Being Dead Hurts Like Hell!

[MiniDave]

Yeah, I'm surprised I'm not waking the dead!   ::)

[jeff10049]

Joking around aside. Are you at a point of feeling better than before the replacement yet?

[MiniDave]

Yes and no, where it hurt before - right in the joint - doesn't hurt anymore. But everything else does, from about my hip all the way to my ankle. It's hard to explain, but the area around the knee joint just aches all the time. Sometimes I get sharp shooting pains under my kneecap - like someone's jabbing me with a knife upward from my shin.....those come and go. They want me to be able to get it dead straight, and bend 120* or more. Right now I'm about 4-6* and I can only bend 90 with incredible pain. They say this is my fault, I'm not working it hard enough outside of therapy. They're probably right.....because it hurts like a motherfucker to bend it like that - it pulls on my quads where they attach to the knee - my inner thigh, all the way down my shin bone to my ankle, and even my hip hurts.

My theory on this is that IF they could make it not hurt I could get there and get those muscles and tendons stretched, but when it hurts THIS MUCH to do those things, it's just not something you can push thru.....I'm doing the best I can and I'm incrementally improving but not at the rate they want to see.

The concern is that if you don't get it bent and straight fairly quickly it will stiffen up and you'll never get there.....

As far as walking goes, I'm using a cane, but don't really need it to support myself - it's more for mental support at this point, but I am incredibly weak - way more than I expected. All in all it's been an interesting almost 3 weeks.

I was taking 6 Oxy a day - one every 4 hours, I'm down to 2-3 a day, not because I don't need them, but because I don't think they help all that much.

[MiniDave]

OK, post op 4 weeks today.

I have made some progress, tho still not like either I or the doc hoped. However at the appt yesterday he said he was pleased and that I shouldn't get down on myself, I will get there. He thinks I'll get over the hump in the next week or two and things will improve quickly from there. I hope he's right! I'm currently at 0 and 107, goal was 0 and 120, so not too much further to go now.

I quit taking the oxy as it really didn't help that I could tell, other than turning my gut into concrete. I've been just using Tylenol so he wrote me a script for Hydro something, and suggested getting some Voltarin (topical anti-inflamatory) as I can't take anti inflamatory pills cause they interact badly with the other heart meds I'm still taking....but the directions on that box say it can take up to 7 days before you get any relief.....so jury is out on whether that will really help.

Here's a pic to show what it looks like now - it's nice that my leg is straight again.....once it starts working correctly and pain free I'll be a lot happier.

[MPlayle]

The "hydro..." something is likely Hydrocodone.  It is another of those pain killers that can become addictive as it is another opioid derivative.

[MiniDave]

Hard to become addicted to them when they don't make you feel any better.... 77.gif

I only expect to be on them about 2 weeks, after all, I've done the last 2 weeks with nothing but Tylenol 3 times a day.....

I'm also rubbing on Voltarin as an anti-inflammatory - that stuff stinks! We'll see if any of it helps, I have PT again tomorrow afternoon.

[MiniDave]

So, pills.....

Hydro is about as worthless as the Oxy was. Still talking Tylenol. The good news is that since I'm not taking controlled substances anymore, I can get back behind the wheel that much quicker.

Heart doc says Voltarin is a no no - then he decided 3 times a week was ok. However, the box says to rub it on 4 times a day and it may not do any good for up to a week. So....

Still in a lot of pain all the time, haven't quite turned the corner tho both the knee doc and PT guys think it's not far off now. Stopped using the walker about 10 days ago and not using the cane anymore either, so that's an improvement I guess.

I have lots of errands to run starting next week now that it's warmed up (36* today! 40* tomorrow!) I haven't heard from the machine shop, so I'll call them on Monday.

I have the 998 head soaking in a bucket of Evaporust, tho I need to buy another jug of it.

I have parts ready at the powdercoaters.

And Sunday we have a local Mini Club event - tho Don will drive and I'll just be along for the ride.

Monday we're supposed to get close to 60* so I'll take advantage and get the shop organized again, tools put away and get ready for the next phase of work. Forecast for the rest of this month is mid 40's and low 50's right into March. We may have busted out of winter finally.....

I'm not nearly 100%, but I figure I need to get up and moving again.....

[gr8kornholio]

I'll tell you the same thing I told my mom.  Make sure you are 100% and do all the therapy before you put strain on it.  If you damage it in the healing process it will never be right. 

She wanted so bad to go back to work early cause she was bored.  Her dr warned against it and I made her realize it. 

[G67mcs]

Dave,

Good to hear you are improving and walking without a cane. Hopefully the pain subsides soon as well.

Garry

[MiniDave]

I'll tell you the same thing I told my mom.  Make sure you are 100% and do all the therapy before you put strain on it.  If you damage it in the healing process it will never be right. 

She wanted so bad to go back to work early cause she was bored.  Her dr warned against it and I made her realize it.

Doc says the only way I can damage it now would be if I fell on it or was in a car wreck!  ;D

But, I know I still have a ways to go to get to "normal".

[MiniDave]

BTW here's what my new, slightly stiff ball joint looks like   ;D

[94touring]

Those fancy Japanese kind that don't need shimmed?

[MiniDave]

Yep! lubed for life, no maintenance - of course, they don't say who's lifetime! Might be German made - brand name is Zimmer.....

[BruceK]

Well if it's German-made it should last a long time, but, based upon my understanding of the engineering of BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes, when the knee needs to be replaced they're going to have to remove lots of extra parts on you just to be able to get to the part that failed.


;D

[MiniDave]

I don't intend to EVAR go thru this again!

[MiniDave]

Today I walked the dogs all the way to the end of the block and then to the next block and back - I had to do them one at a time as they're a little too rambunctious for me to control both at the same time.

Progress.

Slow........but progress.

Going uphill or on the flats is no problem, coming down a hill is difficult and painful. Different muscles I guess.....

[BruceK]

Sounds like you're making good progress. Just think, and a relatively short time you should be pain-free on these walks. 

[MiniDave]

8 weeks post op now and my doc says I'm going to be one of those who's recovery is measured in months, not weeks. He says everybody is different and it's just going to take however long it takes, but I'm still making progress and he's encouraged. He thinks 6 months to total recovery is about what I'm facing....that's how long my temp handicap parking permit is good for, so that works out I guess.....

I still have a lot of pain, can't sit or stand for long, and I can only walk about two blocks - out and back. I wanted to start riding my MINI bicycle to try and get some strength back, but he's afraid I might fall off - like at a stop - so he'd prefer I wait on that. It's going to rain all week anyway.....

I'm good for about 2 hours in the shop before I have to go sit down, but I'm getting some work done out there.

I can walk up stairs normally, but I'm not quite there for going down the normal way, I have to take them one at a time, bad leg first then good, repeat etc....

[94touring]

Stationary bike perhaps?  Two pilots at work were out with knee surgery this year. One guy was back in 2 weeks and the other 9 months.

[MiniDave]

Yes, he'd be happy with a stationary - I don't have one, or anyplace to put one if I did!

[Willie_B]

Yes, he'd be happy with a stationary - I don't have one, or anyplace to put one if I did!

You could look into a bicycle trainer for your bike. Check on Craigslist for a used one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YJLPVPT?tag=highlightreviews-38833-20

[94touring]

Get a side car for the dogs!  It can act as a support.

[MiniDave]

That doggo bike would probably be easier to ride if the rear tire weren't flat!   ;D

WilieB, I just don't have anyplace to set it up. Don probably has one I could borrow, but I'm just going to air up my tires next week when it dries out and see what happens.

This is what my bike looks like, it folds up too, so I can carry it in my car.....

[MPlayle]

You could put a set of training wheels on it to keep from falling over while your knee continues to heal? 

;D

[MiniDave]

Sure. 




::)



;D