TKR Acceptance and Understanding<

[Needhope]

I’m going to say goodbye for awhile until I start making improvements. My messages are depressing and repetitive and serve no purpose to help support others here on Bonesmart that are needing more important attention and uplifting messages of encouragement. I’ve overstayed my welcome and hope to report some good, positive, uplifting news to those who are having a difficult time during their own recovery of this horrendous surgery that nobody could ever understand fully unless they’ve been through it themselves. You are all considered my friends from afar and Thank you for getting me through this thus far. God Bless Bonesmart.

 

[newlybionic]

Don't feel like you have to leave us now while you are early in your recovery. It is normal to have pain after this surgery and to need pain medications to handle it. For now ice and elevation are your best friends. Don't worry about muscles atrophying now. Any slight decrease will easily come back to you once you are past this painful period. Don't do any exercises for now. I know that a shower would wipe me out for the first several weeks after each TKR. I would fall into my bed completely exhausted. Feel free to vent here whenever you need to. We've all been there. Don't be alone during this tough time. We are here to help.

 

[Jockette]

Don't be alone during this tough time. We are here to help.

I agree, stay with us! No one is complaining. You need us right now and that is what Bonesmart is all about, support!!!

 

[Mutti3]

My messages are depressing and repetitive and serve no purpose to help support others here on Bonesmart that are needing more important attention and uplifting messages of encouragement. I’

We are “hear” for you. Your body has gone though an assault of major proportion. Lack of sleep, tremendous pain, recent anesthesia is mentally and physically difficult. Any eXertions wiped me out, showers, Home PT., even eating meals! Even if you decide to stay away for a while, you will be in our thoughts and prayers.

 

[Celle]

@Needhope - it sounds as if the post-op blues have hit you hard. While getting the blues is normal, maybe a short course of anti-depressant medication, prescribed by your own doctor, might help you through this.
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Don't feel you have to help anyone with your posts. You are the important one and we are here to help you through this. We'll hold your virtual hand and listen if you want to rant. We understand, because we've been through this ourselves.

Hang in there with us. We'll help you through this.

 

[kayow11]

This is what this Bonesmart site is all about, hearing other peoples struggles and others helping with encouragement or added info.
Don't feel like you're a burden to anyone, you're not and we encourage you to continue with us with us because we want to help you.
We have ALL been through this crazy stuff but we have all made it. Many of us have tips to help survive it. Hopefully some of that has helped.
You don't have to be an encourager at this point. It is what YOU need at this point from US. Someday you will be able to give it back.
That is how I am feeling now with my situation since I am on surgery Number three, and feel that I am finally not looking up hill anymore.
Many Caring people have helped me with advice here, and I am so thankful for it.

 

[kneeper]

I showered this am and held on for dear life during the process. Afterwards I was physically drained and had an emotional breakdown..

Do you have a shower chair or bath bench? I used mine for a few weeks. And showering was still an "event" that I had to rest after. And I had proper pain control. Hang in there. We understand.

 

[sistersinhim]

I was alone most of the time after my tkr and I had a shower bench. This was a wonderful aid. I could stand up and sit down in the shower as needed. To get in, I got the shower going, then sat down and slid over. To get out, I cut off the shower and slid on the bench to the towel and then stood up. I know I wouldn't have been able to shower for many weeks without it. Spit baths just aren't the same, especially when you can't stand up over a sink to wash your hair!

 

[Jockette]

I just want to say hi and let you know I’m thinking of you! I hope you are still on here reading even if you’re not posting.

 

[Josephine]

My messages are depressing and repetitive and serve no purpose to help support others here on Bonesmart. I’ve overstayed my welcome

None of that is true! We want you to feel free to post whatever you want on here and whatever it helps to let the steam off. That's what BoneSmart is all about! We are by no means 'fair weather friends'! Thick and thin, it's all the same to us. So please come back.

 

[Jockette]

Our posts, negative and positive, help others. The negative ones help others see that they are not alone when they feel the same thing you do, and the positive ones encourage others that things will get better.

On here we are all in this together!

People we come in contact off Bonesmart often don’t know how to encourage us, mostly because they do not share the experience.

 

[Jockette]

Just wanted to say hi and that we’re thinking of you!

 

[HoneyB]

Imagine how beneficial it will be to a "newbie" to read of your struggles in the beginning, and then read along as you pull through those to feeling better. I read a lot of posts like that the first week after my surgery and it gave me hope and let me know that what was happening to me was not unusual. Share your good times and your bad times. We're here.

 

[shelli22]

Omg please don’t feel like you need to leave and get better before you can come back to BoneSmart. Have you read my thread. It’s four years of struggles. I am here because people care and I am allowed to voice my concerns, sadness, anger and every now and then positive thoughts. This forum is for those of us that need help and need hope to carry on taking each day as it comes and hoping we too will one day recover and be able to live our dreams of a life without pain. I don’t think I could have coped without being able to read other’s threads, to whinge or cry or just say nothing. The support from others is just as important to us who struggle as anyone else. Please stay.

 

[Needhope]

I’ve been creeping Bonesmart. I admit. Today is day 18 and the past few days have been the worst. My pain last night was unbearable. I can barely walk when the pain gets that high. I cried from pain. I don’t remember my pain getting sooo intense around this timeframe when I had my right TKR. My last in home PT was Wednesday. It was supposed to be Friday but because of insurance, he never showed up. A godsend. I start outpatient PT Tuesday. I’m forcing myself to use a cane instead of the walker. It seems the swelling is getting worse instead of better. I had my bandage removed and X-ray taken this past Tuesday. Surgeon said looks good. He had to do a lot of work in there with the ligaments and tendons because they were loose. Also he removed a huge chunk of bone he found floating around in there when he opened my knee. He couldn’t believe how big it was. I was given one last prescription for Tramadol 50mg which I am trying to make last. I’m icing. ROM measured 93/9 last PT visit. My leg hurts like shatake mushrooms when I try to get more extension. The back is swollen. Doc says it’s fluid and blood which is normal.
I’m in the thick of misery right now. I need all your support here on Bonesmart. My sisters health is touch and go. I’m beyond stressed for myself and my family. The pain is really taking a toll on me, I need sleep desperately. This knee is my problem knee . The black sheep among the two. Please tell me my pain will lessen soon because I don’t deserve this torture and I can’t take much more. I’m hanging on by a thread for dear life. Trying to be strong for my family circle, and myself. Thanks for all you’ve said to help support me..... but I need more encouragement. Hugs to everyone who posted on my thread. I hope you all are doing well and moving onward and upwards. Please take me with you, I’m a good person. God Bless.

 

[Mutti3]

Praying, thinking and looking for you ! Using the walker, gives better stability, and gives more confidence. No need to rush using a cane. You had a lot more work done on your left knee, of course it is angry and swollen. Do the usual, ice, elevate, and sleep. Allow your body and mind to heal.

 

[kneeper]

Don't "force yourself" to use the cane. There's no prize for moving off the walker. I used the walker for several weeks--you're more steady and also gives that new knee more support. I hope you're spending most of the day icing and elevating. I sure was at your point in recovery.

 

[Celle]

I'm sorry you're still in so much pain.
Please keep using the walker, because it will give you more support. There's no need to rush into using the cane.

Your knee had major surgery, with some additional complications and more work done on it during surgery, so it's only natural that it needs more time to recover. I think it would benefit from a break from PT and more time spent resting, icing and elevating it. That might also help to decrease your pain.

After all, it's less than 3 weeks since you had this major surgery and your knee is still upset from all that trauma.

I'm really sorry about your family situation but, honestly, you need to think about how best to care for your poor knee. Right now, you need support too, not to be the one doing the supporting.

Have you tried combining Tylenol with the Tramadol? That works very well for pain relief.
Here are a couple of charts that Josephine designed. The first one is for 4-hourly dosing and the second one is for 6-hourly:

You need to make sure that you keep within the safe daily dose of Tylenol, which is 4,000 mg in each 24 hours. Check to see if there is any Tylenol (Acetaminophen/Paracetamol) in any other medications you are taking. If there is, cut back one or two of your Tylenol doses, so you stay within that safe 4,000 mg limit.

I'm glad you came back to posting again. We're here to help you and to listen when you need a virtual shoulder to cry on.

 

[Jockette]

I’m so glad you’re still here reading and that you posted again.

I’m sorry you have such intense pain.

I’m sorry your sister is so sick. Worrying about her is an additional toll on you. I felt more pain in my recovery when I was stressed out about things.

And wow, your poor knee that needed so much work and a huge bone piece floating around in there.

Just think how much better you are going to feel when you heal from this surgery!

I pray that you get a very nice, gentle PT on Tuesday. If you are having intense pain when you get there be sure to tell them and ask them to help you in that area.

You will get through this. There’s only one way to go and that’s forward.

 

[Needhope]

I really needed your replies, all of you. Thank you. I’m trying sooo hard to stay in a good mental and emotional place. I’m sure it affects my recovery. I know it has. I’m icing now. The Tramadol is 6 hr so I’ll use the chart for 6 hour. I can’t keep up with the schedule though because I’ll run out and then it’ll be just Tylenol for pain relief. I’m praying for pain relief due to time and hoping since I’m 18 days post op, in a couple days it’ll get better. I need it to badly.