Become an Insider

TKR The Recovery Journey Begins: Second TKR

well I have stopped exercising my LTKR and I am icing/elevating a lot more. It is feeling better and less swollen, but still hurts when I go up or down stairs and when I rise from a low chair. I just hope this does not hinder my getting around with my RTKR.

Only 12 days until my next surgery. I did my phone preop today. I see my doctor and do my labs next Thursday. I am off my NSAIDS and vitamins and herbals. I think I am ready.

I am trying to maintain positive thoughts and am spending time with my kids and grandkids. I babysat my 2 year old grandson tonight and my 4 year old granddaughter, 13 year old granddaughter, and 10 year old grandson will come spend the night with us next week. Going out with a bunch of friends tomorrow night.

I just feel I need to see everyone before I am out of circulation for a long time. Also have in the back of my mind that I want everyone to have good memories just in case something were to happen in surgery! I hope that is not too morbid!
 
I needs some direction, please. Next Wednesday I am having my RTKR. I started this recovery thread for my LTKR. It has been very helpful in my recovery!

My question is, should I continue on this thread and maybe rename it, or should I start a new thread on Tuesday for my RTKR?
 
Iloved3 said:
My question is, should I continue on this thread and maybe rename it, or should I start a new thread on Tuesday for my RTKR?
Click to expand...
You can do whichever you prefer.

I think it's easier to stick with just one thread, so you don't have to keep flicking back and forth to different threads, to talk about different knees. If you choose to stick with one thread, we'll change the thread title for you, to reflect that your second knee is replaced as well, if you'd like. Just tell us what you'd like for a title and we'll change it for you.

Best wishes for Tuesday. I hope everything goes well.
 
Thanks! I can change the title. I will do that on Tuesday, as I get ready for surgery and begin my recovery journey! Thinking about when I can join a gym, exercise like a normal person with two good knees, and start my new life! Maybe four or five months out? January or February?
 
Tomorrow at 7:30am I will get my second knee replacement. I had my first one (LTKR named Lucie) in June and tomorrow will be RTKR named Roxie!

I am getting ready today! I have my recovery room set up with my bed, zero gravity recliner (elevates my legs way up), my GameReady ice and compression machine, and NetFlix. I have read everything on this forum in preparation! I am ready to ice, elevate, and take my meds on schedule to stay ahead of the pain.

I am trying to be as positive as I can. I am having some anxiety, but I am trying to focus on the time I will have two strong painless knees! Our goal is to travel more!

I will post more later or tomorrow after my surgery! Here I go...
 
Best wishes for tomorrow @Iloved3. Sounds like you're well-prepared and that Lucie is ready for the challenge. I had my TKRs staged 6 weeks apart and even with that short a gap, knee 1 came through like a champ.
 
@gertie , so glad to hear that you first knee did well with your second TKR. Lucie has been a star since day one, so I know she will do well for me!

Counting down the hours...
 
Well it is day one. My surgery went very well. Doctor said my hardware went in perfectly. Roxie (RTKR) is behaving very well!

My doctor did an epidural and Propofol. The epidural is still in and I get pain meds through it until tomorrow, so no pain.

I have been up to the bathroom, and saw PT. I did the quadsets, extensions and heel slides pretty easily. I measure at 107 and -2. I walked down the hall a bit and back.

Lucie (LTLR) is feeling strong and working hard to help Roxie out! Overall, I am extremely pleased. Now I am resting and icing! Life is good!
 
Sounds like you are doing wonderful. Stay ahead of the pain when the epidural wears off.
 
Update, Day 11:

It has been an adventure. The first day, while my epidural was still in, I went to the bathroom. I forgot which was my surgery knee and did not stick it out before I sat. No one reminded me to do that. Roxie audibly popped about six times. It sounded like someone twisting bubble wrap! Not too much pain, but I was still on the heavy meds.

The next day the epidural was removed by the night nurse and she told me the day nurse would give me oral pain meds. I called to ask for meds twice, but when she finally came, two hours later, I was in intense pain and crying. She told me the night nurse should have started my oral meds! I received Oxycodone and Toradol and finally got my pain back under control. Not a fun experience.

Roxie was much stiffer the second day after the popping incident. I measure at only 80 degrees after measuring 107 degrees on day one with no pressure. Day 3 I measured at 84 degrees.

I went home on day 3 with remarkably more pain than I had with Lucie in June. I tried Oxycodone for 3 days but it just does not seem like it works for me. On Tuesday I switched to Tramadol and Tylenol. I know that is supposed to be a much weaker pain killer, but it works so much better for me. Why would that be?

I started with two 50mg Tramadol and two extra strength Tylenol every six hours but I was having break through pain. I move to 2 Tramadol and one Tylenol every five hours. That is working quite well.

I have seen PT four times (that is all doctors are allowing now due to changes with Medicare). The PT was very gentle and did not push me. We concentrated on heel slides, quad sets, ankle pumps, and a few leg lifts, straight leg and over a rolled towel. By Friday, Roxie had reached 89 degrees, a far cry from Lucie at this point at 117 degrees. Slow, but progressing.

Friday afternoon I was walking with my walker from the bathroom and experienced a loud pop! It hurt a great deal and I thought Roxie might buckle but was able to hold myself up on the walker. It felt as if something sort of rolled across my knee and to the outside. It may sound crazy, but it sort of felt like something was going back into place. It became quite sore and swollen. Walking has been painful today and I am sure I am not bending it to 89 degrees like yesterday morning. I have continued to ice it almost constantly and kept it elevated. It is better tonight, but I think I may have to ice and elevate for days to get back to where I was. Roxie has had a rough go of it.

In addition, Lucie has really been challenged. She is not quite strong enough to be easily supporting me yet. This is probably due to my being too overweight. She is sore and tender, but doing her best.

So my question is if anyone else has experienced the popping I had day one and again day 10? Is it possible I pulled something out of place day 1 and the swelling just went down enough for it to release and go back into place on day 10? I think it is healing with the ice and elevation.

Sorry for the very long post, but this is the first day I have really felt like catching up. Nice to know you all are out there!
 
I'm not sure what that loud popping was, but since it made your knee swell more the first time, maybe you should ask your surgeon. Do you have clip or sutures that need to be removed? If so, ask at that post-op visit.

Here's a fresh copy of the recovery reading
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
for you:
 
After the popping on the hospital on day one, I spoke with the nurses, the PA and my surgeon. None had an explanation for it or seemed too concerned.

I see my surgeon on October 17 and I am sure we will discuss it again and the new big pop on day ten.

I hope by the time I see my doctor I will be progressing and this worry will be a thing in the past.
 
I never had a pop like that, either, and haven't a clue what it could have been. It's good that you're seeing your OS soon.
 
Well it is day 12. Pain and soreness have eased up with constant ice and elevation. Not quite back to the fuller stride I was taking a few days ago.

Feeling sort of blue and lonely today. Post op depression?

My husband, kids, and friends have been supportive but I just feel so isolated. When they visit or call, I am having trouble conversing. I feel like I have nothing to contribute except about my health issues.

Seems like time is just creeping by. I have TV, NetFlix, cell phone, unread books, but having trouble focusing on anything. The pain meds might be affecting that, I suppose.

@Celle , @sistersinhim, thanks for responding to my posts about the popping. Since it has improved some and has not happened again since day 10, I will wait and talk to my surgeon next week.
 
You are very welcome! I'm so glad you've had no more popping sounds. It was probably just tendon or muscles moving around, I hope! At least there's no pain with it.
 
@sistersinhim i did nothing all weekend except ice and elevate and take my pain meds. Finally, last night, I seemed to turn the corner. I can once again put more weight on my new knee.

It is sore to the touch where it popped and I have lost some of my flexation. I did some gentle bending for the first time since Friday. It doesn't go far, but the pain is much reduced. I know it will come back as it heals and as the swelling reduces more!

I think it is going to be a while before I get back to the 107 degrees I had on day one. Even the 89 degrees I had before the big pop seems far away, but I am determined to take it slow and not have too high of expectations!

Thanks for your support through this.
 
It sounds as if you're doing well.

I'm convinced that slow, steady and gentle is the best approach to recovery - and it makes it much less painful than pushing for quick results.
 
Celle is right. We have been through what you are going through and know that the quickest and easiest way to heal and rehab that knee is slow and easy! It has been proven over and over again.
 
Intellectually I understand the rational behind BS philosophy. Getting my own stubborn personality to let go and relax and let my knee rehab itself is a whole different story! I am a goal setter and an achiever which does not necessarily fit very well into this rehab model.

Thanks for reminding me to let my knee lead the way. I am struggling every day!
 
I understand how hard it is to let go of being in charge - my husband is always telling me I'm a control freak.

If you can teach yourself to accept that your knee is in charge of this recovery, I think it will be easier for you. Your knee knows what it is doing and it's healing on its own agenda, no matter how much we wish it would do what we want it to.

Listen to the knee, and do all you can to keep it happy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel
Corganics CBD

Staff online

  • Layla
    Layla
    Staff member since November 20, 2017

Members online

Total: 760 (members: 1, guests: 759)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom