Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
United KingdomTwo things here:
1. they probably take it on the chin and battle on regardless
2. they think that excessive pain is a requirement
Oh, and #3: they're a little (saying this as politely as I can!) daft!
TKR And the Marathon Begins<<
- Thread starter nuttybrunette
- Start date
1. they probably take it on the chin and battle on regardless
2. they think that excessive pain is a requirement
Oh, and #3: they're a little (saying this as politely as I can!) daft!
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nuttybrunette
senior
Oh my goodness! Its 12:35 AM! I was an awesome sleeper until a week ago. No clue why things changed but all of a sudden I CAN'T SLEEP! I really feel for all of you that can't sleep from day 1. It is no picnic.
I've been doing more lately, so pain is interfering, I think. I take 50 mg Tramadol each night. Maybe I should take 100 mg...? And I live in a rural area and someone is crop spraying with an airplane tonight. Started at midnight. You hear the plane come down low real fast then it turns around and repeats. Hope he doesn't have too many acres to spray. So annoying. Sounds like bombs could drop at any moment.
And my poor hubby grindered off part of the tip of his thumb, so he sleeps with a bunch of moans. Rightly so, I should say. This happened yesterday and I literally forced him to see a Dr today to check it and get a tetanus shot. He didn't think he needed to go. Dr says it will take a long time to heal and I think his thumb will have a little divot when all said and done. When it happened he said he might need one of my pain pills.. I thought about that a long time and offered him a Percoset but said no way he was getting my Tramadol. LOL He has only taken Tylenol tho once since it happened.
I said I think he'd be one of those amazing people with a TKR. The ones that don't need meds. He doesn't feel pain much, or at least not enough to take anything. But his moans at night when he rolls over tell me otherwise. Wish I was a man at this point, if it meant I could handle pain better. I think the crop duster is gone now, either filling up with more fuel or spray, or he is done. Wish I could conk out before he starts up again. I'll try.
I've been doing more lately, so pain is interfering, I think. I take 50 mg Tramadol each night. Maybe I should take 100 mg...? And I live in a rural area and someone is crop spraying with an airplane tonight. Started at midnight. You hear the plane come down low real fast then it turns around and repeats. Hope he doesn't have too many acres to spray. So annoying. Sounds like bombs could drop at any moment.
And my poor hubby grindered off part of the tip of his thumb, so he sleeps with a bunch of moans. Rightly so, I should say. This happened yesterday and I literally forced him to see a Dr today to check it and get a tetanus shot. He didn't think he needed to go. Dr says it will take a long time to heal and I think his thumb will have a little divot when all said and done. When it happened he said he might need one of my pain pills.. I thought about that a long time and offered him a Percoset but said no way he was getting my Tramadol. LOL He has only taken Tylenol tho once since it happened.
I said I think he'd be one of those amazing people with a TKR. The ones that don't need meds. He doesn't feel pain much, or at least not enough to take anything. But his moans at night when he rolls over tell me otherwise. Wish I was a man at this point, if it meant I could handle pain better. I think the crop duster is gone now, either filling up with more fuel or spray, or he is done. Wish I could conk out before he starts up again. I'll try.
Cut back your activities, you’re still in early days.
Yeah, I have to think about that a long time, too, I’d be reluctant to give one of mine up, loving wife that I am!
Try using ear plugs every night to plug out that noise. I've used them for years!
What kind do you use?
The yellow foam ones. They are made by 3M and actually called E*A*R* yellow plugs! That's what we used at work and I really liked them. Husband used to snore like a fright train on steroids, so I got used to wearing them every night. I buy them by the box, 100 at the time! A pair goes with me anytime I have to spend the night away from home.
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nuttybrunette
senior
Great idea! I’ll raid our shed today for some
thank you.
thank you.
VonnieN
member
Oh I hear you...my sleep has deteriorated my poor husband has moved to another room as I get so restless. I get about four hours and then I can get comfortable. I look forward to a good night sleep.
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nuttybrunette
senior
I’m at 9 weeks today. At midnight, on cue, every night for the last week, my outer thigh hurts so much I can’t sleep. Feels like bone pain. Didn’t use to hurt like this. Any ideas?? Anyone?
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nuttybrunette
senior
V-Z L1F and V-Z L1B. As well as F and B LB3
I called OS office and nurse thought it was probably from the use of the tourniquet.... I don’t feel it during the day. Pretty much just from midnight to 2:00 AM. 2 Tramadol helps but not enough for sleep. And my legs are very restless at this time too. Getting up and walking helps. If you have an idea @Josephine, I’m all ears. Thank you!!
I called OS office and nurse thought it was probably from the use of the tourniquet.... I don’t feel it during the day. Pretty much just from midnight to 2:00 AM. 2 Tramadol helps but not enough for sleep. And my legs are very restless at this time too. Getting up and walking helps. If you have an idea @Josephine, I’m all ears. Thank you!!
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nuttybrunette
senior
@Josephine I had an idea about my thigh pain...do you think this is possible.....I was only slightly bowlegged before surgery but after surgery the PA showed me my X-rays and how my legs were straighter and that also meant my thighs were closer together, which is why I felt them rubbing together more. Lol. So if that leg’s angle is now different, does that mean the angle in the hip socket is different? So would that bother/irritate my arthritic hip joint?
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
The left one is most likely ITB (ilio-tibial band) issues and the right, I don't know. You only mentioned those two points - or were they supposed to be all the way down the leg?
I don't think so. Tourniquet pain is usually in this area and it's there all the time. Usually it also fades away over about 2-4 weeks and you're 9 weeks out.
So what dose of Tramadol are you taking?
Also read this Restless legs following knee replacement surgery
Not likely!
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nuttybrunette
senior
@Josephine Thank you for your time. I take 100 mg of Tramadol at night to help this issue. Sometimes it helps and others not.
It does sound like the ITB issue. I'll try the stretches in the article. The video in the beginning of the article shows a lady on the foam roller....if only I could get in that position I'll leave that one but absolutely try the stretches in the pictures.
I thought the tourniquet response from OS office was goofy too, as I also thought that would be done with by now. I think I messed up on telling you the graph numbers and letters.
I think it is F and G LB3, which to me is the back of the left leg in the meaty calf area. It too only hurts at night. Every time it happens I swear I'm going to wake up with a blood clot on the loose. Why do our minds go so crazy in the middle of the night?!
My PT today thought that the angle of my leg could be putting a very slight different amount of pressure on a different angle in my hip. But his first thought is that my muscles/tendons are getting used to walking, as I hadn't been walking much at all for months before surgery and it was with a funny straight legged swing it out limp and sometimes with crutches. So everything is getting worked out when I walk more normally now.
Just need that sleep fairy to visit
It does sound like the ITB issue. I'll try the stretches in the article. The video in the beginning of the article shows a lady on the foam roller....if only I could get in that position
I'll leave that one but absolutely try the stretches in the pictures. I thought the tourniquet response from OS office was goofy too, as I also thought that would be done with by now. I think I messed up on telling you the graph numbers and letters.
I think it is F and G LB3, which to me is the back of the left leg in the meaty calf area. It too only hurts at night. Every time it happens I swear I'm going to wake up with a blood clot on the loose. Why do our minds go so crazy in the middle of the night?!My PT today thought that the angle of my leg could be putting a very slight different amount of pressure on a different angle in my hip. But his first thought is that my muscles/tendons are getting used to walking, as I hadn't been walking much at all for months before surgery and it was with a funny straight legged swing it out limp and sometimes with crutches. So everything is getting worked out when I walk more normally now.
Just need that sleep fairy to visit
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Have you tried taking 1,000mg Tylenol with the Tramadol? I used that for both my knees and it was great! Made an awful lot of difference.
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nuttybrunette
senior
Yes, I do take the Tylenol, 1,000mg but now that I think about it, I took the Tylenol early, like at 8:00 and didn't go to bed and take the Tramadol till closer to 11:00. Maybe the fact that I didn't take them exactly together was an issue....
VonnieN
member
Have the same issue except my pain is not the groin and sciatic which goes right down my leg. sleep has deteriorated I take 50 tramadol only because I don't have many left but I will take it with the Panadol. getting to sleep is not so bad but at 4.00am it starts leg is heavy and muscles on outside of leg it band and lower leg. I find sitting with 90 bend uncomfortable in the groin.
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nuttybrunette
senior
Misery loves company, @VonnieN. Sorry you've got it too and I can sure empathize.
It's always a total **** shoot going to bed....will I sleep or not? I would not make any bets on it
When I'm not busy during the day, I go to bed thinking it will be a great night and then it isn't! Because sometimes I think I have those pains when I've been on the go, but doesn't seem to correlate. No reasoning any of it.
The link @Josephine gave me in message #253 about ITB shows some stretches in pictures. I did one last night before bed. I still had my pains at my usual midnight time, but they went away much faster this time. I'm going to say it was the stretches and will do a few more today and see what happens tonight. Maybe give those a shot. But when you open the link there's a video at the top that shows a lady balancing on a foam roller that looks down right impossible at this point of my life. If I could only get in that position.
Maybe later on in my recovery... LOL
It's always a total **** shoot going to bed....will I sleep or not? I would not make any bets on it
When I'm not busy during the day, I go to bed thinking it will be a great night and then it isn't! Because sometimes I think I have those pains when I've been on the go, but doesn't seem to correlate. No reasoning any of it. The link @Josephine gave me in message #253 about ITB shows some stretches in pictures. I did one last night before bed. I still had my pains at my usual midnight time, but they went away much faster this time. I'm going to say it was the stretches and will do a few more today and see what happens tonight. Maybe give those a shot. But when you open the link there's a video at the top that shows a lady balancing on a foam roller that looks down right impossible at this point of my life. If I could only get in that position.
Maybe later on in my recovery... LOL
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
I'd say it was. Those two drugs enhance one another very nicely and increase the analgesic power overall.
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nuttybrunette
senior
10 weeks since LTKR. (Logged here, so I don’t forget
The good: Feeling much more like my old self lately. Have been able to do a whole day now with no tears. Lol So stamina is better. There are times I don’t think about my knee. That’s amazing. Have been out to lunch, dinner, a play, shopping, attended an ice cream social (yum)-not all in one day, of course. Extension is +5 and flexion is....I don’t know but guessing at least 95-100, PT is great massage and a few light exercises with no ROM pressure. No real pains during the day, more stiffness than anything. Tylenol use is sporadic at this point, but Tramadol and Tylenol still a ritual at bedtime.
The bad: wine still tastes horrible to me (would love to enjoy a glass, but just can’t) (like how this is my first complaint? Ha, ha), I’m picky about other flavors and smells too-since surgery. Surgeon is annoyingly too focused on ROM. Sleep between 12 AM and 2:00AM eludes me. Can’t do full rotation on bike without raising my hip very slightly. Scar doesn’t look bad enough to conjure up enough sympathy (could use some stitch or staple holes to impress people-but didn’t have either so scar is boring). Not looking forward to starting teaching August 9-enjoy hanging at home too much, with no real schedule.
All in all, I feel progression is good. Of course I’d love to say I can bend it 120 but I’ll take what I’ve got for now and I feel pretty good about the whole experience. The really bad pains of week 1 and 2 are already gone from my memory. Yay!!
The good: Feeling much more like my old self lately. Have been able to do a whole day now with no tears. Lol So stamina is better. There are times I don’t think about my knee. That’s amazing. Have been out to lunch, dinner, a play, shopping, attended an ice cream social (yum)-not all in one day, of course. Extension is +5 and flexion is....I don’t know but guessing at least 95-100, PT is great massage and a few light exercises with no ROM pressure. No real pains during the day, more stiffness than anything. Tylenol use is sporadic at this point, but Tramadol and Tylenol still a ritual at bedtime.
The bad: wine still tastes horrible to me (would love to enjoy a glass, but just can’t) (like how this is my first complaint? Ha, ha), I’m picky about other flavors and smells too-since surgery. Surgeon is annoyingly too focused on ROM. Sleep between 12 AM and 2:00AM eludes me. Can’t do full rotation on bike without raising my hip very slightly. Scar doesn’t look bad enough to conjure up enough sympathy (could use some stitch or staple holes to impress people-but didn’t have either so scar is boring). Not looking forward to starting teaching August 9-enjoy hanging at home too much, with no real schedule.
All in all, I feel progression is good. Of course I’d love to say I can bend it 120 but I’ll take what I’ve got for now and I feel pretty good about the whole experience. The really bad pains of week 1 and 2 are already gone from my memory. Yay!!
