 so I guess I am doing ok. Maybe I just waited a bit too long before I took the meds.

I am took my shower this morning with no help! Ok I did leave a mess behind me but I did it all by myself :yay:
 
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Day: 22
Following my PT experience of yesterday, the swelling finally got down. I went to bed at 10 pm last night, icing my knee, got up at 6 for breafast, coffee and med, then went back to bed. Got up at 10am, my knee with mild to moderate inflamation! I am back on track!

Lesson learned: no quads exercises for awhile. My knee gets mean angry with inflammation when I do even just a few knee, leg raise. I am focussing on ROM, so stretches..the rest will come just ith daily living.
 
I think I am already addicted to percocet. This morning I got up at 7 am. Took my last dose at 11:00 pm the night before. I woke up sweating and with dizzyness. And of course with my knee somewhat stiff, pain at 2-3. I think I have no choice but to slowly cut back. I am seing my os this afternoon, will ask if I can take aleve or another anti inflammatory so I can slowly ditch the percocet.

Can addiction be already set at 3 weeks?
 
Good morning. No, I don't think you can be addicted at this point. You may be having side effects of the medication. Be careful getting off the medication - ask your OS how to step down safely. Good luck!
 
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