Hi- Grateful to have found this site. The medical establishment just sort of spits one out of the recovery room with PT's who need to check the boxes. I am being given a 4-day supply of Percocet at a time. I'm wondering if that's the norm. It is a huge hassle to get to the pharmacy so frequently. Are doctor's so frightened of liability that is all they will prescribe at a time? Thanks.
TKR Sher101 Post Op 11 days
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Hi and Welcome!
Yes, getting pain medication can be challenging, it’s the way it seems to be these days, for many of us. Because of that, try not to do things that will increase your pain, like too many painful exercises. All you need this early are gentle bends and short walks around the house.
Please tell us the date of your surgery, and which knee it is, and we’ll make a signature for you.
I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.
Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
3. Do what you want to do BUT
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website
The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
Yes, getting pain medication can be challenging, it’s the way it seems to be these days, for many of us. Because of that, try not to do things that will increase your pain, like too many painful exercises. All you need this early are gentle bends and short walks around the house.
Please tell us the date of your surgery, and which knee it is, and we’ll make a signature for you.
I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.
Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
If you want to use something to help heal the incision,
BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website
The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
Welcome to the recovery side, @101 
Pain relief is a challenge during the early weeks of recovery, but it does get better.
Please do read all the great articles that Jockette shared with you. The information helped me tremendously after both of the TKRs. (I'm still recovering from the most recent one, which was in December.)
We are here to support one another. So let us know how we can help!
Pain relief is a challenge during the early weeks of recovery, but it does get better. Please do read all the great articles that Jockette shared with you. The information helped me tremendously after both of the TKRs. (I'm still recovering from the most recent one, which was in December.)
We are here to support one another. So let us know how we can help!
Thank you. I have been reading through the threads and articles posted. Extremely helpful. Also the section on P.T.--the good, bad and the ugly. I have post op appointment Monday so should get a better read on how I'm doing, although I feel pretty good.
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Hello and Welcome to BoneSmart and recovery! I look forward to following your healing journey.
Best wishes with your PT appointment on Monday. I hope you find a good match in a physical therapist.
Just remember who's boss of what you will and won't do...you!
Have a nice weekend and thanks for joining us!
@101
Best wishes with your PT appointment on Monday. I hope you find a good match in a physical therapist.
Just remember who's boss of what you will and won't do...you!
Have a nice weekend and thanks for joining us!
@101
jakemedic
member
Welcome @101 ! I’m not going to go on a rant about pain management. But I am hopeful you are faring along well with ice and meds. I’m just over 3 months post op on my first knee and all seems well. I tell you this so you have something to look forward to. Knee replacement isn’t a walk in the park, yet an amazing experience cause each day things get just a wee bit better. Well, maybe not at first but by documenting your journey here, you can go back and see your progress. Best wishes!
jake
jake
@jakemedic-thanks for the encouragement. Things are already improving. Well, I'll go on a rant about meds. I'm confused about the narcotic prescription. I was admonished by my OS's PA for wanting a refill when I have been taking them as prescribed. I think it will be less painful to discontinue them altogether than to go through the hassle of getting refills. Anyway, my ROM is 100 bent knee, and I manage around the house on my own except for help filling my ice machine. I ice whenever I'm not eating, or taking care of ablutions. I'm doing better than I thought I would at not quite 2 weeks out, and my partner is impressed with my capability to care for myself.
Thanks everyone for comments and support.
Thanks everyone for comments and support.
SnowHare
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The Bone & Joint Clinic where I live (think of it as the Central Clearing House for joint replacement) wants their patients to do the barest minimum the first 2 weeks. At two weeks, it recommends making yourself a light snack, or a light lunch. By week 4, they suggest you can make supper, but with assistance.
I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that don't try and do too much. Let your partner take care of you. As for pain meds, I was lucky because the protocol here is to fax the pharmacy the prescription. We picked it up on the way home, and the pharmacist came out to the car to make sure it was indeed me. When I renewed the prescription, I went through my GP. I told her my come off the Percoset plan, and she calculated how many pills I would need. I am having relatively little pain, except at night.
I know different countries and different doctors have a wide range of how they handle pain meds. There is a doctor in Calgary (Canada), who came up with a new protocol for pain meds. I think it's what my surgeon is doing now. My last knee replacement awful, and part of that was due to insufficient pain management.
I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that don't try and do too much. Let your partner take care of you. As for pain meds, I was lucky because the protocol here is to fax the pharmacy the prescription. We picked it up on the way home, and the pharmacist came out to the car to make sure it was indeed me. When I renewed the prescription, I went through my GP. I told her my come off the Percoset plan, and she calculated how many pills I would need. I am having relatively little pain, except at night.
I know different countries and different doctors have a wide range of how they handle pain meds. There is a doctor in Calgary (Canada), who came up with a new protocol for pain meds. I think it's what my surgeon is doing now. My last knee replacement awful, and part of that was due to insufficient pain management.
Thanks @SnowHare. Yes, I need to let him help me as long as he is here. He will be going back to his home on the 9th. I think I will have developed good self-care skills by then.
Everyone: I had my first post-op appointment with the PA. Had stitches removed. She said she could tell by the way the bruising is more in my upper thigh that I have been icing and elevating a great deal. Swelling is down and was rom is 90 and 0. Overall a good visit. I am pleased.
Everyone: I had my first post-op appointment with the PA. Had stitches removed. She said she could tell by the way the bruising is more in my upper thigh that I have been icing and elevating a great deal. Swelling is down and was rom is 90 and 0. Overall a good visit. I am pleased.
I think I am kicking my beloved out early. He was to stay with me for a month, but now that I've read about water bottles in the ice machine (thanks to whomever posted about that), we have found the last hurdle to my needing help. I will miss our meals together and binging on Resident Alien on Netflix. He'll still be available to come and drive me to various appointments and take out my trash. I felt well enough to vacuum this a.m. My cat has a UTI and scatters litter everywhere. That will be one of the appointments to which he will drive me. His dog has diarrhea and also needs a vet appointment. I'm not being chit chatty here, just pointing out how these things happen at inopportune times. And whining about pets inserting themselves in my time!
On the PT front, I feel like my home care PT is pushing me to bicycle before I thought I was ready and is hyper-focused on my flexion ROM. She has given me a bunch of stretching exercises to do which I do less of than prescribed. I also walked down 30 stairs to see if I could get in the car comfortably and drive. Yes! Now weaning off pain killers so I can do so.
Overall this is just 2 weeks post op, so I'm pleased. I did do some heavy duty PT prehab, so that may have helped.
On the PT front, I feel like my home care PT is pushing me to bicycle before I thought I was ready and is hyper-focused on my flexion ROM. She has given me a bunch of stretching exercises to do which I do less of than prescribed. I also walked down 30 stairs to see if I could get in the car comfortably and drive. Yes! Now weaning off pain killers so I can do so.
Overall this is just 2 weeks post op, so I'm pleased. I did do some heavy duty PT prehab, so that may have helped.
Do not allow her to push you. This is your knee, your recovery -- not hers. You have the right to say "no" (or just ignore her
)!Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?
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You're doing great! Even though kicking your beloved out earlier than expected and through your own admission will miss some aspects of his presence, it's a sign of healing and independence. 
It could be worse and you could NEED him to be there because you weren't progressing and suddenly he's on your last nerve, lol.
Thanks for the update...you're doing it!
@101
It could be worse and you could NEED him to be there because you weren't progressing and suddenly he's on your last nerve, lol.Thanks for the update...you're doing it!
@101
I am entering week 4. Extension is almost there. Flexion is 118. Therapist was happy but wanted to push it past pain. I told him to back off (didn't feel like I could go any further and hadn't slept well.) He seems so be of the "no pain, no gain" variety which surprised me. I did prehab therapy with him for six weeks, which was all pain, before that I had covid twice (1st time covid, then rebound) and am feeling like I've had enough lying around and healing from one thing or another since February. Typing this is, in fact, making me weepy. Anyway, I came on here originally to ask about icing. I iced non-stop the first 3 weeks. Now I wonder what would be a reasonable amount. 1 hour 3 x a day? I want to move around more. I'm off the pain meds except for OTC, so that is contributing to my current mood, I guess.
Good for you! Your therapist clearly was not trained in the appropriate protocols for TKR recovery. Don't let anyone push you into pain -- it will backfire. Besides, your ROM is excellent for just 4 weeks post-op, so there is no need to push anything!
Personally, I do it more than just 3 times/day. But we are all different and we recover at different rates. You don't need to spend the whole day icing and elevating. But listen to your body. If your knee feels achey, stiff or swollen, ice more often.
Just remember that you are still early days in this year-long recovery. Many of us continue to ice and elevate for months. (In fact, I did it last night after a very active day and I'm approaching the 5 month mark.)
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Personally, I’d use it for swelling and pain and also after any PT or intense activity in an effort to avoid pain or swelling. At not even one month post op, you may find occasions where ice still brings comfort and relief.
Sending a warm hug for your weepy mood. It’s one of those days that happens to us all along the way, but know that you’re not alone and it will pass. Try to stay busy and occupy your mind. I believe it will help. Hugs!
@101
Sending a warm hug for your weepy mood. It’s one of those days that happens to us all along the way, but know that you’re not alone and it will pass. Try to stay busy and occupy your mind. I believe it will help. Hugs!
@101
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