Posted , 8 users are following.
here I am 2am awake again, my leg is very swollen and painful only been given ibuprofen and paracetamol plus a few gabapentine 1 in morning and 1 at night. How long does this swelling last I don't remember? This is my 2nd TKR I'd forgotten how hard the recovery is. Boo hoo!
0 likes, 20 replies
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Milla2017 elaine94716
Posted
Elaine, 6 weeks post TKR. I ice religiously but also elevate twice a day for about an hour. That is the #1 medical treatment for s swollen limb. Make sure your foot is higher than your nose ("Toes to Nose"
. Lie Down, you want your head and heart to be as low as possible.
As for pain meds, personally I have had a hellish recovery so far and only now I am on Dilaudid 2 mg every 4 hours. Previously I took between 25-50 mg Vicodin if the pain did not come down. For proper healing your pain cannot be higher than a 4 at all times. Anything higher than that and the knee switch from healing mode to fighting the pain and inflammation. Good luck, keep on the ice, the elevation and the excercises. Wishing you good healing!
elaine94716 Milla2017
Posted
Thanks Mill that is very helpful. I wish they'd tell us that in hospital! I've iced 3 times today and on top of the pain but the leg is very stiff so physio is almost impossible. Ho hum. Have you driven the car yet? X
Milla2017 elaine94716
Posted
Elaine, that is Groundhog Day everyday for me. Wake up and stiff as a plank. Soon after I wake up my husband help me stretch - specifically where you lie in bed on back, move your lower body so your buttock is right on edge of bed (so you are trying to keep your upper body " straight". Keep leg straight and he places one hand under heel and one under knee and brings it down slowly until my foot rests on the floor. It stretches the whole leg. Hold it as long as you can but no more than 3 min. He lifts it up straight and slowly lower it again. We repeat 3-4 times. Then we do 10 heel slides (lying with leg straight and sliding knee toward your chest, bending the knee and holding it for 10 seconds). Doing ankle pumps while you do this. Not even close to driving but do not let that scare you I have had a very difficult recovery.
debi51 elaine94716
Posted
Elaine, I don't know if this will help with pt or not .... I was on Vicodin and the therapist had me take 2 (my dose was 1-2 every 6 hours) pills 1 hour before pt. It got me through without hurting him when pushing my leg to increase ROM
Debi