Hi everyone .. haven't really had a chance to get on here since my 2nd TKR .. I had alot of issues with the first one and still having them b4 2nd op .. but the pain throughout the first one was bearable and from the moment I got home I could manage pain and exercise no problems .. was able to use a mini peddle machine for up to 2hrs with no problems.
BUT....
Talk about not prepared for the pain of this 2nd one .. I've always thought I was very strong and had a very high pain tolerance .. well has this 2nd operation proved me wrong!
I am in constant unbearable pain even while in hospital they had trouble trying to control my pain and had me on extreme high doses of narcs that they wanted me to continue but they forget in reality the doses they were wanting me to take drs just can't prescribe such high amounts. I'm currently on 55mg of oxycontin and 6 endones a day (in hospital I was on 16! nearly a box a day).
I have heard on this forum before that people suffered with this type of pain and thought surely it couldn't be that bad .. well I'm eating my words now nothing stops the pain .. I ice ice ice and find that probably helps the most at times. And exercises are sheer hell sometimes I cry just doing the smallest basic thing .. I do suffer with depression and have found that I've had to take a couple of extra valiums a day, dr said that would be due to the pain that I'm in.
When I first went to the drs I was very concerned about the colour of some weeping on my bandage so they sent me to the treatment room and cleaned the wound (this was 10 days post op) boy had I been lucky that my surgeon insisted before they took down my drip that they gave me 2 more lots of antibiotics... as when the nurse too the bandage off it had the spoils of an infection that had started but then had been stopped.
On day one the head physio came to see me with 2 students she stayed with me for an hour and was forcing my knee into all these positions and saying to the students that this is what someone should be able to do the day after surgery and she got me to a 95 ROM. She left the room at one stage and the students said to me that they had been taught never to push like this physio did and especially for an hour for a first session... I agreed with them and we all said together she was having this awesome ego trip! I don't know if it was just the surgery or her butchering me helped cause my pain. I know each knee is different and boy has this been a learning lesson. So many things that I've read on here have happened with this knee... I do know that there is a light at the end of tunnel that is still along way away yet!
I rang my surgeon the other day to double check that I had soluble stitches which he said I did and he said due to the pain I was in the most important thing was to still try and stay on top of it... which I'm finding so hard to do at the moment.
I just got my hubby to get my mini peddler to give it a go I did 5 full rotations, it killed me but I did it .. so different to the first knee that could do 2hrs+ from the moment I got home.
Sorry for this being an essay length post but I just know that you fellow sufferers/TKR's some will understand where I'm coming from and I have found this forum to be of such great value.
And Chico I have been over to reread your post
Thanks for any advice that anyone can give... cheers Tracey
Oxycontin is pure Oxycodone while Percocet is Oxycodone mixed with Acetaminophen. The two ingredients synergistically are supposed to provide better relief together. I'd ask the doc.
I know how you feel. I was home on day two and my wife called an ambulance to take me to a rehab place IMMEDIATELY because she couldn't handle me or my pain...and she was nurse for 30 years. This is not easy, as you are well aware. From what I've heard from BTKR patients, you cannot expect knee #2 to be like knee #1, either for better or worse.
I'd take a look at the meds and then get an 24 x 7 ice machine on the leg. Also some Voltaren Gel (RX) might be helpful...best topical anti-imflammatory on the planet.
You know this pain will be gone fairly soon but you still have to get through it. Deflect your brain. Read a book; kill aliens on x-box. Sleep. Just try to get your mind off it the best you can. You know you'll get through it...just take it a day at a time.
1st of all....the students appear to be a hell of a lot smarter than the instructor. Promise him retaliation, like a swift kick in the family jewels if he ever does anything like that again. Make sure they are staying on top of that drainage. Did they withdraw any of the fluid and run it through the lab for analysis. To me it sounds like unusual pressure from inside and needs the proper attention of the infectious disease doc. I've been through that twice and it can make you sick.....sick....sick with pain. As a start, increase your water intake just to help keep your blood pressure normal and your bowels and kidneys operational. Good luck. I would also suggest you stay off the machine. If there happens to be an infection it will only be made worse by the activity.
Don't let the physio work you that hard. You need time to heal. The day after my tkr, the physio in the hospital worked my knee so hard and got me to a 120 bend and caused my whole leg to swell from my thigh to the tip of my toes and the whole thing was bruised and my skin was so hot that it burned from the inside out and then peeled off. My surgeon was so mad that they worked me that much and told me to do nothing but elevate and ice until the swelling and pain was better. He said I needed time to heal. He was so right. I am now 13 weeks post op and can do anything I want to do. Back to playing Pickleball (similar to tennis) and walking. My bend is about 110 which is o.k. with me. I still have a little stiffness in the front of my knee, but I stayed away from the exercises for the first three weeks and mainly elevated and iced. The physio doesn't know how much that are hurting you by pushing you so hard.
I'm so sorry to hear you're having a hard time. I too suffer from depression and found myself crying constantly from pain and self pity. Xanax helped with that. Plus it helped me sleep. I can't believe the PT assaulted you the way she did. That's inexcusable! I'm sure you weren't prepared for that! I will say some prayers for you. I hope your pain eases some and your depression lifts. Take care.
Thanks Chico... I was on Percocet and it didn't help that's why I was switched to oxycontin and endone .. just wish I could take the endone in the amounts the hospital prescribed .. but the dr can't prescribe that much when I'm on such a high dose of oxy.
Nice knowing someone else knows how severe the pain can get. I don't know about the 24 x7 ice machine will look into it thanks for the advice. Hubby has bought me so many ice packs so I can continually have one on when I'm not doing the little exercises I can manage (which my pt is happy with at present) or when I go for my walks around the house or sit... I'm finding I'm spending alot more time in bed with this leg seen how the pain is so severe and it's the easiest way to ice it. I put a large ice pack on top of me knee and small one under it .. it's about the only way I can get some sort of relief.
Thankfully if I can find one of the ice machines (you don't mean a kryo one do you? as I don't find they keep the cold long enough).
Have tried Voltaren but it doesn't work on me but Dencorub extra strength usually helps a little but have to admit haven't used any of it as yet... must get it out and see how it goes!
Really appreciate your advice, it's so nice having somewhere to come where people can really relate to what you're going thru...
Thank you Oldfatguy .. so glad you agree with me about the sadistic physio!!!
I know they withdrew fluid as I had a tube in for a few days but for testing it I really don't know.
Saw my dr and he's 100% sure that I don't have an infection... but great advice about using the machine and activity if there was one .. didn't realise that actiivity could make it worse.
I'll ring my surgeon later today as it's 3.30am here at the moment can't sleep due to pain .. but will try again shortly and get all the ice packs wrapped and ready!
Thank you so much for you advice I really appreciate it...
Same has happened to me Pat ... the swelling and then all the skin peeling from being stretched so much .. the bruising sounds like exact same scenario.
Have to admit I'm doing the most gentle of exercises set by my own pt who is very cautious and I'm not to do them if they create more pain. I'm just frightened of my leg stiffening and then if they have to put me under (well I think they do) to manipulate it as I've heard that's as painful as hell. But my surgeon is aware that this knee is suffering with non stop pain where the other leg didn't so much. I'm so glad that the first wasn't like this or I would've been a mess before going in for the 2nd op.
Yes ice is your friend for sure. With my last total knee i tried the ice machine but i found it to be too heavy on the knee, but maybe they have different kinds. I have never heard of endone before and i worked in pain management before i retired. I know with the last surgery they hade my on about 5 different drugs, and hard to come off of them, i am hoping with revision coming up that i can handle pain. Please get well soon, praying for you.
Thanks April, I know it will but it's just how long will it take as my other leg still hadn't healed properly and I'm finding it's going a bit backwards... maybe this is normal??? A stepback before onward we go!
Thanks Renee .. my depression probably won't lift too much as it's due to the passing of my daughter some years ago which I still haven't nor don't think I'll ever get over. Anyway dr thinks that the pain has bought my depression/anxiety to the forefront hence why I'm sometimes needing a couple of valiums. I'm happy with the depression meds I take now took me along time to find something that worked for me unfortunately xanax didn't help... I take Cymbalta and swear by it and for anxiety I take Paxam and valium as required... the valium I use when I need it.
Tracey my depression started when my youngest brother died of brain cancer in 1991. I can totally relate to you. It shattered my world and I was never the same again. It's morphed into bipolar. I'm on Effexor Seroquel and Xanax as I get panic attacks too. We're a pair aren't we? But even with the medication I still have bad days. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who had a traumatic event send me into depression. Thanks and hugs.
Hi Renee, so sorry to hear about your brother .. my daughter passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm in 2008 and I've been a mess ever since. I still have many bad days where I just want to be on my own and curled up in bed .. well I can't curl up in bed at present... like you the medication doesn't fully help but I was on one that was a shocker I was like a zombie with no feelings and just flat a shrink put me on it... eventually I weaned myself off them and on a visit to my drs he said how dreadful I looked and I told him what I did and that's when he put me on the Cymbalta .. I wanted something to take the edge off without feeling like a zombie I wanted to have all my emotions back and feel much better for it. I know I'm not the same person as I was dr told me I never would be as I lost a big part of my life... but I can live with that, but I have found my siblings are more distant with me than they used to be... I suppose it's because I'm not the same person anymore, thankfully I have the best husband one could ask for and very understanding kids well like you they lost a sibling.
Tracey Omg you're telling my story! I tried so many drugs and became a zombie until finally I found the Effexor. The anniversary of David's death was September 29 and I literally laid in bed crying and sleeping for 2 days. He had just turned 24 when he died. None of us expected it. My marriage didn't survive it. I know I became a different person . I wasn't the strong capable self sufficient woman that I had been. It took me a long time to pull myself together. My young sons became my reason for living. And I had a good job with a lot of emotional support. I'm 57 now. I had lung cancer in 2014. They removed my lung day before Thanksgiving. I ended up being in the hospital till New Years Eve cause of complications. I'm cancer free now. I feel so empty after the cancer nightmare. Then this knee ordeal! Thank goodness for this form. I've met the best most understanding people here. Thank you. Renee