What now?

Here I am 4 days after. Doing my exercises. Quite swollen and a little itchy. Have scared myself about dvt. I don't know what's normal! I have surprising little pain. A low grade headache due to constipation which I hope will go. I have taken magnesium tonight. Any ideas?? Thoughts. Etc

I think you are doing awesome ! DOnt worry or overthink it. Little aches and pains will happen for a few weeks. You will feel a little better each day ! Good luck

Hello Saltspringer,

I'm 11 days postop.  I still have both.  The swelling and being itchy is normal.  You need to continue to ice all the time, and that will help the swollen areas.  I ice on the incision area as well as around the knee.  My therapist told me to ice as much as possible because it also helps with the pain.  The itchiness you are having comes from the incision healing.  Usually a DVT you would have pain, swollen, tender to touch, and the area would be red.  There are other symptoms as well, such as shortness of breath, fever, cough, etc.  If you continue to worry, you should call your MD.  

Good luck, and let me know how you are doing.

Caroline

Hi,

Thats normal, pain, leg swollen,litle itchy you will have this for a

few weeks. You are doing ok . Do your excesice, rest, drink

plenty of water, eat well . Listen your body. Take care

Madla

Perhaps Docusate Sodium 100 mg daily stool softener....

Remember, the new joint is just a baby...be gentle...it will enjoy rest...it will tire easily

Ice, ice, and more ice...I like the gel packs from Amazon or a pharmacy because the don't leak, they are flat without the points of ice cubes, they remain cold longer...perhaps three medium or large.

A DVT is reddish, swollen, and hot...and if you squeeze hard the back of your calf, the pain will cause you to hit the ceiling.

As your activity increases, pain and swelling may increase.

Nice and easy does it, you are in a marathon

hi saltspringer, 

Congratulatons, you are done and dusted !!!

you are early in recovery from a major invasive surgery where  tissues were cut, handled and pulled around - 

Are you still in the hospital?   They didn't discharge me until I have a bowel movement ... 

Are you taking any bloodthinning medication ?  

Keep doing the ankle rotations and feet pumps -

please come back and let us know how you are getting on , okay?

love to have you here ...

big warm hug

renee

You sound as if you are doing well. I was amazed at the lack of pain, but then I did take everything that they prescribed! Swelling is quite normal, usually gets worse before it starts to improve after a few weeks. As the others have said, cold gel pack/ice on swollen bits. Rest with your leg up. Mine used to get more swollen as the day went on, then the next morning it was less swollen at first. Re constipation, prunes, dates, lots of fresh fruit and veg, water, and take your laxatives that the hospital gave you. It should get better! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

You will still be taking painkillers and other drugs? If so, please don't take magnesium without consulting a doctor or holistic practitioner. It is well known for drug interactions, and in some cases the effects are not at all good. Natural doesn't always mean safe. People assume that such supplements are always ok, but many natural remedies and supplements can interact with drugs in sometimes nasty  ways.

Hi there sounds like your doing great

we all seem to worry about the least

thing as I myself and other hippies

seem to be so much more aware

of what's happening with our bodies.

Keep rotating those feet,keep doing

those bed heal slides , your great

remember what you've had done

Major Surgery. Big hug xx🙋

Hi, yes if your constipated deal with it ASAP as the longer it lasts the more uncomfortable it gets !

At 4 days, thatis all totally normal - as I see others have said.

Little aches and pains can continue for a while, it's big ones we don't want, and of course dislocation.

Take it easy, rest as much as you can, you will feel exhausted at first.

Graham