TKR Suz's Recovery Journey

[tjcteacher]

Suz not icing too much either-do elevate when I can. Almost 6 weeks!!!! Taking my tylenol faithfully. Been doing a lot the last several days-like normal life stuff running around, etc.

 

[SassyGirl]

I'll be going to my first appointment with the OS June 27th. Don't know when my surgery date will be, but need both knees done. Would like to get both done at once but doc doesn't do that, so one at a time. They wait three months between surgeries.

I live in Goldsboro. Since you lived in Nashville I'm sure you know where that is located. My husband was in the Air Force so did lots of traveling and settled down for retirement close to my family.

I hope your recovery continues on and you'll have your toes in the sand by fall.

 

[Suz]

That's so neat SassyGirl! My Dad was a Senior Master Sgt. in the Air Force and we use to go to the AFB in Goldsboro allot-!!

As far as your surgeries- I'm not woman enough to do both at the same time. My left knee bothered me prior to my RTKR but for whatever reason- she's behaving herself nicely. Sometime I love bending my left knee up and not feeling any stiffness or pain- LOL!

My biggest advice to anyone approaching this surgery is to find out what your OS's post-op pain-med protocol is. Had I known mine was going to cut me off of narcotics 1wk after being discharged from the hospital I would have found another surgeon. And he didn't even put me on a decent nsaid. Just a basic anti-inflammatory. He's always been such a nice surgeon- great bedside manners. I was really shocked he took such a hard stance on my post-op pain. I later found out it's all of his patients now.

Just wait until he has to go through one- he'll see then how critical pain management is in this surgery! I'm telling everyone I meet to make sure they find out how their post-op pain will be handled prior to surgery!

 

[Suz]

That's awesome tjcteacher! I'm so happy for you- (us)! I'm only a wk behind you-!! I'm dealing with a little angry soft tissue but nothing at all I can't handle! We're getting there- wahoooooo!!

 

[sistersinhim]

@Suz and @SassyGirl I was born and raised in Edenton and my daddy was from Gates County. It's a small world, isn't it?

 

[bibi]

Hi!
I was trolling your thread lol and I see you were told the same thing about the aggressive pt to prevent scarring. I listened to my OS and at the time I believed him. I allowed the PT to pull, stretch, bend and do all sorts of assaults to my knee. I was at the point I would scream out in pain but they would continue the torture.
. But alas I found Bonesmart. I read their links, asked for advice and troll lol our fellow survivors

 

[bibi]

Oh and my mother is from a small town in N.C, Kinston. Have you heard of it?

 

[SassyGirl]

@sistersinhim my sister now lives in Gates county.
@bibi my mother was born in Kinston, still go there frequently.
@Suz my husband was a Chief in the AF so we went all over. We decided to move back here so I could be near my mother.

 

[SassyGirl]

Suzie thanks. I will find out what the doc's pain management protocol is. I have a list of questions I want to ask on the first visit. I think I'll have my husband go with me to help with remembering everything that's said.

 

[Suz]

@bibi That's great and yes I have heard of Kinston! In fact- many years ago I worked for a security company out of Kinston who evaluated employees at Belk Tylers. I was a secret shopper- LOL! We just graded them on their customer courtesy- that type of thing. We traveled all over and once a year went to Kinston for our Holiday Party!

@sistersinhim Yes, it is a small world! And I'm so happy to have found bonesmart.org, our little recovery corner of the world!

@SassyGirl Great idea to take your hubby along. I'll have mine with me from now on when I discuss my TKR with my OS!

 

[bibi]

Wow! My mother left there in 1961 after high school. Goes back periodically. Her next visit is in two weeks I may accompany her.

Is it the norm the pain medication is cut off so early? My OS hasn't taken me off the oxycodone. I usually take one at night and take Tylenols during the day.

 

[Suz]

It's hasn't been normal until very recently bibi. I've spoken with several medical professionals and there has been a crackdown on narcotic pain meds with 'some' surgeons due to addiction and street activity. I've heard there is even concern for addiction in rest homes.

Those of us who truly need them after a serious surgery like a TKR are the innocent victims in the crackdown.

There are plenty of members here that have no problem with proper pain management using narcotics from their surgeon.

From now on I'll shop around and require of any potential surgeon their protocol on post-op pain management!

 

[frazz]

Its interesting to hear people talk of having access narcotic pain meds at home.
I dont know if its normal here in New Zealand but on discharge I wasnt offered any pain medication other than panadol which I think is equivilent to your tylenol.

 

[tcordon]

Kentucky is in the same crazy mess with narcotics. It's so not right for those who truly need pain relief. I did way way too much this weekend and my knees are not happy which makes me not happy!

 

[Suz]

I'm someone who hates taking medicine. My OS has another surgeon in his practice who repaired both of my rotator cuffs in recent years. At each one of my post-op visits he would ask if I needed a refill on my pain meds and I would answer no. So it's not like I have a record with this group of refill requests.

I've been a tomboy of sorts all of my life so the pain of sprained & broken bones isn't new to me. When my nerve block wore off from my TKR the pain I faced was as fierce as any I ever remember having- to include when I crushed my ankle on a hiking expedition in the New Mexico mountains! It required narcotics to give me any sense of pain I could handle.

I never gave one thought to not being able to affectively manage my TKR pain because my OS had scoped the same knee a few times prior to the replacement and had never hesitated giving me narcotics for recovery. I never even took them all- flushed them down the toilet later on. When I called in to relate that my post-op TKR pain was out of control one week after discharge I was shocked when his nurse told me he wasn't going to refill my small dose of oxycodone. And she didn't offer me any suggestions of alternative pain relief at the time. I had to ask her to please go ask him what he recommend I do.

Anyway, let's just say he's performed his last medical procedure on me. And I hate that because I was so fond of him prior to this. I meet with him for my first post-op appointment on the 14th of this month and I've gone over in my mind several different scenarios of my conversation with him. What I want to say to is- 'I dare you to have either one of your knees replaced and follow the recovery medication protocol you gave me. I dare you'.

I'm not into angry communication- but I do pray I say something in the 5 minutes we're together that will effectively communicate how he was not with me throughout my recovery nor did I receive the support from his team he assured me I would.

Thank God for Josephine, our forum Nurse & Medical EXPERT. I'm sure I could have survived those next weeks without effective pain management but it would have been so awful. She saved me with her advice and will forever be a hero in my eyes!

That's my story and I'm so grateful to be a member of this site!

 

[mamazipp]

I agree that you can safely lower your Oxycodone dose/stretch it out, to last the weekend, and augment with Tylenol. I am wondering if you are on a blood thinner, as, per my cardiologist, blood thinners and NSAIDS together are a NO-NO. You need not fear withdrawal from cutting down on your oxy as you haven't been on enough either dosage wise or time wise to become "addicted". You may have more discomfort, but maybe not.

I am very distressed at this movement to cut post surgery patients off narcotics, when they are needed and useful. This "punish everyone" mentality does not serve people well, and does not show much care and respect for patients, by doctors. Surely doctors can use some sense and discretion. I have been lucky enough to be able to obtain what I've needed, but it's a very scary feeling to think I might have trouble getting a medicine that helps pain. I hope you are able to obtain the meds you need without having to suffer needless pain and discomfort.

 

[Suz]

Oh- I've been off of narcotic pain relievers for 4wks now. I was on such a low dose that I switched right over to Josephine's advice with enough oxycodone left in my bottle to get me through the next two days. I was just so upset I wanted to be the one that took me off of it- not my surgeon- lol! Now I look over in my little basket where I keep my meds and that bottle is like a trophy to me- that I won that battle not my OS. HA-HA! Weird I guess- but that was a very trying time with my only being 2wks out from a TKR and dealing with PT pain. I was insulted that he wouldn't refill my prescription- took it very personally not realizing at the time of the crackdown.

When he refused to refill my prescription there was no where for me to turn to get more oxycodone, legally! Unfortunately it's been reported that because of this crackdown there has been a huge increase in heroin use- even amongst our senior citizens needing relief from genuine raw pain. I saw a special on one of the big news networks just a few days ago on this very thing. It's so SAD!

When my late husband was in the final days of his battle with liver cancer he & I both were concerned with the amount of narcotics he was being prescribed. His oncologist told us that when the body is experiencing genuine pain- you will not become addicted if you follow the prescribed dose.

 

[mamazipp]

Ha, I see that my reply was a little after the fact. I'm very glad you were able to find that tramadol and use Josephine's chart to create a good pain management plan. (Never throw away any pain meds!). I'm glad to hear that it's working well for you. Thank goodness for Bonesmart!
It's still a sorry state that narcotics are so restricted for surgery and other legitimate use.It's not going to change the drug culture. In my opinion.

 

[Suz]

@mamazipp How are you doing now with your TKR? I love reading how those who are further along in their recovery are doing!

 

[sistersinhim]

Suz, maybe your PA never even told your OS of your request for more meds. That he took it upon himself to say no without asking. I ran into that with another surgical group a few years ago. When you see him on the 14th hr might be surprised to hear of your request for more meds since he knew your history of not asking. I think that after a week or so that I'm going to try and transition to tramadol and Tylenol. These Oxy make me feel so tired and out of it that it's frustrating. At least I'm taking only half of what I could be. If I feel like this on a half dose I can't imagine how bad I'd be with a whole one. I don't think I could even be a junkie, this mess makes me feel too bad!