TKR What I did on my summer vacation

[KarriB]

Walking at school would be great because I'm sure your school is air conditioned. We had quite a few teachers walking after school, but I always had too much work to do so I waved as they walked by my room. Not going back to 90 degree temps with 20+ first graders in a room with no air will be a perk of retiring this summer.

I wouldn't go to the class or read anything about TKR before hand because if I saw what was going to happen I would never go through with the surgery! Of course I had an idea of the logistics, but it wasn't until 4 months after surgery that I began researching.

 

[birdwatchr]

Doll outfit looking cute. However, if any of you heard the scream, so sorry. I jammed my incision into the edge of the sewing table. No, it was NOT fun! It's okay now. But taking a break from the table.

@KarriB
Yes, we do have air in the schools down here! Although it seems to freeze people on the downstairs side and burns everyone up on the upstairs side! Growing up in NJ, we never had air in the schools. I think the teachers lounge had a window unit.

I cringed when watching some of the videos, but I so wanted to know what they would be doing to me. I would love to watch surgery, but after volunteering in the hospital during high school, was not really interested in working in the hospital. My goal since about 3rd grade was to teach. Kind of glad I never did, due to the drastic changes over the years to the way teachers are treated and the paperwork involved, but I do like being in the school system. I worked in an MOID class for 3 years before transferring to the library. Some of the kids were really rough, but most were sweethearts. When I realized I could no longer run after them and the library position was open again, I went for it. Didn't think I'd get it (had been turned down twice previously), but the head librarian went to bat for me. It's been a blessing - I can still relate to the kids, but don't have to put up with their shenanigans all day long! And it helps with the medical part, in that I can sit most of the time.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh my gosh!!! I can not imagine hitting my incision! You poor thing. How is it now? Do you see any damage. You're barely a month away from your surgery. Have you noticed anymore swelling or bruising? Please be careful. You have tons of stitches inside to protect.

 

[newlybionic]

I bought a regular bike and I have on a teaining stand until I can maneuver the roads around me. I jump on it now and then for a few minutes at a time trying to increase my stamina. My ROM is much better than before surgery. Is there some reason you OS told you it would be worse? I've started walking up and down some step ramps and I'm hoping that I'll be able to walk a couple of beginning hiking trails by the fall.

Ouch! I hope your knee feels ok after bumping it.

 

[Suz]

Hope the pain has passed now birdwatchr. I hate that for you. Since Tabbys fall I'm consumed with watching where I'm going so I don't fall. Now I'll be watching corners of furniture.

How wonderful you were able to be transferred to the library! I think working there would be so wonderful. I use to love going to the library when I was growing up because it was always quiet, peaceful and you could go anywhere & be whoever you wanted in your imagination there! During the summer there was a little contest where they gave members cards with a beehive on it. And for every book you read and returned you received a honeybee stamp anywhere on the hive you wanted. Guess who had her many hive cards covered with honeybees and went on to become a beekeeper when she grew up!



So yes. we LOVE our Librarians-!!

 

[birdwatchr]

@Suz @newlybionic @sistersinhim
Took a while, but yes, knee seems to be okay. Don't see anything that looks like a bruise, but the pain was really, really bad. For years, I've had to keep the footboard on the bed covered with a blanket because my knee would get caught on it. (Shorts get hung and yank knee backwards) I thought I was backed away from the table when I went to change my position. Found out really fast that I wasn't! Don't know how long I cried. But I'm okay now.

Don't know why OS said I would not be able to bend my knee as far unless it has to do with the metal not being able to bend. I'm hoping I'll be just as limber after healing as I was before surgery. I won't be able to stand not being agile like I was - especially since I worked so hard to keep it. I'm debating using the steps at school when I go back or keep using the elevator. I don't go out into the halls when classes are changing if I can help it due to being knocked into.

Wow! A beekeeper! Don't think I would have had the courage! That was a good idea the library had. One thing I've always been amazed with is how the media specialists I've worked with (except the first one) don't read the books and cannot tell the students where to find them or recommend a series. I read the same books the kids do, and I know the general vicinity of where they are filed, so when they ask the other person I just blurt it out! Since I am "just the clerk", many think I don't know anything and therefore, I am "lower on the totem pole". When this past school year ended and I was told the specialist was (again) leaving, I told them I was tired of training people for a position I could have! Except that they won't let me because I don't have a degree. That was a major problem with the last girl until the principal told her that no, I didn't have a degree, but I could run the entire library and had at times! And to be quite honest, there are times when I've blurted out that not having a degree has had its advantages! I'm not required to do/attend certain things! All in all, it balances out. I hope the new person is nice to work with.

Guess it's back to sewing. Have to buy some snaps and elastic. Guess I used it all up at Christmas when I made some doll clothes. Have to sew the pants up, then she'll have her matching outfit.

 

[Suz]

Wow! A beekeeper! Don't think I would have had the courage!

Haha-! See that fancy $300 outfit I am sporting? I never get stung- altho, when the arthritis in my knee about took me down pre-op I thought many times about going out to the bee yard and letting a few guardian bees treat me with natural painkiller! Bee venom therapy is largely an unproven technique but there are physicians who report good results using the substance to treat not only extreme pain but arthritic conditions as well.

Now to figure out how to bottle the stuff without harming my bees.. LOL!!

 

[KarriB]

My right knee is the TKR and the left needs done when I gather the courage. The RTKR consistently has a better ROM than my natural left knee. It's easier to put socks on, give myself pedicures, you name it.i have to put the left knee in the bike pedal first because it won't bend enough to go in the pedal with the pedal up. Unless you had some other issue I bet your ROM will be just fine. Last summer, 2 years put, I realized I could do squats in the pool. Just give it time.

 

[kneeper]

How wonderful you were able to be transferred to the library! I think working there would be so wonderful. I use to love going to the library when I was growing up because it was always quiet, peaceful and you could go anywhere & be whoever you wanted in your imagination there! During the summer there was a little contest where they gave members cards with a beehive on it. And for every book you read and returned you received a honeybee stamp anywhere on the hive you wanted. Guess who had her many hive cards covered with honeybees and went on to become a beekeeper when she grew up!



So yes. we LOVE our Librarians-!!

Cute. I remember getting some kind of pink crocheted bookworm bookmark for reading a certain number of books one summer when I was in grade school.

 

[birdwatchr]

PT..... check
Errand to Michaels..... check
NAPTIME!

I really feel tired and worn out after PT. I will be falling asleep in about an hour. But at the end of 5 weeks, all seems to be well. This morning I woke up having a dream of bad pain in my knee. As I woke up, I realized the pain was REAL! So much for the dream!

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time outside while my son cleaned out the gutters. Didn't want him on the roof without me out there. Got bitten by mosquitoes, but otherwise uneventful. Hopefully I can get him to do some work on the jungle that started growing! Maybe twice a week would work. Don't want to overtax him, as he works all day in the heat (A/C installer), but I do need help with it.

Need snaps and elastic to finish projects. Hopefully I can go to Joann on Saturday and get them. Don't want to go today, and tomorrow is definitely a rest day. Other son won't be here, so I'll have at least another week to finish granddaughter's stuff. Hope she likes them. Weekend will be quiet this year.

 

[birdwatchr]

Finally got an answer about the tramadol. They said I am only to take it "as needed" now, so if I start to run out before dr appointment, to just take 1 per day. They can only refill it one more time. At 5 weeks out, am I really supposed to be only taking 1 per day? The label says 1 twice a day. And should I really be on an "as needed" basis this soon? Knee has been killing me all day today and looks a little more swollen. She said I am not to take my 500 mg aspirin since they have me on 325 mg aspirin for the blood clot issue, but the way I see it, I'm going to have to start my 500 mg aspirin back. Are they for real?

 

[Suz]

Are they for real?

Mine sure was. And 5wks is very early in your surgery to not be given proper pain relief.

In the future I have a wonderful PCP who understands & respects pain. And how controlling it is necessary to a proper recovery. She recently told me she was always there for me if my pain wasn't being managed correctly by any Specialist' Office.

In my case, my Surgeon wasn't properly informed of my need. Out of anger, I didn't push it. If you don't have a supportive PCP, push it with your Surgeon's Office until your pain needs are addressed.

We shouldn't be left to plunder through old prescriptions to get those needs met.

 

[Celle]

Finally got an answer about the tramadol. They said I am only to take it "as needed" now, so if I start to run out before dr appointment, to just take 1 per day. They can only refill it one more time. At 5 weeks out, am I really supposed to be only taking 1 per day? The label says 1 twice a day. And should I really be on an "as needed" basis this soon? Knee has been killing me all day today and looks a little more swollen. She said I am not to take my 500 mg aspirin since they have me on 325 mg aspirin for the blood clot issue, but the way I see it, I'm going to have to start my 500 mg aspirin back. Are they for real?

It seems to me as if they are being a bit mean with the pain medications. Would your PCP/GP be willing to prescribe pain relief for you? I understand that your PCP is able to prescribe Tramadol.

Instead of trying Aspirin (which they rightly say should not be used as you are already taking some) you could try Tylenol (Acetaminophen). The correct therapeutic dose is 2 x 500 mg (1,000 mg) four times a day, to a total of 4,000 mg in 24 hours. You need to take it regularly, to keep up a constant level in your bloodstream.
Check your other medications, to make sure there is no Acetaminophen in them. If there is, add that amount to your daily total and cut back a bit, so that you don't exceed 4,000 mg in 24 hours.

 

[birdwatchr]

@Suz @Celle
I will probably have to see my PCP. He did give me hydrocodone last December when I ask him if he could treat my arthritis, since I had to see so many different ortho docs for each body part at specialist co-pay rates. I also went to the internet about the tramadol. In GA, I can have a 30 day supply refilled 5 times in a 6 month period, so I don't know where the PA gets her info from. I only had a 20 day supply the first time; she did a new prescription for 10 days this time; and claims she can only "renew" it one more time. She is new, her experience is in MRI's, and I'm not quite understanding how she got to be a PA. She can't answer half my questions. I'll also ask the doctor when I go in. I'll be out of tramadol by then, but at this point, so what. I'm hurting really bad today. My whole leg is hurting. I'm really discouraged about how they treat the pain. My PCP is much more understanding. I've only been seeing him for about 18 months, but I'm glad I found him. I figure I would only need the tramadol til the end of July, but still..... You would think an ortho doc would know the pain involved. And I was the one who always refused prescription pain killers all along until last Christmas. Even the anesthesiologist warned me about the pain. So I don't know. I already take the tylenol. Doesn't seem to help much, but am using it with the tramadol.

Going out to eat tonight - hope I can make it. Just resting up watching TV today. Supposed to go to Joann afterward to get what I need to finish my projects. I need something to keep me busy. TV really doesn't cut it.

Have a good holiday weekend everyone!

 

[sistersinhim]

I'm so sorry to hear about your pain and your unreasonable doctor. Maybe the Tylenol will help take the worse edge off. I hope you can get out to eat tonight. A change of scenery will do you good.

 

[Celle]

Don't hang around and suffer in pain. Ask your PCP now.

Also, since your surgeon's PA doesn't seem very clued up now, try to by-pass her and ask to see your surgeon himself. If you're in pain, be the "squeaky gate" until someone helps you.

 

[GA-Peach]

@birdwatchr - I totally understand the pain medication prescriptions - I have had the same drama. The one thing that I did learn is that my surgeon was fierce and did not want to prescribe anything with an opiate in it. However, he had no problem prescribing Ultracet (Tramadol & Tylenol). That worked pretty good for the pain - although this was all BEFORE my surgery. After my surgery it was a nightmare with the pain and pain medication. My doctor specifically puts in his recovery paperwork that no prescription pain meds after TWO WEEKS! Needless to say 2.5 weeks in I was a total wreck being in so much pain. Finally, when I visit him, he looks at my knee, the swelling, the cut and the vast amounts of bruising I have all down my shin and says that maybe the pain could be fibromyalga. Wanna see a grown women freak out? I was so angry - I just cannot fathom how these doctors do not get the element of pain with this surgery. I hope you get your pain managed and have a great holiday weekend.

 

[Suz]

@birdwatchr, I hope you were able to see your PCP today. If not and you find yourself in excruciating pain- that's what ER's are for. You really shouldn't spend the next 3-days suffering. That is not recovering properly.

My PCP prescribed 100mg Tramadol with an open end refill for 3-months. I can't believe how controlling some MD's are becoming with these MEDs. That's why from hence forth, whenever I need surgery they are going to explain their pain-relief protocol before they get my business. I hope you have a peaceful relaxing weekend.

 

[KarriB]

I agree with Suzie. When I get the LTKR I want a pain management plan. Although my pain was managed well later, the first 24-48 hours were awful, the block wore off and the oxycodone wasn't doing the job in the middle of the night. My bff texted to ask how I was in the morning and I could only type back, PAIN. She came into the hospital, demanded they give me something immediately and within 15 -20 minutes of an IV shot of Toradol I was feeling well enough to take a wheelchair ride (I'm claustrophobic) into the solarium. So when the LTKR gets done I'm going to ask for IV toradol to be ordered for me, just in case.

 

[birdwatchr]

So, the weekend was uneventful... Saturday we went out to eat, then to Joann. Sunday I sewed another outfit. Yes, I hit my incision again on the table! But not as hard this time, so no scream! I have got to remember to pull the chair out totally before moving! Monday I walked the steps on the deck, but could only do them 2 times. They were done properly, though! It's only 4-5 steps. Knee/leg was very achy Monday, so that and walking the treadmill was all I did for my exercise. I did 12 minutes at the slowest speed. Today was PT - I measured 120 for the bend. Yay! Slow but steady wins the race! Bike is getting easier. Friday will be my 6 weeks.

Pain has been tolerable today. Ringing in my ears is bad. Since I'm not taking aspirin (except the one a day for blood clot therapy), I don't understand why the ringing is so bad. I grew up on aspirin and remember ringing all my life. Maybe aspirin didn't cause it, but I've read that it does.

State health is going to be the ruin of me! I am being audited for dependents. I called them and told them kids' birth dates don't change, so why am I being audited? I got 2 different answers: EVERYONE is being audited; and those who were not audited previously have to do it. I've already sent in proof of dependents a few years back. Since birth certificates and marriage license are packed up, I will probably have to go to the courthouse and spend $70 to get new ones. Not a happy camper. Don't have $70 for this kind of foolishness. Don't know if they are auditing everyone in the state or everyone in the county. But if I don't supply the information, I lose coverage.

Well, didn't get on here until late. Will try to update more tomorrow.