TKR Schpooko's Recovery

[schpooko]

Hello, everyone. Well, now begins the recovery of this journey. I had my surgery this morning at 7:30 a.m. and it was interesting. I got registered right away, waited about 20 minutes with my family and then was called back to begin the process of getting ready. They have you shower 2X (the night before and the morning of) at home. Then when you get there they give you wipes to do in certain order (which are warmed by the way) to disinfect you again. I got some pain meds via IV and they put in spinal and a nerve block. I was wheeled in and while in the OR I was talking to the Physician in charge of anesthesia and Wham! time to wake up.

 

[SusieShoes]

to the recovery side, @schpooko! I just got back from vacation and was hoping to see a thread from you. Now you can focus on your new knee and helping it heal.

It is pretty amazing how the surgery feels instantaneous with a spinal, isn't it?

Here is your recovery reading list. The links lead to helpful short articles about different aspects of TKR recovery. Now everything you've read about while in pre-op will fall into place.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds


We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[schpooko]

Thank you Susie. I had computer trouble when I started the above paragraph. I am in my room now PT has me in the recliner and they are giving me antibiotics thru IV and just got a boost of morph from the PT I had. All we did was walk and sit. The OS said the knee was shot and the accident I had made things even worse. I am so glad I can start working, mentally and phyiscally, on my recovery. Well, getting sleepy so I wil come back later when less foggy.

 

[InkedMarie]

Glad to see you on the other side @schpooko !

 

[NavyGunns]

@schpooko, welcome to BS! Your experience getting ready for surgery and in the OR mirrors what I recall experiencing. Amazing isn’t it? What I don’t know (and not sure if I want to) is whether I came to enough to talk to anyone during the procedure. I have a friend who had hip replacement surgery who woke up and actually spoke to the OS and others, asking what was going on, what all the construction noises were from. He didn’t remember any of it and only knows about it cause his OS and anesthesiologist asked him about it. Apparently, after a couple of minutes conversation, the OS told the anesthesiologist to put him back out!

Their primary concern was making sure he hadn’t experienced any pain during that time.

 

[sistersinhim]

Welcome to Bonesmart's Recovery Side! We are here when you need us.

 

[skigirl]

Wow, it sounds like you are doing well. Keep it up by resting and allowing your knee to heal!!

 

[grandma chris]

I am scheduled for a TKR on 20 November. I shall be following your recovery thread with great interest! Good luck!

 

[schpooko]

Hi all Day #2 Here we come... Well Since Sundy if I had 4 hours sleep that is a lot... Realy exhausted. Last night was really painful. Took Morphine along with Oxy to help with pain But as mostly everyone said "It Hurts" Well PT 2X today and hopefully some rest...Report more later

 

[MissViv18]

Following your recovery closely, sounds as if you are doing quite well. Hoping for a quick and not too painful recovery.

 

[beachy]

You did it!
Sorry about the pain, though.
Hope you get some rest and pain relief soon.

 

[MtnSearcher]

@schpooko It sounds like you're doing well. You will likely be exhausted for several days, a combination of anesthesia, pain meds, pain, and PT. It gets better, but you'll have bad days, too. I am 9 weeks post TKR, and I turned the corner to steady improvement only a week or two ago. Don't make my mistake and judge your improvement day-to-day, judge it week-to -week and you'll be shocked by the amount of progress you've made.

 

[sistersinhim]

Don't let PT hurt you. Extra pain at night is usually a sign that you are doing too much during the day. Try and take it easy!

 

[skigirl]

I took oxycontin for the first 10 days and then 5 mg of Oxycodone every six hours. I think the oxycontin was pretty good--the nurse called it "the big gun"

 

[schpooko]

Hi, all. Well, this evening has been better than this a.m. After having a horrible morning pain wise I did find to get a few hours sleep in 1 to 2 hour shifts. This made me feel a bit better but the stairs was another story. I felt so bad this afternoon and PT comes apologizes first and says we still need to do the stairs. It was only 5 but I was in a HOT hallway and it hurt something awful. Having two bad legs right now is upsetting for stairs. I started to cry from anxiety so I am walking the hall crying, the PT was holding me with the gait belt and we proceeded. I was really glad that was over. I asked for some morphine afterwards and proceeded to sleep some this afternoon.

I do have a small fever of 99.2 so I am doing the breathing thingee more than before and will get pain meds at 9 so hopefully I will sleep more and the fever will go away. Well, I don't know if I am going home tomorrow or on Thursday but we will see.

Hope this info helps any of you going thru the same thing and any advice is well appreciated. I am trying to be Bonesmart person with control in my recovery. I will check in again tomorrow or if no sleep again during the night...

Take care Schpooko

 

[Jockette]

I know, it hurts a lot! We have all been where you are. It will get better in time, though I know right now that is small comfort.

I am trying to be Bonesmart person with control in my recovery.

I love this. Just do what you can, the nurses and PTs have seen it all, hopefully yours are understanding.

Hang in there, we’re with you in spirit.

 

[Txmomgmom3]

Oh I'm sorry you had such a rough morning. It gets better I promise! Are they bringing you ice? It really will help

 

[sistersinhim]

You should not be made to do these painful steps. Refuse to do them. Your knee is a newborn baby and needs TLC, not steps! Don't let PT bully you. You are the one in control. I refused to do certain things while I was in the hospital and the PT said she's tell on me, like I'm some child or something. I told her to go ahead and tell on me. I refused to do them! I have recovery just fine without doing them, thank you very much!

 

[beachy]

Holy Moly! In pain, low grade fever and they made you do steps?

I’m so sorry you’re having all this. Sending you lots of healing prayers.

 

[schpooko]

Good Morning Everyone!!! Oh! the miracle of Toradol... Last night at around 9 I took the oxy and I thought to myself ok I'll take this fall asleep and feel better. No... I woke up an hour later to pain and nausea from the pain so I begged the nurse to help. She could not give me anymore oxy and I did not want the morphine again it makes you feel so crappy afterwards. She said she was going to talk to the dr on call about toradol. I got this intravenously and Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel a million times better. The swelling is down, the pain is bearable and I can go home today. No rehab. I have a two hour drive and its not even seeming scary to me now.

Just did PT and breezed thru it. Mastered the stairs like a pro and have a ROM of 75 today. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I must have said to myself "What did I do" "why did I do this". But again what a difference a day makes. So lesson for today is find the drug concoction that works for you. And keep trying until you do. Take meds the BoneSmart way and also take control of your PT. I am so grateful for this site and all the people on it. I am glad that I found this before surgery because it made me well informed and that is a good thing.

Well, I'll check in later after the two hour ride home (hopefully will be uneventful) Have a good day all! Schpooko