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TKR VW's new joint venture

Good thàt he x-ray didn't show up anything untoward from your middle of night experience, I remember I was only home a few days when I woke up and I moved one way and my knee didn't, my husband heard my scream from downstairs- what a pain that was and I was scared that I'd damaged the knee but it was ok. Once I started to drive (8weeks out) my knee used to click and thunk when I was moving from accelerator to brake but that's stopped in past couple of weeks as it's got stronger. You will experience a lot of strange pains, aches and sensations that come out of nowhere as you recover, you'll panic at first but then you get used to it happening. Pity the cleaner took the centipede away, it could've maybe made you feel cheerier coz lets face it, it's got 100 knees !!!!!:loll:
 
I'm glad the X-Ray showed nothing wrong. That's a worry off your mind.

I'm sorry your ankle is hurting, too. Maybe it was in a strange position for part of the surgery. They do have to move your leg around a bit. Perhaps you could try icing your ankle, too?
 
Good news about the X-ray. I hope your ankle pain subsides soon!


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New nurse was impressed by my improvised leg lift. So glad that I took it with me. Two wide belts looped into each other.
[Bonesmart.org] VW's new joint venture
 
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day 4 post op ( or does one count day of op as day 1?)
Night was so much better. I do have a sore throat again. ( Had it before cough) but nurse checked no fever and vitals are fine. Maybe it's the allergy scrathiness...though she started to say it was due to too much ice packs! :snork::oyvey:
I got some salt-based losenges. That's good and they work.
Tried to sleep on my side. Only lasted 10 minutes. The scar feels tight doing that.
Tried lifting leg. It just doesn't work. :rolleyes:Tried slides in bed. Managed 5 mini ones then pain.
Tried pushing knee down against mattresd. Eh! :scare:After 5 of those wasn't sure if I was doing them correctly.
Got lots of zingers when I sit on edge of bed.

Re painful ankle: this is the same ankle that swells up at the end of every day pre op days. Perhaps now, with compression stockings on, it's complaining that swelling has no place there?
It's got a bruise too. Icing hurts...i did try already 2 days ago but the weight of pack hurts.
So...let's see what this day brings. (still skeleton crew)
 
Celle said:
I'm sorry your ankle is hurting, too. Maybe it was in a strange position for part of the surgery. They do have to move your leg around a bit.
Click to expand...
Do you or anybody else happen to know: do they move knee around before closing up and then after closing up? And how much? I never dared watch the movies. Only saw 2 photos of open incision before and after an implant and that was aplenty.:shocked:
 
Yes, they do. They bend and straighten it several times during the surgery.
 
Well wouldn't you know! OS has stopped by and stayed about 6 to 7 minutes to answer my questions including the one I posted above.
He had me sit at edge of bed and said ROM of 75-80 was good. But it didn't feel so good when he tried to move it to 90. TG he didn't push on it too long. Just 2 seconds.
The clacking knacking sound I sense every time I move my ankle ( heel pumps) is probably swollen post op tissue trying to find its place...or something like that.
They did not 'fixate' my ankle but had to put it in a sort of 'holding splint'. He was surprised it was bruised.
This OS does not use tourniquets. He said he found no difference in ease of operating time nor in results. He moved knee after implant to 130 and assistant surgeon to 120 after final sutures...

As I was writing this post, the station doc came to check ( morning rounds) and said I needed to put ice on my swollen thigh/ knee.
Ha! How different and refreshing it was to hear.
He said 3 to 4 x day to accompanying nurse.
Vindication!
:yes!:
 
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Bring on the ice! Elevate if you can, but not by placing something under your ankle. Ask for a few pillows to elevate.
 
Ice caused your cough??? Makes you wonder about the nurse's medical training! How about the fact that hospitals are so dry and it's allergy season? Or maybe just because. But NOT the ice. That's a good one!

Sounds like you are doing better. The first week is so tough, especially when you aren't in the comfort of your own surroundings. You are doing great!


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I'm glad the doctor came in and answered your questions. I remember my ankle was sore after my last tkr. I assumed it was because of my RA and that they had probably handled it roughly during the surgery. Interesting about the "holding splint." Thanks for sharing that.
 
Making it 10 minutes laying on your side isn't bad. In the first couple of days I would periodically have the nursing assistant help me move to my side because it was so uncomfortable on my back after a while. She'd position pillows to help. I think I only made it about 10 minutes at first too.

I don't know if you've had more luck with elevating. They didn't want me elevating either but when I explained I just wanted a pillow under the length of the leg to be more comfortable they set me up with that. They just don't want you with a bent leg. But perfectly straight is very uncomfortable at first.
 
You can put the ice on the back and/or sides of your knee, if having it on the top hurts.
 
@VW54, it sounds like you are improving! Under the heading of "Live and Learn," I never knew that ice causes coughing, so...er...thanks for that interesting tidbit. We must all be experiencing a massive, group cough according to that theory, eh? Three cheers for the Station Doc that ordered the ice!

Sorry to hear about your ankle; grrrr! My ankle is very bruised but it doesn't hurt. Hopefully yours will improve rapidly.
 
It feels like my leg is going to burst. I have the anti-thrombosis stockings on and so I guess that's keeping the swelling contained. But the feeling of stiffness and tight skin is awful!.
Seems worse this evening. Icing helps a bit...when I get it. I've discovered that if I get up and hobble to the nurses station they will give me icepacks almost right away. if I call button: " yes, yes..." and then I wait over an hour.
Maybe this holiday weekend for post op was not optimal timing but I took the earliest date...you can imagine why.
DH was here and we were wondering how in the world I would manage to get into our compact car for my ride home.
I told him I could slide in to the back seat somehow and then out again.
What have your experiences with getting in and out of tight car seats in the first week been?
We could afford a patient transport service including strong young men carrying me up the 15 steps.
( Have not tried stairs yet. Could not manage to go up the one step to standing xray 2 days ago.)
I'm not supposed to try on my own without physio chappy...and he's only coming in Tuesday...the day I'm due to go home in the afternoon. Quandary.
 
I woke up the middle of the night in the hospital with pain in my heel - I asked my OS what could have been done to make my heel hurt! He thought about it - and yep... hammering- they need to put a pillow in that tray or whatever my heel was in lol

I learned on my departure (they had half of a car in the PT room) - not only sliding the seat all the way back, but also laying the front seat as far back as it would go - that way you could actually get higher and back in the seat before putting the leg in. It worked.

Sounds like you're doing well and I'm glad you got to speak with your OS for a bit.
 
Oh...has anyone had pain killer patches prescribed?
If my OS agrees, should I aim for those? Or is it pointless in summertime?
 
You can try sliding into the backseat and traveling with your leg up on the seat.
 
I traveled with pillows in the back seat for my leg. It was an hour trip home, but I survived that way. There was no way to elevate in the front seat, so it was across the backseat I went!
 
OT in the hospital worked with me on getting in and out of the car. It still wasn't easy, but you make it work!
I preferred sliding in the back seat, since I could keep my leg elevated on the seat.


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