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TKR Suz's Recovery Journey

@Suz thanks for asking. I was having a few really great days, practically pain free, no pain meds, but using
lots of ice, Tylenol, and elevation. I even felt comfortable getting into and out of my small car. Went shopping for groceries, and then some other items, in several different stores a few days ago.I felt that I had turned a corner. And then, today, days later, I woke up with sharp pain in my quad and more stiffness than in the past few days. I tried some cycling with my mini cycle, then hours of icing, but finally had to accept that I'm in pain and need to take Oxycodone. But I'm not discouraged. I know it's a bumpy ride and feel more confident that this is just an off day. I plan to go to sleep with ice. Oh, yes, I tried heat for about one minute and my quad said, this is so wrong. That ended that.
 
Hello My Special Family! I seem to spend more time here with you than I do my own family! I'm so glad to have you all in my life now! I know there have been those in the past who have spent time here at bonesmart, posted hundreds of posts and then moved on after their recovery. But because of the impact you and this site has had on my recovery I hope I never do. I sincerely hope to encourage others as I have so been encouraged since becoming a member here. Thank You!

Now- for the not so pretty-lol! I have worried over my scar long enough. My home health nurse told me to leave my steri-strips alone- that they would come off on their own. Well, that was 4wks ago and they curled up but never came lose on actual staple/incision area of my scar. I'm concerned because my skin around that area is so soft and I feel it just needs some air. So I tugged a little and slowly removed all but two- that I put back down because the area where the staples were just opened right up. I again attribute this to the soft skin that's been behind tape and without air. But I want to send a shout out to my favorite medical expert in the whole world and get her and other veteran's opinions. If I wasn't concerned- I would never ever post these unsightly pictures on the internet!

Hope things are going great in your recovery worlds today!

@Josephine (and others). I'm curious as to your thoughts regarding the top portion of my scar as seen in the photos I just took. I just today gently pulled the steri-strips off and am hoping I didn't do so prematurely. I do have surgical tape (very similar to the steri strips) here if you feel I should retape it. The two I left were open even more so, (especially on the outside of the incision where the staples were), than the others so I put the tape back down. Thanking you in advance for your thoughts!

[Bonesmart.org] Suz's Recovery Journey [Bonesmart.org] Suz's Recovery Journey
 
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I'm not a medical expert, by any stretch, but to me it looks like your incision is well beyond needing steri strips, and healing nicely. My OS told me to take off the steri strips one week after he removed the staples. So my incision had been breathing the air since 3 weeks post op.

I'm sure Josephine will chime in far more expertly, as soon as the time difference permits, but I wanted to set your mind at ease a little until she does.
 
Thank You Gayna! I'm ready for it to breathe believe me. I'm just concerned about the open areas but hoping Josephine will tell me it will heal up just fine uncovered now!
 
I have never been able to fathom this weird idea the American medical profession has that Steristrips have to fall off on their own. It's RIDICULOUS ! They really are only a kind of Bandaid to go on the wound when the staples are out or when a subcuticular stitch is used and only need to be on for about a week after which they can be ripped off with impunity! I am of the opinion that the amount of detritus, dust, dead skin and other grubbiness they accumulate in the period whilst waiting for the magic drop, is a hazard and I wouldn't want it on my skin whether I had a recent wound there or not! Pull'm off, darling! You leg's not going to drop off because of it!
 
My PT who took the staples out went steri strip crazy and packed them on. She even used extra adhesive. The PA I saw a couple of days later couldn't believe how many she used ( neither could I). She started at one end and I at the other and ripped them off. My skin was very dried out. It's healed faster after they were off.
 
Hey Suzie, I think your knee looks really nice! No oozing, it's normal skin colored, and it doesn't look infected. I hope Josephine's comments will allow you to check it off your worry list. Consider it your badge of honor now.
 
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I always hate those dang steri-strips. I'm one of those people they take forever to drop off from, so I always rip them off....lol. Luckily, this time around, I had super-glue instead of staples (I told my OS I couldn't bear to have staples again after the last time when the removal of all 47-ish did me in, so he used the glue) so after the bandages were removed it needed nothing...yay. He saw first hand how sensitive I am when he removed my Carpal Tunnel stitches-I was already quite ill; I had almost fainted in the waiting room so his nurse got me into the exam room right away. He had me in tears when he started removing the stitches; thankfully he took pity on me and found a special pair of scissors and used them-they made it much easier on me.
 
It's no wonder patients have so many problems from these procedures if they can't even get something as simple as a dang steri-strip right. I've been sitting here for 5wks thinking, leaving them on can't be healthy. Yet ONCE AGAIN, wanting to follow instructions. Grrrrrrrrr!

Thanks everyone! At this point in my life Josephine could tell me to do most anything and I would scurry right to it- LOL!
 
Suzie...I'm like you a "direction follower" never wanting to do anything that may screw things up, even when common sense is telling me something different...By the way your scar look so great!!!
 
Thank You Clara! I absolutely love your name. My late grandmother's name was Clara Leigh. She was such a beautiful all-inspiring woman. I think of & cherish every single day her loving memory!

As far as my scar- I finally did just pull the bottom ones off today. I was really concerned about the craters (cracks) but now that Josephine didn't make much over them- I'm better!

I dare say by the time I hit 12wks post-op I'm going to know more about TKR's than my OS because of this site! I hope your steri-strips are off by now Clara- haha!!
 
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So- I met with my surgeon today for my first post-op appt. The mix-up over my pain meds was due to his RN not listening to me. She went in and told him I wanted a refill on oxycontin. He thought I still had oxycodone and didn't feel I needed both oxycontin & oxycodone. I told her I was completely out and even asked her to go back and ask him what I was to take for pain- tylenol or australian cream. I was being sarcastic to get their attention. She came back and said he's not going to prescribe any more narcotics but he will prescribe Etodolac. To which I learned later was an anti-inflammatory and not effective for pain relief. It was at that time that Josephine suggested the tylenol/tramadol and that controlled my pain.

He was so apologetic that his RN miscommunicated. He also said, 'in the future, be it myself or any other surgeon, if 2wks post-op your pain is uncontrolled you come into the office and demand to speak to me. I never stop narcotics on any of my patients until at least 3 mos. post-op. If you're still in major pain- we need to figure out why and address it'. SO- the reason I share this here is in case this ever happens to any of you. Needless to say, I left his office with a script for 60 10-326 hyrdrocodones, LOL!

Now for the bad news- my ROM today was only 50. At 6wks this really concerns him. He said, 'I need to go back and correct this'. I said, 'no'. HAHA! He said, 'at least consider letting me check it in 2wks and we'll talk again at that time'.

I left in tears. Came home and read Josephines article on MUA's. I'll continue to read information on them here at bonesmart and go from there. I told him no but did agree to see him again in 2wks. He said my insurance will cover it if done within 12wks but probably not after that time. And he hoped I didn't want to go through life with the possibility of a stiff knee.

[Bonesmart.org] Suz's Recovery Journey
 
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Your ROM may have been less by the time he checked your knee if you were up and walking around enough and the swelling was more than. I know it seems no one wants a MUA but I have read many threads where a member had an appropriate MUA which helped them a lot.
 
I did have swelling Marian- both in my knee and foot. And I explained to him just what you said, lol!

In my time reading through the forum this afternoon I did read some very positive posts from members regarding MUA's.

The good thing is I don't have to decide today. And it will be 'my' choice not his!
 
I think if it were me, the first thing I'd do is buy a goniometer and check my ROM myself when I was feeling no pain and the swelling was in a good place. Maybe even check it on a regular basis for a while and see if the number was better depending on my activity, or lack thereof. I know the other day I had done too much and could barely bend my knee due to pain and swelling and I'd bet my numbers were terrible at that time. After rest, icing and Motrin/Tylenol, I could tell it was back to it's usual place. If my OS suggested an MUA to me, I think I'd tell him to take a hike......lol. Maybe if I were at a year with 50 ROM I'd consider it, but not at 5 or 6 weeks!
 
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