TKR Thumper's new knee 21 Mar 2018

[SusieShoes]

Doing recovery your way will pay off. Walking around the house is good exercise! You’re only a week from surgery and don’t need aggressive therapy. Good for you!

 

[kneeper]

Those PTs are pushing a ridiculous amount of exercise, especially this early!--and are unreasonable to talk to to boot. :(
Good for you for standing up for yourself.

 

[Celle]

Feel like I'm doing better taking it slow and easy.

So keep doing just that.
Your knee knows what it's doing. Listen to your knee and do all you can to keep it happy.

If those PTs can't accept your wishes, you do have the right to tell them not to come.
Your knee, your choice!

 

[Cwick]

You didn't say how it's going with pain meds. I'm curious about that since they all make me sick too & I'm having bilateral TKR in June. OS says he will give me pain killer with something to settle stomach like you are doing. Is that working for you?

 

[ThumperJB]

@Cwick, when I was in the hospital I took Visteril along with NORCO 7.5. I was only in the hospital 1 night and had a nerve block during surgery so that was still working. I also asked theanesthesiologist for a patch behind my ear. when I got home I did ok for 2 days before the nausea started again. For two days I couldn't take my pain medicine it was horrible. It was the weekend so when Monday came I called the ortho and got a prescription for the patches. They last 2-3 days and work great. Now I am able to take my pain meds on schedule and making progress. Still at only 70 degrees of flexion but the swelling is the problem. concentrating on elevation and ice and walking as much as possible. I do all the exercises that I was given but I control when I stop based on pain level. Wishing you all the best with your pain control after surgery.

 

[ThumperJB]

Eight days post Op

 

[Cwick]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I will definitely ask for the patches! I've been worried about pain relief because of my history with pain relievers. I took 1 hydrocodone and threw up for 3 days. I couldn't even keep water down. I don't want to be going through that after surgery. Thanks for your help.

 

[MVP]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I will definitely ask for the patches! I've been worried about pain relief because of my history with pain relievers. I took 1 hydrocodone and threw up for 3 days. I couldn't even keep water down. I don't want to be going through that after surgery. Thanks for your help.

I’m 9 weeks post right TKR. I still take 1/2 Norco about 2-3 x daily. Pain is much more than I anticipated. I also have lower back pain level 7-8 at least once a day. I ice, elevate, and still struggle. But I’m hopeful and can’t wait for 3 month mark hoping to have less pain.

 

[ThumperJB]

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since my surgery. Did in home PT 3 days a week then saw my Doctor yesterday. He says healing is going as expected and scheduled me for out patient PT. My first appointment is for tomorrow. I am still at 78 degrees of bend and a little worried PT is going to try and force the issue. I hate to be ugly to anyone but if they hurt me I'm going to let them have it. The swelling has gone down some but when I am up and around it doesn't take long for the swelling to return. The PT is a 45 min drive from my house so I think by the time I get there my knee will be in bad shape.

I am so grateful for this forum and the members I don't think I would be making this much progress if I hadn't had others to share the journey. THANK YOU

 

[Jockette]

45 minutes for in the car is a long ride at your stage. I struggled with the 15-20 minutes it took me to get to my PT.

Some people manage riding sideways in the back seat with your leg up on the seat. But you still need to wear a seatbelt, so that could be tricky. Also, I had a hard time just getting into the back seat since I couldn’t use my operated leg to help move me along the seat. But others have been more successful than I was!

Take a cooler with some ice packs for the ride home.

Be very firm about no pushing. Some members refuse to let the PT touch their leg at all, requesting that the PT just explain what they want you to do. Remember, it’s your knee, your choice. They may tell you that they have to push your knee but it’s not true.