Week 5 post op TKR
Posted , 8 users are following.
I saw the surgeon a few days ago. What a colossal waste of time. First 2 residents came in Neither one had a laptop, tablet or even a file with them. I always bring a med list and surgery list with me. They made no notes on the computer in the room about my pain, or questions I asked. They never touched my incision or even got close to it. Only thing they did was have me lift my leg up, I was sitting in a straight chair. Then try to pull it back under the chair. I told them my pain is between a 6-8 every day, even tho I go to PT 3 times a week and do my at home exercise. It is numb on the sides of my incision on one side and painful on the other. Back of my knee hurts and where my knee bends in the back. I can do stretching exercises and it feels pretty good, walk around the room and the whole leg tightens up so bad I can't bend my knee without it feeling like the skin is ripping. I ice it, wall, stretch it, get on the NuSTEP and it just goes back to swelling. I was given 5 325 of Norco right after surgery . . . A major surgery and thats what I get. and upped to 10 325 when I ended up in his office 2 weeks later in excruciating pain . The interns leave , the surgeon comes in and says "Lets see what you can do". I lift my leg again. He says it looks like 100. That's good for 4 weeks. I tell him about my pain and pain on my leg. He REDUCES my Norco to 5. I asked him how my surgery went, I wanted to know what exactly he did. He says, I fixed it. Does anyone else have all the pain in the leg BESIDES the knee?? I live for the ice. Pt says I am doing great but it sure does not seem like it. Not sleeping from pain. Any ideas or advice? Thanks!!!
0 likes, 21 replies
jenny61596 purplerlover
Posted
I had bad pain for 6-7 weeks then it improved, it was so bad couldnt let physio touch knee , then it improved quite suddenly at about 8 weeks, i didnt do much physio when it was really painful as next day it was just awful, I just bent it and straightened it . I went to water areobics at about 7-8 wks . Year later have good movement, just saw my surgeon and he said i got as good as it gets after sugery in range of movement. What you ate feeling is quite normal, just time and dont overdo exercise if in agony
robert61422 purplerlover
Posted
I'm curious to know which country you had your surgery in. I know this forum started in England and one can't tell which horror stories are from GB patients and which are from patients in other parts of the world but if what I read in here is typical for the British Health System, I'm thinking you all should skip across the pond and get your surgery in the USA. For the price of a decent auto, it might be 20 or 30 thousand USD well spent. At least you get to choose a doc with 30+ years of experience and great references.
And at our HMO, your surgeon sees you for every follow up visit until you are completely healed.
Let me know if I'm way off base and I'll apologize.
Dadka robert61422
Posted
I feel very similar and often wonder the same -where is this.
It is very surprising , but the treatment seems very different depending on what country you are. And it should not be.
I am in the UK for 13 years and every time I go to doctor I feel they either dismiss my concerns or behave like they do not believe me. I have never felt this way before, even going to doctors with less important things and everything have always got investigated. But not here. I found it quite scary.
robert61422 Dadka
Posted
Yes, it's wonderful that everything is covered there at no or little charge but when I read stories that, from day 1, people are having pain that lasts for years and the implant comes loose and it feels like the alignment is off and the doctors are have no empathy and on and on. It just really makes you wonder.
I'm thinking, like you, can we pin this down to a certain country? With no way of knowing, 1/2 the stories could be right here in the ol' USA and then I'd have to retrench.
I hope you have a wonderful week!
Bob
jenny61596 robert61422
Posted
i am in australia and was talking to my surgeon about this and he said that he spent just about his whole time in uk redoing bad knee surgeries , he said a lot of doctors where brought into uk that were no good, he also said a lot of bad ones in US too . Be cheaper to pay for the surgery here than US , I have health insurance but could have had same surgeon free if I had waited . He also said lots of poor quality parts used. So yes I am inclined to agree with you
purplerlover robert61422
Posted
Robert
I am in the USA. I had my surgery in Toledo,Ohio at UTMC (University of Toledo Medical College) I was scheduled for surgery with another Surgeon but he decided the week before the surgery he wasn't sure he could control my pain or swelling, so he cancelled my surgery and set me up with his friend that he went to Medical school with. I met him once before surgery . He seemed great, after surgery I have seen him at the one month mark. He reduced my Norco from 10 to 5, had me raise my leg and said 100 and was done with me. How do the Dr.'s treat you in GB????
robert61422 purplerlover
Posted
Hi Purple, thanks for the update. I don't mean to be rude but I don't understand what you are saying. A surgeon thought so little of himself that he didn't think, when he did the surgery, that the TKR would help you? So he turned you over to a more skilled surgeon that thought he could help you?
Is this a teaching hospital? Are they real surgeons or residents that are learning their trade. Doesn't make any sense. I think there is something going on here that I don't know about. Why didn't he think he could help you? Did they give you a huge price break because they don't know what they are doing. Does your insurance only pay for you to go to a teaching hospital?
Anyway, I didn't have any surgery; my wife had a TKR and had no pain from day 2. Still having no pain since the surgery 6 weeks ago. The surgeon gave her an Rx for a narcotic pain reliever but she only used one or two tablets and they are sitting on the shelf.
We are also in the USA and made sure that we were getting a surgeon with lots of experience that came highly recommended. We are in an HMO but it's a good one.
Her surgeon, that did the operation, sees her at every recheck and personally changes her bandages and runs tests every time he sees her. She is still having some oozing so he's going to keep seeing her until that stops. We never see anyone else.
It sounds like you need to see another doctor for a second opinion and get this all straightened out but I would try to be patient. From what I read in the forum, a lot of pain, while not normal, is very common. But you still need to see a doctor that you have confidence in and will spend time with you and will explain everything and, bottom line: help you!
In our HMO, if two doctors can't help you, they have to pay for you to go to an outside specialist I would definitely look into that at your hospital.
Hope you get some relief soon!
robert61422 jenny61596
Posted
Yes, it sure seems that way after reading some of the posts in this forum.
Makes you wonder how their surgeon's get trained in the UK.
bp
purplerlover robert61422
Posted
Hi Robert, No worries ask me anything. The surgeon that said he did not feel
comfortable doing the surgery, he said he could, but wasn't sure he could control my pain or swelling. So he said he wouldn't do it. The Surgeon he passed me on to that did the TKR went to school with him. My Dr. claimed his friend did more serious or difficult surgeries but NEVER told me mine would be difficult OR serious. He is an Orthopedic surgeon. He deals mostly with young people and sports medicine. I am not young or in good shape.Thing is he did a Rotator cuff surgery repair , to fix what the first Ortho messed up, and we had no problems at all.
The 2nd Ortho Surgeon is in a teaching Hospital. He has years of experience and was highly recommended by my Ortho, his classmate.
I finally got ahold of his Office manager this a.m. and told her what happened at my last visit. She gave me the same old story about the US government making Dr.'s cut back on strong meds because of the opioid problem here. But 5mg of Norco 325 is almost like nothing. I also told her I want a copy of my surgery notes. She calls back and now says to take the Norco every 4 hours. I get 42 pills. I told her if I took them every 4 hours I would run out. If I take them at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm they would last 10 days. She says i could take one at midnight too and if I ran out they would write a new script. But still for the Norco 5mm. What a turnaround all of a sudden. So I will take the 5's and then if needed use the 10's I have left. Does anyone out of the US have trouble getting pain meds after their surgeries?
I have good insurance so that had nothing to do with it. No discount. Hope I answered your questions.So glad to hear your wife is doing so well.
robert61422 purplerlover
Posted
Hi, yes, same thing here in CA. My wife's doctor wrote for 21 Norco and the pharmacy automatically cut the Rx down to a 5 day supply. They now look at your past usage and if you haven't used it in a while or, they think you are using too much, they cut the days supply right down. Don't even check with the doctor. They tell you that if you need a refill, then they will give you a larger days supply. Of course the doctor has to issue an new Rx.
Everyone is going crazy trying to stem the tide of the opioid crisis.
Doesn't do the people any good that aren't abusing opioids, though. Just frustrating.
jenny61596 robert61422
Posted
I would disagree with you and say pain is normal and your wife was lucky and not normal. I dont know her age so this may not be relevant but I was told by a couple of surgeons that often people in their 70's or older get less pain , and those that get the worse pain are men in their 50's . It is often the nerve pain thats the big problem and narcotics are not very good at controlling that type if pain. Some surgeons dont seem to prescribe the right pain relief for that. Anyway thats what i have heard and seen
robert61422 jenny61596
Posted
OK
brent77382 purplerlover
Posted
Everything your going through is normal for 5 weeks post TKR you must remember you've just have major surgery and brutal surgery at that.Im 10weeks post TKR for the second knee replacement and had the same problems you have mainly discomfort in the back of the knee also swelling and numbness and a very sensative scar also zero sleep for the first six weeks.I found once i passed the dreaded six week mark everything improved very quickly now ive no pain to speak off,still a little swelling but not much,the numbness will probably always be there it still is on the first 15 months on.Its hard but be patient things will improve for you and surprisingly quickly now keep posting about your progress good luck.
purplerlover brent77382
Posted
So you are saying if I can make it to 6 weeks I MAY survive????? Can't imagine having the 2"X6" area that is painfully numb forever. I think I need to think in smaller quantities of time to get thru this. Like a week at time not 3 months. Thanks for your encouraging note.
brent77382 purplerlover
Posted
I am simply saying in my case on both TKR that the first six weeks were by far the worst as is suzanne below after 8 weeks in her case the numbness is nerve damage and may never heal, mine hasn't after 15 months but its numb not painful,everyone heals at a different pace.Don't get the survive bit,every single person who has had a TKR is feeling pain,swelling,sleepless nights stiffness after 5 weeks,but the six week mark was a turning point for me especially sleep wise,but everyone is different.
jenny80029 purplerlover
Posted
it sounds normal to me... are you
using some supports when you walk, i.e. crutches or a crutch? if you also ensure you are giving your leg a chance to rest this will help. it is important to try and reduce the swelling as much as possible but normal to have it..I dont quite understand the comment on swelling before the surgery as post op swelling isnt as far as I know something that would be in anyone's control as some people have more and others less, however i am not a medical professional so i cannot claim any kind of expertise in the matter.
this is a major surgery...it takes a lot of time..your body has a lot of healing to do. the whole leg does get affected..but I would say try not to worry, experiment with taking a bit of the load off it a bit more often, carry on with icing and elevating it at least 4 times a day, and though the pain is hard, try and listen to it to...pain is there to tell you that your knee is healing. respect it, and be kind to yourself. swelling is normal..if your physio is not worried and they are experienced in this field then I would discuss any concerns you have with them,.