TKR MSuki’s Fabulous Recovery Journey

[mendogal]

Just sending you a ((hug))

 

[MSuki]

Just got out and pulled weeds in the back yard. My husband has been letting things go a little. I only worked until my lower back started getting twingy but I can feel it in my glutes too. I’m still having some pain in the top of my foot and some cramping in both feet. Last night I ate a banana and took a calcium/magnesium vitamin before bed, it may have helped a little. Trivia- when I was looking up causes for foot cramping online one possible cause mentioned was statin medication. My GP prescribed me a low dose of pravastatin right before surgery and I didn’t start taking it for at least several weeks. Don’t remember either when I started it or when the foot cramps started, but the cramps are in both feet and I was not having them before surgery, at least not frequently like now. The other common side effect is joint pain which is all I need…..

I have an appointment this coming week with the PT so I’ll see what he thinks. If I don’t get a good answer I’ll just stop taking it and see what happens.

 

[mendogal]

A little reassurance: when it's a truly troublesome side effect of statins, it tends to be allover joint/muscle PAIN; many people go off them unnecessarily due to a few random aches and pains. I would not rely on a PT for this - "above his pay grade" as well as mine - but put a call in to your GP.

Common causes of cramps are indeed low magnesium or low potassium. For foot cramps though don't disregard biomechanical issues.

 

[MSuki]

So I can’t type and I meant to say I have an appointment with the GP. The odd thing has been that invariably I have had these foot cramps only in bed at night and never during the day. Mostly it happens when I’m trying to adjust my blanket with my foot but sometimes just shifting position. So I just now was experimenting with moving my foot in different ways in the easy chair. At one point I was turning my foot sort of twisting it with it pointed out and I reproduced this thing where it cramped and was like something grabbed my big toe and the pad that goes with it and tried to fold it down toward bottom of foot. It’s painful but doesn’t last long; however, I’m starting to be bothered enough by it to want to do something!

Not sure if I need to stretch and exercise the foot and ankle or if something else is going on. I don’t think I’m dehydrated. On a related note, by pointing my foot as much as I can, I can also cause a calf cramp. So could this all be just extreme tightness post surgery?

Thanks for the info on statins. Although not sure I ever wanted to take that in the first place. He pretty much just prescribed it after my blood test last time (surgery clearance) without any discussion. Although I know it’s for cholesterol. Oops forgot to ping you @mendogal !

 

[mendogal]

Oh I had those kind of point toe and get cramp things! Years ago when I was training in aikido and it would happen during certain foot and ankle movements during our seated warm ups.

They definitely felt biomechanical, not electrolyte (potassium or magnesium). Because I have flat feet and at the same time, training barefoot on the mats, is when my bunion really took off growing.

After stopping training eight years ago I would sometimes get those point and cramp episodes in bed. Since we put a tubular aluminum blanket lifter at the foot of the bed it hasn't happened. Might be worth exploring.

Edit to add: ask you MD to go over your complete lipid panel so you understand exactly WHY he prescribed them. Should have been part of presribing them, no?

 

[WFD]

Not sure if I need to stretch and exercise the foot and ankle or if something else is going on.

I gradually developed frequent foot cramps over the last five years or so. I read that they can be caused by arch problems brought on by insufficient arch support, so I bought better insoles with good arch supports and put them in my shoes. The problem is 95% gone, almost overnight.

Your mileage may vary of course.

 

[EalingGran]

should be able to finish this before the cataract surgery. After that I need to do my Mom’s taxes and my taxes and then I should get a break for a bit.

No wonder you are stressed. Cataract surgery and two lots of tax forms is a lot for anyone- let alone recovering from knee surgery. Good luck!

 

[Susie-Q]

My husband is also on statins and thought they were contributing to his stiff, sore fingers. His GP said no, they would be causing all over joint/muscle pain like @mendogal says. Turns out his finger problems are Trigger finger-related and he gave him some splints to not let them bend too far so the tendon "tunnels" in his fingers can reduce their swelling, which is causing the pains.

 

[selketine]

Our foot pains are probably from different causes but I am - and have long been - irritated by blankets on my feet. I was at one point pre-surgery going through these periods of leg cramps that seemed caused by moving the blanket or sheet with my foot. I never could figure out why it I'd go through periods of it (like a week) and it goes away for months. I'd have to get up and walk for about 10 minutes to make it stop and boy was that painful.

I hope your GP can figure out what is going on. Having these foot issues myself I can see how frustrating it is.

 

[MSuki]

Thanks all! But @mendogal and @Susie-Q, I would love the foot cramps to be from the pravastatin. It would be such an easy fix! I believe he prescribed it because my cholesterol went up, it was 210. Which in my non-medical opinion is not so high that it is critical to take something for it. I could probably try eating more (or some) vegetables. (I’m exaggerating but not by much…)

@WFD thanks for the tip, I may try that. I have been going barefoot a lot lately at home and also just started wearing flip flops again. Wore them most of my life but stopped after my first knee went out.

@EalingGran I appreciate your support. I have been in that mode where I feel like I should be doing more and get frustrated when I don’t really feel like it. I am about to finish the last report on this audit I was working on, then the cataract surgery Tuesday.

@selketine , I have noticed in the last year or so that I can’t stand the sheets/blanket to be tight near my feet - I go pull them out so that they’re loose. Did you see mendogal’s note about the blanket lifter? I think 95% or more of my cramps have been moving the blanket or sheet, or otherwise moving my foot in bed. Not sure why this pretty much only happens when I’m in bed. I guess it’s the only time I move my feet that way.

I pulled weeds for the first time in a long long time this weekend. Not for too long but it didn’t take much to make me sore.

 

[selketine]

Did you see mendogal’s note about the blanket lifter?

Oh yes I did see it. I need one of those! I also don't tuck in my sheets/blanket at the foot of the bed anymore because getting my foot stuck can cause a cramp. Also - it hurts my knees (well - now the left knee still with arthritis) to lift them up. Even in the winter I only sleep with a sheet and a really lightweight electric blanket because that's all I can tolerate.

We don't wear shoes in the house and I have been wearing only some socks with gripper bottoms after I tripped the 2nd week after TKR and twisted my knee. I feel like slippers or any type of shoe keeps me from feeling something that could be tangling up my foot leading me to trip so I don't like it. This is nothing new as I am very picky about shoes and slippers (and wish I had hobbit feet so I could just go barefoot all the time haha!). I have high arches so perhaps that lack of arch support is not great but it's the way it is.

 

[MSuki]

Drumroll………major milestone!!!!!

I have been working, sitting at computer much of the day, and not paying a lot of attention to my knee other than trying to get up once in a while and icing to combat the stiffness after sitting in one position too long. I did do a few step ups last week on a three inch step and then a four inch step, but I’m talking 10 reps maybe 3 times on each so not much. This morning for some reason I was going upstairs and without thinking I put my operated leg on the first step up. I realized it, thought “what the heck?” and tried it, and it didn’t hurt! I walked all the way up foot over foot for the first time!

For those not following my thread, I have been able to go down foot over foot for a long time but could not go up without having a sharp pain below my knee. I finally stopped going to PT because my very nice and normally not aggressive PT just kept pushing me about trying to do steps. I think she just could not believe I really couldn’t do them because I was doing well on most of the other milestones.

I think I still have some tendonitis or whatever the soreness on my shin is from, but the pain that was stopping me from going up stairs is gone. (Pretty sure it is although now after going upstairs 4-5 more times I’m a little twingy.)

Although I will never know for sure, I think my surgeon was right when he speculated that there was an internal incision that was slow to heal. He said the pain I had was right along the line of that incision. I also wonder if it didn’t heal as quickly because I injured it a little pushing too hard too early. I did have weights on my leg very early. And I did some steps in the water before I started having trouble on land.

Either way, it was really bothering me that I could not step up for so long - so as you can tell I’m excited about it!

 

[mendogal]

excellent!!!!

 

[EalingGran]

This morning for some reason I was going upstairs and without thinking I put my operated leg on the first step up. I realized it, thought “what the heck?” and tried it, and it didn’t hurt! I walked all the way up foot over foot for the first time

That is a great milestone! Well done. That is a very real sign of progress.
I couldn't do that for long after you- but I had an overstretched MCL ( medial collateral ligament) which held me back.
I knew I was on the mend when I could do stairs properly.

 

[AnnYo]

That is fantastic @MSuki! I know that was frustrating.

 

[sistersinhim]

I walked all the way up foot over foot for the first time!

Yay! Way to go.

 

[selketine]

Foot over foot on steps - who knew how exciting that could be - haha! I can't even imagine doing that at this point going up or down steps so well done! It's funny how all of a sudden you just start to do something without thinking (like walking without a cane for me) - I think your body just knows it's time. Congratulations!!!

 

[MSuki]

Very exciting…..next step will be to get my balance good enough that I don’t feel the need to hold the handrail. Although next week will be a light week since I’m having that cataract surgery on Tuesday.

 

[Susie-Q]

Congratualtions on the "no pain doing the stairs"!!

I remember that feeling as well and it's great!! You'll get there with not holding the handrail, baby steps!!

 

[MSuki]

Thanks @Susie-Q - probably not everyone I told about it understood how excited I was but I know this group did. I also think it is a good example of healing vs exercise. While it is true that my quads and glutes can use some work, it was a soft tissue healing issue that was stopping me from doing stairs, and I couldn’t do them properly until whatever it was healed.

About to head out for my cataract surgery. It’s sort of scary but I think it won’t be too bad, and it will certainly heal up a lot faster than my knee!