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

[71Beetle]

Sorry to hear about your mom. Do take care of yourself.

 

[hopefaith]

@Tamsmom I realize my post was way not in sync with the things you were posting.....sorry. I have this feeling sometimes when I walk of a kind of thud feeling that I would describe as the new knee parts. It is occasional and it is weird feeling when it happens.

 

[Tamsmom]

Stress killed me today....and I think it makes pain worse! Mom was home one day and back in the hospital....we waited from 8 pm Friday night until 3 pm Saturday afternoon for the cardiologist to tell us what we already knew....the drugs about killed her! Couple all of that with a few graduation parties and I melted down around 7 pm took some pain meds, iced, elevated, shivered and cried for an hour. My dear husband warmed up a blanket in the dryer for me cuz I got cold while icing....now I feel better and can't sleep! Great!!


I just can't get through the day on Tylenol alone, it makes me mad,I want to get the emotions under control and can't!


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[Celle]

I just can't get through the day on Tylenol alone, it makes me mad, I want to get the emotions under control and can't!

It's not just the drugs that make your emotions brittle. It's a combination of your body's reaction to the major surgery and trauma you had, the post-op fatigue, and sleeplessness - all perfectly normal.

At only 6 weeks out, it's too soon to be expecting to manage on Tylenol alone. Any benefit you get from reducing the heavy-duty pain medications will be negated by the adverse effects of pain.

Give yourself a few more weeks. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[hopefaith]

@Tamsmom Why are you trying to get off pain meds? I would not be able to make it on Tylenol alone yet. Sorry for that previous, very horrid post. I was half asleep trying to respond to your med. concerns. Many apologies.

 

[Wednesday]

I understand why you want to get off the pain meds. For me the reason was constipation and drowsiness, but I dropped them too soon and regretted it. Now I'm only on Tramadol and Tylenol at night, but my knees were ready. They are still not ready to drop the nighttime Tramadol.

Wait till yours tell you it's ok. There's really no rush.

 

[71Beetle]

Hi @Tamsmom - sorry that you are having to deal with the pain. We are an impatient lot aren't we? I do not like how the drugs make me feel but I dislike the pain even more. It is so nice that we have this site to come to for support.

You are doing great and this will pass eventually. Keep up the good work!

 

[Tamsmom]

Thanks everyone! I think I just need some validation that I am doing the right thing by staying on the oxycodone a while longer. I am going to just go with it for the work week and not try and be superwoman and then next weekend I will give it a go...but then I must remembered I will be at the state high school track meet all day on Saturday so that might not work!

Ok, another weird thing going on with me. I have developed rough stops on both of my palms...you would think I was still using a walker or something. I have dry skin and am in the water for therapy three times a week so maybe that's it. Just another strange situation to ponder.


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[71Beetle]

This forum is good for validation. So many people have been through what we are going through. I am not sure what is causing the dry skin. It is likely the water and dry skin.

 

[Mbone]

@Tamsmom I have the dry skin , like rough patches on my palms also. If I were using a walker I would attribute it to that but I'm not. I lotion and it's still there. It's so rough my skin catches on my clothes.


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[Jamie]

The dry skin can be a result of having surgery. Just keep the area moisturized and it will go away eventually. Remember that surgery was a major trauma to your system and it can result in all types of odd things that are temporary....like the dry skin or energy drain or thinning hair. Your body is strong and will right itself with some time, though!

 

[Tamsmom]

Well I think today I can honestly say that I have gone into a depression. I have no significant difficulties in recovery, so I am not dealing with anything out of the ordinary but I am not dealing with anything.

I get up and get overwhelmed just thinking about doing my job, a job I had just started and love and was doing well in the mere two months ago.

If I let myself start to get upset I end up just crying for an hour and then trying to decide what I can actually do and control to make this desperate feeling go away. I had pain before so it's not like I have pain that I didn't have to deal with but the pain was not every minute all the time. And right now do I have pain? No probably more sore and tight but sharp stabbing pains, not anymore. I wanted to text my husband and just told him I hate this I don't want to do it anymore and I wish I had never done this surgery but I thought he has done so much and so patient I can't lay this on him too so I guess you guys get to be the recipients of my vent and pity party!

I know there is no quick or easy answer to what I'm going through, I just question myself so much anymore and it is getting to be old. Anyway that is how my Monday has started thanks for reading....


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[71Beetle]

@Tamsmom I am sorry that you are feeling this way. Like @Jamie said before, you have been through a major surgery and your mind and body are going through the trauma. I think most of us have felt this way at one, or more in my case. Give yourself time and be patient with yourself. We are all here for you.

 

[Mbone]

@Tamsmom I'm with you! I want this over. Today I'm 7 weeks post op, I still have that tight band feeling across my knee! I want to do things but that feeling limits me. I feel I cannot walk a long distance because of it. I am depressed and am starting to regret doing it! I need the other tone eventually, but I will need to be in excruciating pain before I consider it! My bend and flex isn't the greatest! I stretch a lot but that tightness is driving me nuts! I just want to bend!


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[71Beetle]

Hi @Mbone sorry that you are feeling this way too. Remember that it takes a while to completely heal. You are still only 7 weeks out. Read the posts from people that are 6 months+ and you will see that the pain does subside. Keep taking your meds, ice, elevate and rest when you need to.

You had hip replacement before. Would you say the rehab for the knee is worse? Know that everyone here is cheering for you. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Celle]

@Tamsmom
I'm sorry you're feeling depressed. It hits most of us at some stage of our recovery, so we know what it's like. Feel free to rant and vent as much as you like here. We understand and we'll listen.

You're being kinder to you husband than I was to my poor fellow! I remember screaming at him one day, because he didn't intuitively understand what I needed. The poor man took refuge in his office at the other end of the house.

It does get better!

That feeling of frustration at the long time it takes to recover is pretty common, too. Most other surgeries have a much shorter recovery time, but we're in this one for the long haul. We expect to get over it quicker and we get frustrated when that doesn't happen. It's quite a job to adjust our expectations to reality.

Now, you're wishing you hadn't had the operation (that's normal, too) but later you'll appreciate the benefits. Believe me!

 

[hopefaith]

@Tamsmom Vent away. It IS SO hard. The slow sloooow recovery. I agree with the person that said it isn't just the meds causing the emotions. This surgery is SO invasive and our bodies are responding in many different ways. The depression is tough, it truly is. One day at a time. For me, it is sometimes 1 hour at a time. I have faith for all of us that it will get better.

 

[Mbone]

@71Beetle. Thanks for words of encouragement. The knee, for me, is a much harder recovery! The hip
Was painful but the knee is worse! I was so grateful for my hip surgery because the hip pain was a zillion times worse pre op than my knee.


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[Tamsmom]

@Tamsmom
I'm sorry you're feeling depressed. It hits most of us at some stage of our recovery, so we know what it's like. Feel free to rant and vent as much as you like here. We understand and we'll listen.

You're being kinder to you husband than I was to my poor fellow! I remember screaming at him one day, because he didn't intuitively understand what I needed. The poor man took refuge in his office at the other end of the house.

It does get better!

That feeling of frustration at the long time it takes to recover is pretty common, too. Most other surgeries have a much shorter recovery time, but we're in this one for the long haul. We expect o get over it quicker and we get frustrated when that doesn't happen. It's quite a job to adjust our expectations to reality.

Now, you're wishing you hadn't had the operation (that's normal, too) but later you'll appreciate the benefits. Believe me!

celle, I hope so.... Tentatively planning my other knee for sometime in November. We will confirm this in the fall if that's what I feel is necessary and with the way health insurance is anymore and the deductible already met if I'm going to do it I should just get it over with now.

I kind of wish I did them both at the same time, but I really want this surgeon I chose and he refuses to do that. I have a little post traumatic stress syndrome just thinking about going to this again.

I called the doctor and we talked about going on a anti-depressant for a while. Haven't quite decided yet.

But hey the good news is my extension was at 0 today and my ROM was 107 out any coaxing!


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[71Beetle]

@Tamsmom good for you for focussing on the positive ROM. I also wish I did both knees at the same time. I was so ignorant to everything before finding this forum. I did not even think of asking my surgeon.