Knee Infection* The girl with the two fake knees

[sistersinhim]

Good morning Jen. How are you feeling this morning?

 

[ACDCJen]

Thank you for the kind thoughts and words. It makes me feel better. I do feel better today. I slept around 18 hours yesterday and did very little else! I did move my knee and do some exercises, but it was mostly rest, elevate, and ice. My pain is better, but I have not found the "magic" medication combination yet. I can deal with it as it is. The swelling has gone down significantly and it doesn't feel as tight. I just need to gain confidence that my knee will work the way I need it to, as I'm a little nervous right now. But, that's getting better too!! Just need more time, elevating, icing....in other words....the Bonesmart way!!

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I like being able to write about my journey so others after me can maybe learn something, or at least feel better about themselves!!

Jen

 

[KarriB]

Jen, I hope you're feeling better today and not experiencing the blues quite as much. I had it in the worse way after the infection surgery and know it's absolutely no fun, think crying jags anytime I talked about my knee. A little sunshine, conversation and sleep which it looks like you got may help.
I live alone, but my BFF insisted on staying with me the first week and fortunately her husband didn't mind. Everyone needs help and I'm sure your parents want to be there for you.

 

[ACDCJen]

I feel like I have spent the last few days sleeping! I am not ashamed about this because I know I need it. I'm listening to my body and doing what it tells me to do! I am having difficulty sleeping at night, so I do struggle at times. One good thing is, I think, that my knee feels really good around 2am and I can walk and move it around more than usual. Not that I push it, but it's nice to have an idea of how it will feel all the time in a few days. I am rather pleased that my swelling has gone down quite a bit. Love my Polar Cube!! I also ordered a new walker from Amazon that should be here on Wednesday. I think it will fit me better and help me improve my gait. I am taking my pain medication every four hours and I switch betweek Tramadol 50mg and Oxycodone 7.5mg. It seems to be working ok. I also add extra strength tylenol at times with the Tramadol, never taking more than 2000mg at a time or 4000mg a day. I think I'm happy with the pain management I have right now. At least I'll know better for my next replacement surgery!

My appetite seems to be much less than right after surgery, but I'm okay with that. I can handle missing a few meals! But, I do try to eat something at each meal because I know I need it for my recovery. I may have to go bck to the protein shakes as I really have trouble getting enough of this just through food alone. I wish I could be more worried about loss of appetite, but I'm obese and losing weight would only make me happy! Besides, one of the big reasons I'm having the replacement(s) done is so I can actually move around, be more active, and lose weight. Getting a head start isn't so bad.

My mental health seems to be okay too. I'm trying to put things in perspective and engage in positive self-talk. Even though I am a therapist, it is really hard to turn it towards myself at times. I am going to start doing an art journal to help deal with my PTSD, anxiety, and depression. And my happiness too, because my life is far from gloom and doom. VERY far from that! I do have weird dreams, which is a side-effect of the hydroxyzine I take. Recently, most of the dreams have been nightmares about getting an infection or anything related to having problems with my replacement! Guess I should stop reading stories to this effect, huh?

Overall, my knee feels strong and pretty good. Obviously, I'm not even at the 2 week mark, so I am so pleased with myself and the work I have done so far. My incision looks better too! I'll try to post pictures of it so far, but I'll have to get a recent one today. I have to remember that I am still recovering somewhat from my ankle surgery in June, which I was still exhausted and beat down from. So, if I can get through this, I think my second replacement (if I can get it this year) will be a piece of cake (well, you know what I mean!) My 3 year old niece has been spending a lot of time here as my mom is watching her. She comes to check on me and lay in bed with me. She said that I "really have a bad ouchy" on my knee. She's so cute and she has really kept my spirits up this last week. I also got to spend some time with my boyfriend, Scott, last night. We just watched our TV shows and talked, nothing big, but it's nice to be able to spend time with him after all that's happened with my joints this year!

I have PT at 4pm today and hopefully that will go well. I may cancel the Wednesday one as I already have that day and Friday scheduled. I like pacing myself and not having to get ready for him to come to the house. How bad is that?

Thank you again to everyone who has read my story thus far. It's not that entertaining, but I do think it will help someone thinking about this kind of surgery. I know that the stories on here did that for me! Plus, it's nice to have the perspective of a younger patient. I guess. That's what I keep telling myself anyway!

Until the next time,
Jen

 

[mamazipp]

Pacing yourself is a great tactic. Sounds like things are going a bit better, and you have people to cheer you on. It's nice to have your perspective, as a younger person, one who has suffered with long term knee problems, too. I hope that you will, in time, have a complete recovery for both of your knees, and be able to enjoy a more active lifestyle.

 

[sistersinhim]

I am older than you and I really enjoy reading about your journey! We are all the same on this forum and we all are going or have gone through just about the same things. It's so nice to know we have people we can relate to.

 

[ACDCJen]

My baby knee is officially 2 weeks old today! I feel I am doing pretty well. I am finding a good balance between the Bonesmart way, my way, and the "medical professionals'" way. My knee feels pretty strong and stable, I just need to use it more! I am doing exercises throughout the day, especially the quad sets because they actually feel good! The incision looks pretty good too. There is just one hot spot at the top of it that my home health nurse wants to keep an eye on for the next week or so before I am discharged from services. It's not oozing or anything and it's dry, so that's good! Most of the soreness is around the joint, so I've been doing some gentle massage and it seems to be helping a bit. The rest of it is dry and scabby, but does what all my other scars have following surgery. It is showing signs of keloid already, but that's what my scars do anyway. Once it is all closed up, I can do some work on it, but it's probably going to look thick and ropy. Heh, I went through all this pain, I might as well make sure people see some sign of it!!!

I still have a long way to go, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not sure when I see my doctor again, but when I do, I'm going to try to sweet talk him into replacing my right knee by the end of the year (not that I'll have to try too hard. I think he really feels bad for me and wants to help as much as he can). I really want to start back to work next year with two good knees so I don't have to take more time off! I'm so glad work has been understanding thus far. I guess it's good that not a lot of people are good at what I do!! I have found myself sleeping through pain medication times and feeling okay. Not that I don't have pain, but it's much more manageable and I like that! I do take it as close to every 6 hours as I can. I will be asking for refills too, just to make sure. I can sleep on my right side and spare my poor back! I am just waiting for my own walker to arrive so I can start working on my gait in earnest. My PT says that I am doing great! He has shown me all the exercises that are in the knee replacement protocol, and I am doing most of them a few times a day. Some of them are more difficult, so I just do what I can and stop when it gets to be too much. I ice all night and usually most of the day. That has helped a lot with the swelling and pain management, I feel.

I feel better emotionally as well. I'm just trying to keep things in perspective. That doesn't mean I don't have tough days, like we all do, but I'm better on the whole. Once I can leave the house and go somewhere again, I'll feel better. I'm used to being on the go and it's hard to be here at home. I may even take a jaunt out to our back deck and sit outside for a bit today! Woo hooo! What a traveler I am!!! Baby steps. I can't wait until I can walk long distances with my new knees!

I'm still very tired, which I totally understand and I am not fighting! I sleep at least 12 hours a day, most of them not at night. But, I'm a chronic insomniac so it's not that big of a change for me. I just wish there was better television on at night! I love the Golden Girls, and they are on a lot at night, but I think I could act out every episode by now! (I'm totally Dorothy, but not as mean!)

So, all is pretty good with me! I have been caught up in reading the recovery journeys on here, often when I can't sleep at night! I am so thankful that I have not had any problems, really, in my recovery. I am grateful that I am as healthy as I am, despite being obese and having HBP, and that I have not had any complications at this time. I'm definitely thinking of ways to be more active with my new knees so that I can make them last as long as possible! I'm so grateful that my doctor agreed to do this for me and I feel I will have a new lease on life. I'm scared though, because I'm not sure what that will be like just yet!

I am going to try to attach some pictures so you can see my progression! Just don't make fun of my ugly gams! If they go in order from top to bottom: 1. The two screws removed from my tuberosity from the TTT I had 22 years ago. That's a tube of chapstick for comparison. 2. The wound vac. It fit perfectly over the incision, except for the very top, which is why it's the one hot spot right now. It worked well though! 3. What it looked like right after the vac was removed. 4. My incision on 9.26.16. 5. My incision today, 9.28.16. I feel the swelling is much better!

Hope all of you are doing well! I feel like now that I'm out of my funk, I can be more supportive.

Jen

 

[uva55]

Jen, it looks like you are having a relatively good recovery, I am happy for you, even though you are not sleeping thru the night at least you are able to sleep during the day, which is good for your healing.

Sending you healing thoughts!!!

 

[birdwatchr]

{I am finding a good balance between the Bonesmart way, my way, and the "medical professionals'" way.}

That's pretty much what I did. I wondered what the wound vac looked like. Good to hear you are doing well. Your scar does not look bad for 2 weeks! I had wished there was better night TV too! Keep us posted. Enjoy reading how you're doing.

 

[Bikesouth]

You will really see improvements after week 3 and possibly reduce your pain pills.

That scar will heal up good too over time.

 

[newlybionic]

Once you have found what works for you stay with it, just be careful in the coming weeks of starting to do too much. You are coming into the prime time for a visit to the ODIC (Over Did It Club).

 

[lene']

Hi Jen, I am sorry I haven't posted on your thread in a while. Appts and prep for my bilateral next week have kept me busy, busy busy. That said, first my condolences on the loss of your husband. So Sorry to hear that. Certainly is a testament to your strength. So much to go through in your young life! I am so proud of you and your recovery. I think you are doing well. I will hold you up as a great example when I am on the other side. I am afraid I will be a much bigger whiner than most...lol. I am also looking forward to some day being more mobile and away from the constant pain. You are so right that it is so exhausting. Keep getting as much rest as possible, when you are sleeping that is when you heal!! And remember laughter is the best medicine, keep watching those comedy's, one of the best things mentally and physically. I have I heart radio on my Iphone, I listen to the comedy channel everyday to help relieve the anxiety leading up to Surgery! And as another friend of mine reminds me in tough times, which also seems fitting for our situation... "Right foot, Left foot, Breathe"!!! Blessings,
Lene'

 

[stadx]

Happy for you Jen! Looks like you are on your way.

 

[ACDCJen]

Ugh...insomnia is the worst sometimes! At least I have hundreds of books on my Kindle to read! I feel as though I am improving every day. I am doing exercises, but not overdoing them. I forget to take my pain pills on a strict schedule and the pain has not gotten ahead of me at all. However, I do plan to get refills as the angry tissue stage is immiment! I have most pain on the inner and outer sides of my knee, but it's more tightness, stiffness, and discomfort that is getting slightly better. It feels weak there too, so I'm going to ask my PT for things I can do to help fix this. My new walker should arrive tomorrow so I can use it to really work on my gait. Hope to see my OS sometime soon so I can schedule my RTKA in November or December!

I'm really surprised by how well I'm doing at 15 days out. Maybe I'm kidding myself? Anyway, back to the next book and watching repeats on TVLand!

Good night in Bonesmartville!

Jen

 

[KarriB]

Very lucky that you can read! I couldn't concentrate to read for a few months. Forgetting to take meds is a great way to cut down naturally, but not too much at just 2 weeks out. Don't worry about weakness yet, your knee, soft tissue, muscles are still healing and will be weak for a while. Strength exercises are best left until 3-4 months after surgery, which is (IMO) the best time for pt, if you're going to do pt.

I'm glad you feel you're doing well, that's half the battle!

 

[referee54]

just be careful in the coming weeks of starting to do too much.

Yep, there come a point when we get a little too frisky and move a bit too fast or do a bit to much, and then we have paid our dues to join the ODIC---the Over Did It Club---slow and steady and be patient.

Ugh...insomnia is the worst sometimes!

Next to the length of my recovery, insomnia was absolutely the worst. I watched 100's of episodes of Law and Order during late-night forays into the living room; I am amazed that you can read---I had lots of great books that I could plow through, but the pain med put me into a fog, so my attention span was that of a beetle.

 

[ACDCJen]

I'm trying to read 75 total books this year. I'm only at 46! I'm definitely a reader!

 

[Celle]

I am taking my pain medication every four hours and I switch betweek Tramadol 50mg and Oxycodone 7.5mg. It seems to be working ok. I also add extra strength tylenol at times with the Tramadol, never taking more than 2000mg at a time or 4000mg a day.

You're doing very well, Jen. That's good to see. Your wound looks good.

Just a word of caution about the Tylenol: Although you aren't exceeding the daily total of 4,000 mg, you are exceeding the recommended safe dose if you take 2,000 mg at a time. 1,000 mg is the safe dose.
Tylenol is a great pain killer if taken properly, but it can affect your liver if you exceed the safe amount in one dose, even though you stick to a safe daily total.

You can combine Tylenol with Tramadol, as shown in the chart, below. Doing this could be a safe way to wean off the Oxycocone, when you feel ready to do that. The first table is for people taking their medications four-hourly and the second one is for six-hourly meds.

 

[greatlakes]

My late night insomnia fix was watching Call the Midwife on Netflix, which I hadn't seen before.

 

[ACDCJen]

Just had PT. I definitely feel strong after it's done! I'm being careful not to overdo it and I've been pretty successful so far! Just have to work on the lateral parts on either side of my patella. They are still tight and prevent me from bending as much as I can. So, massage, ice, and gentle stretching is in order. He gave me a few advanced exercises to do when I can. One is a mini-squat (not a real one because I know I can't do them!), but bending the knees a bit and sticking my butt out. Super easy and a good feeling in my quads. As I was doing them, he kept looking around and said he heard a floorboard creaking. It was my non-surgical knee making the noise!! I thought that was hysterical, but he was slightly startled. Hehehehe.

Jen