Hooray! I am sleeping now...

[referee54]

well, not actually at this moment, but 2 1/2 months after surgery I am actually sleeping through the night. I awake occasionally, change positions, and go back to sleep! I was beginning to wonder if I was ever destined to sleep again during the night-time hours.

When I went back to school, my sleep schedule was all messed up...so I took ambien for ten days. That rreally worked, but I didn't want to become dependent on it, so I stopped using it. This past Tuesday was a red-letter day (night?!) for me, as I actually slept!

I had heard the stories about sleep problems, but didn't take all of them seriously---sleeping was a challenge! I don't know why sleeping was so difficult, butit does make me appreciate what is going on now. For those of you who are having sleeping problems---it will end.

TimC.

 

[Josephine]

Hey - fantastic, ref! I am rejoicing with you!

 

[JuneBug88]

Congrats!
I am still sleepless some nights and I am 9 weeks post op. I have noticed that sleeping nights are comming closer together but I still have 3 nights aweek that are sleepless. I havent attempted to go back to work yet, so it is really not an issue for me, yet. I am kinda milking not going back to work.
Debbi

 

[referee54]

I took Ambien for ten days, then got off of it. It did get my sleep schedule back on track, but I still had the hurts at night. Then, suddenly, last Tuesday night, everything fell into place. I told my wife that, had I known that sleep was going to be so #$#%##@ hard to come by (which people did tell me---I just didn't believe them) I might have reconsidered the whole double TKR thing. But I do not need to nap during the day now, and trust me, sleep willcome back to you.

When I went back to teaching i was only getting 3 hours sleep a night, so Ambien was a must.

I have to tell you, that when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I was wobbling around like a drunken sailor!

Tim C.

 

[Doug]

It just looks to me like I just need to shut up and recognize that I'm going to hurt, not sleep at night and just nap all day. I feel guilty about taking pain meds 24/7 but I really need them. Ice helps but wears off too quickly.
Seriously, if it wasn't for everyone sharing their trials and tribulations on this forum, I would be deeply depressed. And I'm only 10 days post tkr.
You all have a blessed day/night where ever you are.

 

[Josephine]

Don't you dare shut up! That's exactly what this forum is for - to let people vent, whinge, weep and rejoice in small achievements! We will never get tired of hearing it, nor impatient - whatever helps you to get through from one day to the next. And what's more, we're here 24/7.

 

[annelaine]

Thanks for the encouragement. Looking for sleep is like looking for the holy grail, as you said. At just 4 weeks post op I have the same issues--up an down all night finally falling asleep between 3 and 7! What I would give for a good dream!! I'm trying some herbal preparation tonight. The antihistamine was making me stupid until the afternoon and I already have enough times that I feel like I've had a total brain replacement. thanks for the encouragement. I'm having the other knee done 9 weeks after the first and I'd sure like to get some sleep before that happens.

 

[referee54]

Hey annelaine,
I was dont too worried while I was home after surgery---afterall, I would be upmost of the night watching "Law and Order SVU" on cable---then faling asleep when my wife got up to go to work. No problems, right? Not until I had to go back to school, andmy sleep schedule was way off. The harderI tried to go to sleep, the more frustrated I became. I was PO'd! (Gee, can I use that term?)


I was afraid of sleepmeds but I finally succumbed, and they did work. I am not totally painfree at night now, but the discomfort is almost gone, and I am sleeping. It was really frustrating, but everybody said it would come...and sleep did return. I used to actually dread going to bed because sleep would be unsuccessful---now I am in hibernation mode!

Trust me,sleep will return to you.

Tim C.

 

[kath]

Thank you everyone for being on this website. I got my Otis knee 1/4 and am scheduled for the other one 3/14. I have tried to cut back on pain meds, but I can't do it, I end up in so much discomfort, tears. PT seems to set me back. My lower back is so painful and sleep...I haven't slept one night since I had the surgery. I have been driving since 2 weeks, just close by. I even go into my office 3-4 times a week starting last week for about 5 hours each day. But I have found myself crying even when it isn't as painful as it can be at times. I wasn't prepared for that part. I thought I was doing so great. I didn't prepare myself for any depression at all, it didn't even cross my mind that this would happen. Now my unoperated knee is messed up after PT yesterday and my back is worse. I can so relate to everyone that gets up every 2 hours. It is not always the pain, but tightness and spasms. I hope things get better quickly, I really am not looking forward to doing this again. My surgeon would not do both at the same time. Also I am not sure if it is from swallowing so many pills, but does anyone else out there have the sensation that you have one stuck in your throat all the time? I can bend my knee 102 degrees, but straightening is still not where it should be. I do my excersises and for the most part, am okay with them, except for the one that is destroying my other knee and the one where the therapist leans on my new knee, it isn't the pain in my knee that is unbearable it is the pain that runs up the back of my leg into my back and then has my back in so much pain that I can barely hold back the tears. Then sure enough the next day my back is so bad I can hardly walk. I have severe osteoarthritis and probably haven't walked normally for at least 15 years maybe longer and am 54 years old. Reading these notes from all of you has given me so much encouragement. I know the light is at the end of the tunnel, and this is temporary and I feel so much guilt complaining, crying, whining when it is just a knee replacement an operation that will improve my life. I could be suffering from cancer or a tragedy in my life. My mind knows all that, but yet the tears roll down my cheeks as I sit up at 3am rocking back and forth hoping to ease the pain in my back. Both of my legs were extremely bowed, so I guess I should expect all of this. My doctor told me my xrays looked like those of an 80 year old woman in my condition. I will be back on this site, hoepfully with a brighter update and I hope as time progresses I can make someone feel better as you have all done for me.

 

[referee54]

hang in there, Kath---I was becoming a little bowlegged due to my arthritis, and when they put both new knees in, they straightened my legs, and the muscles had to adjust. That was a big adjustment for me.

When I decided to try sleeping in a bed, I would fall asleep for about an hour---and that was it---I was up watching TV---I could not get comfortable. I became frustrated, so the harder I tried to go to sleep the angrier I became. I would actually crash about the time my wife would get up for work. I tried sleeping on the couch, the futon, and the futon mattress on the floor.

My therapist that did the home visits hurt me so badly that I bit into a towell so she would hear me swear---and the nights before Christmas, when I was tearing some adhesions, well, lets just say that my son has neat impersonations of that.

Don't worry about where you are, or where you are going to be---I did at times, and it was too slow...I felt that I wasn't making any progress. Now I realize, though, that you measure progress incrementally; look back at where you were even before the surgery---with no hopeof getting better, right? Now, you know that the pain will go and the sleep will come; it will, trust me.

Your knees didn't get this bad overnight, and it will take some time to get them back to where they should be. It is a long journey---but too often we worry about the destination---that willtake care of itself. Enjoy the journey---work on getting better just a little bit each day.

You are climbing the Mr. Everest of PT's---the climb is brutal, but keep in mind your exhileration when you get to the top!

Tim C.

 

[kath]

Ref54
Thank you so much. It is 4am right now and I actually slept 4 hours! On the sofa, but I slept. I took my pain meds all day every 4-5 hours and I felt better today than I have in awhile. I just kept trying to cut back on them as I am on my last refill of Vicadin, I will have to call my dr. to have it refilled again. I went out today to buy some work out pants, pair of shoes and even went to the grocery store with my husband, ha ha cheated there used the little electric chair thing, but it was probably the most pain free trip to the grocery store I have had in years. Have to admit I am not looking forward to PT tomorrow as my right knee (unoperated one) is now really screwed up. I can barely straighten the dumb thing. Scheduled to have it replaced 3/14. I hope I am not moving too fast on that decision to have it done so soon, but I really just want to get everything lined up right and get it all over with. I ran into my home visiting nurse today in the grocery store and she said to really think about 6 months from now. She said "in 6 months this will barely be a memory and you will be so happy you did it".
Not much on TV at 4am so I am really happy this forum is here. I think finding this last night really changed my mood today. I don't wish discomfort on anyone, but it felt good to just know that someone else out there understands. Here's to a few restful hours to all.

 

[Josephine]

I went out today ........ even went to the grocery store with my husband, ha ha cheated there used the little electric chair thing ...........

I ran into my home visiting nurse today in the grocery store

Not too literally, I hope!

Honey - I think you have a bad back! It's not improbable that if you have o/a in your knees, you have it in your spine as well, especially the lower back. Why don't you speak to your Physio about it and see if there is anything they can do to help you?

 

[referee54]

Kath---you will do just fine. It takes about a year, so I hear, to forget that you have titanium (or whatever) in your knees...but then you really start to live again. The hard work---as well as the frustrations---will be gone, and all of the dedication to you rPT and to yourself willpay off. I am stillsomewhat stiff in my right knee, but that is to be expected. My PT said that with these surgeries the only thing that is expectedis the unexpected.

My wife said that I was moaning last night as I would roll over---I don't know,I was asleep. I did work at sleeping a while back and I was impatient. I didn'tlisten to what everybody ahead of me said---but sleep willcome, as wil the return to a more fulfilling life.

TimC.

 

[Josephine]

Tim, I just love reading your posts. You have a great heart and give such encouragement. God bless you.

 

[blondie42550]

When they told me I would not be able to sleep after surgery, I thought, "yea, right, I never have a problem sleeping!" BUT, sleeping is not an option after bilateral TKR. I made myself stay in bed and "try" to sleep for 8 hrs, but in reality, I probably only slept 4 hrs. and never got any REM deep sleep. Tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable kept me in a light sleep mode most of the night. I was able to take afternoon naps though. I too have my sleep clock off balance. My husband works nights so it is easy for me to stay up late and sleep late. My current sleep hours are from 2:00 or 3:00 am till 11:00 am. Now that is going to be a problem when I go back to work because my start time is 9:00am!
I am a belly sleeper and that was not possible until recently. On my side it helped to put a soft pillow between my knees, but it is a hassle to try to turn over and take the pillow with you, and by the time you get to the other side, you are wide awake!
Now, at 10 weeks post op, I am able to sleep through the night and even on my belly. I still take a pillow to bed with me and use it when I am on my side. Also when I am on my belly, I have one leg bent and the other straight. I put the pillow under the straight one in the shin area to keep my knee from hyper extending and take pressure off the knee.
Now all I need to do is re-adjust my sleep times before the end of the month!

 

[referee54]

My sleep pattern was way off when I went back to my teaching. I ended up taking Ambien for ten days---it re-established my sleep times and my speep patterns. I alson joked with my MD that I couldn't remember having any dreams, as well...it seemed that, during my sleep troubles, I would either be awake or sleeping with no dreams or REM periods.

The sleep came and I can now say that what everybody else was telling me waas right on.

I was going to school on 2-3 hours sleep, and that was not working. After my sleep patterns were re-arranged, and the discomfort went away, I didn't dread going to bed anymore.

Tim C.

 

[Doug]

Kath, my right leg was so bowed that if I didn't watch where I was going I'd walk a circle.
Just kidding ,but from what I was told, the bow did cause the tendons and ligaments to strain on the outside and shorten on the inside. With our new knees, they have to adjust.
Like Ref says, we didn't get bad knees overnight and they aren't going to heal overnight.
As for sleep, I usually get 45 mins at a time. Then I watch t.v. Repeated all night. Usually I'll fall asleep for two hours at about 5am. I've gotten to the point that I just laugh about it. Tonight, when you wake up, just think of how many of us are sitting there watching the stupidest programs.
Hang in there.

 

[referee54]

I've gotten to the point that I just laugh about it. Tonight, when you wake up, just think of how many of us are sitting there watching the stupidest programs.
Hang in there.

I was watching TVLand and Law and Order at 2:00AM and 3:00 AM. Nothing I could do about it, either...It wasn't until I had to go back to school that I got to fighting it, and, as the song says, "I fought the law, and the law won..." I fought the sleeplessness, but it won out. Just go with the flow until you either have to resort to meds or time takes care of the issues.

Getting my TKR's did let me see what was on after Leno and Letterman.

Tim C.

 

[kath]

Doug you really make me laugh, if one leg was bowed and you went in circles I don't know what the heck I was doing. Well as in every other time I have gone on this forum I again feel comfort and friendship with all of you. Thank you so much. Last night I was lucky, I slept for 5 hours. Let's see what tonight brings. Thank goodness for TV Land.
ha ha, I do love some of those old shows, wish they would have a bigger variety.
I will think of you all tonight hoping everyone gets at least a few good hours.

 

[kath]

Josephine,
I do have a bad back, arthritis like the rest of me, but my dr. tells me that once he straightens both my legs, gives me 2 new knees that he really feels after some PT I will find great relief. I trust him and am giving it a try. It is my back that has been so painful through this whole thing. I get the stabbing, aches, pains in my knee from time to time as expected, but my back and other knee, wow what a challenge it has been.
I will let you know if he was right after my second surgery is completed and I am up and running...3/14 is the day so a few months from now.
Thanks so much