Update on Mom...

 

This is what a total knee replacement looks like.

Total knee replacements are no joke—they’re incredibly painful. It’s taken about three weeks for Mom’s pain to drop to even half of what it was right after surgery. She’s doing her best to wean off the stronger pain meds. She still needs them occasionally, but far less than before—most of that progress has happened in the last week.

About a week ago Thursday, she broke out in hives, and it’s taken over a week for them to fully clear. What I’ve noticed is that as she tapered down the opioids, the hives eased up too—until they eventually disappeared. My best guess is that her system was overwhelmed by the medication, though I can’t say for sure if a doctor would confirm that. There haven’t been any changes in her environment or diet, so that’s the only clear variable.

When it comes time for her other knee replacement, I’m going to advocate for pain management options that don’t rely so heavily on opioids—if that’s even possible at this level of pain. Recovery is already tough enough without adding something like hives into the mix.

So where is Mom in her recovery now? She’s actually doing wonderfully. Her home PT has been thrilled with her progress, especially given her age. On his last visit, he even said outpatient PT is going to be impressed with how far along she is. Hearing that has been incredibly encouraging, especially considering all the challenges she’s faced through this process.

She starts outpatient PT on Monday. I will update again once she's gotten a few sessions in. 

That's all I have for now.