TKR Susie-Q's 2nd TKR Recovery Thread

[Reader525]

@Susie-Q After reading your post, I'm just feeling so inspired by you. You seem to be handling everything like a champ. Having a UTI in recovery is a hell I can't imagine, but you are soldiering on, making dinner, taking the dog for a play date and generally being what we used to call "a good sport".

Are you saying Tylenol/Advil are in one pill??? Or do you mean taking 600-800 mg Ibuprofen followed 3 hours later by 1000 mg Tylenol? If so, it's pretty effective. I have cut down on my doses, now I take 600 mg Ibuprofen in the morning and then 1000 mg Tylenol mid afternoon, then another 1000 mg at bedtime. Unlike you, I still have discomfort. I can't call it pain, but it's sore. Only when I walk and also in bed if I change position or from lying in a position for too long. I occasionally have that awful aching down my shin bone. I'm extremely envious of your not being bothered when you walk around your house. I hope I get there.

 

[hawk2go]

The hospital discharged me with Senna and Colace to take twice a day. My PA said to use them if I use the heavy drugs (oxy or flexiril) or if I seem bound. I also drink lots and lots of water but warmed prune juice or black coffee work well for me. I miss my "squatty potty" because that position really helps but I was just able to bend The Knee enough to use it this week. All in all, pre-op I'm as regular as a clock and the helpers like the stool softeners and laxatives really do help pretty quickly. Your oxy dose is pretty heavy and you may have to work with your PA to increase the laxative to match.

 

[Susie-Q]

@Reader525 , I am currently alternating Tylenol and Advil around the clock every 3 hours, have been since week 1. When I went to the doctor Friday she asked if I'd ever tried the new combo pill that has both Tylenol and Advil in one pill. I am not currently taking it. I am having mainly stiffness when walking around but not too much.

I appear to need to have a stern talking with myself. I think my increase in UTI symptoms is directly related to doing too much. Yesterday I did WAY too much. Last night, greater urgency to pee (it was awful) and this morning, back pain from maybe my kidneys? Plus I was about to go out the door for a short walk and I felt kind of crappy. Hubby said, well maybe you shouldn't go.... duh..... My feet are so cold I needed two pairs of socks. I'm on the couch, elevated with an ice pack, long sleeved sweater, fleecy pants, warm blanket and two pairs of socks and my feet are still cold. I'm going to take it easy today, no exercises, no decorating, no walks. My body is telling me to slow down and I'm not listening. It's hard to fight off a UTI when your body is also trying to heal a knee and you're doing too much. Sometimes I am a big dummy.......

 

[Susie-Q]

@hawk2go , the Smooth Move tea worked great for me, I think it has Senna in it? I'm not taking oxy anymore, I weaned off completely about a week ago. We have a small IKEA stool and I found if I could at least put my right leg up on that it made going easier. (what a weird conversation to be having ). Not having any troubles in that department anymore. My knee isn't really hurting too badly lately either, it's just this dumb UTI that has me walloped right now. Listen to your body, right??? I need to do some more of that than I have been doing......

 

[hawk2go]

So glad things, um, eased for you No limits right (especially in the common struggles)

 

[Sara61]

@Susie-Q - could the medication be causing your UTI's? I know if I take antibiotics etc I usually end up getting one, I feel for you it's not fun especially hobbling around with healing knees.
Hope your feeling better this evening xx

 

[benne68]

@Susie-Q Wow, I can't believe you're doing ALL that you are just a month after your TKR -- and while dealing with a UTI. I'd be flat on my you-know-what!

 

[Claire56]

@Susie-Q I have a "lazy bladder" thanks to earlier abdominal surgery and need to be careful to take the time to empty. Until it was figured out, I got multiple UTIs. Thanks to the pretty common problem of tourniquet pain, could you be rushing things?

 

[Susie-Q]

@Susie-Q - could the medication be causing your UTI's? I know if I take antibiotics etc I usually end up getting one, I feel for you it's not fun especially hobbling around with healing knees.
Hope your feeling better this evening xx

I'm not sure what medication would be causing it? I've been taking oxy (stopped a week ago), Tylenol and Advil around the clock, 5 mg of Lisinopril 2x a day for BP (for years), multi-vitamin and baby aspirin (which I just stopped as I only needed to take it for a month post-op). I'm taking antibiotics NOW because I have a UTI so they can't have caused it. Not really hobbling around, I'm walking fine, but just really wiped out because of the infection AND a healing knee.

Yes, @benne68 , it IS knocking me flat, that's why I've been so fatigued lately and feel kind of crappy this weekend. I didn't do any exercises today or go walking, just ADLs.

@Claire56 I have no idea how I acquired the UTI, it's a mystery! I have definitely been doing too much lately, thinking I was finally coming out of things until this UTI hit.....

 

[CricketHip]

Hi @Susie-Q That's a shame that the UTI is still bothering you so much. I think you are right in your thoughts about overdoing things. Don't beat yourself up, we've all done it, but don't do it again!

In my experience, my symptoms ease up within the first couple of days but my doctor also has a medication to ease the pain.
Once when it didn't ease up she had to switch my type of antibiotic.
Hopefully you are chugging a lot of water.. take care of yourself.. you are worth it..

 

[Sara61]

@Susie-Q - try drinking cranberry juice, that what my doctor prescribed to me, I now drink it frequently and haven't had a problem for a long time - as you said it must be from overdoing things - stress also is a cause maybe

 

[Mtdoodles]

Right there with you on the uti . After 2 corses of antibiotics, I think im done! No more uti
Not easy getting out of bed many times a night. Very humbling wearing diapers to bed.
Thank you for your sharing of your uti trials and of corse your knee!

 

[dogwalker2]

@Susie-Q I sympathise with the UTI, ghastly. Keep drinking loads of water and with the antibiotics you should start to improve soon. You are doing an amazing amount and I think taking a break to allow your body to fight the twin assault of major op and UTI is very wise. It is so hard to rein yourself back, I too am always trying to do too much, mostly because I am driven to feel "back to normal" asap. It is hard to realise that positive ambition is good, but over-doing it is not!! Take time to heal xx

 

[BBCG]

Susie-Q, you have really been a trooper, dealing with all you have been so soon after surgery! You clearly are a “Do-er” as you’ve shown but, like a bunch of us who admire your productivity & intention, we’ve also been occasionally flattened by our intentions and doing-ness when teamed with lack of grasp of its consequences until t’is too late!

It IS hard, after this surgery, when your knee starts feeling better, not to overdo, because in the past, that activity level wouldn’t have been considered overdoing! It sneaks up on ‘ya!
Just sympathizing with the dilemma you’ve been facing and encouraging you maybe even to ask your family to help rein you in, if you want their help? My husband would do that, gently, reminding me that it’s not lazy to ask him to do something he can do, so I can stay with leg up or resting, to more quickly be back to normal…

I admire your perseverance in the face of the challenges you’ve been facing! Hang in there!!

 

[Susie-Q]

@Sara61 my daughter bought me some unsweetened cranberry juice (should have had hubby get the regular last night at the store) and I've had some of that but I have to shotgun it because it's so tart. I do need to drink more water, I've been trying but obviously not doing enough. Lower back ache is gone this morning but still feel tired. I'm halfway through my antibiotics so hopefully the other half will kick this for good! A friend is bringing by some strong cranberry pills and extra strong probiotics this morning so hopefully that will help. I'm pushing water like crazy!

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and concerns. You are all so wonderful!!

 

[Susie-Q]

Feeling much better today. The cranberry pills, cranberry juice, water, antibiotics and probiotics are doing their job. Slept well last night. I forgot to set an alarm but automatically woke up around 2:30 to take some Advil. Then slept until my alarm at 7:45. It's nice to be able to switch between sleeping on my stomach and my back now, still not under the covers yet but on top with two blankets. No ice machine at night just icing whenever I'm on the couch. Actually looking forward to doing more ADLs today and maybe even a little fall decorating.

 

[doopy]

Oh wow! Just found your thread as I was searching for "fatigue", and just about everything you say resonates with me! I'm 4 weeks today.
I tried a v short drive yesterday (I'm off all pain meds, except the odd Paracetamol), and all I can say is that a 4 mile trip (didn't get out of car at all, taking son to station) has totally floored me. Quite a bit of pain, which is a massive backward step for me, but the exhaustion!! I slept all afternoon, then didn't sleep at night, had chills and palpitations (normal for me) and felt ghastly. And I feel the same about cooking - can't face thinking about food but boy, do I need to eat! A few days I've just had a handful of nuts and some cottage cheese for lunch, and have felt like death by dinner time, then I eat, and gradually feel better. I just can't believe this energy drain! And the post-op blues! I just cry all the time at anything, but have decided to accept it - I know it will pass. And talk about groundhog day!
I'm so sorry you too are going through this, but I am so comforted by seeing I'm not alone. Thank you for posting. Let's hope we can look forward to a great improvement soon.

 

[benne68]

Feeling much better today.

@Susie-Q So great to hear! You are my aspirational model for recovery.

 

[sistersinhim]

I am so glad you are feeling better with the UTI. I had my first one about 3 weeks after my TKR. After that, I was getting them about every 6 weeks so my GP sent me to a urologist. This might be TMI, but I learned that what was the biggest cause of my UTIs was I was using antibiotic wipes for cleaning between my showers. She said that I was killing the good bacteria that we girls have. She also suggested a bidet for cleaning, which I installed myself. I've not had another one since following her advice, thank God! I also found that AZO reduces the symptoms of the infection until healed.

Since this problem pops up frequently for we women, I thought I'd share my experience. Please forgive me if I have offended anyone.

 

[Susie-Q]

Oh wow! Just found your thread as I was searching for "fatigue", and just about everything you say resonates with me! I'm 4 weeks today.

I'm so sorry you too are going through this, but I am so comforted by seeing I'm not alone. Thank you for posting. Let's hope we can look forward to a great improvement soon.

While I do feel better I am definitely not out of the woods in the fatigue dept yet! I did a walk today, I haven't done one in awhile (I'm up to 9 houses out and 9 houses back), then did my exercises, took a shower, filled the dishwasher and turned it on. Took an ice and couch break. Made a quick lunch. Tried to do a little fall decorating, had to stop after about 5-10 min, the bending over to get into the boxes and then walking around was very tiring and making me light-headed. Took another ice/couch break. Put out a few more decorations after a bathroom break. Put dinner in the oven (chicken enchiladas from Costco). Took a break while it baked. Lots of breaks throughout the day as I get tired fast. I'm still not walking the dog, probably another week or two before I do that. I need to be able to walk my usual little route I would take her on by myself before I will take her. No pain while walking, which is weird. I was so used to that bone on bone pain and I would keep walking anyway to the point I was limping. I was actually more unsteady and off balance walking her prior to surgery than I would be now. This walk is around 3/4 of a mile so I'm not there by any means yet. Looking forward to taking her for longer walks in the future!

Thanks for the info, @sistersinhim ! I know UTIs can be frequent in women our age but I haven't had one in so many years I was a little surprised by it. What's AZO?