Swelling? Can't figure out why....

[Tamsmom]

Sorry, I thought I had one thread only going about my recovery...I had specific questions...even after reading and looking at many of the articles...such at the elevating one and my height. I really have read many of the articles, and when is it okto start a new thread? I have a walker question and comment....

 

[DogLoverx3]

Hi @Tamsmom , you should post all questions, concerns, comments, milestones, etc... in this thread here. That way your entire history is in one place. If you ever want the 'title' of your thread changed, just tag a moderator and they will do that for you but all your questions should go in your recovery thread.

 

[kneeper]

Don't worry, we will follow your questions in your own thread. It's helpful to have one thread so people like Josephine and our other experts can go back and see where you were and where you are in your recovery.

 

[Celle]

Yes, @Tamsmom

Post your questions here. You'd be surprised how many people read the threads, even if they don't always post on them.

 

[Tamsmom]

I think I have made good progress over the last 4 days...I didn't have any stitches or staples to be removed and now all but on ester-strip has come off. I
The scar site feels so stiff, can I put a warm cloth on it? It just seems like it would make it feel good.
What I dislike the most right now? Not being bit control of my shower time if day and still not in bed.
I think I have a mental block on trying to sleep in bed, gotta work on it!

Has anyone used a pool with their PT as part of their therapy? Just curious, I have one at the clinic I go to.


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[Josephine]

The scar site feels so stiff, can I put a warm cloth on it? It just seems like it would make it feel good.

Of course it feels stiff - it's still healing! And stiffness is actually a form of pain so it would seem more like you need pain meds.

So I have some questions to ask you:

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!

)

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

6. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that)

I think I have a mental block on trying to sleep in bed, gotta work on it!

No, you don't have to work on it. It goes with the territory at this point. I think you should go back to post #3 and re-read the recovery threads!

Has anyone used a pool with their PT as part of their therapy?

You can - eventually. Maybe after week 8 at the earliest.

 

[Tamsmom]

My pain is pretty well controlled, 2 most of the time. I would say the pain comes from the exercises I am supposed to do at home and then the pain is at a 5 while doing the exercises but the pain doesn't linger.

That darn scar is just bugging me...

My therapist says next week I can get into the pool, with the incision covered with Tegaderm tape shouldn't be an issue. I am excited for the help the water will give my other knee that is almost as bad as the one replaced.

Why is your recommendation 8 weeks? I don't want to hurt my recovery. Of course there will be on land exercises too...

I started the naproxen again a few days ago, since I am off of blood thinners. 500 mg twice a day.. I am only using oxycodone 10 mg every 4 hours, my GP and I discussed what I thought worked the best and for now it was the oxy and not the Percocet.
But some how one night about 10 pm the bottle of meds were lost...still are and we looked everywhere! Talk about a panic attack! I used the Percocet that night.

Does anyone use muscle relaxers at night?


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[Tamsmom]

I do everything for the most part to help with the swelling except elevating the leg...it is so uncomfortable, which I don't really understand.



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[Tamsmom]

As far as exercises, I will describe as well as I can...
1. Leg lifts, which I can do by myself now
2. Moving the leg back and forth, like a windmill?
3. Having someone put their hand under my knee and I just use my quads and press down
4. Towel or something under my knee and then lift up or sit in chair and lift up
5. The heel prop...this one I don't like!
6. I have a recumbent bike and I can't do a rotation on it with my legs but I do just hop on it and rock back and worth

I do these once a day....sometimes twice but more often just once.




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[Jozilla]

I have taken muscle relaxants which I have been prescribed for a couple of years. I also have extremely bad osteoarthritis in my cervical and lumbar spine as well as spinal stenosis in both areas. I get very bad muscle spasms in my back. I have taken them with no problem and they probably have helped with my tkr pain.


RTKR - 9th December, 2013

 

[Josephine]

I would say the pain comes from the exercises I am supposed to do at home and then the pain is at a 5 while doing the exercises but the pain doesn't linger.

Which means you are doing too much. I see you have given me the list of exercises you are doing but you still haven't said how many of them you do each time! Come now - you must help me if I'm to help you!

Why is your recommendation 8 weeks? I don't want to hurt my recovery.

Because that's what it will do. Until 8 weeks out, your knee is still very sensitive and delicate. It's still healing.

I started the naproxen again a few days ago, since I am off of blood thinners. 500 mg twice a day.. I am only using oxycodone 10 mg every 4 hours, my GP and I discussed what I thought worked the best and for now it was the oxy and not the Percocet.

What about Tylenol? It's a much more effective pain killer than NSAIDs. Depending upon how much (if any) acetaminophen is in the oxycodone you are using, you could take additional Tylenol to make it up to a maximum of 4,000mg per 24hrs.

Does anyone use muscle relaxers at night?

If you are taking adequate pain medications you shouldn't need muscle relaxants. Your legs twitch because they have pain!

I do everything for the most part to help with the swelling except elevating the leg...it is so uncomfortable, which I don't really understand.

You don't understand it? Did you read the articles you were left previously? In there is one about the swollen leg. Your knee has been injured and is healing. Te body's reaction to trauma is to swell. Selling hurts. Go read the article again!

 

[referee54]

I think I have a mental block on trying to sleep in bed, gotta work on it!

You have to understand, that, at this time, you are going through something that is absolutely normal---many of us had trouble with sleep issues---I actually felt more comfortable in my recliner for quite some time---then,in bed, nothing worked.

It takes poise and patience----and understand that this may actually, ironically, be the most frustrating thing about a recovery.

 

[referee54]

It is also important to understand that you are still very early in reocvery---the first four weeks are actually called the "Dark Days" of recovery---and that the knee or the knees are in charge at this time---you cannot rush recovery----you just have to "go with the flow", so to speak.

Ice, elevate, and relax---ice and elevation are your friends at this period of time. The more you ice and elevate, the better.

 

[Tamsmom]

I have read the articles, the one about elevation, when I say I don't understand, I mean I don't get why it is so uncomfortable, I use the three pillow method.

As far as the amount I do the exercises, 2 sets if ten, the heal drop 3 min.

I did too much today, I know it and will try to take it more easy tomorrow...everyone says I have made great progress this week I am happy and bewildered at the same time.

 

[Jozilla]

I did not have much success elevating like in that picture. I concentrated more on icing though for hours day and night. Icing truly helped me a lot.


RTKR - 9th December, 2013

 

[Mbone]

I have a hard time elevating as well. I stack the pillows, but by morning, there is one pillow left! I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I have my leg on a long pillow. I place it under my butt and lay my leg down it, so it is not just under my knee, but under my thigh, knee, and calf.




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[Tamsmom]

Well I actually took a nap in my bed this afternoon so now I'm going to try going to sleep but I've always already had one crying jag so we will see where I end up. I don't know why this is so important to me? And must just give me some feeling of normalcy, even though my husband snores. I really am ready for the crying to be done especially when I don't know why I'm doing it it was a busy weekend but the time I felt like I was handling it all well but maybe it is caught up with me


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[Kiwint]

Hi there, I'm nine weeks post op now and I'm still battling the sleep / bed issue. I have managed to spend most of the night in bed now but still waking usually every hour and have battles with pillows. I have had no joy with elevation and find I get very achey and twitchy within half an hour. I am trying to be patient but 9 weeks is way longer than I anticipated!!! I'm seriously considering talking to my GP about a weeks worth of sleeping pills to try and break this cycle because I don't think it's pain that's waking me up now. I do get a nap in the afternoon whenever it catches up on me though and I think that's helped a lot too.
I am amazed at all the people who post that they are back at work by this stage( some much earlier even) because I think I would be out of my head with pain and exhaustion if I had to be at work right now. I'm a midwife so need to be very mobile and a whole lot quicker than I am right now!!!
I can happily report that the crying and tantrums have settled now as I have better accepted that it's just gonna take time.
I went out to dinner last night a caught up with some friends I hadn't seen for the past month and I was heartened by their comments of how much better I was walking and looking!
Hopefully these blues of yours will ease soon too. Just be kind to yourself and look for even the smallest signs of progress to hang on to!

 

[dogwheels]

Hi - just wanted to give you my experience of water therapy/pool work/hydrotherapy - whatever you like to call it, as I have used it considerably in my recovery.

My incision was also just steri-stripped and I had a large waterproof dressing covering the whole site that worked a dream. My OS (who has a fantastic reputation) really advocates hydrotherapy, so I was in the pool Day 2 post-op. I had a session every day thereafter until I was discharged on Day 5. I then had a minimum of one session a week until my knee was bending well, I then reverted to land physio only. A setback at 6 weeks meant my knee wouldn't bend, and I was back in the pool straightaway, 2 sessions a week.
I have already commented on this forum that hydrotherapy works your knee hard and that you don't realise how hard until you get out of the water - but I have found it to be absolutely brilliant. Particularly for increasing bend.
I usually ache a bit the night I have had hydro, but my knee always feels better the next day. Recently I have been able to do all my strengthening exercises in the pool that I am currently not allowed to do on land.

If you do decide to have hydro, all I would say is - make sure that the water is warm (the pool I use is 96 degrees +) - make sure your PT is experienced and qualified in hydrotherapy - drink plenty of water while exercising - 30mins maximum in the pool - make sure you have a warm up (usually walking forwards and backwards) and have a similar wind down - do not use a public pool until the incision is fully healed and all scabbing has gone.

I'm not an expert - but the overwhelming feeling amongst fellow patients at my hospital, is that hydro is awesome. (Just wish they offered cocktails and loungers in the pool post-exercise!)

 

[pippi]

Could not agree with you more about the benefits of the pool for PT. Just being able to twist your back and hips around and gain relief from laying in a certain position in bed is worth it. Your point about it being warm is important as well. My PT recommended holding a noodle and doing bicycle movements in the water. This was a good first step to feel more confident before using a bike on land. If you have access to a pool I would recommend it highly.


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