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TKR What I did on my summer vacation

@Floridagal
Finally heard from both! Prescription was renewed, but I can't get it til tuesday. I can handle that. Hope I remember! Then orthodoc sent msg that he had just called in topical cream (after I mentioned I had heard nothing back). Have not heard from pharmacy though.

Has anyone else been having problems posting yesterday and today? Several of my posts apparently have gone into cyberspace. The forums have not been updating the timestamps either.

Hands and back are stiff after making another outfit for grand daughter. Got pants done. Shirt is almost done. Can't sit there any longer, so will finish tomorrow. Time to work on afghan for a while. Or watch tv. Or take a nap. Nah. Can't wind down right now. TV it will be! Getting cold now.

Only got 2 hours sleep last night. According to news we will have bad storm in five minutes. Think I'll time him, see if he's right!
 
Hey, send some up here! We've been in the triple digits heat index for going on two weeks. Everything is drooping, including my cats and me!
 
My green beans are stalled due to thirst. :(

You've probably read here that I had a difficult time with getting refills at only 2wks into my recovery @birdwatchr. It feels awful sitting there feeling totally dependent on the surgeon that cut your knee joint out and put in a replacement. Believing that for sure he or she will have your back better than anyone should trouble arise. Only to have the shock of all time hit you head on when you receive the news that you don't need any further pain support.

I took it so personally only to find out 4wks later when sitting face to face with my surgeon that his RN had not communicated with him correctly. I learned a valuable lesson. The next time I don't get a valid need met by someone who just a few weeks ago cut into and repaired, manipulated or done whatever inside of my body- I will march, (or hobble), lol, straight into his office and demand to see him. And he will tell me face to face I don't need further pain support. My surgeon suggested I do this- saying had I raised a little more 'hay' I would have been heard.

I do hope you can get a medication to settle your recovery pain. You're still early in your recovery so I would be that squeaky wheel that gets the oil if I were you!
 
@Suz
I was going to wait until today to ask what happened to my request for the pain cream, but decided to ask yesterday since he is in the local office on Thursdays. Not sure if the email goes straight to him or the PA. I figured he probably told the PA to do it and she didn't. Anyway, it did get called in and I got the call it was ready while my son was leaving work, so got him to pick it up on his way home. And they say email is the fastest way to reach them!

Also got the prescription okayed for refills for pain med through pcp. Guess I have to wait til Tuesday to get it 'cause he's on vacation, but at least it went through. I can stretch out what I have left for the next 2 weeks, but didn't want to wait any longer to ask for it. I use it sparingly enough as it is.

Pain was so severe when it woke me up at 4 today. I tossed and turned all night with pain even though I had taken both the cream and the pill. I even got my old brace out and wore it, thinking part of the problem was my leg bending wrong in bed. Took it off. I would have never imagined the pain would be like this before having surgery. I can pretty much handle the daytime pain, but the nighttime pain is more than excruciating. I thought it was bad before surgery. Can't wait until the time comes when it's not bad at all.

In other news, rain did not last long, and was not strong. But at least we got some. And it did not hit 90 yesterday! Got a lot to do today so it'll all be done by Monday. Have to make a list and pace it out. Have a good one everybody!
 
I am just about a week behind you and nighttime pain is still a problem at times. I can be sitting in my recliner watching TV, then go to bed and then wake up shortly in pain. I rack my brain trying to see what I've done differently and most the time it's nothing major at all. I wish I could switch times and have it hurt like that during the day and the nighttime being just little twinges! Oh well, it ain't gonna happen! I have a theory that when we relax our muscles and tendons they start to react with pain. Or all it probably is, is that there's no distraction from the pain and it feels worse. It sure doesn't seem that way, though. Do you all have any idea why night pain is worse?
 
@sistersinhim I am guessing that you second statement is the reason we feel more pain at night. Since there is no other stimulus coming into our senses the pain comes to the foreground. I know that when I am engaged in a good movie I feel nothing or even a distracting conversation. The little blue pill has been good getting me through the night. I am hoping once I am more active I won't need it.
 
I'm so sorry you're having pain issues and problems obtaining proper medicine. I've noticed the pain is worse at night, too. It really hits me between 2 and 3 am. Like Amy Jo, I also use a little blue pill (walmart branded unisom) that help me sleep.
 
That 2-3 o'clock hour seems to plague most of us! By 4, I've had about all I can take. Then it calms down after I get up and start moving around for the day. Other than that, don't have a clue why nighttime pain is so bad. Dr said it's a common complaint.

Vacation time over! Not much getting done either! Although I really do need to set the fogger in the attic. Putting it off because of the ladder.
 
Sleeplessness was my nighttime problem, I didn't notice anymore pain than through the day. But I was careful to continue my medication schedule through the night. The bathroom had me getting up every few hours, so I was up and back to bed throughout the night.
 
birdwatchr said:
Pain was so severe when it woke me up at 4 today. I tossed and turned all night with pain even though I had taken both the cream and the pill. I even got my old brace out and wore it, thinking part of the problem was my leg bending wrong in bed. Took it off. I would have never imagined the pain would be like this before having surgery. I can pretty much handle the daytime pain, but the nighttime pain is more than excruciating. I thought it was bad before surgery.
Click to expand...

I sure hope your prescribed pain meds are adequate. What you describe above is what I experienced the first few weeks out from surgery. The hard pain that kept me awake at night was gone by between 3-5wks. I saw real improvement by 7wks.

My sister is a retired RN and tells me there are patients that don't like to complain to their surgeons when the pain meds he prescribed aren't working. I think this would be even more so when you've had problems b/c the surgeon's staff aren't doing their jobs and causing the patient mental stress. I know it sure worked me over mentally.

The only reasons I can think of that would be causing severe pm pain consistently after 6-8wks out would be over-activity, inadequate pain meds or something being amiss that needs to be researched by your surgeon. And I say this with all the respect in the world for you and b/c I hate that you aren't sleeping because of severe pain.

I hope the pm pain stops soon so you can rest & really enjoy those lovely things you do for your loved ones!

[Bonesmart.org] What I did on my summer vacation
 
Pain was not so bad last night. Read on the cream leaflet it can take two weeks to feel better while using it. What? Do I look like I have two weeks? But maybe it is already starting to help. Did not take Excedrin this morning, so we shall see how it goes. Have granddaughter today, so hopefully she will not wear me out. Laundry is in dryer and will be done soon. May or may not ask 5 year old to help clean. She might find it rather fun! Probably won't be good job, but at this point who cares. It'll be something to do to keep her busy.
 
@birdwatchr
I think that nighttime pain is often the result of being under-medicated, both during the day and at night. I don't think that cream will help much, because much of the pain comes from inside your knee.
It's still only just over two months since you had this major surgery and it's not unusual for some people to still need pain meds for as long as 4 months.

What pain medications are you taking now? If you can tell us that, I will ask Josephine for her advice.
 
Wow...you are brave to babysit your 5 year old granddaughter, I have a 5 year old grandson and he is super sweet an such a good boy, but he still is always hungry, thirsty, or wanting to play, I don't have anywhere near the energy it takes to watch over him yet.

I really hope they can figure out how to help you with your pain soon!!! I'm sending you positive thoughts and prayers!!!
 
Yeah, she does need a lot of attention. But we made it through. Made her another doll outfit and she helped by cutting threads. Glad she goes home though! She is usually pretty good, but doesn't know how to "wait".
 
@Celle
I will only have hydrocodone 5/325 and excedrin. I have a few tramadol left, not many. I have to pick up new prescription Tuesday for the hydrocodone. I will have to make it work since one nurse has already checked up on me with pharmacy.
 
Sitting here at ruby Tuesdays waiting for food. 5 year old is more patient than Nana right now!!! Just realized medicine is at home too. Just great. Lol. Probably will forget to take it tonight. Oh well. BP will be ok.
 
birdwatchr said:
I will only have hydrocodone 5/325 and excedrin. I have a few tramadol left, not many. I have to pick up new prescription Tuesday for the hydrocodone. I will have to make it work since one nurse has already checked up on me with pharmacy.
Click to expand...
Are these meds prescribed by your surgeon or you PCP/GP? Sometimes your own doctor can be more helpful about pain medications than you surgeon.

Maybe the pain medication regime that Josephine recommends would be helpful for you? You do have to take it regularly, not on an "as needed" basis. I will post that regime, if you think your own doctor would prescribe the Tramadol for you.
 
Pcp prescribed the hydrocodone... and his nurse "investigated" me. Had it gone straight to him, I don't think there would've been any problems. Tramadol prescribed by surgeons PA, who seems to think she is the surgeon. Next time I actually get to see the surgeon, I intend to address the under medication with him. I see the PA at the end of august. She's relatively new and I really don't care for her. I just hope going back to work does not make things worse. Today knee has been ok. Still have not taken the excedrin. Will take hydrocodone at bedtime. Staying off knee to reduce problems. Won't be going to church tomorrow as d-i-l has to work. So I have one last rest day. Might sew something again. Still debating. It keeps me busy and is sitting for the most part.
 
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