Crying jags

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wolfensteinsmom

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Jul 23, 2008
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Oxford, Florida
Hi, guys. I am having emotional problems that my husband just doesn't seem to sympathize with. I don't know anyone personally who has had TKR, and you are my only lifeline.
I am wondering if the pain will EVER go away. I hurt most of the time. I do not hurt enough to take prescription pain meds ALL the time, but I hurt somewhat almost constantly. I am 7 weeks post op today, and need to know that it will stop hurting someday SOON. After all, isn't that why most of us had the surgery to start with - to end the pain? Anybody, please!
 
Wolf,
I am 7 months post op. Back in January when I had mine we had quite a crew on the forum. Since it was the dreary days of winter, almost all of us stayed depressed. And that includes the unexplained crying. First of all, I recommend you talk to your Dr. about some anti depressant. Secondly, take the pain meds. At 7 weeks I was still taking the regular dose every 4 hours. Most of us stayed on pain meds for at least 4 months.
Your husband or anyone else isn't going to understand the roller coaster of recovery from the TKR. We do.
Finally, the pain will eventually go away. I can't say when because we all recover at different rates. Most importantly though is to work hard with your therapy to make what you are going through pay off.
Hang in there, get online and talk to us. It is very seldom someone isn't checking in every couple of hours.
 
Let's see. Oxford is next to Wildwood right??? About 3 hours from me.
 
Dearest Wolf, I am so sorry to hear you are in pain. Believe it or not, at 7 weeks out it is still possible to have pain and to need prescription meds to make you more comfortable. Many of us tried to stop taking pain meds way too early in this process and experienced problems. This could be what is happening to you. Please, please discuss this with your doctor's office (or with your doctor directly). If you take prescription pain meds only when you feel a lot of pain, you may not be keeping enough of the medicine in your system to stop the discomfort. Our online nurse, Josephone, has published a chart showing pain levels and why, if you wait too long to have the meds, it is much more difficult to overcome the pain. You don't need to hurt like this! And, too much pain can hamper your ability to exercise and get your range of motion (ROM) back. It's probably difficult for your husband to understand...that's why this forum is so good. All of us DO understand completely because we've been through it too. Consistent pain can also cause depression and some of the emotional problems you are experiencing. I'm certainly not a doctor, but from what you wrote, it sounds to me like you need to be on some level of pain medication at a low dose...either prescription or something like Tylenol or Aleve....that you take throughout the day and night. This doesn't last forever, but at 7 weeks you are still rather new in recovery. Please continue to post here....people will help you and you WILL feel better!!
 
I can't thank you guys enough for your input. I do take tylenol, aspirin or Advil during the day, but the kinds of pain I am experiencing is very odd. I have hamstring muscle pain often, and pain in the outside of my knee. It is almost like a tendon or muscle is ROLLING for goodness sake. That pain only occurs when I move the knee back and forth. Unfortunately, I do this in my sleep and frequently wake up moaning or crying. I know it is all part of the process, but, BOY, it is annoying! I have started taking a half of a Flexaril with 1 Percocet at bedtime, and that is helping the muscle pain to some extent.
Thanks again for your answers.
I have PT this afternoon and BOY AM I LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT!!!HAHAHAHAH!!!!!
 
everything in our knees basically was taken apart and put back together again so naturally we are going to experience different pain at different times. I am three months post op and still have some pain although mostly what I have is stiffness when I forget to ice. I think Jamie is right, you are not taking enough pain medicine and it is playing havoc with your emotions as you are waiting until you are already in pain when you take the pain med so your body is having to play catch-up. It is better to keep some pain medkcation in your system instead of waiting until it is all gone and then trying to get comfortable again. Josephine wrote something a while back that I thought was really made a lot of sense. It concerned the way our bodies heal faster if we take adequate pain meds instead of worrying about toughing it out so you can get off of them. Believe me, when you are taking pain meds for pain relief instead of recreationally it is an entirely different thing. As you body heals you will need less and less pain medicine and you will go longer intervals without needing them. Right now at seven weeks you are still healing, it really hasn't been that long since you had the surgery. I am amazed we do as well as we do considering that they literally cut the bottom of our leg off and reattached it with the knee replacement. Sounds like something out of an old Frankenstein movie with the electriciy sparking up and down over the operating table. One last thing then I will go away. I have never been one to cry or allow myself to get down in the dumps. Well, since having this surgery there has been more than one day when my poor husband to came home to find me in tears and I couldn't say why other than I needed to cry. The first time it happened I felt sort of stupid then I remembered all the posts from others here who experienced depression and so now if I need to cry I just cry. When I am through I feel better and who did I hurt? Actually I think it is theraputic and I may keep it up. LOL. Stop being so hard on yourself. You are doing great and what you are feeling is only natural. If it becomes a problem then like the others said call your doctor ajd get something for depression. Wishing you the very best. Rowdy
 
Hey wolf, are you sure you might not need a little more pain meds during the day? And are you still icing and elevating. give your leg a break (pardon the pun). We're here. to listen share and maybe make you laugh. The pain lessens every day, week. Keep up the work. It will get better! You are still a baby monkey.
 
Hey, Doug. You are correct. Oxford is about 11 miles north of Wildwood. I live in the STICKS!!! Just got our first redlight when the Villages moved in.Hahaha!!!
 
I think the crying jags are pretty standard fair--at least for the women in our merry bunch. Like I said in another post, I have a great internist. I also have PTSD (another long story for a different day), so I have xanax on hand. It helps with the crying thing if it's just that panicky, obsessive kind of thing. Otherwise, it just goes away on it's own. If it's pain, then it is important to keep on top of that.
 
Sweetheart - you are clearly under medicating yourself! Don't be fearful of overdoing it (so long as you stick with the 4-6 hr rule). This was the chart Rowdy spoke of and it shows how the pain starts to come back and accelerates until it reaches a peak. Now if you wait till it passes the red arrow, there is too much for the meds to subdue and not only will you have to wait longer for them to kick in, it won't be as effective when it does.

However, if you take them when the pain is at the blue arrow, when it is mild or even a dull ache, then the meds can kick in quickly and effectively and you will have better relief much sooner.

[Bonesmart.org] Crying jags


The other factors Rowdy mentioned were

- swelling can be a response to pain and vice versa
- pain will inhibit your PT, activity and mobility and quality of life generally
- pain will increase the emotional and hormonal stress you experience by increasing the adrenalin and steroids your body produces.
- increase in these hormones has a negative influence the healing process

- pain makes you depressed, negative and stressed - see above

Hope this all helps
 
Thanks, Josephine. In my opinion there is no more important information that can be passed to a new knee recipient than this. It was HUGE for me and I know for others here. Please don't ever get tired of making this speech!!!

Wolf....listen to Josephine.....she knows so much about this type of surgery and recovery! I wish you the best in the coming weeks. When you're feeling a little down, think back to how you were several weeks before and you should feel good knowing the progress you've made. And know that it WILL get better and you'll be so thankful you have your new knee. In the meantime, use the forum here to help you get through the rough spots. And here's a great big virtual (((((HUG))))) from Kansas!!
 
Thank you so much, Guys. Really. I am back from my PT for today, and it was interesting to say the least. I finally went around FORWARD on the bike. I have been going around backward, but I broke though the barrier today, and that was my downfall! That triggered my PT to think it was time to step things up a bit. She put me on the leg press, and the leg extension and leg curls. That wasn't bad enough, and then she put me on the balance board. I cannot express the weakness and trembles I am having right now. I know YOU will all understand, but boy wow!
Will keep reading, keep trucking, taking my pills, keep doing my exercises, and keep using ice.
 
Howdy,

We've all been where you are to varying degrees. My frame of mind is so much better at 8 weeks than it was in the first 4. Hard to explain but you sometimes question your sanity especially if you were not experiencing significant pain prior to surgery. The pain can be very tough on ones mind. Please take care of yourself and make sure to be kind to yourself. A rush to stop meds can set you back. Regards, Tom
 
Thank you so much, Guys. Really. I am back from my PT for today, and it was interesting to say the least. I finally went around FORWARD on the bike. I have been going around backward, but I broke though the barrier today, and that was my downfall! That triggered my PT to think it was time to step things up a bit. She put me on the leg press, and the leg extension and leg curls. That wasn't bad enough, and then she put me on the balance board. I cannot express the weakness and trembles I am having right now. I know YOU will all understand, but boy wow!
Will keep reading, keep trucking, taking my pills, keep doing my exercises, and keep using ice.

Just another thought, Wolf.....my doctor warned me to be a little wary of some therapists who felt like they really had to work you out. You are in control of your therapy and if you feel the therapist is pushing you too hard too fast, tell them. Many push until you cry "uncle." Not saying that's the case with yours, but just be sure you agree with all that's being done at any given time.
 
Hi, guys. Jamie, I don't think she is out of control, and I LOVE that she pushes me. If she didn't I would not be in as good shape as I am now. However, today I almost can't move. She warned me that I would be sore. Well, I am sore. My back aches, my hips ache, my legs ache, my calves ache, and even my feet are sore because of the balance board. But I know that I will be better when I do a little more exercising. So I guess I better go do it!! Thanks again.
 
Hey, wolf - I was at the gym today and I am weak and trembling! Had too much of a good workout! Having got home around 2pm and had a nice, refreshing shower, I crashed out on the settee and slept from about 3.30 pm till after 6pm!
 
Gosh yes....at 15 weeks I still take a few Advil a day and a vicodin before PT...it was at least 8 weeks before I started reducing the vicodin much...then it was easy as I just started forgetting to take it.

You should not be in pain like that--take your meds :)
 
Thank you so much, Guys. Really. I am back from my PT for today, and it was interesting to say the least. I finally went around FORWARD on the bike. I have been going around backward, but I broke though the barrier today, and that was my downfall! That triggered my PT to think it was time to step things up a bit. She put me on the leg press, and the leg extension and leg curls. That wasn't bad enough, and then she put me on the balance board. I cannot express the weakness and trembles I am having right now. I know YOU will all understand, but boy wow!
Will keep reading, keep trucking, taking my pills, keep doing my exercises, and keep using ice.

When I was 17 I survived 13 weeks of US Marine Corps Bootcamp...with the help of icy hot and plain stubbornness...I knew pain, I knew misery, I knew PT from the 5th ring of hell...

My TKR had me in tears more than once...weak as a kitten after PT, and growling at the therapist and on more than on occasion of just stopping to cry. I faithfully took my pain meds every 4-5 hours...I learned early on never to wait for that 6 hour mark to hit...when I spoke to my Dr about swelling he did prescribe Feldene, (Jo, not sure I spelled that right), as an anti-inflammatory which helped a TON!

14 months later, I walk 2 miles a day, last week I went hiking in the woods, and did a little caving with my brother...I have to crawl often at work to run power and connections between servers....it does get better...hang in there! ((huggles))

I do still take the feldene, it had the added bonus of helping with my arthritis...but haven't resorted to any serious pain meds in a few months now :)
 
Hey, wolf - I was at the gym today and I am weak and trembling! Had too much of a good workout! Having got home around 2pm and had a nice, refreshing shower, I crashed out on the settee and slept from about 3.30 pm till after 6pm!

A good hot shower after any workout is helpful to release a lot of stiffness that can happen later...

If you can help it, never skip the hot water after PT
 
Hi
After a marathon I was always told to avoid hot showers , although they would feel awesome. Our advice was to take a cold shower!!! Stop inflammation maybe?
Judy
 
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