TKR TKR Mon. July 21 at noon!

[Roselover]

Sorry, my comment posted before I was ready. (these touch screens!) I meant to say that I was nauseous my second day post op, and that made everything else worse.

 

[DianeJ]

@Roselover. I can see how miserable that would be! I had some nausea this morning & they gave me a shot of Zofran & I was fine for eating breakfast then thank goodness.

 

[Reebok]

Pain management is an issue for most people.
When I was in hosp immediately after surgery, I was waiting for the good drugs. Just kept getting paracetamol.
Soon found out their policy is to medicate on request, meaning I had to ask for more drugs.
But that was day 3. Soon sorted, but was in limbo for a while, and not a pleasant one.
Maybe we need to tell people to be more insistent on pain management when first back to the wards

 

[referee54]

Congratulations! Keep those excellent posts coming! I am glad to read that the pain management si on time and working---and let us know how things are progressing!

 

[DianeJ]

Had a great night of sleep! Of course they come in & wake me up for labs about 5:30 am & 6 am for vitals. Just got back from morning PT. They walk me down there, do the PT and then back. Yesterday I was at 10 & 80. Today 6 & 91! Appetite ok but not gangbusters. OS was in this morning to see me & he was quite pleased with progress. Nurse just came in to change bandage so be back later! I hope everyone else is having good day

 

[Lovestoread]

Glad to hear things are going so well for you! Adequate pain management and a little sleep sure make everything seem brighter! Continued good luck to you!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

 

[Gingiebot]

@DianeJ Welcome to the other side! So happy all went well for you. Nausea and not sleeping have been constant battle for me. But you seem to be on top of things. Please keep us posted.

 

[DianeJ]

Oof. Today I had stomach issues. Poor appetite, indigestion & constipation. They brought prune juice so I gulped it down without tasting or breathing. Ugh hideous stuff! Hope it works! I'd say knee pain is about 4 so not too bad but its a deep ache. Knew I wouldn't get thru it with no issues! Going to get nightgown on & hope to get a good nights rest! Night all!

 

[DianeJ]

I am doing well so far with pain management except the pain pills started making me nauseous. They give me too many pills of all kinds at once which makes me queasy! This morning they added milk of magnesium on top! Went to PT & came back to room & lost it all.

On the positive side, should be going to rehab today! PT going very well now if I could just get the constipation under control!! Onward!

 

[icep707]

Welcome to the otherside, the real challenge happens once you leave the hospital. It will be your responsibility to maintain constant , med intake, around the clock, like every 4 hours. That mean waking up to take pills. Oh you will need more prune juice and stuff. Hope you have a commode riser. Proper knee elevation is critical and excessive iceing is the rule of thumb here on bonesmart. I had months off work so for 6 weeks I did absolutely nothing but rest , elevate and ice for 16 hours a day. Plus I never missed a dose of my scheduled meds. Fortunately my pain level never exceeded a 4. Also resist temptation to do too much . That was my mistake. It increases swelling and slows your ROM. You are off to a excellent start. But again , the real challenge is when you get home. Dont allow a therapist to push too much . Energy drain and lack of sleep are inevitable, just embrace it ! You ROM has its own time clock and could take months not weeks, patience will be your virtue. Best wishes Iceman

 

[Gingiebot]

@DianeJ I hate to tell you but constipation is going to be an ongoing problem so you may as well develop a routine that works now. Stool softener, laxatives, prunes, keeping hydrated...all are your friends and you just need to figure out the right combo. I hope you get yourself feeling better today.

 

[tiredwife]

@DianeJ make sure you eat something before you take your meds. It will help. Hope they get all your stomach issues settled soon! Don't overdo it. Hope you have a great day.

 

[Reebok]

I was given good old dry ginger ale when nauseous and it worked a treat. Likewise a small piece of dried ginger seems to work as well.

 

[dtmbf]

So many of us suffered with nausea & constipation also. You just have to figure out what works for you & be diligent till you're off pain meds. Once I got the constipation straightened out, the nausea got a bit better. Feel for you!

 

[DianeJ]

@icep707 @Gingiebot @tiredwife @Reebok @dtmbf Thank you all so much for the advice & moral support! I think also that my nausea will improve when I get the constipation fixed. They are going to give me a suppository tonight and I hope that works! I do try to take some crackers when they give me pain meds. Pain med is PRN here at rehab so hope I don't get behind!

 

[bottomshollow]

@DianeJ, you are now an

! Remember the BoneSmart mantras---they will give you the best recovery ever.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[tiredwife]

@DianeJ stay on top of it, you might have to set some type alarm and call for meds as soon as it goes off. I'm one of those people who have to eat with most meds or I throw them up. Crackers wouldn't do for me. I would need real food. Hope your stay at the rehab will be a good experience.

 

[skigirl]

I got crackers and peanut butter and kept it beside my bed. Then, I ate two crackers with peanut butter with every dose. I used my phone to remind me that four hours was up.

 

[DianeJ]

I didn't have PT today, but did get to take a shower & wash my hair so feel like a new woman!! While bandage & TEDS were off I took a pic of incision. Not too bad for only day 5!

 

[tiredwife]

@DianeJ To me staples always look painful! Your knee looks like it is starting to get some shape to it, really good at 5 days.