TKR Scared but I made it!!!

[grabbit97]

Back from the River cruise on the danube and the rhine thru germany and austrai, BOY did I do alot of WALKING, and it was ok, I did my tylenol / advil cocktail most days .. 1x sometimes 2x but it worked, back home now in ILL, and enjoying the beautiful weather..

Thinking of going back to doc, (ortho) as my right leg (thkr one) is hurting again, up the thigh, I think it's my back as it seems to start from the 7 pm position on the knee and go up the thigh around to my lower right side of back... kinda by hip,

the 2 epidurals I had in my back in april allowed me to WALK on the trip, for sure, wondering if I need the 3rd one...
Will have to find doctor here in ILL to do it, as the other 2 were done in AZ.

 

[kneeper]

Welcome back!

 

[bottomshollow]

Welcome home, Natalie. Gosh what a great trip---and of course there's always a lot a walking with those---but you did it and enjoyed yourself.

If you're starting to have some discomfort, I'd find a doc sooner rather than later, so if you need another epidural you won't have to wait and be in real pain.

Hope you have a few pics from your trip that you can share with us. I'd love to see some.

Glad you're back--take care, keep us posted. We care.

 

[adnil]

I had the same problem, once the numbness wore off the pain set in. I agree you may have to be assertive and tell them to make sure your meds arrive on schedule and they are strong enough to make you comfortable. It's important to stay ahead of the pain and not wait until the last minute. I learned that the hard way so just passing it on. Good luck and keep posting.

 

[grabbit97]

Hi folks, just stopped in to do an update.
in April, I had 2 epidurals in my back, the 2nd and the 16th.
In May-June we went on a river cruise, I was able to walk on the tours with no problem.
The leg cramps and pain up my thigh and 7 pm on my TKR is back, not as bad, but back... SO, what to do??
Do I got get a 3rd epidural?
Do I go to a back specialist (pain is L4 pinched nerve causing the pains)...
Do I wait until I go back to Az in October and go to the guy that did my first 2 epidurals (he was good)..
not fun, want these pains to go away....
Very tired of them, going on since before knee, June 2011

 

[Jamie]

If it was me, I'd find someone who could fix the problem permanently. The shots are just a temporary deal and you are limited in how many you can have.

You don't want to be going to a "back specialist." You want to see an excellent neurosurgeon. There is a big difference in my mind. My husband has terrible problems with spinal stenosis and his neurosurgeon has been able to deal with each issue when it has come up over the past 30+ years. Hubby has had a total of 3 back surgeries (all in different areas for different problems) and is due for a 4th in mid-July.

Just be sure you do your research first and maybe even talk to several surgeons before committing to it.

 

[bottomshollow]

Natalie, I think I would seriously consider Jamie's suggestion. You need something much more permanent than shots.

Take care, keep us posted, we care.

 

[karmigirl]

Natalie,

I too, agree with Jamie. You can only have so many epi's per year and if they are only lasting this short a while you probably need to look into something more lasting. In my case I know I can only have the epi's every 6 months and not a day sooner. Some of that is alos what insurance companys dictate also.

 

[grabbit97]

You know, I am just so confused, here I have had this pain now since June 23, 2010 and had the TKR, and still have the pain, not in the knee, but in my legs, yes, the pain is coming from my back. There is a procedure called FERONOTOMY or something, where they scrape the disc, so the nerve is not being touched, meanwhile, I need to find a pain management doctor to give me the 3rd epidural, to tide me over until I go back to AZ, where there is a doctor that is at the MAYO CLINIC that my friend used, a neuro surgeon, that did this procedure, I don't know if I am a candidate for it or not. I guess I am frustrated, that all this pain that I have had, as I have repeated before, might not have been my knee, but my back all along, but oh well, need to figure out what to do next.
Today was awful, pain, didn't do much, still on tylenol/advil, take it 2x a day....

 

[Jamie]

Natalie, I'm glad to hear that you have a source for the pain and a plan to get it taken care of. My hubby has had a couple of back surgeries for spinal stenosis where the neurosurgeon did disc scraping. All have been very successful. He's had multiple ones because the stenosis appears in different discs at different times....but once done, the problem has not returned to THOSE discs.

I'm glad you're seeing a neurosurgeon. That is the right doctor for a procedure like this.

Please don't beat yourself up second guessing your knee surgery. Remember....you had xrays that showed arthritis. It wasn't going to get any better and it was proof that your knee needed attention.

Please let us know how things go!!!

 

[grabbit97]

Natalie, I'm glad to hear that you have a source for the pain and a plan to get it taken care of. My hubby has had a couple of back surgeries for spinal stenosis where the neurosurgeon did disc scraping. All have been very successful. He's had multiple ones because the stenosis appears in different discs at different times....but once done, the problem has not returned to THOSE discs.

I'm glad you're seeing a neurosurgeon. That is the right doctor for a procedure like this.

Please don't beat yourself up second guessing your knee surgery. Remember....you had xrays that showed arthritis. It wasn't going to get any better and it was proof that your knee needed attention.

Please let us know how things go!!!

Thanks for the reply I just have to FIND a pain management doctor to go ahead with the epidural, and go from there.
I guess since I had such a great guy who did the epidurals in AZ that to find one that I trust in ILLINOIS is going to be hard....I will ask my internist...or the TKR doctor.

 

[kneeper]

My mom has had good luck with pain control for disk problems (terrible pain down the leg, dragging the leg) & spinal stenosis with Cymbalta. The shots stopped working for her too.

 

[aretha]

Natalie, I really hope that you can get that pain sorted, it certainly has a negative impact on your quality of life, and please think about the advice from the experts on here, and get the best possible treatment for your condition.
Epidurals might be the short term answer, but getting to the root of the problem is the way long term and I hope that it comes sooner rathr than later for you. You've been through so much already, wishing you the best for future treatment so that you can live your life as you are meant to. Take care and good luck Natalie, we are always here for you xx

 

[grabbit97]

Natalie, I really hope that you can get that pain sorted, it certainly has a negative impact on your quality of life, and please think about the advice from the experts on here, and get the best possible treatment for your condition.
Epidurals might be the short term answer, but getting to the root of the problem is the way long term and I hope that it comes sooner rathr than later for you. You've been through so much already, wishing you the best for future treatment so that you can live your life as you are meant to. Take care and good luck Natalie, we are always here for you xx

Thank you for posting that, it means a great deal to me, to know people care.
I FELL on Thursday to top things off, in my front hallway, tripped coming in the door. Fell on my right ribs and boob, hurt, big time, finally went to the emergency room yesterday at 5 PM and xray done, no broken ribs thank goodness, bad bruise, take tylenol and advil, heat.... it's a wee bit better this morning, all I needed along with my other pains!!!! Ahh life!!!

I am goign to a pain management doctor on Wednesday here in ILLinois, and will see what she has to say.
I am not ready yet to get the 3rd epidural as you can only have 3 in a 12 month period. I would hae to wait until APRIL of 2013 for another one. There has to be an explanation for this pain at 7 PM from my TKR leg up to my thigh....
Maybe she has insight.

 

[grabbit97]

I went to the pain management doctor yesterday, and she was great... she said that I may have a tendon issue from my 7 pm spot on my knee running up my thigh... OR the options were this.... surgery (foranontomy), medicine (cymbalta or lyrica), accunpuncture (done that), chiropractor (done that).. epidural (3rd one so no more until next april.. decided no, i'll wait)... SO
I am on 30 mg of cymbalta starting last night, 1x a day..
ANYONE on it, did it help? She said she has had great success with it for nerve pain... with diabetics (which I am) so I am hoping that this will help. She said I should do well with it since I had good success with the epidurals.. might take a week or so to see any results.

 

[bottomshollow]

Sound like you may be on to something that will work for you that doesn't entail more surgery, Natalie. And this is something you take regularly, so no waiting 'til the next time you're allowed an epidural. Sure hope this is the ticket for you---keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Keep us posted, we care.

 

[grabbit97]

Yes, I am hoping that this is my ticket to be pain free or at least be able to be LESS painful, this has been going on since June 23, 2011...long time, and they thought it was my knee.....hmmmm.was it???

 

[grabbit97]

Anyone taken cymbals for nerve pain?

 

[Mimi]

Natalie, I have not taken cymbalta, but I have taken Lyrica for post hepatic neuralgia ( residual nerve pain after shingles in my eyes). That drug knocked me out. I would take it in the morning and by 10 am I had to lay down cause I could not function. It was crazy and after a month I stopped taking it. I could not drive and was pretty miserable on it. I hope that cymbalta is a different kind of drug and does not do that.

 

[grabbit97]

Ok, well the doctor wanted me to try cymbalta first....she seemed to like it better than lyrica.....tonight is pill 2, 1st one was last night, so far no side effects