Bad Knees

[Bird]

Hey, Reg, I appreciate the information. I wondered about it and what you say makes sense. My wife wondered about the bruise on the right side of the foot.

I've been thinking that it appears the alignment is not perfectly straight ahead; toes aim very slightly out; certainly not enough for concern, and nowhere close to my Dad's natual alignment.:laughing: I used to think, when I was a kid, that his footprints looked funny. What do the skiers call it? Herringbone?

As for the blood thinner, they were giving me a daily 5 mg tablet of coumadin (warfarin) in the hospital, but the prescription for use at home is just a 3 mg tablet. So Monday the nurse came and pricked my finger and checked my blood with a gadget that looks like the ones used to check blood sugar. She said I was 1.5 when I should be between 2 and 3; i.e., blood not thin enough. So Tuesday morning the doctor's "surgical assistant nurse" said to take 2 tablets a day instead of one. The home health care nurse will be back again Monday to check it again.

But they haven't given me any other medications, except the hydroco/apap to take 1 or 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours, as needed, for pain.

I do kinda wish I had that CPM machine because the knee gets to aching when it's not moved for a little bit, which makes it a bit hard to sleep. I keep waking up, move a bit, go back to sleep. The ache isn't a bad pain; just enough to interfere with comfort and sleep.

 

[Egon]

Hope all goes well with the knee Bird.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Reg]

Hey, Reg, I appreciate the information. I wondered about it and what you say makes sense. My wife wondered about the bruise on the right side of the foot.

I've been thinking that it appears the alignment is not perfectly straight ahead; toes aim very slightly out; certainly not enough for concern, and nowhere close to my Dad's natual alignment.:laughing: I used to think, when I was a kid, that his footprints looked funny. What do the skiers call it? Herringbone?

As for the blood thinner, they were giving me a daily 5 mg tablet of coumadin (warfarin) in the hospital, but the prescription for use at home is just a 3 mg tablet. So Monday the nurse came and pricked my finger and checked my blood with a gadget that looks like the ones used to check blood sugar. She said I was 1.5 when I should be between 2 and 3; i.e., blood not thin enough. So Tuesday morning the doctor's "surgical assistant nurse" said to take 2 tablets a day instead of one. The home health care nurse will be back again Monday to check it again.

But they haven't given me any other medications, except the hydroco/apap to take 1 or 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours, as needed, for pain.

I do kinda wish I had that CPM machine because the knee gets to aching when it's not moved for a little bit, which makes it a bit hard to sleep. I keep waking up, move a bit, go back to sleep. The ache isn't a bad pain; just enough to interfere with comfort and sleep.

I think I grew up hearing "quack footed" as the term for toes that point WAY out and "pigeon toed" for those that point way in (-:
You may straighten out closer to where you were as you heal and build strength.

PART of what I like so much about the medical profession these days is that they have really turned the corner on communication.
Maybe they still get a lot of their training in Latin, but my wife's surgeon in particular is very good at describing the "mechanics" of things in everyday language and LISTENING to the patient/spouse play it back to check our understanding.

If your surgeon is anything like ours and you think the CPM machine would help then I think it would be a good idea to ask about having one, suggest it even.
My guess is that there are a number of nominal regimens for this and that some flexibility within any one of them is very desirable to tailor it to each individual need.
Same with the medications, nominally it is so much of whatever so many times a day for so many days, subject to review of patient response.

You may be ahead of the curve with your flexibility, obviously that is GOOD, but if a progress milestone has been reached early and that milestone normally signals the end of a NEED for a CPM,,, well, I can't guess at that (-:
If I get a new knee in the next few years and they don't give me one I'll tell 'em my wife had one for three weeks and it benefited her greatly.
If I get a new knee more than 5 years from now I'll try to accept that as a whole generation of progress.

or
Ya wannit ? Then Ask fer it.
If Ya still don't get it and wannit bad enough then DEMAND it (-:

You ARE the customer and you are the only one who REALLY knows your level of discomfort, so part of your responsibility is to tell them what you think would help.

 

[jinman]

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.

Reg, the drug your wife took is most likely a liquid blood thinner called Heparin and administered subcutaneously (sub-Q) rather than into a muscle like many other medications. I believe insulin is also administered subcutaneously.

 

[Reg]

Reg, the drug your wife took is most likely a liquid blood thinner called Heparin and administered subcutaneously (sub-Q) rather than into a muscle like many other medications. I believe insulin is also administered subcutaneously.

All she is remembering is that it began with an "L" (she thinks, but I know that vague look).

 

[Bird]

All she is remembering is that it began with an "L" (she thinks, but I know that vague look).

I mentioned that to my physical therapist this morning and he said "Lovenox", which is one form of heparin, so your wife, jinman, and my therapist were quite likely all correct.:laughing:

 

[Reg]

I mentioned that to my physical therapist this morning and he said "Lovenox", which is one form of heparin, so your wife, jinman, and my therapist were quite likely all correct.:laughing:

I shouted that through to her in the kitchen.
Yes, that is it.
I mess with words, we had a slightly obscene exchange based on love and nox.
(as in knocks).

Its late here, I think we're going to turn in now (-:

 

[texbaylea]

Bird

I appreciate your postings about your knee replacement as I have become more firm that I need to do the same. Because of the pending reduction in medicare reimbursements after the first of the year I am also becoming more certain that I need to do this soon.

Vernon

 

[jinman]

I mentioned that to my physical therapist this morning and he said "Lovenox", which is one form of heparin, so your wife, jinman, and my therapist were quite likely all correct.:laughing:

I bet your therapist failed to mention that it is made from the mucous inside pig intestines. When it comes to blood thinners, you have the choice of injecting something from pig guts or coumadin which is sodium warfarin also know as rat poision. Ain't technology wonderful?:laughing:

 

[Bird]

Bird

I appreciate your postings about your knee replacement as I have become more firm that I need to do the same. Because of the pending reduction in medicare reimbursements after the first of the year I am also becoming more certain that I need to do this soon.

Vernon

Vernon, I wish I knew more about the pending reduction in medicare reimbursements. I don't really know just what effect that will have on us. Having a knee replaced is certainly no fun, but not just real bad, either. Perhaps my biggest problem is sleeping here at home. The knee gets to aching if it isn't moved for awhile; not a severe pain, maybe a 2 or 3 on a scale of 1 to 10, but just enough to keep me from sleeping comfortably for any length of time.