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Revision TKR Would like advice please, I think knee has moved

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Came home Friday evening , couldn't use forum from hospital. I was in 12 days and had a rough time. Struggled to get in car with a full length non articulating knee and brace. I'll have to find another way of travelling.

Upshot is no infection, samples not shown any reactions but odd looking tissue found upper outer portion of knee just above knee cap. Less swelling and heat than before I went in , pain not as severe as original TKR. Knee healing much better than last 2 ops .Looks much better. Slightly loose. How odd? I will write more soon
 
[Bonesmart.org] Would like advice please, I think knee has moved
Certainly sounds as if things are progressing nicely for you. Look forward to getting a more complete report on everything from you. Take it easy and follow the mantras. You deserve a good recovery.

Take care, keep us posted, we care.
 
I've just spent the morning following your journey of the last two years. You DO deserve a good recovery - you've been through so much.

I'll be thinking of you and hoping for only good news this time around.
 
busylizzie,

Do they have you in an immobilizer brace? To solve the car problem, put the front seat all the way flat, and then move your bottom to the seat. Pull yourself up higher than normal until the leg can be swung gently in. Then ease back down into the seated position, and have the other person slowly raise the seat until you are comfortable! :happydance:
 
RestAssured , Thanks for the advice. I'm very dopy still, can hardly stay awake. Yes I think it is an immobilizer brace. We have a small 5 door hatchback. We put the front passenger seat as far back as it went and reclined it as flat as it would go. I struggled to wiggle as far back as possible on the seat and lift my left leg in using the brace fastener straps as handles. My toes only just got round the bulkhead. My leg was suspended from the front of the seat and I was unable to place my foot on any firm surface. I travelled home almost horizontal holding on to my leg with both hands. We are 20 mins away from the Hospital. Fortunately it was quite late about 8pm so the traffic was very quiet. I haven't done any damage, the brace is full of metal rods. No way did I want to go back and stay in another night. Getting from the car to the door and up the front step was difficult. I had to haul myself upstairs using my crutch and stair rail and finally flopped into bed. I came home in my night clothes as my loose joggers wouldn't fit. I thought of getting in the back of the car, I'll try that next time or we will be borrowing my son's car for short essential trips.

I'm mobilising to the bathroom OK and have walked on the landing otherwise I'm in bed, most of the time half asleep. I keep thinking of going downstairs but putting it off. The commode OT organised is too tight across my hips and is uncomfortable.

Pain still less than 1st time round, more uncomfortable than screeming pitch as before. Will write more later.
 
Yes, if you have a hatchback getting in the back is another option! Two months after my revision, my hubby bought an air mattress and put it in back of our Armada. The thought was, I would be able to travel all the way to Kansas City for the family reunion. I have a step stool w a handle so we thought we had figured it out! Well, one problem, the mind was willing, but as I laid there for an hour trying to get comfortable, the leg got worse! Pat (my hubby) took my Mom to the family reunion, and I used Skype to talk to everyone. :)
 
Well it doesn't get better. Last week in hospital I had a bowel obstruction for days thanks to the ward doctor who wouldn't listen and told me it was all in my quote 'head' and I had to chill out. In the end I was screaming in agony one night alone in the toilet and it was as bad, if not worse than childbirth contractions. Eventually, another doctor and an enema sorted me when he definitely believed me, but it took until the morning. My worst nightmare. Well today, I have started with a waterworks infection they think, not on the scale of the bowel obstruction but nevertheless uncomfortable, and more antibiotics.
 
bottomshollow thanks for your earlier post. I think it is time for a new thread title to reflect the revision surgery. Please can you change the title to : Stage 1 Revision over, looking forward hopefully to a brighter future
 
As regards the mantras, there were 24 patients in the female ward at Wrightington and not one ice pack in sight. I asked the consultant about icing, yes I could but I don't know if it will do any good through the thick immobilizer layer I have on, Standard elevation in place on bed, but not very high when patients sat in chair. Sitting out in a chair was encouraged more than resting on the bed.

At home I've slept and slept both day and night. I don't feel with it most of the time and my concentration is very poor. I keep imagining that I'm still in hospital and I'm in a daze. Possibly the meds but I'm not on much. I mobilize to the bathroom, but haven't ventured downstairs yet. It is day 16 today. My left leg keeps jumping and the pain isn't too bad. I've still not got too much of an appetite which isn't surprising and having trouble drinking enough water to flush my bladder.
 
Hi bizzylizzie. Not sure how I've managed to miss your thread but I've caught up now and am sorry to hear all you have been, and are going, through.

When I had my brace on I found travelling in the back of the car was by far the most comfortable way. I'd open the back door, get my bum on the seat and then slide my way across so my braced leg was resting along the seat but anchored by the back of it. I'd then put a pillow longways underneath my leg. Hope that makes sense. It was surprising how quickly I managed to do it eventually and it does give you a new perspective on life looking straight out of a side window rather than forwards!

Go well. Linda x
 
Bladder still playing up. I've had 2 accidents in the last 12 hours, not being able to reach the toilet in time and not fully emptying bladder. This leaking hasn't happened before. Results from sample not back, hopefully tomorrow. Getting some pads for tonight.

Steristrips off today, wound looking wonderful. Managed (just) down the stairs and straight back up this afternoon, not stopping down. I need a new bannister rail, current rail far too high and wrong shape. We have had someone in looking at stairlifts (perchlifts) I hope it doesn't come to that! Still sleeping lots.

[Bonesmart.org] Would like advice please, I think knee has moved
Wound @ 17 days, 3rd time in same scar
 
Coppernob

Nice to hear from you. I was born not too far from you. Mum is in a dementia care care home in the centre of Bradford. She has final stages of vascular dementia. I went to see her a few days before op but won't make it again until after Christmas. No recognition of us now, been like this for a long time.

It's getting my bum initially on the backseat of the car that I'll struggle with. I have travelled sideways before last time to physio. How do you keep your balance getting in without using crutches?. No physio for me this time. I keep wingling my toes and stretching what I can. I have managed to lift my leg off the bed once since op but can't now. It has been my most active day so far today. Still spent the majority of it in bed.
 
Well your wound certainly looks good and much better than mine. Mine still hasn't completely healed and I'm having to have it dressed by the District nurse twice a week.

I'm sure that with a bit more practice you'll work out a system for getting in and out of the car. It's surprising what we find we can do when we have to!

My Mum, too, is in the late stages of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. We thought we weeping to lose her last week as she was very poorly with a severe water infection but she has rallied again. She's 94 and has no quality of life now so we are hoping she will soon slip away and be at peace. She's in a care home in Norfolk so I haven't seen her for a few weeks now.

Go well. Linda x
 
Day 20 today Bladder still playing up, but it is not an infection. I'll have to get in touch with the docs again next week. I'm wondering if the fentanyl is affecting it as it is listed in the side effects. Pain is at a level that I may try reducing the patches tonight when I change them to see if it helps. They are the only pain relief I am on. I have less pain than before the op the vast majority of the time. I still have to lay on my back in bed and can't get on my side. I'm still very sleepy at times and can hardly keep my eyes open, which again could be the fentanyl. I have little concentration. I finish my course of antibiotics tomorrow, the one given for suspected urine infection.

Pain at this stage after the original TKR was unbearable despite taking lots of painkillers regularly. I was at screaming pitch most days with the docs not knowing what to try next! Hopefully this is good news this time and I will get a good outcome. I can mobilise OK despite the brace and stand unsupported long enough to wash my hands. I'm allowed full weight bearing on the leg with the spacer and brace. I was just told it would be uncomfortable as my knee has some 'give' in it.The wound is healing quickly too, much better than the last twice. Not having stitches seems to be the way to go (steristrips). I have one stitch where the drain was and that is annoying me by stabbing. The nurse couldn't get it out when she took the strips off the main cut.

Hubby and son are putting up an additional handrail on the stairs today to make getting up and downstairs easier.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Would like advice please, I think knee has moved
So happy for you that this recovery is progressing "normally". You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Take care and keep us posted. We care. [Bonesmart.org] Would like advice please, I think knee has moved
 
Now day 4 on reduced Fentanyl patch and doing OK. Bladder has settled down, but still not right, legs are jumping less and bowels are a lot better. I am also more alert. Must have been the Fentanyl. I'm back to the strength I was on when I went in for the Op. This is the only painkiller I'm on due to difficulties taking other painkillers. My arms are coming round from all the IV stabbings. They have been quite painful. The day I was released they said if I needed any more I would have had to have a line in my neck and that they didn't want to do that. It was one of the reasons I was allowed out as they really wanted a couple more days of IV antibiotics.

Heard last week that my 6 week follow up appointment has been cancelled and re-arranged for the end of January. 9+ weeks. I have no idea how long I'll have to wait for stage 2 of the revision, or what he is going to put in. He has mentioned before that hinged knees aren't available in oxinium.

I am mobilizing up and down stairs doing this a max of twice a day. It takes a lot out of me. Today is day 24. Scar healing beautifully. I can take immobilizer off to shower now but have to be extremely careful. Still not been out of the house.

My left leg aches today but i haven't been overdoing it. It is hard not being able to bend it. What does everybody else wear with the brace? My trousers/joggers are all tight. I'm not a skirt lady. I've been wearing very loose pyjama bottoms, but with Christmas coming .... they don't look very smart. I think it will have to be a skirt for the day. I had a substantial birthday last weekend but stayed in my nightwear as I only had immediate family visiting. This morning I've dug out a pair of hubby's old joggers and I'm going to wear those round the house to keep warm. They are very baggy on me.
 
Below is a quote of a post I made on the 'Need help for a friend with metal sensitivity' thread in the Social Room.

"I'm beginning to have problems again despite having no knee at the moment. A week ago my brace kept getting tighter and tighter one night so much so it kept waking me up. I loosened it off a few times that night. My knee was quite swollen in the morning and felt very hard above my knee on the outer side and warm. I was concerned and got in touch with the hospital through the ward I was on. I was told to go through the GP. She came out to see me and got in touch with the consultant, although I haven't seen him. I'm now back on Cipro antibiotic for 28 days. He said the swelling is probably due to movement inside due to spacer.

The pain got a lot worse 24 hrs after the swelling started and comes and goes now. I've started to get a slight temperature at times (low grade max 37.8 degrees C - I'm normally mid 36). My knee keeps getting hot (6 degrees C higher than the right knee at times) and it is swollen all the time. I'm walking very little on it using crutches and when I'm not walking it is elevated. Icing is difficult as I have to remove/undo my brace to do it. I limit the stairs to twice a day, sometimes I don't go downstairs at all. Today the knee is very 'lumpy' round the scar, but the scar itself has healed very well. It would be Christmas when most things shut down for the holiday. I think I will have to get in touch again early next week. It feels as though I'm reacting to something inside my knee again but I've only got an antibiotic filled cement spacer and stitches."

I posted this last Thursday. Friday morning I got in touch with the GP again as there was no improvement, in fact I was getting worse. She said I needed re-admitting to hospital for a full assessment and very likely IV antibiotics as she thought I had an infection. She was unable to re-admit me to the hospital where I had my op or get in touch with my consultant. I ended up being admitted to one of my local hospitals. They couldn't access my medical notes for the op and had to rely on GPs and my information. They did a full blood test and Xrays and kept me in for 24 hrs for observation. Both showed up nothing and I was released yesterday afternoon, with still the same symptoms. The pain was bad whilst I was in there.

Today the swelling, thankfully, was down a little. I have to last to the end of January before I see the consultant that did the op again. I'm at a loss as to what is happening inside my knee if it isn't an infection. I'm still on Cipro. Anybody any ideas? Hoping the swelling stays down. I had 2cm of stitch come out along the scar line the other day.
 
I was 6 weeks post op yesterday. Still having a rough time. My follow up appointment has been bought forward 3 weeks to tomorrow. Trouble is it is not going to be with my consultant but his fellow.

After 2 weeks on oral cipro last Friday I suddenly developed bad upper arm and shoulder pain on my right hand side. The patient leaflet stated that i must get in touch with a doctor if this happens whilst being on cipro as it maybe tendon trouble. I got in touch with the GP. The upshot is the cipro has been discontinued since last Friday. I still have some arm pain but it is getting better.

I still have intermittent low grade fevers. My leg is still swelling and warm. I am doing very little, only mobilizing to the bathroom or downstairs to sit with my leg elevated. I walk the minimum I can. I use 2 crutches all the time, sometimes swinging through. The pain comes and goes and is not dependent on what I do. Some nights the pain is really bad even laying still. I have to sleep on my back and can't go on my side at all. Pain meds are consistent, I'm on Fentanyl patch due to being unable to tolerate much else. I limit myself to 2 trips up and down stairs daily. I keep falling alseep in the daytime and feel shattered all the time. I have some body jerks especially when just falling asleep. I can even fall asleep sitting upright!

Tomorrow will only be my 3rd trip outdoors. I have to manouvre into the back of the car and sit with my left leg between the drivers and front passenger seat with a cushion under it for support. I'm having trouble with the immobilizer staying in place and have had to add additional velcro to keep it in place.

I have been logging my body temperature, girth of my knee, knee temperature and hardness/softness of my knee tissue a few times daily for the last few weeks to have some information for tomorrow. There doen't appear to be any pattern. My scar has healed well on the outside, definitely better than the last 2 ops. My feet are still a little swollen. My bladder and bowels haven't settled down fully yet. I'm still having urgency getting to the toilet but have been checked for a water works infection twice.

Hope tomorrow brings me nearer to finding out what is happening with my knee.
 
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