TKR Samps New Knee

[Pumpkin]

Samp,
I did not have skin glue, but think a week out is too early to expect it to be gone. Others will be along to answer that question for you.

You are only one week out from your TKR, too early to go off pain meds. That said, some do just fine with Tylenol, most do not. Some of us take pain meds for 3+ months, I did and when I was ready I forgot to take them.
Most people do not need to wean off pain meds, most just forget. If you still have swelling, soreness and stiffness, those are forms of pain and need to be medicated.

Your knee could be warm for months, if you over do, your knee will let you know by warming up, even a year or more out from surgery.

Sounds like you are doing great, be sure to let your knee heal, you cannot rush it, but you can delay your healing by doing too much too soon.

 

[samp]

my knee has been an anomaly.
--I left the hospital on a cane
--at 7 days post op I'm at 88 degrees flexion and (-)4 degrees extension
--I have slept thru the night unless I wake myself up to take the pain meds
--I've only experienced surgery soreness and stiffness : just wanted to know when I can switch off the narcos so I can get a bit more done without the brain fog since I don't think narcos are needed for this kind of pain


I know one week out is too soon for the skin glue just wanted to know when others was gone since it looks terrible. I've been doing what I can and as long as it doesn't hurt or swell up I've been going with it. just has happened nothing has shocked it yet, even been feeling good enough to hit the gym and lift.


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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[smarttoys]

My skin glue just finally finished coming off at 4 weeks. The glue came off the middle of my incision at around 2 weeks from all the flexing but the upper and lower parts held on for about 4 weeks. It may take longer than that for some.

I also like going to the gym for lifting and some cardio on the arm cycle. I've been going since my first week out. I usually only make it 2-3 times a week though. I don't want to overdo it quite yet especially on PT days.

Are you -4 degrees extension as in hyper extended or 4 degrees away from being straight? I measured -3 (hyper extended) my first week but the last few weeks have been in the 0 to -1 range.

My knee feels hot any time I'm not icing it.

 

[samp]

My skin glue just finally finished coming off at 4 weeks. The glue came off the middle of my incision at around 2 weeks from all the flexing but the upper and lower parts held on for about 4 weeks. It may take longer than that for some.

it looks bad as it flakes and peels and it's a real trying time to not pull it lol

I also like going to the gym for lifting and some cardio on the arm cycle. I've been going since my first week out. I usually only make it 2-3 times a week though. I don't want to overdo it quite yet especially on PT days.

THANK U FOR CONFIRMING IM NOT NUTS. everyone's been like I can't believe your at the gym don't do too much blahse blah. I got out the hospital Wednesday I went n lifted Thursday and Friday and rested the weekend and went Monday and rested today and I'll go Wednesday and Friday. I may start arm cycling but my shoulders / back / arms and chest are not gonna fall behind just because I can't have leg day for a while



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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[smarttoys]

it looks bad as it flakes and peels and it's a real trying time to not pull it lol

It is hard to leave it alone and not pick at it but try your best to leave it alone especially early on. I used sterile pads on my incision and changed them once a day for the first two weeks. The glue that was ready to come off usually just stuck to the pads.

 

[samp]

It is hard to leave it alone and not pick at it but try your best to leave it alone especially early on. I used sterile pads on my incision and changed them once a day for the first two weeks. The glue that was ready to come off usually just stuck to the pads.

wait so you kept the pads covering for two weeks? did you shower with them on too?


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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[Celle]

I'm 7 days post op today and it's been an awesome week

yesterday at PT I measured at 83 degrees flexion and 5 degrees extension

Great!

my scar is going to be an ugly mess.

No. It's not. There's no way that at one week after major surgery you can judge what your scar will end up looking like.

when did you all start weaning off the pain meds?

Most people still need them for at least a month, some even longer.

the amount of bruising i have unreal - especially with the skin color I have NEVER seen such intense bruising

Have you looked at these? The bruising will fade and your leg will all heal up OK.
Knee Scars - Post Your Badges of Honor Here! NO CHIT-CHAT please
Bruising after surgery

and how long will my knee be warm!?

The warmth is a sign that healing is still going on inside. It will gradually decrease, but you could find that your TKR knee feels warmer than the other knee for as long as 9 months.

just wanted to know when I can switch off the narcos so I can get a bit more done without the brain fog since I don't think narcos are needed for this kind of pain

You job right now is to rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock. That's all!
If the brain fog stops you from doing too much, that's good, because your knee needs lots of rest.

You're young and I think that one of your biggest problems is that you are going to want to do too much, too soon. You may be younger than most people who have a TKR and you may be expecting to bounce back quickly. However, young or older, our knees all suffer major trauma and they all need the same amount of time to heal from it. Try to do too much, too soon, and you risk irritating and inflaming those healing soft tissues.

 

[skigirl]

I have to agree with Celle on this one. You have just had major surgery---your soft tissues are swollen and inflamed. You need to take care of yourself. So, lots of rest and lots of protein. Your knee should be elevated a lot of the time--for the first two weeks, I was about 80% of the time---so that you can get rid of the swelling and inflammation.

It is okay to exercise your arms and chest, but it is too early to stress the knee. we find that folks that cannot allow time for rest and recovery often regret it later. So, take the time now to let the knee heal before you begin stressing it.

Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Using ice

 

[smarttoys]

wait so you kept the pads covering for two weeks? did you shower with them on too?

I did not shower with the pads on the incision. But other than showering I was instructed to keep the incision area covered for two weeks and change the pads once a day. Just in case there was an seepage from the wound.

 

[samp]

alright I think everyone is mistaking my questions or statements for trying to do too much....

I have seen the amount of bruising and the scars. I can tell a week out that this scar is gonna be ugly because this is my 6th knee surgery on the same knee and I know how I scar up -- I know my skin. the bruising statement was more of a wow statement - not that I think anything is wrong - it's just amazing how much a dark skinned person that doesn't usually show bruising can show bruising.

I sleep thru the night and wake up at 6 or 7 and go workout - not because I'm trying to do too much, but bc when I wake up an I make my self evaluation on how I feel, I'm not in any pain and I'm walking well and I was a very muscular individual that weight trained 6 days a week and luckily did not experience much muscular atrophy of my surgical side quad and can support the cane walking around for an hour and a half lift session

the rest of my day consists of my recliner and slipping in and out of the narcos fog. my wanting to take less of them is so that I can perform my work from home job for more than 45 minutes before I feel like passing out in a dopey stupor.



I'm very aware of my knee, it's limitations, my limitations, and the nature of my surgery. I know when I've done too much because my knee talks to me about it just like every one else, I've just been blessed to be able to do more than most others before I reach that threshold it appears like @smarttoys

I'm also extremely aware of the amount of prehab and physical preparation I busted my butt to go thru so I can enjoy the blessing of doing more than most, and my youth hasn't led to faulty expectations, only a greater appreciation for the fact that I woke up without the janky pain I experienced since my teenage years!


cheers to it being almost Christmas. new knee was a great present.


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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[newlybionic]

It's really nice to hear your doing so well. I think your age and conditioning has allowed you to bounce back faster than some of us 'old' folks. The glue just wears off. There isn't a set time limit. I didn't have too much extra on my skin. My OS used glue and also some staples. I would think if you can sleep through the night that you could try to space out your pain meds. I had to slowly decrease them because I didn't want any chance of going through any type of withdrawal. Just remember if the pain gets bad it might take longer to get it back under control. I'm glad your knee was a wonderful Christmas present to yourself!

 

[PegGar16]

cheers to it being almost Christmas. new knee was a great present.

Hi Samp!
The new knee is a great present It sounds like you were/are in great shape to get the new knee. I know my doctor recommended building up the muscles before my surgery and what I was able to do after the surgery showed it.
Do you weight train for competition or sport? You sound very dedicated to it. I have a very sports orientated family and I'm very fascinated with my son and daughter-in-law's involvement with cross fit these days. They are very dedicated to it and like to do the Spartan races and other competitions. I am usually their photographer which wears me out-lol.
I know exactly what your talking about with work. I also work from home and had to wait a couple of weeks because I would totally zone out on the screen. I was good for about a 1/2 hour and then stare at the same account page for another 1/2 hour...my boss though that was hysterical.
My scar is also going to be something else..they have cut the same incision 4 times in 6 months. I get to see what it looks like tomorrow after this last procedure. It has been looking thicker or deeper with each

10 Days to Christmas!!

 

[missiew]

That's awesome!

LTKR 27 OCTOBER 2015

 

[Celle]

@samp
I realise that you were fit beforehand.

That doesn't alter the fact that your knee has been cut open, tissues spread apart and moved, the ends of two large bones sawed off, two large metal implants have been hammered and cemented into those bones and then everything has been replaced, and stitched and glued up.

That is major trauma and your knee will need time to heal. Being strong and fit before hand will not make that healing happen faster. Also, much of your body's energy is going to be directed towards healing that knee.

 

[samp]

It's really nice to hear your doing so well. I think your age and conditioning has allowed you to bounce back faster than some of us 'old' folks. The glue just wears off. There isn't a set time limit. I didn't have too much extra on my skin. My OS used glue and also some staples. I would think if you can sleep through the night that you could try to space out your pain meds. I had to slowly decrease them because I didn't want any chance of going through any type of withdrawal. Just remember if the pain gets bad it might take longer to get it back under control. I'm glad your knee was a wonderful Christmas present to yourself!

My OS just used glue and internal dissolvable glue and it seems there's a ton of excess but whatever it takes to keep the skin from splitting haha. I was going to start at night since I've been waking myself up to take the narcos I think I'm going to try the 8 hour space as a tester.


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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[samp]

Hi Samp!
The new knee is a great present It sounds like you were/are in great shape to get the new knee. I know my doctor recommended building up the muscles before my surgery and what I was able to do after the surgery showed it.

Can definitely tell that it helped - my surgeon said the same - said the muscularity only worked against in that my quad is extremely tight - just means more stretching for me

Do you weight train for competition or sport? You sound very dedicated to it. I have a very sports orientated family and I'm very fascinated with my son and daughter-in-law's involvement with cross fit these days. They are very dedicated to it and like to do the Spartan races and other competitions. I am usually their photographer which wears me out-lol.

I am only a year and some change removed from being a professional basketball players overseas (had to quit because the pain in my knee made everything not worth it anymore) - that's what got me started and then I took an interest in bodybuilding - I have respect for Spartan racers. one of those things that look entirely too fun but I know I can't do with this old knee lol I am a photographer too and think it'd be wild fun to shoot something like that!!!

I know exactly what your talking about with work. I also work from home and had to wait a couple of weeks because I would totally zone out on the screen. I was good for about a 1/2 hour and then stare at the same account page for another 1/2 hour...my boss though that was hysterical.

Hahahahaha no one understood when I was trying to explain this phenomenon. Today I felt a moment of clarity and knew I had about an hour and a half of work to get done! I got about fifteen minutes in and felt myself fading back into the fog - had to phone a friend to keep me from zoning out completely. Kinda makes me wish I didn't work for a start up an could take a couple weeks completely off!

My scar is also going to be something else..they have cut the same incision 4 times in 6 months. I get to see what it looks like tomorrow after this last procedure. It has been looking thicker or deeper with each

Goodness I can't imagine :(
Happy vibes to the scar being less vicious than you think and this last procedure being the entirely last procedure with all the best results.

10 Days to Christmas!!

WOOOOOOO!!! I love the season and have slept downstairs in the recliner by the tree the last few nights with a smile on my face!!!



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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young |QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[samp]

@samp
I realise that you were fit beforehand.

That is major trauma and your knee will need time to heal. Being strong and fit before hand will not make that healing happen faster.

this is true in regards to speeding up the body's processes - I mean the body will do what it must always - unreal how well it takes care of itself in the face of such trauma; however, it does increase the efficiency with which your body heals as it increases the biological/metabolic processes and obviously the stronger the supporting structures around the knee that has sustained such trauma the better.

Also, much of your body's energy is going to be directed towards healing that knee.

True as well. Which is why the recovery is well supplemented thru rest, active recovery, nutrition and supplementation! Especially for those of us making a conscious informed decision to be more active than others.

10 Days til Christmas is the best news today!


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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[Celle]

Best wishes for your regime.
Obviously, good nutrition and having muscles and tendons in good condition will help.

Just continue to be kind to your knee.

 

[samp]

2 weeks out!!

I'm moving around well.

i walk around the house some without my cane for short distances. ready for my quad to be normal size again but that's okay I know it's a process.

have some light pain on the left side of my patella when I do SLR or quad sets - dissipating some but still present. assuming it's from the strength deficiency.

I flew on Monday at 13 days out -- wasn't terrible with pain just swelling.

flexion is improving every day.
still sleeping with my leg elevated and with ice. anyone else continue doing that for a while? is there a time where it's not helpful anymore? I can sleep in all positions without my leg elevated and it's not any more or less comfortable with or without.

my surgeon and the hospital are an were great but his office staff suck for the most part there's only two helpful people there and because of an error on their behalf I went four days last week without pain meds -- last Saturday that got situated and I have been taking them though I am using less at night as I "wean off" them as possible. Definitely not ready to completely rid myself of them.

I'm doing self directed PT for the next 3-4 weeks with a program that was given me since I'm out of town, so I won't have precise measurements on flexion or extension since I don't have access to a goniometer.

I have a ton of randomly placed scar tissue (from my 5 previous surgeries I assume) that my SO broke up for me this past weekend for me. It was pulling during my flexion and once I started breaking it up, I immediately was able to get more flexion. Great stuff.

Incision still isn't closed all up. I ended up getting liquid bandage because my skin glue fell off before it was completely closed up. The bottom half is closed but the top isn't.


LONG UPDATE BUT VERYWELL


TWO DAYS TIL CHRISTMAAAAAAS


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RTKR
08 Dec 15
|| 25 Years Young ||

 

[newlybionic]

I still have days when I elevate my knee with ice wrap on it when I go to sleep and I'm 5 months out. I definitely did it almost every night for at least the first three nights. I'm not sure if you should use liquid bandage on your knee incision. That might be something to ask your doctor especially if your incision isn't fully closed. You don't want to take chances of getting a knee infection.:merry christmas: