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Jennszoo
post-grad
I'm glad someone else can commiserate. It's just so bad!
TKR Jennszoo Staged TKR, working on running again
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Jennszoo
post-grad
KarriB
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Let's check with @Jamie because I'm pretty sure @Josephine may be asleep, but I'll tag her just in case.
That time, for some reason seems to be a really bad time for many of us. I hope you can get an answer.
becticu
graduate
Hi Jenn, I have that same time of pain issue. It's always that one after I have been in bed several hours. I stopped setting an alarm though. Do you set your alarm? I think someone was checking with Josephine to see if you could take a little early. I know in the hospital depending on the drug you have leadway for early. If that's not okay maybe reset your schedule so that a dose is going to happen at that time. Of course if it's pain actually waking you up that might not help.
Try to not get too bogged down....says me whom you guys picked up and set me back on my feet this week. I might be wrong but I think it's that second surgery so close to the first. I often think hard hard bilaterals are, and I know they are. But doing it the way we did our bodies got assaulted again in a short amount of time. It messes with your psyche when you had a little time you feel better and wham you are doing it again. One day, hour or minute at a time. Sometimes that's all I can handle. We are here for you. Many hugs!
Try to not get too bogged down....says me whom you guys picked up and set me back on my feet this week. I might be wrong but I think it's that second surgery so close to the first. I often think hard hard bilaterals are, and I know they are. But doing it the way we did our bodies got assaulted again in a short amount of time. It messes with your psyche when you had a little time you feel better and wham you are doing it again. One day, hour or minute at a time. Sometimes that's all I can handle. We are here for you. Many hugs!
Add me to the list of giving you the hugs!
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Jennszoo
post-grad
Yeah, the pain usually wakes me up at the 3.5/4hr mark at night. No alarm needed. I go to sleep around 10:30-11, hubs wakes me at 12:30-1 for meds/bathroom, then I wake up for the painful bathroom/meds at 4:30-5, then im up for good around 7-7:30. So it's my longest stetch of sleep/not moving.
KarriB
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So this is the only stretch where the pain is there before the meds?
Jenn, please tell me exactly what meds you are taking when throughout the day and night. It is possible to make some adjustments usually, as nighttimes are the worst time. It's a combination of your daily activity levels and the fact that you lie relatively still for so long.
You might want to try using gel pack ice at night. It gets and stays a bit colder than the machines. You will want 4 gel packs....two to use and two to have waiting in the freezer. Put one pack on the front of your knee and the other on the back. Be sure and use a kitchen towel around the gel packs so you don't risk freezer burn on your skin. You'll probably need to replace them during your middle-of-the-night pill and bathroom run.
Another thing that works for some people is to get up and walk around the house for 5 minutes or so. I used to get on my recumbent bike for a slow 5 minutes, just to get some movement in that knee.
Once I know your meds, I can make some suggestions.....or Jo may come along and do the same. Don't worry....we'll get you squared away.
You might want to try using gel pack ice at night. It gets and stays a bit colder than the machines. You will want 4 gel packs....two to use and two to have waiting in the freezer. Put one pack on the front of your knee and the other on the back. Be sure and use a kitchen towel around the gel packs so you don't risk freezer burn on your skin. You'll probably need to replace them during your middle-of-the-night pill and bathroom run.
Another thing that works for some people is to get up and walk around the house for 5 minutes or so. I used to get on my recumbent bike for a slow 5 minutes, just to get some movement in that knee.
Once I know your meds, I can make some suggestions.....or Jo may come along and do the same. Don't worry....we'll get you squared away.
Jenn, night time pain is often a reflection of doing too much during the daytime. I know you have your hands full with 3 children, but I suspect you have been doing too much. Is there any way you can get some help during the daytime, so that you can rest properly?
I hope you don't mean that you actually get up out of bed at 7-7:30? It's only 9 days since you had a second major surgery in a few short weeks. At this stage in your recovery, your place should be in bed, resting.
Your children are all old enough to get themselves dressed and get their own breakfasts, if hubby can't help with that. They could even bring you your breakfast, as long as you don't want anything more than toast cooked.
Can you gradually adjust the timing of your pain meds, so that you take them just before you go to sleep, and don't have to be woken up again for them so soon? It seems just nuts to have hubby wake you up two hours after you've gone to sleep.
I hope you don't mean that you actually get up out of bed at 7-7:30? It's only 9 days since you had a second major surgery in a few short weeks. At this stage in your recovery, your place should be in bed, resting.
Your children are all old enough to get themselves dressed and get their own breakfasts, if hubby can't help with that. They could even bring you your breakfast, as long as you don't want anything more than toast cooked.
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Jennszoo
post-grad
By get up, I mean, I move to the recliner. I've been keeping down pretty well all week. I'm in the recliner basically all day, I get up every 2 hrs or so to go to the bathroom, walk just a wee bit to loosen the knee. Then back down to ice, elevate and rest. I've had help,w kids and kids are getting more independent each day.
Meds - 1.5 percoset (5/325) evey 4 hrs. I occasionally take 2 at that 1am dosing. (Also gabapentin 3x/day, muscle relaxant 2x/day, aspirin 325 2x/day and colace. But I don't do any of those at night.)
I'm up now after 3 hrs bc knee hurt. During the day, I get achy around rhe 4 hr mark, but not like this.
Meds - 1.5 percoset (5/325) evey 4 hrs. I occasionally take 2 at that 1am dosing. (Also gabapentin 3x/day, muscle relaxant 2x/day, aspirin 325 2x/day and colace. But I don't do any of those at night.)
I'm up now after 3 hrs bc knee hurt. During the day, I get achy around rhe 4 hr mark, but not like this.
Pheebs52
big-cheese
(((Jenn))) I can tell you that on many nights during those first 2-3 weeks, I was only able to score 2.5 hours of sleep. Sometimes, I think that was actually preferable to the 4 hour nights, (which became more frequent once I gave up on bed sleeping) because it meant the knee and I weren't immobile for so long, and that seemed to equate to less pain. The 4 hour sleep sessions felt like a gift because I was so very tired, but...until that swelling went down, it was definitely a mixed blessing.
Judging by the photos here, my swelling was in the moderate range, bordering on severe, (thigh was a whole different pant size; ugh) and the throbbing pain from that was definitely exacerbated from lying prone for 4 hours. So, I did have to get up and walk, usually just for about 5 minutes, before I could get in the recliner again and throw new ice on it. The screaming, witching hour pain did subside in intensity along with much of the swelling at some point toward the end of week 3, so the end is in sight my friend. Hang in there!
Judging by the photos here, my swelling was in the moderate range, bordering on severe, (thigh was a whole different pant size; ugh) and the throbbing pain from that was definitely exacerbated from lying prone for 4 hours. So, I did have to get up and walk, usually just for about 5 minutes, before I could get in the recliner again and throw new ice on it. The screaming, witching hour pain did subside in intensity along with much of the swelling at some point toward the end of week 3, so the end is in sight my friend. Hang in there!
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Jennszoo
post-grad
I don't remmebe it being this bad the first time. I would slap on my cuff, put my leg up on pillows, take my meds and sleep my 4 hrs at a time. And looking at my knee, it doesn't look super swollen. But omg,it feels like it's about to burst when I get up and hobble to the bathroom. So clearly there is internal swelling.
I was feeling extra grumpy and shaky and painful this am, so I took one of the 12-hr morphine tabs I had leftover from last surgery. I was trying to avoid adding narcotics bc of the nausea and being out of it. But I feel more relaxed and less agitated so I'll go with it. Clearly my body needs some extra help this time around.
But I sweaer im not overdoing it. I'm basically down unless I gotta empty my bladder. I couldn't do less without a catheter. Lol.
Let's see how today goes.
I was feeling extra grumpy and shaky and painful this am, so I took one of the 12-hr morphine tabs I had leftover from last surgery. I was trying to avoid adding narcotics bc of the nausea and being out of it. But I feel more relaxed and less agitated so I'll go with it. Clearly my body needs some extra help this time around.
But I sweaer im not overdoing it. I'm basically down unless I gotta empty my bladder. I couldn't do less without a catheter. Lol.
Let's see how today goes.
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Jennszoo
post-grad
So much shakiness after a couple hours after eating. Like I'm starving every 3 hrs. Is this normal? Is my body just craving protein and calories to rebuild or could my blood sugars be out of whack? I'm not diabetic, but I've had issues with hypoglycemia in the past.
kmak81230
post-grad
I don't think it would hurt you to have snacks every few hours, particularly when on the heavier meds. I had a stack of energy bars by the bedside and often ate PBJs in between meals, or even a handful of nuts - if you don't have nut allergies.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Do you have a way to check your blood sugar? A diabetic family member or friend, perhaps, who has a meter? Sometimes, not often but it happens (it happened to me with a previous surgery), a surgery can knock a body into high blood sugars. That's probably not what's going on, but if you can check it would set your mind at rest.
becticu
graduate
Jenn, what are you eating? If you are eating
basically simple carbs then the shakiness could be from your BS dropping. Can you check your BS like susieshoes mentioned? Try and get some protein in. I know I struggle with eating too and keep losing weight cause I just have no appetite. So you like hummus? That is easy protein. Peanut butter, nuts? I think we all
struggle with eating after this surgery.
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basically simple carbs then the shakiness could be from your BS dropping. Can you check your BS like susieshoes mentioned? Try and get some protein in. I know I struggle with eating too and keep losing weight cause I just have no appetite. So you like hummus? That is easy protein. Peanut butter, nuts? I think we all
struggle with eating after this surgery.
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KarriB
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My revision specialist wanted me to eat a high protein diet. So eggs, sausage for breakfast, meatloaf for lunch and chicken for dinner. I love my carbs, but the protein really helped. Nothing tasted right or good, so I figured the protein was just as good as anything else that tasted weird. Now I didn't eat tons, they were really child portions, but it seemed to help me.
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Jennszoo
post-grad
That's what I'm focusing on. I'm gluten free anyway so can't do easy carbs. I'm just surprised how famished I am every couple hours. Must be another instance of the body being hit harder by back to back recoveries.
