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TKR The Odyssey of My Newfangled Knee

Yes, as we get more active, the knee has more things about which to complain!! I am now taking celebrex during the day to see if I can stop night time tylenol 3--seems to work "pretty" well. However, I am now getting little "pokes" from inside the knee all up and down the scar line and sometimes in the "dead" zone. I figure it is just damaged nerves trying to reconnect--it isn't intensely painful, but I certainly notice it. Most days I have sciatica as well as pain in the groin (hip going too?!!) on the new knee side, so walking isn't grand fun no matter what--each step kind of thuds all the way up. That said, I can do a mile up and down hills or 10 min on my elliptical without much problem. I just look forward to the day when the new knee consistently feels better than before the operation.
 
@momweb
momweb said:
Today and last night were tough. Around 3AM I awoke to an excruciating pain in my knee. I don't think I did anything, I was sleeping
Click to expand...

Similar thing happened to me last night.... A position I've slept in for weeks all of a sudden sent "Buddy" ( the name I "fondly" call my knee) into a fit! I quickly changed positions and he calmed down. Seriously??

Good luck on your OS visit!

I agree about roller coasters. Never liked them either AND I like to be in CONTROL! :rotfl:
 
There were times in the months following my TKR that my knee seemed to get stuck in a weird position while I was sleeping. It would wake me with a start and I'm sure I shouted out because it was painful. It stopped after a while.
But it sounds different than what you experienced. Hope the OS has an explanation.
 
@momweb - That does NOT sound fun at all.. Sorry you are having so much pain.. I agree with Celle, but will be very interested to hear what your surgeon says tomorrow.. Hang in there!!! You have your set belt on with us here at Bonesmart. - you'll get through the ride!! :friends:
 
Well ladies, I guess I'll find out at 8:30 tomorrow morning when I see the surgeon. As I'm sitting here tonight, if my knee is not perfectly straight, I am getting what I can best call "spasms" of pain out the left side of my knee, which is the inside. When I move it, the "Spasms" stop but the pain persists for a few more seconds. Massage helps it to stop. Get me through the night....the morning will be here soon enough!!
 
Hope your OS is able to shed some light on what's going on with you. I'm sorry you feel like you're at a We Are Not Amused-ment park roller coaster ride

And don't forget to ask him for a prescription for patience! Wouldn't it be easier if there were patience pills we could take when we don't have any more of our own?

BTW, I'm also seeing my OS for a follow-up tomorrow.
 
Well everyone, you were right, I am normal and the roller coaster ride of a year continues!!! :bored: I saw the OS today and explained my plight. He's such a sweet guy, but assured me that all's well. After x-rays, the implant looks good, the patella is tracking nicely, and the stability is good. He said I have some hypersensitivity which is common in people who have had issues with their patella, like me. So, he prescribed Neurontin for a month which should help quiet down the nerves. He also wants me to massage the h... out of the inside of the knee to continue to break down the scar tissue so he prescribed Voltaren gel to help with that.

He reminded me, with a smile, :) that I am ONLY 3 months out, so there's still a lot of healing going on. UGH, where have I heard that before? :wave: Take Tramadol as needed and keep working those muscles and continue therapy to rid the joint of scar tissue that is causing the pain. It will go away, he assures me.

The last thing I got was a year's worth of antibiotics. I have a dentist appointment for a cleaning in 3 weeks. So I need to pre-medicate. His APRN said even while I'm on vacation, if I should scape my leg and it looks like an infection could set it take the antibiotic as a precaution. You do not want any bacteria at this point to get into that joint.

Well, after all that I am now exhausted!!:sleep: Back to pool therapy tomorrow. I think I'll take a Tramadol before I go so I can get through some of the tougher parts. But I will get through it with a vision knowing that nothing is physically wrong and the hurt I feel is just part of the healing process. OK, so why didn't patience come with the surgical bandage? It should have!!

My glass is now half full again, at least for awhile. Thank you all for your support. Let's hope I can keep this momentum going!!:flwrysmile:
 
@Thesoutherncook the OS wanted to try the Voltaren Gel to reduce the pain in the area of the knee that is still painful. He reduced my Celebrex to 200MG once a day instead of twice. I can also use the gel on the other knee which needs to be replaced later next spring. I think he's trying anything to try and reduce my pain levels so I can work through what needs to be done to recover. So, we shall see.
 
@momweb Thanks! I have voltaren but have not used it on "Buddy". I'm in a similar boat with my left knee. I originally ( before surgery) thought I'd have it replaced in Oct and be DONE with this ( hoping for a trip to Paris in the spring) BUT, on this side of the surgery,I've decided to wait.... Maybe I'll be getting it replaced along with you next spring? Not nearly as exciting as Paris in the spring! :bawl:
 
@Thesoutherncook at this point, my goal is to do the left knee the end of March, then take the several months that follow to recover. Then come spring 2017 both knees should be good and my dream trip to Hawaii awaits. So, one more year to all this is all I'm willing to give!!
 
Good to hear all is good. It's amazing all the different pain that comes from this surgery.

Every year I say "next spring" for my left knee then I get to spring and it doesn't hurt that badly. I'd definitely rather do this in spring than winter. The cabin fever during the Polar Vortex nearly did me in.
 
The best part of everyone's responses today? Not a single one of you said, "I told you so!" Thank you for that!
 
I'm glad you followup visit went well and your surgeon was so reassuring. :thumb:
 
@momweb i enjoy the pool more than the land therapy. I do one time a week of each. I'm almost 10 weeks out and I think with the pool have been getting less swelling. We all need a present of patience to be delivered to us. One year can't arrive soon enough
 
You're funny @Slainte. I think part of the recovery which we forget is the damage we had before the surgery. I had a lot of Patellofemoral pain issues for over a year or more before surgery. Most of my arthritic pain was in the knee cap. The tracking issues I had left me in intense pain which meant I didn't work out, I limped more, and my gait was off. So, now that I've had the TKR, I have to recover from that surgery plus regain all I had lost before. So, @Dearjr I'm finally beginning to understand why it often takes up to a year to gain back full strength. I just hope those gifts of patience keep getting dropped off at my door because as you know there are days...........
 
I had the patella issues as well but mine was an abnormality in my femur that caused my patella to slip out to the side if I as much as sneezed. I have a lot of pain and swelling in my new knee but no instability at all. I know when I stand up that my knee cap won't slip out and for that reason alone this was so worth it. You are doing really well and your future holiday is going to be amazing!
 
@cairistiona60 well you know how I feel. Having that knee cap issue seems small, but it affects so many muscles and tendons. I hope your swelling goes down and your pain decreases. Mine is slowly getting better. Last night, I slept pain free for the first time since surgery. The Neurotin made all the difference. We'll keep moving slowly ahead.
 
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