TKR gr82cu2 Hello new knee, it's great to see you!

[gr82cu2]

This sleepiness is really starting to bug me. It's ridiculous! I'm sleeping really well at night. I set my alarm to take my meds and get up and potty at the same time and I go right back to sleep so I don't understand why I'm so darn sleepy during the day. I've had 2 naps today and I want to sleep now. I have to stay sitting up to stay awake. If I lie down it's light's out! I feel like an 80 year old

 

[Jozilla]

Glad to hear how good everyone sounds! Fatigue was my biggest issue as I ended up anemic. It took me five months to have my stamina back. This time I am taking my Mega Food blood Builder supplement and hope it keeps me stronger after the surgery! I am all for sleeping though as I always felt I was healing!

 

[gr82cu2]

@Jozilla I may be anemic as all my blood is contained within bruises in my leg! I think if I was home alone by myself I wouldn't feel so bad about sleeping so much. For some reason with hubby here I feel guilty. I have no idea why.

 

[ConnieJOS]

Sometimes I like the replacement word. The other day I was trying to say I could have "pushed" further and gotten more ROM. I must have made a typo and it was corrected to "I could have 'ousted' further'. I thought hmmm. Ousted. I like that. Lol.

 

[tiredwife]

@ConnieJOS I know my post have been a mess lately, the tablets tiny keyboard is way hard to type on and my fingers kept getting tangled up. On the good lap top now, feels much better typing on it even if it does have auto correct. I can't spell any way, so I really need auto correct!

@gr82cu2 Hope you had a good day, despite the black hip! 3 of the 4 kitties ate their meds good in a little watered down can cat food. Emily only ate 1/2 of hers, I will try her again later. She is the one that really needs it. Sunday I have to sterilize their litter pans and bathe their butts to make sure no parasites are hanging on. (TMI - probably - sorry) How is Tucker and Mini doing? Hope they had a good day too!

 

[Yorkimom]

@gr82cu2 with all the meds and only being a little over a week, it's not surprising that you are sleeping all the time. It's your body's way of repairing itself. If you think you might be anemic, talk to your OS about it next week and you can be tested.
I hope you and everyone else have a good weekend. My hubby and I are going with friends to the beach for the weekend so I might not be on much. Take care, Anne

 

[gr82cu2]

How is Tucker and Mini doing?

I feel like Tucker is going down again. He's been especially quiet the past 2 days. I noticed today he looks like he's walking strange. Like an old stiff man. Poor baby! Mini is his usual sweet self. He comes to check on me a few times a day and gives me purrs.

going with friends to the beach

I'm totally jealous! Have a great weekend and enjoy your friends.

 

[tiredwife]

@gr82cu2 I am so sorry about Tucker, poor baby. That is so hard. I will send up more prayers! Glad Mini is doing good. Try to get some restful sleep tonight! I will check on you tomorrow!

 

[gr82cu2]

It's hard for me to believe that just a few weeks ago he was darting around through the house like a kitten. I actually laughed out loud at him one day when Mini was in the living room and Tucker came at him at full speed and actually turned a cartwheel over him. I hate to think that we're going to have to make the decision to let him go, again. I can't imagine there would be any rebound this time. So sad . Have a good night Jackie and get some rest.

 

[lorl]

Hi, I agree auto correct is such a mixed blessing. But you seem to learn to work out what it should be, and some of the versions are v funny.

In my slow and steady progress from " if" to when I have surgery I keep finding the stories here so helpful. I seem to be in a good place right now knee-wise. But each time they get irritable they are worse than the time before.

I have v good GP who is monitoring things and I have confidence in her. More so since both her husband and father have had TKR with the surgeon she has referred me to. That is v reassuring.

But the things I read here are being so helpful, I think people are so generous with their experiences. What a world we live in that we can be in contact with people from such distances. I guess I am showing my age, but the whole immediacy and range of communication on the internet just blesses my little socks off.

Any news on the dreadful Darrell saga or have I missed it .
Luvlorl

 

[gr82cu2]

Hi @lorl No news on the Darrell saga. I guess I have to call again today to see what's up. I would have thought in a week's time they could have asked my OS if I could have my follow up with him instead.

I agree the internet is a blessing. This isn't the first time I've been involved in forums and met new friends from around the world.

Yesterday I ditched the padding over my incision. It had been dry for a few days. So, now I just have the compression hose which I will be glad to ditch when the time comes. I may even declare it time myself, before it really is. they are getting to be a pain. They roll down and pinch my thigh.

Last night I massaged my knee trying to get some swelling out. I placed the fingers of each hand behind my knee and massaged in little circles all around my knee with my thumbs. Then I used my fingers to stroke my legs from calves to upper thighs. I don't know if it did any good or not but doubt that it hurt anything either.

I slept well again last night for which I am eternally grateful.

I have PT again later this morning which I'm looking forward to and dreading all at the same time. I did the exercises she gave me to do at home, except for the stand up, sit down without using hands or arms one. I think that was what caused my knee to swell up worse after PT on Wednesday. I feel and have felt all along like my legs are strong. I have felt no weakness really at all. I'm puzzled when I read about people saying their quads are waking up or their quads aren't firing, whatever that means. I haven't experienced it myself.

Have a good day everybody!

 

[gr82cu2]

Michelle took it easy on me in PT today. I was feeling a bit woozy. I told her I didn't do the sit down/stand up exercise at home because I felt like it made my leg swell up worse. I did manage to eek out another 2 degrees bend to 92. She said they are only looking for 90 at this stage and called me an over achiever

I think it's nap time now

 

[ConnieJOS]

Yay for 92! They told me that the goal for the first two weeks is 90, then 110 at six weeks, then 120 by 12 weeks. That's not from my physical therapist, it's in a guide book the hospital gave me. The PT said today that 120 to 130 is normal for a knee.

 

[gr82cu2]

@ConnieJOS I hope I can work my way up to 110 in the next 4-5 weeks. It's just this dang swelling. It's horrible! Pain wise it's not too bad to be honest and I've thought several times over the past week that it (the pain) is nowhere near as bad as a year ago when I tore my meniscus and my knee blew up twice it's size. Because nothing had been broken or operated on I couldn't get anyone to take the pain seriously and spent about 2 months in the recliner with pillows under my knees and ice bags on. Every time I tried to stand or God forbid walk, the pain was off the charts and took my breath away. Everybody was like, 'there there sweetie it will get better.' Blah! Now I have this arsenal of pain meds that I don't think are even helping or that I need all that terribly bad at this point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining it doesn't hurt so bad, LOL. It's just the notion that doctors won't listen. Something they expect to hurt really bad puts them in action with meds. Something they don't think should hurt too bad and they tell you to take a really Tylenol. In fairness though last year when I had the problem with my knee I dealt with my rheumatologist until he finally sent me for an MRI for a diagnosis and then got me in to the OS. I went through the same thing, more or less with the degeneration of my C-Spine. That took the first trip in my life to the ER to get some pain meds that made even a little difference.

I just realized it's 5:00 on Friday and I never called my OS office about my follow up appointment. I did have a nice nap this afternoon though. I even managed to sleep sort of on my side.

 

[marmora]

@ g82cu2 @ConnieJOS @tiredwife @Yorkimom @Jozilla @lorl
Sleeping at odd times, several mini-naps during the day seem to be how most of day since coming home.

Up at 8 and pain meds € 1 Valium then breakfast & shower and then my at home PT routine followed by 20 minute walk. Then couch, ice and elevate and usually nap from 10:30 to 12:00 noon.

Lunch about 12:30 with pain meds and second walk and PT session and usually a friend over for chat & catch-up. And then nap 3-5 pm.

Up and help husband (he's home about 6 pm) and get dinner ready. Take 6pm pain meds and then another 20 minute walk with husband after dinner. And a few stretching exercises. To couch, leg elevated and ice and try to stay awake watching telly.

Bed about 10:00 - 10:30 take pain meds finally fall asleep around midnight and up around. 2-3 am for toilet, re- new ice in cryo cuff and sleep fairly soundly until about 7:30/8:00.

Still feel tired, although blood work doesn't indicate any anaemia, just a dragged out feeling.
It is 22 days post-op, so hopefully energy levels will increase as time goes on.
Seems to be my theme & moot for recovery !
Cathie

 

[tiredwife]

@gr82cu2 did you have a femoral block? I think that along with how much the muscle was cut or bruised has a lot to do with the not being able to lift the leg. Plus if the muscle wasn't that strong in the first place. Hubby couldn't lift his leg with the first one until he was about 1 1/2 weeks post, this one (maybe because PT worked it along with his other one) he was able to raise today (photo on my thread).

I have found that doctors listen better when it is 2 against 1, we usually go to each other's appointments so we can gang up on the doctors. It's like having a witness to verify the issues makes them listen better. (Plus I can be very bossy and stubborn) Like today the doc wasn't going to let Steve have a shower, but I talked him into it. He doesn't let people have them to the 4th or 5th day.

I wonder if Tucker is still feeling the effects of the testing they did on him, maybe he is trying to heal from that. Is he eating? Is he still throwing up? Is he taking his meds? I finally had to smear the rest of Emily's medicine on her paws last night to get her to eat it by licking it off her paws.

Hubby's PT said today that really if you reach 115 you can do almost anything you need to do (except some sports). She said if they get people to 115 they are happy, anything over that is bonus. Hubby's old new knee lost a little ROM today (118 was 122) because it was a bit swollen from being the support knee, but he isn't having much pain in it.

Hope you get the swelling under control! Have a good night!

 

[tiredwife]

@marmora Eat more protein, it is to help your body heal and give you more energy. That is something I am stressing with hubby this time around and I think it has made a difference. His appetite is waning already, but I make sure he eats protein with each meal. I also made sure he took vitamins every day leading up to this surgery.

 

[gr82cu2]

@marmora I can't believe you are doing all of that. Good for you! This sleeping thing with me is just getting worse and worse. I just cannot stay awake. I'm miserable. I went for 8 hours today without any pain meds and I'm still so sleepy. So, I don't think it's the meds causing it.

@tiredwife I had some sort of block. They used ultrasound and went in and found 3 nerve bundles in my leg and deadened them all. My entire leg was asleep for about 12 hours before it started waking up. I've always been able to lift my leg. I even did it in the hospital. Maybe you have me confused with someone else on that? They didn't cut my muscle at all. They pulled it all out of the way is my understanding. My quad muscle really has never been sore and it feels strong. I have some soreness to the sides of my knee cap and sometimes it feels like there is something poking under my knee cap which I have no idea what that could be. My leg is still very swollen and black and blue from hip to foot. When I'm lying down my pain is a 1 or sometimes a 2 but when I stand it goes to 4,5 or maybe 6 sometimes. Consequently I've been laying down, icing and elevating for going on 10 days now. I feel like I should be up on it more but I don't know if I should or how much is too much. A trip to the bathroom or the kitchen sounds good until I do it and then all I want to do is lie down again because it hurts and is tiring.

Tucker is just failing from his cancer. I feel it in my heart. He has been taking his medicine but we can't get him to eat more than maybe a tablespoon of food once or twice a day. He's definitely lost even more weight. He hasn't thrown up in several days now but then he's barely eating so there isn't anything for him to throw up. I told Kent earlier I think we need to be making a decision. He doesn't like to make those kinds of decisions. I've always had to do it with our other cats. Tucker may not seem like he is suffering. Maybe he is, maybe he's not. I don't know. He doesn't seem to have pain. What I do know is his quality of life is over. He's becoming more isolated and wants us not to bother him. Maybe once a day I can get a little purr out of him if I rub his belly or scratch his chin just right but mostly he seems annoyed. He's not even cuddling with Mini much anymore which is very, very unusual.

 

[Pumpkin]

I am sorry to read about your cat, so hard when they get sick or old and you have to make a decision. I hope he is comfortable, sending you thoughts and prayers.



Sent from my iPod touch using BoneSmart®

 

[gr82cu2]

@Pumpkln Thanks so much. Tucker is only 6 years old and was diagnosed with Lymphoma 2 1/2 weeks ago. There is no cure. They thought with Prednisone he might bounce back a little and have some quality time for a month or two but it doesn't seem to be going that way. My heart is breaking. He is just the coolest cat I've ever had. They are all special in their own way but he has always been extra special. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.