TKR TKR 10/23/2013 - Recovery with RA

[chestnc]

Hi my friends, @suzzee2000, @dogwheels, and @Mimi2u, thank you all for the lovely well wishes. You guys have just brightened my morning!!! At this moment and I should be asleep I can say I have minimal pain in my neck and shoulders. Monday I worked and came home straight away and hit he bed. Yesterday I was in pain at work and took a pain med and kept on going. Did feel better by afternoon and was able to go to my line dancing class yesterday evening. Thank you guys for thinking of me and hope you all have a pain -free week as well. I have an appt. with the pain management doctor on Monday so I will revisit what I should have done with her. My Rheumatologist does not want to write anymore pain med scripts since the laws have changed here in New York for controlled substances.

@dogwheels, thank you for the beautiful flowers. You have made my day. Croccus, tulips, and daffadils which is what I have planted around my house and waiting for to rear their little heads. I bet your flowers are beautiful. Thank you all again for thinking about me and will keep you guys posted regarding my pain management issues.

 

[kneeper]

I hope the pain management people can help you. Maybe massage, tens or something.

 

[chestnc]

Thanks @kneeper, I actually sent my tens machine for repair. That might help my knee. The pain management team is my own resource, so I cannot wait for my appt. on Monday. Work is tough and precip is coming tomorrow and the precip starts my body to ache in general. Work is tough so I am just trying to get through one day at a time. The knee is okay it is the RA that is taking it's toll on me. massages do help nit they are so short lived, but I think I will have to go with one. Thanks for suggesting that Kneeper.

 

[suzzee2000]

awwwww sorry you are feeling so poorly chestnc!!! I just hope you can get that RA under control so you can live pain free!! Hope tomorrow brings you much rest and peace.....

 

[chestnc]

Hi @suzzee2000, @Nana moon 27, @tashia, @dogwheels, thank you guys for the well wishes in my thread and other threads. I am trying to feel better and it is not so much the knee, but it is basically now the RA pain that has me suffering so. The thing is that I have been to pain management and have my pain meds increased and even with that I am still in a great deal of discomfort. Monday I will have to call my Rheumatologist. Maybe meds in that dept will have to be changed around. It could be the dampness as we have had some rain and it could be the change in weather. Though it is starting to become warmer her the yo yo of the weather either going from cold to warm or vice versa causes me to develop pain. Also work has been very busy. May have to take a few days off to pull it together. Hope all of you guys are doing well and wishing you all a great weekend.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Ah @chestnc I so feel for you. I hope you can get that horrid pain under control soon x x x try and have an way weekend if you can. I know that is easier said than done in all our cases. Take care Christine love Nana moon27 Ann xoxoxox big hugs

 

[chestnc]

@Nana moon 27 thanks so much. Sometimes when I am in this much pain, not certain which way to turn, but will put in a call to Rheumatologist office on Monday. He may need to change some of my RA meds around. Thanks for thinking of me. Have a great day.

 

[dogwheels]

Thinking of you @chestnc - hope that pain calms down a bit soon so that you can rest and recuperate.
XXX

 

[chestnc]

Thanks so much @dogwheels, you and me both Will try to rest today after I get back from taking my mom to have her blood work drawn with the home attendant to help me. (Mom has Alzheimer's). Thank you again for the well wishes.

 

[new knee in June]

@chestnc
I am so sorry you are feeling so much pain As if healing from Knee replacement wasn't
Enough. I hope you can take a few days off from work. Are you also your Mom's care-giver ?
Hoping your appointment will give you answers & adjust your pain meds.
We all deserve a pain free life.
Have a restful weekend
Thinking of you
Diana

 

[chestnc]

@new knee in June, Thank you so much!! That's what I say, sometimes my body feel just worn down from pain. I did take off one day two weeks ago as I was in so much pain with knee and RA, I just could not move. So I took that day off. My mom still lives at home with my step-father. My step -sister is her main care giver and on the weekends I have alternate home health aides. I used to take my mom on several weekends to my home which is about 20mins car ride away, ut since the knee replacement I have had her here about twice. Once wa a for a week a month pot op for me in November. I don't know how I did that. Both home health aides were off and step -sister needed to be off as well. And once for a weekend. It is tough for me to care her because it's total personal care though she can move with encouragement and she can feed herself. She is also able to still go to day program Monday- Friday. Though with our bad winter she did miss a lot of days there which is okay. I so agree with you that we all deserve a life pain -free. I am wishing that for you and all of our bonesmart folks here. Have a great day!!

 

[suzzee2000]

@chestnc I am so so sorry to hear of your suffering with your RA so much! There has to be something stronger on the market to help you! Heck they can put men on the moon and can't figure out pain management? I hope you find a solution to your problem with pain SOON!!!! Is it possible that you could move/transfer to a better climate here in the good ole USA to help your suffering??.....just a thought

I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD Weekend!!!!!!

 

[kneeper]

Have you tried a heating pad or warm baths? Sometimes warmth can be soothing.

 

[ironman60]

Chestnc, I hope you can find something that works soon.
You are so kind to help people on this forum & were one of the first to jump in & help me.
Thank you so much & good luck.

 

[chestnc]

Hi @suzzee2000, thank you so much for your well wishes. No @ this point I could or would not think of moving anywhere. Two reasons, one would be I need to be here near my mom who is 82 and lives with step--father. Mom also has Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease. I would never leave her behind and live in another state. Also I still hurt even when the weather is warm at times. I know you are trying to think of things that might help me. Also I have been working at this job for 28 years. I have my FML in place. Also all my docs are here. I can't imagine looking for a new set of doctors as I see so many specialty MD's. There is no way that I would start over someplace new and go on orientation at a new job as I still have some more years to work, and leave my Mon.- Friday 9am - 5:30pm no weekends, no nights job and start at the bottom. No way... But I have had moving suggested to me before by other folks. Thanks suzzee2000 for trying to help me out here though. You are so sweet and caring, trying to help me and you are newly post op. I hope you are feeling well. I know you were doing very well when we last chatted. I am so happy for you . Suzzee2000, the weekend thus far is good. Tomorrow promises to be a good warmer day than today, so I plan to pick up my mom and home attendant, take them to church and possibly stop in town at a little shop and have a little lunch and ice cream after church if it is nice outside.

@kneeper, I alternate warmth and ice pack. I have a whirlpool tub and soak and bask in that every night . It's a short term fix. But a fix non-the-less .

@ironman60, thank you for finding your way to my thread. I certainly hope you are doing better. Thank you so much for the well wishes too. I hope you are a bit better.

@Nana moon 27, @dogwheels, @tashia, @new knee in June,@Mimi2u, and my other friends above: Actually guys I did get a break today as I had a "Netflicking" day (Watching movies on Netflix) and though the weather was beautiful, I just went out for a little bit this am. With the help. and along with my mom's home health aide, I took my mom out briefly to get her blood work done. Then came back home and with the assistance of pain medication and rest in between, I was able to actually get a lot done for the first time on a weekend in a long, long, long time. I did over do it a bit even though I rested and napped and movie watched the day away. I did some laundry, tidied up the living room, steam cleaned the living room rug, changed the cat litter, cleaned the bathroom in my room and the main bathroom, damped mopped the hardwood floors and steps, and before dark I swept up some of the leaves on the front side of the house. I was going to do some ironing, but I felt the tiredness starting to come over me. I took a warm/hot bath, got in the bed, and went straight way to sleep. Woke up now and boy was I sore all over and knee pain with some swelling. But I feel so good that I accomplished a lot. Took pain meds, icing, and relaxing now in bed with lap top. All in all day was good, and house is clean. Wishing all of you pain free days ahead and a good rest of the weekend .

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @chestnc it's so nice to know that you are getting towards some sort of normality. I felt exhausted when I read what you did. Well done you! It's hard to get the balance right. I think we all have to learn as we go and understand our capabilities and limitations. We are all so different in our recoveries. I am starting to do more round the house now. Yes my knee swells up and all but screams at me at times. I see it now as an angry toddler where you have to be firm but fair yet flexible too!!!

I wish you pain free days too. I've started reducing the morphine by 10 mg day and night yesterday, I have taken same dose today and will do tomorrow. Then if I'm ok I will reduce it another 10 mg. I am backing this up with 4x2 tablets of paracetamol (Tylenol). If I could just control it with paracetamol I can drive again. I can go back to work. I can get my life back x x x x fingers crossed.

Have a great Sunday x x x

Love Nana moon 27 xox big hugs x

 

[dogwheels]

Hi @chestnc - glad that you slept well .... sorry that your knee is complaining.
You did such a lot, but I completely get why you did it and guess that you felt brilliant once your house was clean and tidy. After all that you deserved some well earned sleep.
Hope you manage to have your little outing with your Mum after church and enjoy what remains of your weekend.
X

 

[kneeper]

A whirlpool tub--I'm jealous.

 

[new knee in June]

@chestnc
So glad you are feeling better today You did much more than I did yesterday I hope today
You can rest & take it easy. Please keep us up- dated as to what your R.A doctor says tomorrow.
I hope all goes well & they can get your pain under control.
I will say a For you,
Sincerely,
Diana

 

[Jozilla]

I was exhausted just reading about all you did. It is nice though to feel good enough to do it though! Glad you felt better and hope you get some help from your doctor tomorrow!


RTKR - 9th December, 2013