TKR Two New Knees and Hot to Trot

[Titianlady]

tashia. Thank you soo much for the phone call. Talking with you has cheered me up. It felt so good to talk with someone,who has gone,through this first hand and knows how recovery truly feels..

Our friends and loved ones do their best to sympathize and empathize, but here at BoneSmart everyone truly knows the discomfort, the frustration, and the blues we have.

The members here really care about one another. It feels so reassuring to know there are people that care.

Thank you so very much everyone..you make getting through the long recovery easier by far.

 

[new knee in June]

Dear Toni,
I am so happy Tashia called you today I hope you are feeling better....do you think it could be the meds
I walked out on my deck today & could barely make it back into the house........dizzy, off balance, & felt very
I blame it on the Percocet. The day I get off these meds will be here is what I eat when I'm feeling
Sick.......ginger ale ( warm & flat), toast with peanut butter & bananas...watermelon...so good...
Have a peaceful night....your husband sounds
Take care,
Diana

 

[tashia]

Toni, It was so good to talk to you. Recover is hard and it does help to talk to people who have done it. take care and do be careful. Tashia

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

My best wishes go out to all you "California Girls" (the Beach Boys, not the David Lee Roth or Katy Perry versions--goin' old-school). So great you can talk to each other! Hope your awful heat wave breaks soon. We had it in Chicago last year during my early RTKR recovery, and I know what you're going through. Hang in there!

 

[DAJ]

Dear Titianlady Toni, hope you are well and that your day is brighter. I returned from a trip to a seminar and was wiped out, and so lounged around all weekend. scar looking better, dentist tomorrow!! and then on Friday have a trip for four days cant wait. I have been getting tissue pains but I think thats normal. I swelled up on Friday from overdoing it, so I took it easy after that. I havent taken pain meds since three weeks ago in hospital how is three weeks down for you my kneemate?

 

[Titianlady]

Hi DAJ. Today was much better. My knee functions just fine. 130/0 ROM. I have a band of swelling right above the kneecap where the quad meets the kneecap. It is about 2 inches wide. It is fluid, not stiffness of the prosthesis. My knee itself doesn't hurt, but that band of fluid makes it a little hard to walk correctly because it gets in the way. It amazes me that I can bend and straighten the knee with that band of swelling, but i can.

It also makes the scar just at that 2 inch wide area very hard and tender to the touch. Lots of puckering and puffiness, and kind of feels like hard little marbles on one side of the scar.

They really went at it with the tourniquet this time as I have a very deep muscle bruise at the side of the thigh. Sometimes the thigh area feels swollen too.

Other than that, I'm coming along very well. Icing, and elevating is about all I can do. Can't take anti inflammatory meds, so I am calling my OS today for some anti inflammatory cream. Hope that works for me.

You are recovering just wonderfully!! Enjoy your trip!!!

You'll have to tell me all about it when you get back!

 

[new knee in June]

Hello Toni,
I hope you have a much better day today I have that same band above my knee, it does go down
With icing, but mine comes back after I exercise keep on icing,who knew we would us so much ice.
My best to you
Diana

 

[DAJ]

Dear Toni Titianlady the gel I use is called ibuprofen and it works very well i rub in into the knee and around the back.( avoid your scar) i have no pain really except when i walk a awhile, but now my good knee is starting to object when I go downstairs.

This is my operation for those who asked about Osteotomy and it is used more and more in younger patient to prolong the time before TKR



talk soon, keep smiling

 

[new knee in June]

Good morning Toni,
Missing you & hoping you are doing well..
Talk soon,
Diana

 

[HorseyLady]

Hi Toni. Just catching up with your thread as I wanted to see how you are getting along! Sounds like you are doing really well - your ROM is fantastic!
I too have had thigh trouble which they blamed on the tourniquet. I had lots of horrible blood blisters but they have healed now but also some deep bruising thats taken a while to come out. The bruises are finger marks shaped so I do wonder if my OS was a little rough!
Great that you have been able to talk with other Bonesmarties - how fantastic I honestly think it is only people on this forum who understand what we all go through.
Take Care

 

[Titianlady]

Hi ladies! Sorry to be MIA from the board. This strange swelling is getting me down. I stayed flat on my back last evening and all day today with my leg elevated. The health nurse came by today and we had a chat. This health nurse is the RN supervisor. She asked me all kinds of questions about what I did from day of surgery to now.

In her opinion, I did way to much, way too soon..since I felt so good coming out of surgery, I was over active. And the PT I had,while gentle, had me fast tracked to function and weight bearing and walking with a cane far too early, and far too aggressively. It appears I'm the poster child for the ODIC!!! LOL I would gladly give up that title!

She feels I set up the swelling cycle with over use and it will take quite a while to break it. She told me to basically start my recovery over again from the beginning. Staying down, elevating, no getting up and walking except to the bathroom or kitchen, and to use the walker to help take the weight off the knee.
She even said NOT to do the bending exercises right now either..to just stop irritating the area.

My husband was kind of shocked. I have been walking aid free. He thought I was going strong, so hearing that I kind of need to start from the beginning came as a surprise.

The swelling is at the top of the kneecap..above the kneecap. It is an area about 3 wide starting at the top of the kneecap where the quad attaches to the kneecap.
The knee feels overstuffed, full, and sooo tight and heavy..almost like it was sutured too tight internally. It makes walking difficult. I know it's not adhesions as the knee bends to 130 and straightens to 0 with no effort.

You can see the swelling as it is puffy, wrinkly, and obvious. There is no swelling at the kneecap itself or below.
The area is kind of red and very, very warm. No fever, and the incision is healed beautifully. I never had any bleeding or seeping of the incision at all..my first dressing removed was totally dry and continued to be bone dry.

Since I spent the day down, it feels a bit better this evening..still swollen, but not as red and hot. I think I will be ok in another week if I just start like today was my first day of surgery and go easier.

Friday will be 4 weeks. I will call my surgeon for my first post op visit with him..I will ask him if I can make it a 6 week visit as right now there is no way I could handle the two hour drive to his office, and the two hour drive home.

I've popped in and read your threads. I'm so happy for all of you!! new knee in June, My way, puffin, HorseyLady, DAJ! Dulcimer Diva

We're all plugging right along and each of us are progressing so well!! BRAVO JUNE SUNBEAMS!!!

 

[bottomshollow]

Just shows to go you, that no two knees are alike and how soon we forget how it was the first time around. Glad you've gotten such good advice and that you are following it.

Take care of yourself and that knee and keep us posted. We care.

 

[new knee in June]

Good morning Toni,
So happy to hear from you I am so happy you have a great nurse to help you so early in your
Recovery I think with your great rom, 1week off will be really good for your knee.
I know staying down will be hard for you.....but after all...you are a "June sunbeam" & all will be fine
Take care, post when you are up to it...
Hugs,
Diana

 

[Titianlady]

Josephine. Josephine, I'm hoping to draw on your vast experience with my swelling issue..I'm 4 weeks out today..I have an area of swelling that just doesn't want to give up! The swelling is at the top of the knee..right at the quad attachment to the knee. When I stand up, the swelling thee actually gets in the way of comfortably being able to walk well. The knee doesn't hurt, my bend is 130, ext. 0.

I can't get to my surgeon for two weeks..he is out giving lectures.

If I stand, and reach down and pull the swelling upward, all is fine!! Last night I found an old knee compression sleeve and put it on. It made a world of difference.

Is this just something I need to be patient with? The swelling actually is not painful, just a nuisance at this stage. I can't walk well as it causes my quad to start to feel way to tight after less than a minute, and burn.
It also makes the knee feel heavy, and sluggish through the ROM.

The incision is healed beautifully, and there is just the normal warmth..no excessive heat.

Would some compression help? I can't take anti inflammatory at all. I know if I could, it would help, but alas, it is not in the cards.

Thanks Josephine for your advise

 

[Josephine]

You need do nothing but the mantra - remember?

- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

If you think the compression thing helps, by all means use it but it's not uncommon or unexpected for a knee to still be swollen at 4 weeks, 6 weeks and even 8 weeks and more! Or did you forget that bit?

 

[Titianlady]

Josephine. I should know better, shouldn't I I guess I'm just very stupidly comparing this knee recovery to my first one, and I know I should not be doing that. I think my first knee recovery was not the norm..I was very, very lucky with it..no real swelling.

I am deffinately following the mantra without fail. I MUST force myself to remember I am only at 4 weeks.. not even a blip on the radar with this recovery.

Thanks for the reality check Josephine..sometimes I think we all need one.

 

[My way]

Oh My, I woke up feeling great. I don't think I over did it. This afternoon my knees feel very sore. I elevated, iced and rested but they still feel sore. I guess we have to remember there will be those days. take care
Wanda

 

[Titianlady]

My way. yes, Wanda, there will sure be those days!! We just plug along and try to listen to our knees. They are certainly temperamental aren't they.

 

[new knee in June]

Ladies,
I wish you both a relaxing, peaceful weekend
Toni, I know it takes a lot for you to rest, elevate, & ice constantly, but it is what Josephine & your
Nurse said to do, hopefully in a week you will see a great improvement
My way,
I' m sorry you are in pain today please rest & take your meds. On time.
for my 2 bonesmartie friends.
Take care,
Diana

 

[Titianlady]

new knee in June.