Bad Knees

[Bird]

the only good thing good about being on coumadin is ...bruises/hickies go away fast

That's something I hadn't thought about, but maybe not fast enough to suit me. One of the odd things (to me anyway) is that most of the soreness is the front and inside front of that leg above the knee. And that whole area looks bad; like it's taken a real beating; black & blue.

I didn't ask what caused that; just guessing maybe it was the anesthesiologist's doing. I knew that they were going to do a "nerve block" (not to be confused with an epidural or spinal block), but before putting me to sleep, she (yep, female anesthesiologist, maybe 30 years old) felt around the right side of the knee, then I think she poked a needle in 2 or 3 times; told me beforehand it was going to make my foot flop around and it did. Then she moved up to my groin and did the same thing causing the calf of the leg to do a lot of jerking. Now as injections go, those were quite painful, but not intolerable. I guess they have to do that before putting you out so they're sure of getting the right nerve. And it was Tuesday night before the last of that nerve block wore off.

Walking is no problem and the physical therapy exercises, so far, are not bad except bending the knee beyond 90 degrees; i.e., lying on my back and trying to pull the heel back to my butt; gotta work on that one.

 

[Bird]

And thanks for everyone for all the well wishes.

 

[sweettractors]

Welcome back Mr. Bird and remember, Therapy, Therapy, Therapy . Ken Sweet

 

[texbaylea]

Bird

Glad to hear how well you are doing. They treat orthopedic patients well here but the treatment you got is unbelieveable. I will have to ask about that CPM. That has not been mention when I have asked about post surgery PT. I can see its benefit.

I hope I do as well as you when I start knee replacement.

Enjoy life :thumbsup:

Vernon

 

[texbaylea]

Bird

Did your PT management team say how soon you can return to driving? Just thinking ahead.

Vernon

 

[ronjhall]

Welcome back Bird.

 

[heehaw]

i guess each Dr does it different: the wife had not "nerve blocks"..just the epidural for the first day or two then oral meds after that: an she brought the cpm home and is suppose to use it for 6 hours every day for 20 days: a guy at the same pt, used the cpm while in the hospital but none after that??? the wife goes to pt every day for 2 weeks then 3 times a week for 2 weeks: everyone else we have talked to goes 3 times a week for 4-6 weeks...oh well, as long as it all works out an folks get that motion back in the knee it doesn't matter. i've only talked to one person that their knee surgery did not improve their life dramaticly: an they admitted they did not exercise or do any pt on their own; plus they are really heavy.
heehaw

 

[Bird]

i guess each Dr does it different: the wife had not "nerve blocks"..just the epidural for the first day or two then oral meds after that: an she brought the cpm home and is suppose to use it for 6 hours every day for 20 days: a guy at the same pt, used the cpm while in the hospital but none after that??? the wife goes to pt every day for 2 weeks then 3 times a week for 2 weeks: everyone else we have talked to goes 3 times a week for 4-6 weeks...oh well, as long as it all works out an folks get that motion back in the knee it doesn't matter. i've only talked to one person that their knee surgery did not improve their life dramaticly: an they admitted they did not exercise or do any pt on their own; plus they are really heavy.
heehaw

The home health care physical therapist told me yesterday that every doctor is different. In addition to the CPM, I had the machine on which I could push the button every 10 minutes for another little shot of morphine the first 36 hours or so, was told to just ask anytime I wanted oral hydrocodone/APAP in addition to that. Thursday morning, before I was discharged, the doctor said I could get rid of the TED stocking on my left leg, continue wearing the one on the right leg in the daytime, but could take it off at night. Nurses said that was something new; they normally continue wearing both for a couple of weeks 24/7. My doctor does not send the CPM out of the hospital. The doctor told me I'd have the home health care therapist come to the house every day, Monday thru Friday, for 2 weeks, then decide if I needed to go to outpatient therapy in the building next to the hospital 3 days a week. However, the therapist who came yesterday thought he was supposed to only come 3 days a week, but when I told him what the doctor told me, he said he'd be back this morning, and then every day, Monday thru Friday, the next 2 weeks.

Of course, he says I'm already where most people expect to be in 2 weeks. He measured the angle of my knee with me just bending it myself at 108 degrees and said most would be 70-80 degrees. And I don't need very much, if any, pain medication. So who knows? I sure don't consider myself to have a high tolerance for pain, so am I just lucky, did I just have an extra good doctor, or will I have set backs later? We'll see.

 

[Bird]

i guess each Dr does it different: the wife had not "nerve blocks"..just the epidural for the first day or two then oral meds after that: an she brought the cpm home and is suppose to use it for 6 hours every day for 20 days: a guy at the same pt, used the cpm while in the hospital but none after that??? the wife goes to pt every day for 2 weeks then 3 times a week for 2 weeks: everyone else we have talked to goes 3 times a week for 4-6 weeks...oh well, as long as it all works out an folks get that motion back in the knee it doesn't matter. i've only talked to one person that their knee surgery did not improve their life dramaticly: an they admitted they did not exercise or do any pt on their own; plus they are really heavy.
heehaw

Heehaw, I got my staples out this morning. I think the leg looks terrible, and it's definitely sore, but as my wife says, it sure looks better now than it did a week ago. I don't know what they did to "bruise" it like that, but the nurses and physical therapist say it's normal. Did your wife's doctor leave her leg bruised like this?

 

[Reg]

Hey, Welcome Back.

I can tell you about the groin (and ankle) bruising.
It is from the clamps that they put on just before they start cutting.

Just like in a workshop, figure they need the parts to align, so if they clamp the top and bottom of your leg before they saw the bottom off the top half and the top off the bottom half you won't wake up with your foot on backwards, or pointing an extra 30 degrees to starboard (-:

They have to work with your old alignment, which may not be perfect.
If they "corrected" an existing misalignment you would have other problems.
Any alignment problems you have are what you have learned to compensate for, so they want to put you back together the way you were.

Yes, I think hospitals HAVE changed a LOT and very much for the better.
Better food, better consideration, no "talking down" to patients or spouses, understandable (not Latin) language to describe things.

So, no CPM machine at home ?
I'm a little surprised at that, we didn't bring one out but the outpatient services folk delivered one the next day that we kept for 3 weeks.

I forgot all the drug names my wife had, one was a blood thinner that she had to inject herself with - into her stomach/belly area. Fortunately she could handle that.
I suppose I could have done it for her, but I'm not disappointed that she did it herself.

Again, WELCOME BACK !!!
(-: