Bilateral TKR Tracie's new knees

[KarriB]

Sounds great! Good for you! Totally in awe of all the BTKRs!

 

[iivesfam5]

LOVE reading this report before my BTKR next Thursday!!! Can't believe it is almost here and you sound wonderful - I hope I can feel the same!!!

 

[treypops]

In my experience, the key to pain management is swelling management. Lots and lots of ice, super high elevation, and compression to help push fluids out of the joint. Stiffness and soft-tissue pain is almost completely attributed to swelling.

Pain meds are important to help you achieve comfort. If what you were prescribed wasn't working, your doctor should be able to help you find something that will.

 

[CATSMUM]

I ice about 6 or 7 times during the day and a couple of times at night (when l wake up in the middle of the night). Take meds regularly at the moment. Almost 5 weeks out and just beginning to feel that things are settling down.

 

[tdh_1]

Hi all! I haven't checked in for awhile and thought I'd let you all know how I'm doing. I still have PT 3X a week and tomorrow I see my surgeon for another follow up appointment. My left knee is great! Right knee is a problem child for sure. I still need Percocet to sleep but only 3 tablets total for the whole night so I don't feel too bad about that. I don't use anything for pain during the day. I still get exhausted very easily so I try to space my chores out so as not to get worn out too quickly. Standing is sometimes still a problem, I'm nearly 6 feet tall with VERY long legs, and the low chairs in restaurants, etc are quite challenging. My flexibility is great: 120 on left, 118 on right.

My PT says to give it another 2 months and I will be very happy that I had both done at the same time. I'm going to believe her!

 

[ptmhcm]

@tdh_1 What is the sleep aid your doctor gave you? I had BTKR on May 18. Sleep is an issue for me. : (

@Cindy knits Not every OS recommends BTKR but more and more people are doing it instead of one at a time.
You only have to deal with with epidural and nerve block and one recovery. Sure it is tough but you get it over with. I was glad I did it but sleep is still an issue for me.

 

[tdh_1]

@ptmhcm He gave me Temazepam 15 mg for sleep. It's very mild. In fact, I'm not sure it really even helps me. I tried taking the sleep aid alone, without any pain meds. I laid there awake for about 2 hours until I finally broke down and took a Percocet. My nightly ritual now is to take 1 Temazepam and 1 1/2 Percocet when I'm ready to lie down. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I evaluate if I'm in pain or not and if it's been the required amount of time and I'm in pain, I'll take another 1 to 1 1/2 Percocet which will take me through the rest of the night. I've had about 3 good nights in a row now. I'm hoping the doctor will renew my prescriptions tomorrow.

 

[Slainte]

Thanks for the good report! You are doing great!

 

[wberry]

Wow, you are doing great, it took me several weeks to get to that point with a single TKR.
That just goes to show that everyones tKR is different. @referee54 is a great resource fro Bilateral TKR since he is one.

 

[ptmhcm]

@ptmhcm He gave me Temazepam 15 mg for sleep. It's very mild. In fact, I'm not sure it really even helps me. I tried taking the sleep aid alone, without any pain meds. I laid there awake for about 2 hours until I finally broke down and took a Percocet. My nightly ritual now is to take 1 Temazepam and 1 1/2 Percocet when I'm ready to lie down. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I evaluate if I'm in pain or not and if it's been the required amount of time and I'm in pain, I'll take another 1 to 1 1/2 Percocet which will take me through the rest of the night. I've had about 3 good nights in a row now. I'm hoping the doctor will renew my prescriptions tomorrow.

Sounds like a smart plan. They gave me Ambien 5mg but it did not work. I may try Xanax to see if that helps me. B

 

[tdh_1]

My appointment went well. Doctor says my pain is completely normal, as is the fact that my right knee is a trouble maker. He says the right will eventually catch up with the left. He refilled my scripts and told me to take them if I have pain. The Percocet is working well so that's what he gave me again. The only problem is that I only get 40 tablets at a time. If I take 3 each night, they don't last very long! To get a refill, I have to actually drive to his office and pick up a paper script. What a pain! I have to fly in 2 weeks (it's unavoidable!) and I'm sure I'll need to medicate myself to be able to fold up into an airline seat. I'm just going to cross my fingers that he'll give me more when I need them.

 

[tdh_1]

Just reading through @jbrooklyn and @iivesfam5 threads. Gosh, I feel like a snail in my recovery! You both are doing so well and I'm still plugging along at 8 1/2 weeks. I know we are all different though. I can walk without, but still use my cane in public. I cannot stand still for very long at all. Dishes, cooking, checkout lines, etc are very difficult. Stairs are still very difficult. But, I guess we each get there in our own time. I'm really feeling like I've had enough already. I just want to feel "normal" again.

 

[jbrooklyn]

@tdh_1, my surgeon's assistant mails scripts for pain meds to me. I let her know when I have a week's worth left, and she sends out the script. Wondering whether you could do this, too? Also, I also take a crutch out in public usually, just for protection, and when I am on kitchen duty I often use a high stool, and going down stairs is still tough--so we have lots in common.

 

[MsBlue]

I am also taking Percocet (2.5 weeks after BTKR). My doctor's office mails me the scripts - it's over an hour's drive, so I just make sure to give them notice as to what day I will need the script and they "post date" the script and put in the mail. For instance, I just received the one dated today, which they snail-mailed on Friday. I also set up a personal FedEx account and they have used that to overnight me a script when I needed it. Expensive, but worth it.

I go up to bed each night with my two "old school" ice packs (like the ones you would see on a get-well greeting card). I had to look around for a while to find these, but finally got them at Walmart - and they are the BEST. I've had them for a couple of years and take them when I travel - you could even fill them with ice in the airport once through security and use them while folded into your airplane seat. I keep moving them around as I drift off to sleep - under my knees, on my kneecaps, below the knee, above the knee, etc. I think it helps.

I have stopped setting my alarm to take meds in the middle of the night. I usually get a dose around 10 PM and then around 4 AM (when my husband gets up).

My right knee was worse than my left before surgery, and the doctor commented that it was noticeably "tighter" as he worked on it. I have less R-O-M on that side, less strength, and I tend to "toe in" on that side. Doing them both at once easily provides a basis for direct comparison that we wouldn't otherwise have.

Best wishes!

 

[tdh_1]

Today was grocery shopping day. I was finally brave enough to try out an electric cart. I've been frightened that once I sat down, I wouldn't be able to get back up. I could! Now I'm sitting here exhausted, with ice on my knees but so happy that I managed this chore!

 

[Slainte]

Those carts are the best. Nice to be able to get out and about, yes? And you are right to rest after that. Glad you are doing well.

 

[tdh_1]

Question for bilaterals: How long did you have physical therapy? I've been going 3 days a week for 2 hours at a time. I am so over it. I don't want to go anymore.

 

[MsBlue]

Question for bilaterals: How long did you have physical therapy? I've been going 3 days a week for 2 hours at a time. I am so over it. I don't want to go anymore.

The week after surgery, I went to rehab and did at least 2 hours a day, every day. Outpatient, I go twice a week for about an hour each time. Unfortunately, my insurance limits me to 12 visits in 3 months, so I am about to run out of visits until October 1st. Not sure how I am going to cope with that - I may have to pay for it myself for the next three weeks.

 

[CATSMUM]

It's different in the UK as we don't do as much Physio, however, l only saw a Physio 5 times for about 20 minutes per session over a 10 week period. I only had one knee replaced so not sure if it would be the same for a bilateral over here.

 

[tdh_1]

I had 2 weeks in a rehab and the rest has been outpatient pt. My insurance will cover pt as long as it's deemed medically necessary. I feel like they might be stringing it out for that reason.


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