Well, here I am almost 3 weeks post-surgery and I'm getting around a little better with every day. I'm still using a walker 100% of the time, but I can now get from one end of my house to the other at more than a snail's pace. Pain while walking around is getting better too, but I can definitely feel it when I haven't stayed on schedule with my pain meds. If the meds have worn off, the pain from the spacer's popping and grinding is much sharper as well as more pain and difficulty lifting my right leg to walk (rather than dragging/sliding it along the floor).

I have a follow up with my ortho later today and I'd appreciate other's preferences/experience with their pain meds -- particularly the shorter-term meds. (Moderators, given the sensitive nature of narcotic pain medications, feel free to delete this portion of my post if this is not allowed here.) I have been prescribed 20 mg oxycodone to be taken twiice a day (once every 12 hrs), 50mg tramadol to be taken once every 6 hours. These two seem to work quite well for pain management but depending on how active I am (or intend to be), I also need shorter term meds the help out during the day. So far, I have been given two meds to try for shorter term relief: either norco 5-325 (5mg hydrocodone w/ 325mg acetominophen) 1 tablet to every 4 to 6 hours, or roxicodone15mg 1 to 2 tabs to be taken every 4 hours as needed. I think I find the norco's to be more effective than the short-term oxy's, and I'm guessing this is because they also come with the acetominophen? Or is it a difference between the oxy vs. hydrocodone? I probably should go do some more reading on this subject, but what are others experiences with pain meds intended for shorter/mid term relief? Are there others meds I should be looking into and asking my Dr. about?

Thanks,
Art in AK