@Josephine
Thank you for replying and I will do my best to be as detailed as possible, for you.
1) my pain level, most of the time, hovers around a 2 or less. It is more like discomfort and annoyance, rather than true pain. Just a burning sensation in the incision area and deep in the buttock and occasionally below the buttock and/or thigh muscle. My knee has been the source of most of my discomfort, but even that has been subsiding lately...it killed me before surgery, but now is so much better. I would say my pain has never been above 5 or 6 and that is very rare. I am stiff when I first get up in am or have been sitting for a while. That eases up as soon as I start walking around the house. No throbbing, to speak of, and no stabbing pain. I swell when standing or sitting for prolonged period, but not much...just from knee down to ankle. That's when I elevate with one pillow.
2) medication: 1 10/325 Percocet about 10 to 10:30 in the am and then another between 9 and 10 at night, just before bedtime. If I have breakthrough pain, I'll take another mid afternoon, but that is rare. 1 2mg of Coumadin at bedtime. I also take multivitamin (with no vitamin k or e included), BP medicine and Gabapentin. That's it! BP has been great...typically 113/76, or so.
3) icing: I ice when I feel the need. Since the pain and swelling hasn't been bad, I don't do it much. But when my knee starts aching, I apply it and leave it on until the bag gets to room temp. I usually only have to do it once and I'm good for quite a while...24 hours, usually.
4) elevating: I elevate my op side leg with one pillow, when I am in bed, always. I keep a thick pillow between my legs, at the crotch and knee, to keep me from breaking the restriction while sleeping. This has worked perfectly, for me.
5) ROM: that's a tough one... I have no problem keeping my leg straight and have been able to bend my leg. But do notice a tightness just behind my knee, when bending. But I'm not sure if this is what you are asking.
6) activity level: haven't been outside since coming home from rehab last Sunday. However, I have been able to cook, do light housework, shower, etc without a problem. In fact, I could do more, if my DH would let me.
7) exercises: this is where I've been a lazy bum! While I am sitting in my recliner, I will do leg lifts and butt crunches. I walk around the house and do the side steps at every opportunity. While brushing my teeth, I do semi squats for 2 minutes. My home PT starts Monday, so I'm sure I'll be adding to the list. I have 17 stairs to go down to get to our front door (garages in our community are the ground level with all living areas above them). I have no trouble navigating them...up or down. So, even when I'm just sitting, I'm not inactive.
I hope this is what you are looking for and I haven't bored you to tears. Thank you so much for your input and advice.
United States
). Hope you're recovery is still going well. Hugs!!
