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TKR karol723's Recovery Thread

Hi @karol723, sounds like you are progressing nicely. Had to smile at your Beagle''s adventure! My dachshund pulls that stunt sometimes too.
I find that my lower back has given me problems too. I wonder if it is because I walked so weird and limped for years before the TKR that the lower back muscles are readjusting to their new normal. I am hoping the low back pain disappears after my other knee is replaced.
The "patience" part of our recovery is sometimes the hardest part.
 
Hi@Glamg1979, I think I might have realized what I was doing that aggravated my back. When going upstairs which I've only started doing lately, I've been kind of swinging my leg out to the side before going up to the next step. Trying not to do that anymore, you can develop a bad habit so easily ! Seems to feel a little better, hoping that was the problem. Need to work tomorrow night, want to feel good. How are you doing ?
 
Glad you figured out what was hurting your lower back @karol723 . I have not pushed myself as hard and have been taking it easy the past two days and back is feeling better. I need to really start working on my core so it will support my back better. Slow and steady does it.
4 weeks until my LTKR!!
 
@Glamg1979, Taking it easier seems to have helped my walking too. Guess we both need to remember to take it easy. Four weeks till your LTKR, are you using the same OS and hospital ? I found the second time was easier because I knew what to expect. The energy drain seems stronger from having two knees done within s few months. As long as you know that it's normal it's just another part of recovery. Then you'll have 2 good knees, won't that e great ? Have a good day. Resting now, need to work tonight.
 
Having problems with sleeping again. I'm not good at naps, so by 7:00 at night I'm exhausted,overtired & just want to sleep. Force myself to stay up till@ 9:00. Then once in bed can't get comfortable for any length of time. Going to really try to get ansp in sometime after lunch & see of that helps. My mind wants to get caught up on a lot of things at home & my body has a different plan ! Thought my sleeping problems were over at this point. Last night it felt like my whole body was twitching& uncomfortable most of the time overnight. Better this morning, hope tonight is better. Anyone else having sleep issues at 3 months ?
 
My sleep schedule is so screwed up from working nights that I can't really comment on sleep issues. But, oh boy, my lower back really bothered me after both TKR's, especially after starting back to work. The lower back pain was, in fact, terrible. I agree with Glamg that core work seems to help. Hopefully your back already feels better, but if it flares again try curling up on your side with a pillow between your knees.
 
It took me about 5 months to re-establish a normal sleeping pattern. Until that happens - and it will happen - take naps.
 
@Clipless, Yes the lower back is so annoying. I only have the discomfort on the right side of my lower back, the most recent tkr side. I feel like it's from my quads & hamstrings being so tight. Trying to do stretches & massaging to loosen things up. Guess it will take some time. If it would loosen up I'm sure my extension would be better too. Last time it measured at @ 4. Probably a little better now. Slept a little better last night. Still woke up several times, but at least I didn't have that darn jumpy,twitchy feeling all night! Don't know if that might be from lowering the amount of Tramadol or not. I've been decreasing it very slowly because I'm one of those people who can't take much medication. If needed I'lfl take Tylenol x-strength. Only taking 1 Tramadol (50mg) at bedtime now and plan to end that in a few days. Not really in pain anymore, just somewhat achy when I've overdone it, or when I'm tired. Hope everything is going well for you too.
 
@ Celle, Good to hear that sleep will return to normal eventually. I should remember from my last TKR, which was 10 months prior to this one. Sometimes it's all a blur of pain, pills and struggling to get back to normal. Glad the weather is warming up. Changing clocks next week, hooray for spring. My beagles & I will be able to go for walks again !☺ Hope you are feeling well.
 
Hi @karol723! How is your lower back doing? Mine is better, my GP put me on Gabapentin and it has helped with lower back and leg aches.
Definitely using same OS and hospital for 2nd surgery . I had no problems at all and the nursing staff were excellent so praying for a repeat with 2nd knee!
Do you work at night? That might be why you are having trouble sleeping??? I worked the graveyard shift as a nurse for 15 years and it really messed with my internal body clock. I still sleep weird hours.
 
Hi, I looked back over my recovery thread from my last TKR, quite a revelation! I am doing so much better this time. I had similar back issues then, even had an MRI because of it. Had a lot more lower leg, foot & ankle issues with that one too. So, now I realize that it took till almost 6 months for me to really feel better. I've also cut down on the Tramadol only taking 1 at bedtime. I will also start taking 2 extra strength tylenol in the morning, afternoon and 2 Tylenol PM at bedtime as that worked well for me last time. I see my OS on March 16th and he wanted me to be off the Tramadol by then. Fine, but I will take the Tylenol as I still need something at this point. I prefer not staying on the Tramadol anyway, it makes me feel a little weird sometimes. I had also stated in my thread that I used my white noise machine and an icepack at bedtime, so I'll add that to the mix. Maybe the white noise machine will drown out the noise from hubby's snoring !!! So glad I was able to look back on this forum to see how I progressed last time and how much better I'm doing now. Weather finally getting warmer too, there is hope☺☺☺
 
I'm glad you thought to look back at your old thread and it reassured you. It really is useful to have a record of your progress like that.

You can take Tylenol 4 times a day, in doses of 1,000 mg each time, to a daily total of 4,000 mg. Do check that none of you other medication contain Tylenol (Acetaminophen) though and, if they do, factor that amount into your calculations of daily total.
 
@Celle, yes, it's great that others on this forum who are facing their 2nd tkr will have a record of their previous recovery to look back on. It certainly made me feel better about my progress.
 
I am just about completely off Tramadol now. Only took 1/2 pill last 3 days. Pain not increasing, so guess I was ready. Only problem now is that instead of constipation, I've had the opposite problem since yesterday! Has anyone else experienced this when coming off Tramadol ? I'm very sensitive to meds, so I've been decreasing very slowly. I am so tired of all this, just want to feel healthy again. Tired of laying around the house waiting for my energy to return. Tired of being so tired and not being able to sleep.Tired of feeling like life is passing me by. Supposed to go out to dinner with friends tomorrow night, now I'm worried about feeling OK for that! Also, what to eat so I don't end up flying to the bathroom, ha, like I could fly anywhere. Just had a piece of dry toast, will see how it goes. I just needed to let some of this frustration out, or I will explode. Will try to sit in the sun on my porch to improve my mood, hope it works.
 
Help! I googled symptoms of Tramadol withdrawal, yup diarrhea, restless legs, sweats - got all that! Not sure how to proceed, only took 1/2 pill last 2 nights. Stay at that level for a few more days?? Afraid to stop cold turkey and certainly don't want to increase again. After some investigation, it seems Tramadol is more addictive than I was led to believe. Please be careful with these medications. Hope this doesn't take forever to get off of. Not s happy camper right now
 
@karol723 I know just how you feel. I've been on opioids several times in the past - makes you think you might as well just stay in the bathroom!! It's horrible. The one time I tried to go cold turkey, the doctor told me I should take a month to wean off them. I agreed and it worked.
This time I've been on Tramacet (Tramadol plus acetaminophen) it hasn't been the best pain killer, but I've got through it. I've managed constipation with prunes figs and fruit. Now I'm starting to cut down on the Tramadol, my plan is to do it gradually.
As always try to drink plenty of water.
 
@ Simplieme, Thanks- so good to hear from someone else who has had this problem. I was cutting down gradually and I think I went too fast the last couple of times I decreased the amount. I usually waited 5 or 6 days between, but I wanted to be done with it , so I went from 1 1/2 pills a day to only 1/2 pill a day over the past three or four days. I will go back to 1 pill at bedtime for a few days, then 1/2 for at least a few days, then 1/2 every other day. Hopefully after a week of that I can stop completely! Had a tkr about 10 months before this one, didn't have problem coming off the Tramadol that time. Maybe I wasn't taking it as regularly though. Just didn't want to space it out so far that I'd be in pain. I guess this too shall pass ! Thank you again for the info. Good luck in your recovery
 
Ok, went back to 1 full Tramadol last night.I slept for11 hours, no twitching or restless legs, thank goodness. Woke up with s headache, hope s cup of coffee solves that. Now I just hope I can slowly decrease the meds without going through that again. I intend to stay at onepill at night for st least a week. See my OS next week, will tell him what happened. Taking it easy today, skippingpt and sitting in the sun
 
Yes, you are so right. Feeling as little bette today, at least the stomach seems to be settling down. Just kind of shakeysnd achy, but I'm sure it will just take time.
 
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