Anyone still up? Sat in hospital and need some pain relief in the form of chat

[AllThingsServeTheBeam]

Sleep if 100% off the cards. Had my knee replacement today, and fucking hell fire did I underestimate the pain. I had my hip replaced and stupidly thought it would be similar and I'd walk it. Turns out I was a dick to think that.

Thats so out of order - I am sure I will be sent home with tramadol - and I cant take NSAIDS (anti inflam) for other reasons so they always gimme something extra
Ring the cons sec - i know i had the luxury of my shoulder rebuild being private but cons sec sorted me morphine and tramadol

How did your first day on your own go?

@AllThingsServeTheBeam, can you fill in a prescription request online?
That way you can detail that you've had a knee replacement and your current medication isn't working for you.
They should have received your discharge notes by now and know about your op and want medication they gave you.
If you can do that, do it either tonight or tomorrow, depending on when you can - restrictions at my surgery mean I can't ask for certain things out of hours due to 'the level of demand' .
(I can't imagine you will be lolling around for hours in bed given that you're in pain, so can get on it fairly quickly if you have the option).
You've had a rough road, so I really hope it's all upwards from now.

Evening all!

Today went really well all things considered. I managed to actually nod off this morning when the boys had all left, in my recliner! My dad woke me up ringing me, to let me know he'd managed to get me a wheelchair! I know I should be walking as much as I can, and I definitely will, but my other hip is a bastard. And as though it knew, gave way on me today. Thankfully it was on the way down to sitting. And my mum was here (she'd helped me shower, finally washed my hair). I didn't hurt my knee but, walking has become a bit of a struggle. I had progressed to my single crutch, but I've had to go back to my walker as I'm just not confident on my feet when my hip goes.

My knee, I think, has bent slightly more today. Not by much, but I think there was a small improvement and I managed to lift my foot off the floor when sitting and can just about raise it in bed as well!

Regarding the Dr, the receptionist did say the Dr 'should call' tomorrow AM. So if I haven't heard by 12 I am going to call back. I have managed to get through to physio as well and that is on Monday next week!

I can't wait now to get the staples out on Friday as the itching under the dressing is driving me to distraction!

Thank you so much for coming back to this thread. I can't tell you how much its helping to get it all out.

That sounds, on balance, like a good day

Managing to raise your foot from the floor, and in bed, sound like pretty big steps (no pun intended ). And everything is better with freshly washed hair! Your mum and dad sound great.

Sorry to hear your hip has been giving you such a hard time. Will it improve when you can get back on your meds?

@StarsAreWishes

That sounds, on balance, like a good day

Managing to raise your foot from the floor, and in bed, sound like pretty big steps (no pun intended ). And everything is better with freshly washed hair! Your mum and dad sound great.

Sorry to hear your hip has been giving you such a hard time. Will it improve when you can get back on your meds?

My whole family are fantastic. I don't know what I'd do without them. Or without DP. I know how lucky I am.

I can't quite lift it up enough to get it from the floor into bed, I still have to use my lifter for that. But it does rise from the floor about 3 inches and when I'm lying in bed I can raise it maybe 2! I'm going to work on holding it there tomorrow.

Sadly not. It's gone too far to have any relief from my meds, they should work to stop joint damage and my hip is bone on bone now so the only option is replacement. It isn't as bad as today all the time though. It hurts and I can't walk far on it, but it normally manages to keep me upright, it just has do's on it where it decides to just give and then it's hard to weight bear. I have started taking my naproxen again now though. So hopefully it should have righted itself in a day or 2. I just don't want it to hinder my recovery.

If you don’t mind me asking … you are so young, what is the background? If this something you have always lived with?

(Don’t feel you have to answer if you don’t want to)

@StarsAreWishes

If you don’t mind me asking … you are so young, what is the background? If this something you have always lived with?

(Don’t feel you have to answer if you don’t want to)

I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis when I was 16. But by that point I had had a number of painful flares we (Dr included) had put down to injuries or growing pains ect. Especially the pain when walking. They think it could have been with me since I was an early teen or possibly younger. It was very aggressive too. Hit all my big joints first. I was admitted to hospital when I was diagnosed due to my hip flaring.

Since then, they've never really managed to control it. It's not in the family or anything like that. Just one of those things!

Dr called. No problem at all. He has written me a prescription for nefopam to take along side my cocodamol and naproxen. I wish I'd have said something to him about the receptionist! If I'd have listened to her I would have not bothered and carried on in more pain

great news
My leg lift strap came today LOL it's so bloody simple! but I did only pay £6

DD aged 23 is goig to look into getting them for work as they have to help people lift their legs up all the time

@QOD

great news My leg lift strap came today LOL it's so bloody simple! but I did only pay £6

DD aged 23 is goig to look into getting them for work as they have to help people lift their legs up all the time

I used my dressing gown tie in hospital. The physio fashioned one for me and told me to get one off Amazon. They're so simple but so effective! I think out of everything that is the one must have for a knee replacement. Especially if you need to get in a car or want to sleep in bed!

Aha!! I shall take mine in with me then

I stress about stupid things because I’m an insomniac wanderer. It’s 3.24am. Been awake for an hour and had a cuppa. Made downstairs and brought back to bed
How will I do that 😆

29 days to go?

My mum's friend had a total knee replacement in August last year, she found it hard going for about a month after the op but she is back to normal now & has been discharged for that knee & the consultant will decide later on this year if she needs the other one doing. She is 77 & walking miles now.

As a rehab nurse who deals with patients post knee replacements every day, I’m horrified by all of this! Are you not having any physio at all? We have our patients on continuous passive movement machines within hours of theatre, 3 times a day until they’ve got a 90 degree bend. Physio twice a day for 2 weeks. Loads of pain killers too! I can’t believe you’ve been sent home to get on with it

@QOD

Aha!! I shall take mine in with me then

I stress about stupid things because I’m an insomniac wanderer. It’s 3.24am. Been awake for an hour and had a cuppa. Made downstairs and brought back to bed
How will I do that 😆

29 days to go?

I've been awake since about half 4. Given up now as the alarm goes off in 20 mins. I'm going to wait until they've all gone out and have a cuppa and try and sleep downstairs for an hour.

I would insist on a toilet seat raiser too. Especially in hospital.

I just about manage to make a brew in the day and bring it in from the kitchen to my chair, but it's only about 10 feet 🙈

@Nat6999

My mum's friend had a total knee replacement in August last year, she found it hard going for about a month after the op but she is back to normal now & has been discharged for that knee & the consultant will decide later on this year if she needs the other one doing. She is 77 & walking miles now.

That does make me feel better! I have a friend who's aunt had them both done at the same time!! I don't know how the heck she did it!! I can't wait to be able to walk the dog again.

@user1471481356

As a rehab nurse who deals with patients post knee replacements every day, I’m horrified by all of this! Are you not having any physio at all? We have our patients on continuous passive movement machines within hours of theatre, 3 times a day until they’ve got a 90 degree bend. Physio twice a day for 2 weeks. Loads of pain killers too! I can’t believe you’ve been sent home to get on with it

No, I saw the physio in hospital for the 4 days I was in. And they said they liked to get people to 90 before they left normally but with my pain and swelling they thought I was 'doing well'. I chased the physio referral from the hospital twice last week and I received a letter from the community team on Saturday. I called on Monday and the only appointment they had at my clinic was this coming Monday. That will be my first one since day 4 and it will be day 17. I still haven't managed 90 degrees. Probably around 65ish. I got one of thought angle measure things the physios had from Amazon. I can straighten it really well though.

My mum come round earlier to swap my dressing as it had come away at the top and there was a staple literally right at the opening. I was rather shocked at how it looked! 36 staples!

I’m hoping to get a good bend before home but I don’t have issues with other joints currently
So painful today walking, my last ‘big’ walk pre op. I meet a friend and her dog every week and the decline in me has been so quick. Kills me. But she’s off on hols now and then op so I’m gonna have some feet up time
I’ve started some batch cooking 😂
Yesterdays was tank so re made it today into chicken and leek mash pie

36!!!!!

@QOD

I’m hoping to get a good bend before home but I don’t have issues with other joints currently So painful today walking, my last ‘big’ walk pre op. I meet a friend and her dog every week and the decline in me has been so quick. Kills me. But she’s off on hols now and then op so I’m gonna have some feet up time I’ve started some batch cooking 😂 Yesterdays was tank so re made it today into chicken and leek mash pie

Google pre op exercises. Heel slides and what not. I think you'd really benefit. I wish I'd done them.

Do you want to see the gory scar pic? I'll see if I can upload it

Yeeeah love a bit of gore!

I'm normally ok with injuries and such but this knocked me back!

Oh my word

I read some blurb from my hosp implying it’ll be glue and dissolving stitches. Living in hope!!

@QOD

Oh my word

I read some blurb from my hosp implying it’ll be glue and dissolving stitches. Living in hope!!

Ahh that would have been my wish! My hip was glued, it was healed by now. No issues what so ever and the scar is basically gone! This is going to be a whopper. Lot's of people on the FB group I'm on have had glue so they do do it.