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TKR Trying for Acceptance

had my first physio appointment today, at 15 days instead of 9 due to physio being ill last week. extension at -10, flexion at 102 FWIW
 
Good morning FleuveStone, it’s probably Noon in Canada, but 5:30 AM here. Dr. Darren Chen: This is the same surgeon that did my original right TKR in 2012 and left TKR in 2022. A lot has changed in how he does his TKR surgery. Back in 2012 it was common practice to remove the inner crucial ligaments and they be replaced with a plastic piece that was raised and kept the joint from sliding out of place. In 2022 had a robotic arm cut the bone precisely while retaining the Inner Crucial Ligaments with my left knee. This plastic pole that is not present in my left knee is what has failed and why I needed revision surgery. It snapped off at work, so covered by Australian workers comp insurance. Unfortunately this revision surgery is just as painful so far with recovery. I’m now (transferred from Hospital) to Specialist Rehabilitation facility. Did both my previous recovery at home. Here for 2 weeks, great for meds as the staff keep track of what is needed. Getting 2-4 hours sleep before waking up in moderate pain. But also falling back to sleep fairly easily. No stress on my wife to do anything from myself at the moment. Her Mum was in hospital last night in another city and her Dad has been battling Cancer, so she’s busy helping them. The dressing Dr. Chen has removed and replaced after 2 weeks with the 1st 2 TKR’s seeing him next Tuesday. Hope you aren’t in too much pain. Myself been able to walk 40 meters without crutches and can get about 115 flex in the joint. Have not seen the Physio here yet, but later this morning.
 
@Aussie Bill , the advances/changes in TKR are truly remarkable. it sounds like you've got a great team and excellent setup, including indirect support for your wife. i have to admit i wanted to get this done ASAP so i can be available if and when my husband needs some medical care. it's a lot to put on a spouse or other family member and I feel really bad about imposing on him but am trying to get over it ...

hope physio went well. i got some good ideas from mine (chair yoga, lifting some weights while seated, etc ) so appreciate that
 
Trying to switch from Dilaudid (higher morphine) to Tramacet (lower morphine plus Acetaminophen). Mainly because I think Dilaudid messes with my sleep.

I've been taking the max dosage of Acetaminophen a day as well as Dilaudid, but that's harder to accomplish when Acetaminophen is included with the pain med (325 per tablet). I may not actually need the full dose of Acetaminophen if Tramacet works fine. But if I do need more, I can do some ciphering and possibly infill with Acetaminophen 325s.

Was very happy to finish off my course of Celebrex today. One less thing to factor in! Last week I finished the antibiotic (the name I can't quite recall), and have a couple more weeks of ASA and PPI. At least things are getting simpler in some ways.
 
You can still use the 500mg of acetaminophen with Tramacet and I would suggest it if possible instead of the 325mg. The only requirement is the math just to be sure you’re not going over 4000mg in any 24 hour period. The benefit of the 500mg is that it’s stronger and really made for pain like you’re experiencing. You can take up to 1000mg of acetaminophen in a single dose (counting all sources) and be within the guidelines. If you want to set up a schedule and post it here, we can take a look and verify that you’re okay.
 
so I'm trying 1 tramacet plus 1 extra strength acetaminophen for pre-nap pain management so I'll see how that goes. sleep was slightly better last night off Dilaudid so I'm motivated to keep experimenting

for the day I've now had three tramacet tablets including 975mg acetaminophen plus an additional 500 mg acetaminophen for a total of 1475 mg so far (i think !)

am also starting to feel some post op blues, about 18 days post surgery. will look up the bonesmart article on that particular phenomenon. before this I noticed I was feeling lots of anger, mainly irritation and frustration at how hard everything is... trying to navigate with the tww, getting very hot and/or tired after doing simple things, setting up the cryo machine etc.

this in spite of being pretty happy with how things are progressing. probably have unrealistic expectations :gaah:
 
helped to read about the blues, and about the non linear recovery we all experience. it helped put things in perspective for me

a positive thing I've noticed is that my left knee, which i had replaced almost two years ago, is actually feeling much better. not too long ago it felt hot and there was a fair amount of numbness radiating downwards. it has also helped enormously to have a pretty well functioning opposite knee this time around, instead of one that gets temperamental itself

just wanted to note that I'm very grateful for that and for the opportunity to get the second knee taken care of even though the recovery is tiresome
 
FleuveStone said:
it has also helped enormously to have a pretty well functioning opposite knee this time around, instead of one that gets temperamental itself
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I know there are brave souls on here who have had bilateral surgery; but I have a lot of stairs and I don't think I could have managed without a " good" leg.
It really sounds as though you are doing well.
FleuveStone said:
am also starting to feel some post op blues, about 18 days post surgery. will look up the bonesmart article on that particular phenomenon. before this I noticed I was feeling lots of anger, mainly irritation and frustration at how hard everything
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This is totally normal. It is a really tough surgery with exhaustion from the physical trauma of surgery/ anaesthetic plus pain enough to make anyone feel down.
Irritation is also totally to be expected. I got furious with people asking from about 3-4 weeks on whether I was feeling better yet!
Then expressing surprise from 6 weeks on when I said no- and implying there was something wrong with me or the surgeon.....!
 
@EalingGran, seems to be hard for other folks (normies?) to understand. wonder if there's guidelines on here for explaining the process to people?
 
Good Evening FleuveStone,
It is difficult for people that haven't experienced joint replacement to understand the healing process. Especially because there are so many variables. Some recovery quickly without any setbacks, some struggle with a slow recovery and some deal with complications. It varies due to pre-surgery fitness level, age, pre-existing health conditions, the severity of your knee condition pre-op...just to name a few.
If a "normie" :wink: as you referred to those who are uninformed know more than one person that's recovered from joint replacement, it's easy for them to judge and make comparisons. I think its best to let their unsolicited opinions go in one ear and out the other if there's a negative comment made....consider telling them that your OS is happy with your progress and that's all that matters to you.

I found the Post Op Blues to be fleeting. Something could hit me the wrong way and I'd be having a pity party for one :boohoo:...then I could be laughing ten minutes later. :shrug: Craziest thing! Best news is it's only temporary.
I hope you sleep well tonight and have a good week!
@FleuveStone
 
FleuveStone said:
seems to be hard for other folks (normies?) to understand. wonder if there's guidelines on here for explaining the process to people?
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When people questioned the length of time for me to 'snap back', I politely told them to go to youtube and watch a live TKR. No more comments from those people. No one understands a knee replacement unless they have actually had one. For me it was even worse than having a baby.
 
very clever, @sistersinhim !

had staples removed today. they replaced them with steristrips that are already peeling off. anybody know if i should try to intervene with surgical tape or some such? guess i can ask at the physio's tomorrow or check in with the nurse at the office who usually fields these questions.
 
I wouldn't do anything yourself. If the steristrips are really coming off and the wound is gaping at all- then I would check in with the nurse. Can you WhatsApp a photo to the team? I had glue and after a while I wasn't sure what was residual glue and what was scar/ scab so I sent a picture to the nursing team to discuss what to do.
 
thank you @EalingGran. sound advice! sent to nurse, am on my way to physio so door is open if she wants me to swing by
 
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the physio downplayed the steristrips (they're always like that) and i haven't heard back from the nurse yet. when i got them yesterday they said they'd come off in three days. maybe they meant Within three days and I'm being too literal as usual.

anyway again FWIW i got readings of about -2 to -3 and 105 or so which is supposedly good for where I'm at. also was warned again about "the window of opportunity". i just nodded politely. Thank goodness for sensible advice here on the forum.
 
FleuveStone said:
Within three days and I'm being too literal as usual.
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No, you're not.
Within does mean that they'll fall off sometime before three days are up, so yours started loosening on the earlier side.

If the wound appears healed, the strips were likely just an extra precaution for a couple of days. If it were me, I'd keep the area dry and clean and avoid baths unless you've already received a nod from your surgeon to soak in a bathtub. It's wise that you have a call into his office. Better safe, than sorry. In my time here, I've noticed that wound care protocol seems to vary widely between OS's.

FleuveStone said:
also was warned again about "the window of opportunity". i just nodded politely.
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Best thing to do. :thumb:
Glad you're doing so well. Happy Wednesday!
 
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