TKR Forever hopeful - gimpy no more!

[Toothfairy]

Hi Sarah, I am so pleased your pain is less.
If your can manage a shower you will feel much better after it.
If not today then maybe tomorrow. It just makes you feel a bit more human. Make sure you are feeling steady on your feet and not dizzy first.
Hope your home health nurse and physio are nice.
Now you are at home you can make your own decisions about how much time you spend in and out of bed depending on how you are feeling.
I would definitely recommend following the mantra and that includes elevating!
You are doing really well.
Let us know how you get on with your home visits,
Keep smiling and stretching,
Toothfairy x

 

[jetthugger]

Maybe wrap some cling film around your dressing, Make it that bit more waterproof? I got chastised for my little shower this morning! Let us know how you get on with the home visit, it's good to compare notes. I'm still working on dosages, had a bit of a painful day today, but I will be ok once I the the mix right! Two flights of stairs..? Wow, you did do well!

 

[gami]

Hi Sarah...it will all come together for you...when we get home we all do a little bit of reorganizing to see what works best for us...just keep up the icing , elevating, resting and you'll find your journey begins to settle.

hugs Gami

 

[midwestmom]

Oh Sarah, two flights of stairs to get to your bed! That is a days work right there. Enjoy your rest you have earned it and need it. The advice here is great as you know by now. Just think of the loving care you would give a lame horse! Be as good to yourself.

 

[forevergimpy]

I had every intention of adding to my post-op diary tonight but my meds have finally kicked in and all I can think of is sleep. Here's to hoping all my Bonesmart friends get some good shut eye tonight!

 

[landoz]

Just catching up on your progress Sarah your doing really well Keep up the pain meds and becareful on those stairs. I'm glad when I was building 12 years ago that I decided on single story no stairs as I knew I was going to have a problem with my knee as the years went on. Hopefully your settling into home and have a great sleep tonight!

 

[kimejen]

Well done Sarah with all that you're doing. Take care. Jenny

 

[Fernie]

Hi Sarah, I've found your thread! so sorry hear you've been having a rough time of it. Still, at least you are at home now and can sort your meds and get in a little routine for your PT etc.

2 flights upstairs is going some at this stage, I still curse and swear when i go up the stairs now !

You need lots of rest, so keep taking the meds and follow the Mantra and youll be just fine. We are all routing for you! take care. Fernie

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Sarah, how are you doing today? I hope things are going well. Did you manage to have that shower?
Take it gently and keep taking those pain meds,
Hugs, Toothfairy x

 

[forevergimpy]

Boy oh boy is this lack of sleep really getting to me! I have a very strong case of Bed Dread and I'm just now 4 days post-op. I am absolutely exhausted and will fall asleep reading, typing and even talking but I simply cannot stay asleep for any longer than one hour at a time! I will add a dose of Benedryl to my evening meds here in a bit and I have added the ice machine to my knee tonight to see if that helps as well.

I can't help but wish I had the CPM back to get me through the night without stiffening up to the point of agony. The hospital used one, but we were not sent home with one. Maybe I'll call on Monday to see if I can use one short term? What's the worst they can say? No?

I am certainly in the throws of this roller coaster ride called recovery and have learned first hand how easy it is to overdo it during the day. I had my second home PT session today, and we just went through the stretches and exercises again today. Nothing pushed me to the point of pain but I have been in a high amount of pain for the remainder of the day.

 

[Toothfairy]

Poor you Sarah, you are really having a rough time.
Have you any capacity to increase the pain meds?
I know what you mean about your leg stiffening in the night, it does get easier and less painful as time goes on, you are so early in recovery.
Snooze as much as you can whenever you can and take as much pain medication as is safe on a very regular schedule.
Take care and I hope you have a better day,
Hugs,Toothfairy x

 

[jetthugger]

Oh Sarah! It is a pain when sleep eludes us isn't it? I try & be philosophical about it, I didn't get decent sleep before the op, and went to work!! At least now we can snooze throughout the day & our only job now is to take care of ourselves & heal. I get maybe 2 hours, tops. The worst is the half sleep dream that your tripping or falling downstairs & your whole body jerks awake!!! have you had that? Thankfully, this site is here 24/7 to help with those sleepless wee hours when we'd otherwise get a grunt from a disgruntled hubby if we needed to offload!! big hugs!!! Keep smiling!! Do you know when you are due to have your stitches/staples out? Or are you superglued?? I'm being unstapled on 28th x x

 

[gami]

hi Jethugger and Forever Gimpy please don't despair it does slowly begin to get better as jethugger said try and accept the fact that for some of us sleep seems to stay elusive for a good while..but don't worry about it. I had that feeling of dreading the nightime for a while because I knew I would be awake every hour or so, bu the despairmg doesn't help at all.
Take your sleep when your body demands it during the day...it is simply needing rest...this is your healing time...and don't lie in bed thinking about how uncomfortable you are in the night. use some small headphones and listen to music you love or maybe even a 'talking book'. Come online and have a chat there is aways someone else just like you who is awake while the World around us is sleeping.

Don't lose heart..just accept this is the way it will be for a while...but it will change. I'm just over 4.5 weeks now and I'm getting around 4hours of sound sleep in each stretch after I go to bed...so for me 'one of the wnaderers is it changing and it will for you do.
hugs Gami

 

[forevergimpy]

Toothfairy and gami Thank you for your kind words of support regarding the sleep. I am lucky that I can catnap during the day (also in about 1 hour increments) and that seems to help some. I think my pain medicine is now under control - of course just in time for me to run out! I will be calling the doctor's office first thing this morning to get some new prescriptions (hopefully for the same medicine since I know it is working).

jetthugger Alison, I know exactly what you mean about the being jerked away due to feeling of falling or tripping. My MIL who was a nurse for many years, is here and was just explaining last night that it is most likely our bodies reaction to having muscle spasms in our sleep. When awake, we can prepare ourselves a little better for them, but that feeling of being painfully jolted awake is one I wish I could avoid.

My last post was on Friday evening (after my honey's delicious dinner) and my second PT session. Saturday I woke up again in a bit of increased pain so I decided to cut back on a few of the newer exercises that the PT added the day before. I decided it would be my first day to take it easy a bit to see if I had better pain management in the evening or the following day.

Little did I know, that on Sunday I would become very sick to my stomach and would also take a very easy day. I did not do any of my prescribed exercises all day yesterday but was up and in the bathroom so very, very much that I counted that as my activity for the day. In addition, any movement at all like changing positions, taking off or putting on more ice, reaching for a drink had my stomach in knots and me rushing for the bathroom again. My husband's mother is here (who was a nurse for many, years before she retired) and is wondering if I am having a reaction to the 3 day dose of antibiotics given to me by IV in the hospital. She named a condition where the stomach lining is so irritated by the antibiotics it makes it possible for another bacteria to invade. She said that it's rare, but would explain why I felt so darn sick all day yesterday (no fever) and could not keep any food or drink in me at all. We will call my doctor's office this morning when then open to see what they have to say. I want to say she was calling it CF but I honestly do not remember.

The only good thing to come out of yesterday was in the crazy amount of sleep I managed. Anytime I was not up and in the restroom, I was essentially sleeping. My longest stretch was almost 2 hours, but I will say that I'm already feeling a little better for the additional rest. I am expecting my knee to be extra stiff today since I didn't do any of my exercises for a whole day, but am happy to report there is no additional swelling.

I am happy to report that although it is 3 am here and I'm awake and typing, I've been able to sip (and enjoy) water again and changing my position doesn't set my stomach off. I may even be interested in eating a piece of toast for breakfast with a ripe banana! Oh the things we get excited about!

If my stomach continues to improve, my MIL is suggesting that I spend half my day downstairs to regain a little bit of my daily routine back. I must say, I am getting a bit sick of the upstairs so I am welcome for the change in scenery as long as I have plenty of help to carry all my belongings downstairs and then back up again for me.

Oh well, I'm sure I could continue rambling on and on, but my eyelids are feeling a bit heavy again so I'm going to drift back off to sleep for a bit. Here's to wishing I have a better day myself, and that all my bonesmartie friends are doing well!

 

[jetthugger]

Oh Sarah you poor thing!! Sincerely hope you feel better today & that your toast & banana taste sublime & stay down! I'm glad your dozing throughout the day, it does help doesn't it? Like you, I'm stuck upstairs this morning as hubby went off to an early meeting & I don't want to risk stairs with no-one else in the house, if I fell....... I'm feeling better today and cant thank you enough for your support yesterday! Like you, have taken it easy & not had as much stiffness & swelling definitely better, maybe the bonesmarties are right after all! Here's wishing you increasingly better days & restful nights

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Sarah, good news about the extra sleep but not a good way to go about getting it. You poor thing.
I hope you are on the mend and feeling much better today.
You are certainly experiencing and very bumpy roller coaster so far. I hope it settles into a smoother ride very soon.
I am pleased to hear you are going to phone the doctors for advice, sounds like a very good plan. Hopefully you can get your repeat prescription sorted out at the same time.
Take it gently, rest and ice and don't fret about exercises till you are feeling better. When you do start them again take it very gently.
Sending you a gentle hug and a cheery smile,
Toothfairy x

 

[forevergimpy]

Alison and Toothfairy thank you ladies. My husband, parents and MIL have all been very supportive, but it just doesn't compare to the support of those who have already gone through it or are going through it currently.

After my last post, I crawled back into bed and slept for 2 hours straight! It was a good, deep sleep too. When I woke up, my entire leg was stiff and sore but with enough ankle pumps and very, very gentle heel slides it seems to be feeling better.

I just finished a light meal of toast and a banana - and it was scrumptious!! I was even able to drink a bit of water without it tasting like metal!!! My stomach has let me know, it still needs to take things slowly, but I can honestly say I do not feel as miserable now as I did yesterday.

It's interesting that I've had so many bumps in my early recovery, but most haven't been about my new knee.
In fact, throughout all of this, my husband was joking yesterday that he was sorry I was so very sick, however it made my knee recovery look like a piece of cake!

In about 30 minutes I'll begin making my phone calls and see if I can get back on the right track. Hang in there everybody!

I can call the doctor's office in about 30 minutes or so and will do so.

 

[gami]

Hi Forevergimmpy I hope the doc was able to sort out whats ging on in the body of yours...a distraction from the knee is fine for a while but this needs to be sorted so you are even more comfortable.
Funny how different foods work for us when we are sick....mine usually is tea and toast with vegemite(oh I know for those of you who have tried aussi vegemite it is a pretty salty disgusting product...but whatever it works.)

Keep finding some lighter moments forevergimpy I'm sure you are getting better...and will soon be riding in the peloton.

hugs Gami

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Sarah, how are you doing?
I hope that you are feeling much better today and are managing to eat and drink again. Did you manage to see/ speak to the doctor today?
It is time for life to give you a break and let you get on with recovering from your TKR.
I will keep my fingers crossed that you will now move into smoother times.
Sleep well,
Hugs, Toothfairy x

 

[forevergimpy]

Today has been so wonderful compared to the last few days! I have managed to eat (gently) and my sense of taste and thirst has returned as well!

I did speak to my doctor's office and they felt that since the Immodium slowed things down considerably that it was just my body's over reaction to the stool softeners. Guess I didn't have to worry about the pain and discomfort of constipation after all.

They also refilled my pain meds with no question at all! She did say that if I was feeling ready to step down to start to eliminate one of the OxyContin doses for a few days - but if I still need it, that was ok too.

I have done my stretches several times today, taken a shower, had a nap, and have ventured downstairs like a normal person. What a difference a day makes.

Thanks friends for all your support and kind words!