My turn for a TKR.

2

Comments

  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Helenbothknees wrote:
    Actually, I was supposed to go home after three days too, but I refused - too much pain, and they wouldn't give me morphine to take home. The next day they relented about the morphine and I went home :)

    I haven't had any pain yet, not that I want some. After the op I was on a morphine drip controlled by me, on the second day this was taken out and I have been on a combination of paracetamol, codeine phosphate and ibuprofen have enough to last me for the next two weeks.
    Barry.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    babytiger wrote:
    Hopefully tomorrow or Sunday but apparently pharmacy take forever to sort out tablets etc

    Hope you get home this weekend, it's much nicer in your own home, just spent hour with ice pack on knee, keep in touch with your progress.
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Barry
    So sorry I'm late seeing this, but good to see you are home safe and sound..what a lovely partner you have...he must be so happy your home...now listen to our Elna she has had two new knees...I do wish you a speedy recovery x
    Love
    Barbara
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    After some advice please on how to get good night's sleep after TKR, it's to painful to sleep on my side yet, so spent night on back, found it best to prop pillows up and doze on and off till 6am, up now and enjoying cup of tea, will go for a nap later on.
    Barry.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    folk may be interested in a new type of dressing my consultant used on my knee after TKR, it's a self adhesive about 10 inches long by 4 inches wide, he also used dissolvable sutures with steri-strips. I can shower as the dressing is waterproof only problem for me is I can't yet get into bath to use shower, I can pull the dressing off this Fri, guess that's going to be fun. My consultant feels this dressing and dissolvable sutures will leave me with a neater scar, anyone else had one of these dressings.
    Barry.
  • babytiger
    babytiger Member Posts: 360
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Copycat Barry.Me got one of those dressings too and dissolvable stitches although I've to get district nurse in 10 days,lots more comfortable than bandage n 36 staples and that was. Only 14 months. Ago.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Good for you, are you getting home this weekend.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,322
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Sounds wonderful for both of you :D

    How much better than those staples - frighten the life out of me!

    Lovely sunny day here I hope you are both feeling really positive

    Love

    Toni xx
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Sleeping - difficult one, I seem to remember (amazing how quickly you forget thought)....

    I slept mainly on my back, or sort of three-quarters of the way towards my front with one leg in front of the other; I'd had both knees done which made it harder.

    I made sure I timed the painkillers so that I took them before bedtime and during the night too if necessary.

    Something else....gone clean out of my head; will post when I remember.

    Take care; it gets better! :)
  • Mutley1964
    Mutley1964 Member Posts: 19
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Barry! So glad to hear that all went well & your back home and not in too much discomfort! Yep, I had dissolvable stitches & a clear dressing. Was told to see my practice nurse 10 days later to get it changed. Should have saved myself the bother of going as she just peeled it off & stuck another back on. Didn't even bother giving the knee a clean!
    As for sleep, well! I'm 11 weeks post op today and I'm still not sleeping properly :-( It has been a bit of a nightmare as even with some sleeping tablets I haven't managed more than the odd hour. Last night I DID manage some sleep, but that was down to a rather lengthy session in the pub :-)
    My only advice to you would be just try & find the right balance of rest, exercising, ice & elevation! If your knee is swollen, you can never use too much ice and for as long as possible. I use a bag of cheap frozen sweetcorn! They mould perfectly to your knee :-)
    Take it easy and look forward to hearing of your continued progress :-)
    Jaki x
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    I had a big stick on dressing put on after my operation and they changed it the day after. Then it was on for quite a while and it was supposed to work like a nappy, keep the wound clean and absorb any blood...I had 28 staples but my scar is pretty neat...My dad who had TKR had dissolvable stitches but his wound you could see daylight between the two sides and it made me feel sick looking at it.....I managed a shower after the staples were out which was a relief but before that my sister gave me a half shower (sitting half over bath)...I felt clean for first time in ages!

    Elainexx
    barry2013 wrote:
    folk may be interested in a new type of dressing my consultant used on my knee after TKR, it's a self adhesive about 10 inches long by 4 inches wide, he also used dissolvable sutures with steri-strips. I can shower as the dressing is waterproof only problem for me is I can't yet get into bath to use shower, I can pull the dressing off this Fri, guess that's going to be fun. My consultant feels this dressing and dissolvable sutures will leave me with a neater scar, anyone else had one of these dressings.
    Barry.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Such a lovely day here in the Wolds, decieded it would be nice to get some fresh air, managed to walk up and down our house a grand distance of 85 ft, enjoyed it but now feeling tired, going for a lie down and elevated leg.
    Got a lovely brunch of flowers from our residents assoc.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Must have moved onto my side while having a nap, woke up in a lot of pain, took ages to get up and into chair, have realised how long a road recovery is going to be, but I will get there.
    Barry.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,322
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Well DONE you Barry geting out even if it was a short walk.

    Yes it will take time, but you are doing brilliantly :)

    Love

    Toni xxx
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Yes, Barry, you will most certainly get there. Early days yet for you. It is sometimes one step forward and two steps back but it all evens itself out in the end.

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Had a much better night last night, managed to sleep on side and woke around 7.40, feeling really refreshed, sun is shining, looking out over the lincolnshire wolds, itching to get into the garden but being good. Really hope everyone else is having a good day as well.
    Barry.
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Good morning Barry,

    Methinks you will most definitely have to just look at the garden andforget the weeding and digging for a while. I was happy to have both my knee ops in the January so was well on the mend when the spring weather arrived and all the weeds too. ;)

    Enjoy your day :D

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • babytiger
    babytiger Member Posts: 360
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Morning Barry, it is a lovely weather in Lincolnshire isn't it .We have gorgeous sunshine ,not that I will be walking very far. You sound like your doing well but don't be like me and rush things, your body knows better than your mind lol
    Eileen x
  • villier
    villier Member Posts: 4,426
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Barry sorry I have missed this, internet was down for a bit :oops: glad to see you have been doing well and good to see you have great support from your partner, I'm afraid can't answer your question but I'm sure some of the others will be along soon to give you advice..........tc............Marie xx
    Smile a while and while you smile
    smile another smile and soon there
    will be miles and miles of smiles
    just because you smiled I wish your
    day is full of Smiles
  • chookgate
    chookgate Member Posts: 146
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Barry, sorry to be late to the welcome home party, but I've been suffering from a nasty chesty cold and not really felt like doing anything much.

    Glad to hear you're not in much pain, I've read that some people don't need pain killers at all after they get home post TKR, let's hope you remain pain free - but don't get despondent if you don't :)

    I've never heard of "feet plugged into pressurised bags", is that a new alternative to the horrible thigh length anti-dvt stockings I had to wear for 6 weeks? Or have you got the pleasure of them too?

    Keep up the exercises and icing, and you'll soon be back on that bike (though you may have to get a step through one if it's your "mounting" knee you've had done)
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    chookgate wrote:
    Hi Barry, sorry to be late to the welcome home party, but I've been suffering from a nasty chesty cold and not really felt like doing anything much.

    Glad to hear you're not in much pain, I've read that some people don't need pain killers at all after they get home post TKR, let's hope you remain pain free - but don't get despondent if you don't :)

    I've never heard of "feet plugged into pressurised bags", is that a new alternative to the horrible thigh length anti-dvt stockings I had to wear for 6 weeks? Or have you got the pleasure of them too?

    Keep up the exercises and icing, and you'll soon be back on that bike (though you may have to get a step through one if it's your "mounting" knee you've had done)

    No I still have on a rather fetching pair of white anti - dvt stockings.
    Barry.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Spoke to car insurance company today, they said there was no need to inform them re my TKR, funny how different company's are.
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    I think that's generally how things are with insurance nowadays, Barry, despite the stories you hear. My problem was that they said I could drive so long as my doctor hadn't said otherwise, and my consultant hadn't said either way - and I couldn't get a straight answer when I phoned his secretary. That being so, I didn't drive till I saw him 8 weeks after the op. With hindsight, I was probably too cautious...but my partner didn't mind driving me around, so it was no big deal.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,322
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    That's good to hear Barry. My consultant told me to STAMP my foot on the floor after back surgery and if I could I was safe to drive.

    I reckon your booties are there to help pump the blood up your legs :)

    Those ted stockings eh?? The height of fashion :wink:

    Love

    Toni xx
  • chookgate
    chookgate Member Posts: 146
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    I think for driving, regardless of what the insurance company might say, it really does depend which knee you had done, whether you have an automatic gearbox, and if you're going to be driving in rush hour conditions. My first tkr was the right knee, and at my 6 week check the surgeon said I was fine to drive, and I was. My second tkr is now 12 weeks old, and I still don't think I could manage the clutch in rush hour (the traffic around here is nose to tail from about 830 til 930!), and I'm not so sure about an emergency stop either. Having said that, I haven't tried (I cycle to work and hubby drives me everywhere else), but I must get back to it soon, otherwise I'll turn into one of those old ladies who "can't drive". :D With an automatic though, the left leg is pretty much redundant so I'd have been driving weeks ago!

    (My TEDS were blue - my main problem with them was pulling them up under trousers when they rolled down - ended up using a suspender belt!)

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