TKR Surgery 16 Feb 2017, wondering about pain

[Crip]

@kneeper, @jschembra,
Hope I did the @ sign correctly - I am hopelessly no up to date on social networking in any form I do keep thinking back to first coming home and not being able to lift my leg to even get it onto the bed, having to hook my left leg under it to lift it. Funny though, since Dr. appt, my pain has been less....not sure why, but my blood pressure was high when they took it in the office, so I am supposing I was worked up, thinking the Dr. would not be real happy with my ROM and proceed to MUA. I must admit, I get too worked up around authority figures. Some things just stay with us, despite years of therapy to get over them. Some day I hope to be able to feel I've grown up. I discovered the little smiley faces too.

That's interesting about the Turmeric, I didn't get the pepper part in my reading or didn't remember it. How much would you say is a desired amount? Also, what brands do you use of Tumeric and fish oil, how much of each and how often? With food? Do you take those 2 together and do you take them same time as other meds, or couple hours before or after? Do you find they do indeed help?

Because I have 2 little dogs that demand attention, I am up quite often moving around to let them out, feed, water, talk to, yell at, pet and act as their electric blanket. The chihuahua is 12 yrs old and I try to not get upset with her because she may not be with us long and she is adorable, just insistent.

Today is my birthday and the husband has planned a dinner party with Hawaiian Haystacks and invited some people. I'm trying to get my Heritage Photo Project straightened up and neatly stacked somewhere. Only have 3 or 4 of those hanging file folder boxes out and stuffed. Along with some 3 ring binders. I do Genealogy and can't throw anything away that might tell a story and I get easily overwhelmed with the whole thing. My ADD brain keeps taking off on tangents and I keep having to reign them in and concentrate on chronology, period for now.
. With the pain lessening in the leg, it's getting easier to concentrate and stay interested in things.
Meanwhile I should be able to sing all the songs from Singing in the Rain pretty soon

Thanks for being here, I appreciate it more now than before - only those that have been thru this can understand the complex emotions and pain that cycle through on an irregular basis.
S

 

[KarriB]

Happy Birthday, Crip!

 

[flyaway79]

I've been taking turmeric for years. After I developed trigger thumb and then carpel tunnel in my hand and wrist and had to have cortisone shots in my thumb I started researching and found turmeric. It's been several years now and have had no more problems with my thumbs or wrist. No more achy hands and fingers.

I stopped it for the 10 days before my surgery and I've been taking it daily again since my surgery and I'm hoping it will help with my swelling.

@jaschembra is correct to make sure it includes black pepper extract for the best absorption. I have found Costco sells the turmeric capsules with the black pepper extract for a great price.

 

[jaschembra]

Happy Birthday Crip! You almost had me right, my name was misspelled

Beware... you are entering a phase where it is easy to become a member of "IODIC". I over did it club. You'll know when it happens. My first time, I had a bad night sleep and it took me several days to recover and felt definitely like I had taken steps back. Notice I said first time! I'm smarter now but when the body starts feeling better and the brain starts thinking you can do more things...bam! It just happens. But we get through it.

I take Krill oil and the turmeric with pepper. I pretty much buy my stuff online at Swanson Vitamins but I'll have to compare the price with Costco. The Turmeric is the one supplement that I really felt when we had to stop all that stuff before surgery - I missed it. I always make sure I take the stuff after a meal.

 

[Crip]

KarriB, jaschembra, flyaway79

Thanks for the birthdays wishes. Hubby had a Hawaiian Haystack dinner party for me and invited our daughter and her family, and a couple others. It was by far the best birthday to date. We laughed a lot.

ODIC - yep, always been one of those I think Best news is the Tens Unit I got, has allowed me to be free from pain meds completely for at least 3 days. Even though I took 2 ibuprofen before church, sitting on the bench seats are just still too high for me and the knee didn't care for it. Otherwise the Tens Unit is a blessing.

I will look into the Turmeric with black pepper. I was just at costco too, but didn't know to look. I've got to get out of this not wanting to do anything attitude - shower, brush my teeth, etc. Worked on my genealogy until I got it so messed up I just quit last nite! My brain isn't up to much concentrated thinking power yet. My fall back has always been sleeping to handle things, but now that is even becoming boring. Having trouble just composing this email, so it's nap time.
Thanks everyone.
S

 

[flyaway79]

I use my Tens unit a lot too! I'm now taking Tylenol most days and just filling in with Tramadol when I've done too much.

 

[hvtx51]

@Crip - belated Happy Birthday. I wanted to share that I had a "Medical Massage" done Wednesday. The therapist worked just on my leg trying to loosen up the lymph nodes and soft tissue that is extremely swollen. After the massage she taped by knee with a beautiful design - supposed to help with lymphatic drainage. I walked out feeling wonderful. Yesterday too. Now today I have a lot of swelling but I also did PT. The massage place bills insurance as a PT visit so I'm thinking I would rather use my remaining PT visits on massage instead of actual physical therapy. Not sure what my doctor would say, but don't feel like I'm gaining anything from PT anymore.

I'm going to try the Turmeric - my doctor said to try it as a drink with milk and honey instead of the tablets since I have acid reflux. Hope it helps. I also read that beets are supposed to help with inflammation...who knows

All the best

 

[flyaway79]

@hvtx51 I would do massage in a heartbeat over regular PT! Especially if insurance pays for it. I'm going to make an appointment with a massage therapist at my chiropractic office next week. I can use my HSA account money to pay for it because my doctor wrote a script saying the massage is medically necessary. I will keep that on file in case I get audited on my HSA account.

 

[Celle]

@Crip
I have edited you Post#45, to remove the tags. We prefer it if you don't start a post with a number of tags, because it makes it difficult for people reading on mobile devices - all they see at first is a list of tags.

Also, the people you tagged are already reading your thread, so they won't miss your posts.

Here is an article about tagging, which probably explains it better than I have:
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

 

[Crip]

Hi all,

Well, I wasn't sure about the ODIC club membership, so I got sick & tired of all the icing, elevating & Advil/Tylenol and with the TENS unit working so well.....I'm sure I don't need to waste words filling ya'll in. Suffice it to say I was gob smacked with a sore and swollen leg that I could barely walk on and in enough pain I went back to pain meds, ice, elevation and stayed there all this past week. Wasn't hard to do, since the pain of it all makes one tired, so I slept a lot. Finally started feeling half human again Saturday, just enough to let the dogs live with the front door open. Nice days allow me to prop door open so I'm not jumping up and down with every noise they hear.

I also ordered a foam thing to put my leg in to keep it elevated and not sliding down pillows, crooking at odd angles, etc. I tried pillow formations, pinning them together and between me and two lap dogs, things weren't going well for me....dogs could be spoiled a tad, thinking their rightful place is on my person, insinuating themselves in my lap before I realize they are there. The three of us need a double recliner so we all have enough room!

Working up the courage to make appointments to see primary care Dr. for checkup, lab work, etc since its been a year since we moved up here and getting older has its little problems with different systems getting out of whack....I feel like a knee replacement is enough for a body to deal with, I don't want to be bothered with more Drs, tests, lectures....but I have to take care of me as no one else can

It's a toss up between, chiropractic care, massage, and doing nothing. Doing nothing looses excitement early in the day. I have to plan an outing so I don't get too tired or overwhelmed. The mental sensitivities are still there, Just not as often. I've about decided that bursting into tears isn't a crime. People will either back off a bit or I'll take my toys and go home. I've never felt so vulnerable around the medical profession as I do now. If there is an understanding of tkr, it's ok. But, there are those that are trying to do Thier job and get thru their day and compassion is sometimes hard to come by. So far, I haven't come across anyone like that so far. I'm being chicken about seeing Drs and just want to stay in my cocoon, however, that isn't helping me progress in any dept.

I must remember to take the Turmeric on a schedule. Drink with milk, I'll give that a try with the peppered eggs, it will kill the burning sensation in the mouth I'm outta here...I'm rambling, again.
S

 

[KarriB]

At 3 months you may be able to plan one activity a day without terrible ramifications to your knee. Easing in slowly is the best way to enter the world again.