Taking the Vicodin I need vs. making it last

[ohyes]

Hi Guys,

I found this forum just a few days before TKR (right) on November 19th. I so, so wish I had found it months ago!...lots of great information here for folks getting ready.

So, Thursday was the surgery. All went well, hospital staff was great, pain was managed pretty well by morphine drip. Came home Saturday. Husband had the great room set up for me - sleeper sofa pulled out with a sheet of plywood under the mattress - and everything I need is right here.

The surgeon prescribed Vicodin with one refill. Doing the math, it hit me that these were not going to last very long at allll. So, I was taking two about 4:00 AM when the pain would be at its worst, then try to get by with just one every 4 hours. This would take the edge off the pain, but that was about all. Yesterday, during a phone call from my brother, I was sharing all this and he was aghast - pointing out that this is the time the pain will be the worst and I should most definitely take two every time the pain was bad, do the same with the refill and then call the doctor for more if the pain still warrants it. He assured me the doctor will most definitely give more refills. Now, what made sense for the last few days seems pretty foolish. I was just so afraid of running out of the stuff, and being such a rule follower, I thought one refill meant one refill. End of story. Today, I'm trying the other route (no rationing).

Home Health Care is to start today. Actually, I was told they would be here yesterday, but after half a dozen calls, I finally learned the company originally assigned was full, so now it is a company out of Little Rock and to expect them today. That was frustrating, but somebody just dropped the ball somewhere along the way and hopefully, the person who comes will be so awesome, it will be worth the extra day's wait.

So, that's my introductory story. I have lots more...especially if I find a thread on nurses! All mine were sooooo nice EXCEPT for one. I am anxious to vent to somebody. :hehe: She was so badddddd.

 

[calling_all_angels]

Ohyes,
It is so nice to meet you. I am glad that brother told you to take your pain pills in full!! It is really important to keep a head of the pain!! Jo and Jamie will tell you that too. I amhappy to hear that Home health will be out to see you today. We get that ball dropped around here too. LOL And yes you MUST tell us all about your hospital stay. We have all shared our Hospital stories. Some are very funny and some make you go uhhh????
Can hardly wait to hear how Home health goes for you today.

 

[JudyS]

OHyes
Welcome and thanks to your brother for settting you straight on the vicodin!! I've had the badddd nurse too. A few times actually. Share your story.
judy

 

[John w]

Ohyes,
Welcome to bonesmart and thanks for getting your story started. Glad to hear your brother got you to take the vicodin on schedule, don't worry about the refills most srugeons are more than happy to write new scrips on your request, mine still asks me (6 months out) even when I tell him the pain level is low. Sorry to hear about the bad nurse.
My stay in the hospital was wonderful also....except for the one nurse that we have all had. I think mine got into it for the money, it certainly wasn't her compasion for humanity.
Good luck in your recovery, keep us informed.

JW

 

[Texas]

Hi welcome please take your medicine becuz you will need to keep up with it im sure you will get refills.............take it easy and good luck with PT..oh and welcome............

 

[Josephine]

Ok - this has decided me - I am definitely going to make a post about taking pain meds!!!

 

[ohyes]

...and i'll read every word of it!!!

The physical therapist stopped by early this afternoon. He was a young whippersnapper of about 25 years. He totally agreed that I should take the TWO Vicodin and that the doctor would have no problem refilling. Wish my brother had called me a couple days earlier. But again, even my own brother could not believe i was thinking so irrationally.

The session turned out to be an assessment. Before leaving, he said the only area he has concerns in is with Safety Awareness - that I tend to speed around (haha) and should not be going anywhere this early without the walker. He did say that is one thing the pain killer can mask - how limited my movements should be at this point to protect myself. And, I have felt so much better today, I may have not been as careful as needed. Though, 90% of my day is spent on this sleeper couch with the tv remote and laptop.

I think the ROM was 82 and something else was -4. He will be back out next week to start the real work. Until then I am to continue with the exercises on the sheets sent home with me from the hospital. As others have mentioned, I save those little sessions for an hour or so after the pain meds...the only way they seem do-able!

I'll start a new thread on Mary the Meanie Nurse. Thanks for your responses.

 

[Jamie]

Welcome to BoneSmart, Ohyes....so glad you found us...even if it was a bit later than you might have liked! We'll be here for you now, though!

You need to sit yourself down, look yourself in the mirror, and tell yourself that you have had MAJOR surgery....that you are now in recovery.....YOU come first....and that the recovery will require you to slow down and be nice to yourself and your new knee. This is very important, as you do yourself no favors if you push to the point that you get swelling and additional pain.

It does sound like you are doing very well so far, though. Be proud of where you are so early in the recovery process!

And, as for the pain meds.....you now know the story. Doctors don't prescribe a lot of refills at once, even though they may grant them. They want you to come back and talk about the pain levels and what you need. These meds are very highly regulated in this country and for some reason surgeons are often reluctant to prescribe all that is needed following knee replacements.

If you find yourself with one of these doctors that is trying to wean you from the meds when you still are in pain, go immediately to your primary doctor and talk pain management. If that still doesn't work, you can go to a pain management clinic where there are people who really "get it." Managing your pain (and the swelling that goes with it) is a VERY critical part of the recovery process. Other critical factors are ice, elevation of your knee above your heart, and rest. It takes a LOT of energy for your body to heal.

Please post any time you have a concern or question....or just pop in and say hi!! We LOVE to hear from our members and know even the smallest of successes you experience.