TKR Dear Diary, Surgery Complete

[SnowHare]

Happy 3 week anniversary - well sort of happy.

I suspect I have developed quadriceps tendonitis, so I'm taking it really slowly. It's painful when I walk, and doing any quad work is not fun. I wandered around the internet, and this is the diagnosis that fits like a glove.

The icing on the pain cake is I wake up in the middle of the night with a whole lot of knee pain. Only at night. I have tried lightly massaging all around the knee to maybe help. I think it just is a distraction. I know the nerves are getting active, as I get brief, random pains in my knee throughout the day, but nothing like the 4 a.m. wake-up call.

I have to call my GP and request a prescription for the oxycodone, which is running out. I am also going to ask for more Pregabalin.

 

[SnowHare]

Dear Diary,

Count your blessings. Those incredibly horrible behind the knee cramps will subside, just be patient. It could always be worse.

You are blessed with a doctor who refilled your prescriptions over the phone. OK, so she didn't fill the forms out properly for the Percocet, but the pharmacy, bless their heart, gave up trying to get in touch with her and filled the prescriptions anyway, without charge. The pharmacist insisted I not go into the pharmacy, but go directly back to the car, and he would pass them to my husband. There's a law here that other people cannot pick up restricted prescriptions, only the person prescribed them.

You are blessed with friends, after hearing how bored you are, offered to zoom chat with you, or teach you diamond painting.

Yes, I am counting my blessings , all orf them, especially to have learned through BoneSmart NOT to overdo things. It's not a race. It's a journey.

 

[Layla]

I love your grateful heart!

Many more blessings to you!
@SnowHare

 

[SnowHare]

Dear Diary,

Whoops.

Major blunder this morning. I grabbed the wrong pill bottle and took way, way, way too many Percoset. I was wondering why the world was sort of moving vertically, and that I was very tired. To preserve my liver, I took no Percoset and no Tylenol for the rest of the day, although from what I read, it wasn't likely too toxic a dose. I debated about whether or not I should use the Nalaxone kit.

I did not have a lot of pain today, so maybe I can start cutting back the Percoset even faster.

I have been having an awful lot of cramping behind my knee. It's 12 out of 10 pain. It mostly happens when I bend my knee after lying with my feet up. The zingers have started too, which I see as positive progress.

In my normal life, I usually sleep on one side or the other, all night. My new knee does not like this. I think I will have to take a few walks at 4 a.m. to walk out the pain, as walking seems to calm my knee and leg down. I'd rather be sleeping.

 

[benne68]

@SnowHare That must have been very frightening when you realized what you had done. Please be sure drink lots of fluids so you flush it out of your body.

 

[Layla]

I grabbed the wrong pill bottle and took way, way, way too many Percoset.

Are you okay today? Waiting for todays diary entry to make certain you're alright.

I did not have a lot of pain today, so maybe I can start cutting back the Percoset even faster.

Hmm, I wonder why?

 

[2chains]

"There's a law here that other people cannot pick up restricted prescriptions, only the person prescribed them."
Was wondering if you are Calgary, Alberta? Waiting to hear from surgeon for my revision date and want to be prepared as I have noone to assist me!

 

[SnowHare]

@Layla

So far, everything seems to be ok. I will have a better grasp of things tomorrow morning, when I reach the 48 hour time limit. I don't seem to be having any symptoms. Here's hoping.

@2chains

Actually, I am in Edmonton.

My pharmacist knows me and was well aware I was having a knee replacement. The pharmacy was quite ok with giving them to my husband the day of my surgery. I didn't get the prescription for the Percoset until the day of the surgery. My refill was done by my GP with a phone interview. She also knows me quite well.

The only thing I can think of is have whoever is driving you home take you first to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to see you in the car. It's either that, or you might have to go into the pharmacy. It depends on your relationship with your pharmacist. Mine came out to the car, only to see how I was doing and to wish me well.

As for after care, did the clinic not help you arrange home care for a few days? Bone & Joint here is not keen on sending you home with no help for the first few days. Can you try talking to the hospital social worker? That is, if you are having it done in the hospital. Mine was not. You might have to pay for home care to come in to help you for the first few days. Trust me, you will need the help.

I had home care arranged for me by the hospital years ago, when I had a cesarean and was unable to care for my children.

 

[SnowHare]

@2chains

Just something I ran across on the internet: Just having someone else’s oxycodone is a crime—you risk arrest, conviction and a criminal record.

 

[2chains]

Go Oilers Go!

Thanks for the tips! I'm scheduled to have a revision but no date yet but hoping for June. I'll find out what medication I'll be prescribed and make arrangements for the drive home from surgery!

I'm going to arrange home care for two weeks.

All the best in recovery!

2chains

 

[2chains]

@2chains

Just something I ran across on the internet: Just having someone else’s oxycodone is a crime—you risk arrest, conviction and a criminal record.

Wow! I'll have to keep that in mind! My initial surgery I was prescribed hydromorphone...it is in a similar family to oxycodone.

 

[SnowHare]

Dear Diary,

One month anniversary!

I can't believe it's one month. I can now sort of walk, with a wee bit of wobbling, without supports, although if I go out of the house, I will still need my crutches. I'm looking forward to graduating to the cane.

I know there is still a certain amount of pain that is mitigated with medication, but I'm gradually weaning myself off the opioids - from 1 tablet 4 times a day to half a table 3 times a day. So far it's been two cutbacks in the dosage. I will see how the half tablet works out. Still taking the tylenol and an aspirin in the morning, with pregabalin and dyclofenac at night. My GP recommended adding back in the dyclofenac at bedtime. It's a suppository, so there is not the same stomach issues I had, when I took it by tablet. It's really helped with sleeping.

A bit of swelling today, but I think it's from maybe not enough elevation. I wish the weather would improve, so I can start taking 10 minute walks. Walking around the house for 10 minutes is not very interesting, or fun.

Night time pain is mostly manageable. It's still very hard to get a comfortable position.

New activities for week 5: I will start going downstairs for breakfast. Right now, my husband brings me breakfast in bed. Another thing to start doing is assisting in preparing supper. This one will be a hard one, as I am a control freak in the kitchen. Group physio starts this week. I have been faithfully doing my physio exercises. They are ever so slightly more intense than the Clinic exercises. One last milestone to attempt this week is going to a public event - a materials distribution event for charity crafting. I'm looking for specific weights of yarn. My DH gets to come along to carry the bag of goodies, as well as make a pathway for me through people. This should be interesting. I hope it will be a quick in and out.

Of course my one month anniversary would not be complete without a heartfelt thank you to all the people at Bone Smart, who make all the support I have received, as well as so many other, possible. This support makes getting better, well, so much better.

 

[mendogal]

My first knee was midwinter (our rainy season) so I 100% understand about being tired of walks in the house!!!!

A tip for sharing kitchen duties: if possible have a stool you can perch on and let your husband fetch you the ingredients, preheat the oven, handle the pots, etc.

A public outing is brave! Will there be benches or chairs in the room if it's a bit overwhelming?

 

[kiwicurls]

I think you’re doing really well at one month! I understand about being a control freak in the kitchen. Me too! But you just have to let it go for now. Husbands are doing their best and we’re lucky to have them. At week 9 I’m now back in full control of the kitchen, to everyone’s relief!
Enjoy your outing to get yarn and have a long rest when you get home!
Just be careful in group physio as one size does not fit all.

 

[2chains]

Breakfast in bed sounds amazing!! Enjoy your yarn outing and have the ice ready for when you get home! Let us know what you're making!

 

[SnowHare]

@mendogal

My first knee replacement was on January 2 a few years ago. Going outside was awful - snow, cold, boots, parka, walker. I think now the cold and gloom will improve in another week or so. I'm looking forward to springtime temperatures. A nice plus twenty would be super nice.

@kiwicurls and @2chains

I plan to do a quick grab and run. I want to be in and out in 10-12 minutes. The yarn is for charity knitting. I want to make small toys the police distribute to kiddies they run across during investigations or community work and also make layettes for the crisis nursery. I normally work with luxury yarns like hand painted merinos, silk, or yak, or cashmere. Knitting keeps me sane.

 

[sistersinhim]

Group physio

Be careful in these types of therapy. It's very easy to get in to 'competing modes' and over do. Just be careful and listen to your body and you should be OK.

 

[SnowHare]

@sistersinhim

Thank you for your concern. Group physio is all that's offered by the government here. I know of two people who took it - one liked it, one didn't.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't give a rat's beeeehind about competing with other people. I only compete at cards. I am not much of a people person, and I usually keep to myself. I will, however, be the first person to congratulate anyone who has made good progress.

After tomorrow night's session, I might have eat my words - let's hope not.

 

[benne68]

Please let us know how it goes, @SnowHare .

 

[kiwicurls]

The charity knitting for the police is a wonderful idea! We need more people like you in the world.