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TKR Scruffy’s recovery journey

Anyone feel weak & nauseous on their 4thday home ?

Not sure if it is meds, not eating, not pooping, etc.

Going to drink lots of water. And try to eat.
 
Yes I was sick and continued to feel nauseous for about a week. The codeine makes me feel sick. Try eating some dry crackers before you take your meds. It helped me and then my body seemed to get used to it. Appetite still reduced after 4 weeks from op.
Feel for you it’s a really horrid state to be in.
 
I drank a lot of cold water. It had to be ice cold. And Gatorade. Had to be ice cold. Strange.
This too shall pass. It’s definitely a mix of all that you said. Try not to get dehydrated.
 
Ice cold Gatorade sounds really good.

I have another question: how much / often should I walk around? I am trying to get a lot of icing and elevating in, but some friends who are nurses tell me to keep moving, because it will increase circulation and healing. The walking - with a walker or crutches - doesn’t hurt, but I do feel like leg is getting more stiff and swollen, and when it does, I feel like the ice & elevation should make it better, so that’s what I do.

I read all the links, but will go back and re-read them again. I think what would be really helpful would be a “typical day” for someone almost a week out. I do know every one is different and recovers differently.

My day, Saturday after Tkr on Monday.

Woke up early dark out. In a lot of pAin- had gone over 6 hours w no meds. Walked to bathroom, came back, took 2 5 mg oxycodone pills. Put legs one one pillow. (Husband keeps taking Lounge Doctor). Probably around 5 or 6.

At 8:00 crutched downstairs. Made coffee & put in cup w lid. Put box of cereAl & coffee in shopping bag, crutched back upstairs. Drank coffee, ate rice Chex.

At 9:30 hubbie came home. Brought me ice and a second pillow. Elevated leg & napped. Hubby left for airport.

10:30. Bathroom and crutched downstairs. Got Lounge Doctor from garAge, put on couch. Took baby aspirin and colace. Walked around first floor. Made nest on couch. Put leg up on the doctor. Played on phone. Rubbed calf & thigh bc very hard.

11:30. Son came home. Took 2 more oxycodones. Watched tv. Walked to pantry & got Halloween candy. Son brought me ice. Moved leg & foot some. Got messages from nurse friends telling me to move.

1:00 ordered pizza from dominos. Feel effects of oxycodone. Want to nap.
 
Hi @scruffydog , I can relate my “ at one week” typical day... leg was very swollen and rigid, could not manage without my leg lifter, for getting on and off my bed. Up very little, small walks to the bathroom and kitchen. Did not feel safe trying to cook for myself, luckily friends had cooked for me and I just had to thaw and reheat. Pain was high likely 7-8, lots of nerve pain, ie those weird zaps and zingers, and crawly feelings. Knee to ankle black and blue, with the pain going right down to the top of my foot and extending down int the instep of my foot.
Luckily, though, I tolerate meds well, no nausea, etc. Only wished I had more, Canada also is very concerned at the opiod crisis, and therefore stingy with pain relief. Did not try to exercise beyond minimal walking, as my leg was so swollen and painful. Like a tree trunk! Ice and elevation really brought relief.
You’re very patient with your husband taking the lounge doctor away and “hiding it” . I’d have smothered him with a pillow by now:giggle:
 
You don’t need to walk a lot. I walked around the house for a couple of minutes every hour or two, in the early weeks. Now I think even that was more than I needed.

I’m sorry you have nurses in your life telling you how to recover. Get used to it though, you will find just about everyone will have advice for you, even strangers you will meet out and about. Choose how you want to do things, since there’s no “one right way” and try to tune them out. But I know it’s hard to tune them out!

Your main job right now is to rest, ice and elevate your leg to help the swelling go down. I’m sorry your husband keeps taking your lounge doctor away, due to misinformation. Tell him how much it helps you and that one pillow does not, and that walking out to the garage to get it is doing you more harm than the harm he thinks the lounge Dr is doing.

Hopefully you can get a medical opinion in favor of the lounge Dr that will change his mind.

:console2::console2:
 
Thanks. I’m tuning most people out pretty well, but second guess myself every so often.
Hubby is out of town till Friday, so I did not bother arguing about my doctor of Lounge. It’s amazing how less cement like my leg is after I have it elevated.

I am dizzy and clammy and nauseous again. So back to ice water. And i’ll Do one oxycodone tab this cycle, then 2 to get to sleep.

The post op paperwork says to call my OS if the medication for constipation has not worked in 3 days. It hasn’t, but I cannot imagine calling. I wonder if that’s why I feel dizzy. I normally have low blood pressure though, so who knows.

Think i’ll Go read about taking my bandage off. I know it said something somewhere, Just can’t remember !!
 
I can only speak to what my first week was like. Ice, elevate, repeat. I used my lounge doctor continuously. Still do. I only got up to use the bathroom. And move from bed to recliner. For me that was enough for week 1. I took my meds on schedule, waking at night to take them. I set alarms on my cell phone. It was a very uncomfortable week.

After week 1 I decided to cut my pain meds back. Big mistake. In hindsight I don't think I was thinking clearly. It's a confusing time, you're on pain meds, your gut is messed up and you're questioning everything.
Read the activities of daily progression. It's in the reading list that Pumpkin sent you. It is spot on.

My bonesmart peeps reminded me to not try and rush recovery, to have patience if I want to heal properly. I'm passing that advice along to you.
Hang in there. It hasn't been that long.
 
scruffydog said:
how much / often should I walk around? I am trying to get a lot of icing and elevating in, but some friends who are nurses tell me to keep moving, because it will increase circulation and healing.
Click to expand...
That may apply after some surgeries, but not after a knee replacement. Your knee needs lots of rest, ice, and elevatoin, so it can start to heal.
scruffydog said:
Husband keeps taking Lounge Doctor
Click to expand...
I'm glad you've got it back. When hubby getw home again, tell him how much better your leg feels when it's been elevated, and tah you are going to keep using the Lounge Doctor.
scruffydog said:
The post op paperwork says to call my OS if the medication for constipation has not worked in 3 days. It hasn’t, but I cannot imagine calling.
Click to expand...
It's common for the pain relief medications to cause constipation:
Constipation and stool softeners
You may also need to take an aperient, so it's not a bad idea to call your surgeon.
 
Thanks all.
Just ate some prunes. Yum yum.

My calf ( on the operated side is sore.) It has been since the day of surgery, and stretching it out always feels so good.

I am taking my 2 baby aspirin per day, and still doing some ankle pumps and circles.

Wondering if I should be worried about blood clots ?

Also, I think I am going to decrease my pain meds to one oxycodone every 4-6 hours. And maybe some Tylenol added in. I feel a bit on my own with all this. It will be good to go to PT tomorrow !
 
Question: “take your pain meds on a schedule”

It has been a week since my surgery. I think the healing is going pretty well. I have been able to lift the leg since day 1, am icing, elevating (once I fetch my banished Lounge Doctor) and have been pretty good about taking the pain killers.

Here is the thing. I was sent home with a bottle of 60 oxycodone tablets, with the instructions to take 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours for pain. I started taking 2 every 4 hours unless I slept through a time. I have not pooped for the week and am feeling more and more nauseous. I attribute both to the pain meds. Yesterday I started taking one tAblet every 4-6 hours. Today my knee is uncomfortable, but I really don’t want to take anything that’s going to mKe me feel more nauseous. The nausea is by far worse than any discomfort/ pain in the knee.


Other than Tylenol, is there anything else I can take ? I guess i’ll Have to call the doctor. The only schedule I have is that one that I guess I could still follow w one tablet, I just don’t want to keep feeling so sick.

Wah

Also, how do you all take showers if the bandage is off ? My go home sheet said to take it off yesterday, so I did, but I need to shower and am afraid of getting it wet / dirty.

Wah.
 
I did the same thing with the meds after week 1. Big mistake. I couldn’t keep up with the pain.

For me, it was better to keep taking 2 and try 5 hrs instead of 4. Now that’s just me and we’re all different.

I would definitely check with you OS before making changes.
 
Thanks- I think the reason the pain has been controlled is because I was so good about the meds. But I feel so sick I could cry. (Ok, so sick I did cry !!)
 
Call your pcp for anti nausea medication. Very beneficial to control nausea while taking opioid. I took a shower after the dressing was removed on day 7. Check your discharge instructions, should advise you when you can shower.
 
And, are you taking anything for the constipation?
 
I am a mess . I am taking senna something. And there is a powder to take and mix, but no one is Making it for me and I haven’t been on top of it. I need to get on top of it.

I just called o/s office about shower, meds, constipation & nausea. They’ll call back.

My help / ride to therapy just called and will be late so I can’t take a shower now anyway because I don’t want to alone. I should have had help come over weekend. Teen boys not rising to the occasion. Husband left Saturday morning gone till Friday.

I think today I will just cry and try to get anti nausea and consultations Meds in order. I am worried calf hurts so much too.

At least having a good cry is cathartic.
 
Don't try to tough this out. You need help for your nausea, constipation and calf pain. Dd you tell your surgeon's office about the calf pain?

Today, I think it would be a good idea to give PT a miss. It's not essential and it'snot going to do any good at all while you feel so bad.
 
the Senna-Lax doesn't do that much for me either, but it's natural so I started with that. Kaiser also gave me a prescription stool softener that I also now take at bedtime and it's much better. You need to poop! With the stool softener and coffee in the morning I'm good to go. Ask for that stool softener.
 
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