TKR Update-Gratitude

lovinlivin8

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Hello friends. This is my left TKR. Right was done 1 1/2 yrs ago. The hospital has been great helping with the pain management. I will be reviewing the post op forum articles. If I can find them. I intend to stay positive and not push past the pain. The therapist I have is pretty good about listening to me.
anyway. Checking in this am.
 
@lovinlivin8 Welcome to the other side. I will save you hunting for the recovery guidelines and post them here for you:

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary

2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this Activity progression for TKRs

6. Access these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
@lovinlivin8 Congratulations on your new left knee :yes!: soon you will have a matching pair of firm sturdy knees and a independent that come with it, having had your right knee done in April 2019 you know what to kinda expect, although I have heard and read on this forum that no 2 knees are identical in their healing, so treat this knee with plenty of love and care, and in return it will reward you. I'm only 1 year post surgery on my left knee and being able to everything pain free, I'm now so looking forward to getting the right one done too, however it is early days and I might have to wait a bit to be able to justify surgery.
Follow the guidelines and give yourself time to heal xxx
 
Thank you for the encouragement. My second knee was never as bad as the first one was so I had to decide if it was time. But there was plenty of things it could not do that the new Rt knee could so the contrast helped me choose to get it done. I’m glad it’s over. Now comes the healing.
 
You've been through it and know what to do! Good healing to you.
 
Happy Friday
10days post Op now. Pain is better and I am getting around better. Pain still wakes me up wee hours of the morning
but I guess that’s to be expected.
I am a bit frustrated with the new laws In the US about pain Meds. They prescribe 10days only. No refills. You have to get a new(though virtual at least) appointment with Dr for a whole new RX. But at the virtual Dr visit he told me Do Not take the meds on schedule but only as needed.10/10 pain take 1 pill. 5/10 pain, take 1/2 pill otherwise ice/elevate and tough it out! Is he kidding?? He and the politicians who make such stupid regulations have not had TKRs. It’s not easy. But I’m doing my best. But if pain gets up There 8-10 I take the whole Pill. When o run out they will probably send me to pain management people. It’s screwed UP!!
 
That’s not very good advice you need to keep up with the pain especially the first few weeks. I just had to have someone pick up my script from the Dr office every week and eventually he just gradually cut the dose down from 10/325 to 7/325 and then down to 5/325. I was able to get refills for about 7-8 weeks.
 
@lovinlivin8
You'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. Don't worry that we won't see your new question as, between us, the staff read all new posts each day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
Tagging other members and answering tags

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.


Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?
Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on. Please will you do that?
 
About pain management:
You do need to take your pain meds on a regular schedule and your surgeon gave you bad advice.
It is possible to have Tramadol prescribed once the heavy-duty narcotics are running our, and Tramadol combines very well with Tylenol, to give good pain relief. Ask your own doctor/PCP if he/she will prescribe Tramadol, if your surgeon won't.

Tramadol is a synthetic narcotic, not a powerful as the ones originally prescribed, and it is a useful "step-down" drug from the stronger ones.

Pain at night is often caused by doing too much during the daytime, so do check your activities against this article: Activity progression for TKRs

And don't forget that icing is good for pain relief, too.
 
@lovinlivin8
I hear you about the pain meds situation in the US. I had bilateral TKR on July 6th. My doctor was very stingy with the narcotics. Not having good access to pain meds during this HUGE surgery upset me very much!!! I was given more pain meds for prior surgeries (c-section, wisdom teeth removal, 2 arthroscopic meniscus surgeries, gall bladder removal). My husband even got more pain meds for his two hip replacement surgeries in 2018! I did advocate for myself and got more meds prescribed. You have to speak up and demand appropriate pain relief. I told my doctor that he didn’t have to worry about me getting addicted because he never gave me enough pills to get addicted to! I got cut off at 6 weeks. Thank God I’m past most of that pain now. But even at almost 18 weeks post op, there are days/nights when I could really use a hydrocodone or Tramadol. I just make do with ice, a heating pad, and around the clock extra strength Tylenol and Advil.

The situation in the US stinks!
 
This has been helpful to read the posts. My LTKR was 4 weeks ago and I have nerve zaps too. I have stopped Norco too. Unless it’s too much discomfort. Everyone tells me to wean off and just use Tylenol. Silly really.
move been taking my husband’s Gabapentin 400mg. But stopped thinking that was why I was getting the nerve zaps. I don’t know what I’m doing.
 
I hope you are feeling well. I agree with the whole pain management here in the US. We have swung so far the other way I feel it is just terrible. I agree we should be screening people for possible problems beforehand. I was given oxycodone 5 mg and tramadol enough for a week. I have been icing, elevating and using extra strength Tylenol. I am going to be speaking with the doctor because there are times that I cannot walk due to 10/10 pain. I guess we just have to advocate for ourselves. I also agree I have had a lot more meds for other surgeries. I hope you find what works!
 
I’m think the gabapentin helps when nerve pain increases. I also take 1/2 pain pills Once in a while. But over all it’s tolerable for me. Agreed that I’ll also ask for more meds as needed too. Each of us is unique in our body’s response to pain. I hate the US regulations. Stop trying to “one size fits all”, and give the power back to the patient and doctors. Worked before. Rant over
 
At my 6 week appointment I asked for additional pain meds and he gave me 10. I just had my 12 week appt and I still have 3 left from that 10 ( I rationed the pills in fear I would need them if I ever had a ten day) . My horrid pain stopped being so painful at week 10. I only took a pill when I had a 10 day or I had to go somewhere ( finally got my haircut, my grays were so grown out that I just opted for a short haircut, so freeing )! Anyway, I agree, that the doctors shouldn’t be so stingy with pain meds, I felt weird asking for additional pain meds to begin with and when he said I will give you 10 pills made me feel like a slimy druggy,
 
Good morning! I wanted to give an update. I’m 5 weeks post op. And I am so grateful for the advice and common sense I’ve found on this sight.
My family and I all came down with Covid 2 weeks ago so my PT stopped abruptly and I was focused on being sick. I couldn’t even ride my exercise bike for 3 minutes. No home PT at all. Just using the walker to hobble around. The pain was managed by ice, elevation and 1/2 Norco/Tylenol once a day plus the gabapentin.
now we are all feeling better and my knee has had lots of rest time. I knew that not overdoing it was key so even though I’d walk around the house for short walks, of be ok in the end as my knee needs to heal. I’m feeling good now and have really good ROM. The range will only improve when swelling finally goes down. I’m grateful!❤️
 
@lovinlivin8 So sorry you fell victim to Covid! Sounds like in some cases it was a benefit for your knee - although I'm sure not fun!

You will notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread.
 
Thanks for moving my thread. I’m not at all techie and do not understand how all this works. I’m lucky to post anywhere at all as I can’t find things once I sign in. So thanks for the help.
 

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