TKR ACK! OMG! TKR on May 29th

[BJ Mac]

Someone once suggested that I put the things/people that I worry about (or pictures of them) into a box for safekeeping and put the lid on it and leave it there so that I can sleep. Maybe put a picture of your knee in the box and then 'leave it there'. Sleeping is not going to hurt your knee, so tell your 'mini me' that. (At least I sure as heck hope that this is a fact!!!)

 

[1ELISEA]

Yeah, but if I slept through the night I wouldn't get to post all of my lovely early morning whining posts.

 

[BJ Mac]

So true, but just imagine how wonderful you would feel!!! I think that you would be able to get over the need to make those posts, and you would be doing a happy dance instead after a full nights sleep. At least I think so, but don't trust me on that cause I haven't slept through the night for about 17 years... I really think that I am going to have to start picturing sleeping through the night. Maybe seeing it happen in my minds eye will help. But as far as hurting my knee while sleeping I have no worries, cause I know darn well that my knee will wake me up if it hurts... does that every night... shhhh, back to sleep with you knee!

 

[AussieBill1962]

Hi Elisea,
Sleeping on the side works for me, I find if I use my cryocast with cold water and then just wrapping my comforter around the knee works great. Last night had some issues with pain (swimming/jogging in the pool yesterday)so only got maybe 4 hours of good sleep, but feel OK today. Cold here as in Winter, so maybe this technique would make you hot, but the cold cryocast kind of brings things back to neutral. Sleeping is the best time to heal, so I hope you can sort something out.

 

[1ELISEA]

Thanks Bill!
I have my CryoCuff on at this moment, maybe it will help me sleep.
And not only do you live in a beautiful part of the world, but you have a pool too?! I am so jealous!

 

[AussieBill1962]

Hi Elisea,
Hope you get some sleep. Wish we had a pool, but not the case. Using an indoor one close to my in-laws near work.
That said we do have a community pool which is free, but only open 7 months of the year, mostly in Summertime. Great place to live for sure.

 

[1ELISEA]

Elisea, I would agree with Jamie.......although so glad to get it behind me the first few weeks/months were very hard. My worst problem before the surgery was instability so I would get glimmers in the first weeks, whoa, it is not going to just pop out of joint unpredictably...wow! But, after surgery the healing did hurt, and ITB acted up, the PT is a lot of work. My back hurt and I had spasms that made it hard to sleep. Sleep deprivation is not fun. Sometimes I would ask myself, did I just trade one problem for another? And the ROM takes a while, so that is not an immediate boost. But I just hit 3 months and I am starting to see that this is all going to be so much better, really better!! My walk is more balanced (it took a while to correct the bad habits of many years from the terrible knee) and so my back feels so much better. When I walked a mile and a half without my cane last week, that was a WOW moment. I am straighter. I am TALLER!! That was a wow moment. I have regained my height as a teen (at age 58), back t 5'4 1/2". YES!! I think for some people these things and others may be a little faster or a little or a lot slower, but it will come.
At my ten week follow up I started off telling the ortho positive things but he pushed me to tell him the negatives (ITB pain, healing pain, fatigue) , and then he said, most people experience those things at ten weeks, so he said don't worry. He kind of outlined a timeline and said, don't forget, it is 6 month to a year for recovery, so don't worry. He was happy with the ROM and said all the rest will come. Be patient. So I am taking each day and accomplishment and every small thing I can say, wow, I could not do that six months ago!

Pleinair5 - Yours is one of the post op threads I have been following closely so I appreciate your update and encouragement. These first few weeks are definitely hard.

I have PT tomorrow and so far no one seems satisfied with my ROM. I do the work but not seeing the results yet. Guess I will find out more tomorrow!

 

[Jamie]

Well, don't let anyone make you feel like you're not doing well in recovery. You are! And it's very early in the process. Your knee will heal on it's schedule and not one minute sooner.

 

[HollyM]

I'm a side sleeper too - because I have advanced disc disease in my lower back and sleeping on it is painful!!! I think it was hard for me at first to sleep on my side because I was afraid it would hurt and I was concentrating so hard on if it was hurting me that every little twinge gave me an excuse to say - oh crud, this isn't working.

One night I just said - enough of this, I have a bad back and need to get off it for a few hours! It seemed to work to get mad at myself! I also found in the past week that I'm actually sleeping BETTER without the ice on my knee at night. It's very stiff when I get up to use the bathroom during the night, but overall - I feel like I'm getting longer periods of sleep without the ice.

 

[vancouverite]

Pleinair5 - Yours is one of the post op threads I have been following closely so I appreciate your update and encouragement. These first few weeks are definitely hard.

I have PT tomorrow and so far no one seems satisfied with my ROM. I do the work but not seeing the results yet. Guess I will find out more tomorrow!

You and I both have ROM angst Elisea! I gained 2 degrees in 2 days last week, I wasn't doing anything different except that I had a deep tissue massage that really relaxed the muscles and drained the fluid that was causing swelling. I'm having another massage today, this time on the horizontal scar bands that everyone here calls their 'tight rubber bands', to see if they will relax some too.

I also have the massage therapist spend 15 mins to smooth out those knots in my back and neck caused by the sleeping problems (I know you have that problem too) - feels soooooo good!

Hope you get the result you want today, but I've found that if I'm not going to the physio and being measured, I don't sweat the number anymore. I'm going to go back to the physio next week after spening some time doing physio on my own, but I'm going to tell her I don't want to be measured again. I don't care if it screws up her record keeping. I think my ability to function happily and walk well is more important.

 

[Janet2012]

Sorry to hear that you are still having trouble sleeping. One of the things I'm not looking forward to. Lack of sleep brings out the worst in me. I've stocked up on "things to do" when I can't sleep. - Do you have anything to keep you occupied?

It's not a given that you won't sleep, so don't get yourself so convinced that you won't that in fact you don't. I've never been a sound, sleep through the night sleeper anyway, so it's been an unexpected pleasure that I've actually slept better since surgery than before! All due to the drugs these early weeks, I'm sure, but I'll take it while it lasts.

 

[bottomshollow]

You're a BoneSmartie after my own heart. I like your take on the numbers! So many folks fret so over them, and for most of them as long as they can do what they want to do, numbers are just numbers. Wish more of them got that. Keep up the good work.

 

[reetpteet]

How about a new measuring 'tool'. Choose from the following:-
I can bend my knee

1. A bit
2. A lot
3. Enough

no technical skill required!

 

[1ELISEA]

How about a new measuring 'tool'. Choose from the following:-
I can bend my knee

1. A bit
2. A lot
3. Enough

no technical skill required!

That is too funny, thank you for making my evening!

Let's see I am probably at "Are knees supposed to bend"?

 

[bottomshollow]

Elisea, you have been a very busy little bee

all over the forum into the wee hours. So glad you have returned to your "normal" self. Thought I'd advise you that the July op list needs updating. Several more have signed on. What'll we do if you ever leave?

 

[1ELISEA]

Wow, there are quite a few having surgery in July! List is updated.

 

[1ELISEA]

Well, went to my PT session today, my second week. It went well as far as working on the knee generally. The PT worked on massaging the areas around the knee that are painful and it has helped.

However, I am beginning to be worried. My ROM is abysmal. She said usually when TKR patients come for PT, they are at 100 degree when they come in. We are working hard (not painfully hard) to even get my knee to 90 degree flexion. We did a bit of the bike, back and forth on the pedals, getting that stretch in. Plus, I am doing the exercises; but it is difficult not to be concerned with what will happen if I don't see improvement in ROM soon.

 

[BJ Mac]

Elisea, relax, your ROM will come and it will change greatly when your swelling goes down. I really do not like it when they say stuff like 'usually patients come at 100 degrees' or anything to that effect. As you can tell we are all at different places, it is just annoying when they want to compare this knee to that knee. Your knee is your knee and it will get there when it gets there. You are still sooo early in the process. I am happy to hear that you are not working 'painfully hard.' It is indeed hard not to be concerned, but it seems to me that it is something that we need to do, that is - work at not being overly concerned with the progress or seeming lack there of.

So, hang in there! and try not to worry about ROM, and yet know that it is something that each of us does so you are definitely not alone in your concern.

 

[1ELISEA]

Thanks, BJ, for the encouragement. I will try not to fret over the numbers. It would be a lot easier walking, though, if I could bend my knee more. Or sitting and not feeling like I am going to trip somebody because my foot is sticking out. Sigh.......

I mean, just a little progress would be nice...

 

[bassplayer]

Thanks, BJ, for the encouragement. I will try not to fret over the numbers. It would be a lot easier walking, though, if I could bend my knee more. Or sitting and not feeling like I am going to trip somebody because my foot is sticking out. Sigh.......

I mean, just a little progress would be nice...

Hey 1ELISEA, it seems to me you are expecting a lot for being only 4 weeks out. You are still in the very early stages! It is frustrating though. I tried to go out for a longer walk yesterday and it turned out to be a big mistake. My knee just wasn't ready! I was only a block away and it was so difficult and tiring getting back! The answer at these stages is always rest, ice, elevate, and take meds by the clock. The time does pass though...