TKR looking for help

[Jamie]

@sirj .... Would you be so kind as to create a signature that includes your surgery date. To do this, mouse hover over your username at the top right of the screen. Choose Create a Signature from the drop down menu. This way everyone can easily see when your surgery date was and respond accordingly.

 

[newkneesnc]

Sir,
I am about a week.ahead of you and a and feeling just as frustrated. I too am not as far as I would like to be a d due to my history of a stroke in 2003 am not even walking yet. Last home health therapy is next week.and that makes me very nervous. Even though I am.sleepy I often dread going to.bed as I spend the night trying to.get comfortable. Guess all we can do is the best we can and take it one day at a time.

 

[sirj]

Can anybody explain the reason why we have "night pains". Everynight, like clockwork, my leg pains me around 1-2am and it keeps me up for the entire night also recently I've been have a bad pain in my calf area, I'm I the only one to suffer from this?

 

[jenng2003]

You are not the only one who suffers. My time is 4 a.m. (But I don't go upstairs to bed until 11-12). I use the ice machine or get an ice pack. It usually helps. Also, taking your pain meds around the clock helps with that as well. I also will take a benadryl if the sleeplessness gets too bad.

As for the calf pain, if it is not red, hot and swollen, it may be a cramp. I get cramps at night because my body is trying to relaxing and my muscles are not having that! I will get up and drink some water and eat some crackers (bananas work better, but I'm allergic). And I do not like gatorade.

I do notice small improvements each week. Try to focus on those...it seems to be helping a bit with the frustration for me.


LTKR. October 27th 2014

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[sirj]

Well I'm up again.... like clock work these night pains don't seems to ever want to quit. So I follow a pretty good plan I awake (or rather is awaken), take a shower, place a heating pad on my knee for about 30 mins and afterwards massage my knee for about another 30mins while drinking some tea... Anybody else have a night pain routine?

 

[jenng2003]

I do! I wake up around 3-4 a.m. (About the time I would wake up for work). I go relieve my bladder and walk the hallway to try to get some pain relief. I may massage it as well. Then, I get an ice pack and rearrange my pillows and elevate. If that doesn't work, I go downstairs and watch some old "married with children re-runs . I am still cat-napping (but it wasn't abnormal before surgery to cat nap, since I was in pain then as well).


LTKR. October 27th 2014

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[referee54]

I did not have pains so much as I had discomfort---I would wake up and could not get comfortable again. It would cause me to migrate around the house looking for a spot and a position in which I could get comfortable.

I go downstairs and watch some old "married with children re-runs

I watched about a gazillion Law and Order episodes. I also used to play pinball on my computer.

 

[sirj]

Ok here might be a dumb question. Yes I'm in my 6th week of rehabilitation after tkr. My range is still at 90○ my PT says that's to low but after reading all the INFORMATIVE posts on this site I know that's not true. Yes I'm working on my patience as far as this healing process goes and it's hard! I so wish the night pains, the pains, the stiffness, etc, etc was over. I just want to be able to drive my daughter to school in the morning (like I use to) and be able to feel like I can run around with her now. Yes I know PATIENCE... But this can get depressing..I was just thinking about the times before my surgery when I use to go to the gym.. Honestly the gym was a place to destress, I just put on my headphones and zone out while working out especially when I have the gym to myself. That was my "club". No wasn't a professional bodybuilder but alot of days I trained as one. I now envision me going back to thoses days, hopefully. I know I won't be able to press the amount of weight I use to for the lower body (squats, leg presses, deadlifts, etc).. but after having such a surgery can I still do such exercises. I've read that although lifting weights is a great way for building bone density it can also have an adverse effect as far as the glue used to mold the metal to the leg bones is not meant to handle a heavy load... any thoughts/ facts on this? I mean I'll still hit the gym, when I can, to use the elliptical machine, stationary bike, something new called hydro therapy. But even lifting heavy weights for upper body strength, will I be doing more harm than good? I look forward to hearing/reading g your reply besides in about another 2-3hours my knee will be waking me up...lol

 

[sirj]

Maybe I should apologize for writing that last post I somewhat know the answer.. I guess I'm bored and frustrated and tried of all the pain from this surgery. YES STILL LEARNING PATIENCE. ....LOL

 

[jenng2003]

You are not alone! I have absolutely no patience. I was suppose to be back to work by now. It is frustrating. All I can do is laugh when I watch an older pt patient breezing through pt while I struggle with most exercises. You will be able to work out again. I'm not allowed to lift heavy with my lower body ever, but I'm no bodybuilder ;-). Just keep working at it.

I told my husband that it is so frustrating...little sleep, slow improvements, pain, anxiety, etc. I am thankful that I keep my thread updated with my daily activities. It helps me to see the growth even when I am frustrated beyond everything. I just want to be normal again. Haha.


LTKR. October 27th 2014

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[Jamie]

Six weeks out may be a bit soon to have cut back on your pain meds. Are you taking something at night? That is the worst time for pain (stiffness, aching, etc. is all pain). Why not try taking a dose of your pain meds when you go to bed and another when you wake up in discomfort? It could even be 1000mg of Tylenol if you are more comfortable taking that rather than prescription pain meds. All of them only last about 4 hours in your system, so one dose at bedtime really won't get you through the night. Sometimes it does help to get up and stretch a bit and then go back to bed. I used to wake up about 3am, take meds, do 5 minutes on the exercise bike or 10 laps around the house and then go back to bed with ice on my knee and a heating pad at the small of my back. Not perfect, but it would let me sleep again. I had that routine for probably 3 months!

 

[jenng2003]

Pain meds are awesome to take at night, if you are able. I use the tylenol at night. I also keep the ice on all night (I have a machine and I keep two towels between my skin and the cuff).


LTKR. October 27th 2014

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[referee54]

Take your pain meds because you need them---I, too, was worried about addicition. My OS told me, "Listen, you are taking these because you are in pain. You will know when you do not need them anymore." He was right.

I just want to be able to drive my daughter to school in the morning (like I use to) and be able to feel like I can run around with her now

I began driving at about 4 1/2 weeks or so---and the first trip ---only a half-hour of errands---wiped me out! I know how you feel---these little trips mean so much to us, and they themselves are a little glimmer of normalcy that we all crave so much.

Once you are off of the narcotic pain meds, you may consider short little trips. You need to be able to perform an emergency brake. You will be wiped out---but you will get back out into society again! It is slow-- a little bit at a time, but it feels great.

I do very little lower-body lifting now---it is more aerobic than anything. When I go to the gym, I do aerobic weights and at least an hour of elliptical or stationary bike. I am not lifting heavy anymore---but I still feel great when I leave---it does destress you, and it is very much like a club. The lifting I do now is normally in a manner that I am not using my legs as a foundation---I use the Nautilus machines and benches---stuff like that. Admittedly, my life has changed, and I am not lifting heavily anymore, bu I can sacrifice that readily for what I receive in return.

One new "toy" that my gym has is a mountain bike simulator---it has a video screen, clipless pedal, so you can clip in, and shifters, and you work out on video-trails as long as you want. I like that, as it is not really as mindless!

When I was recovering from the BTKR, I would go to the gym on Saturdays and hop on the exercise bike and use the exerbands to stretch and to strengthen my leg muscles---I would also do gait drills, as my gait had issues after the surgery.

I would then hop in the sauna and the steam room and try to stretch my quads and hammies.

Afterwards, I would shower and quickly go home and ice/elevate.

 

[referee54]

@sirj---my trips to the gym are what I call "me time"---it is my time to decompress and to get good and sweaty.

When I was reffing a lot I would seriously lift weights and get into endurance lifting, too--now, I just want to get good and "gooey"--sweaty and tired. My focus has changed to more aerobics and aerobic lifting.

My life has changed, and so has my exercise regimen.

 

[sirj]

@referee54....you so right. I wish my gym had that mountain bike you spoke of. I see my doctor tomorrow so I will ask about the driving, honestly the other day I tried for about 20 mins . I was ok until the last 5 minutes, my knee felt very uncomfortable. Although today I awoke feeling very good. My night time pain was not even that bad so I'm thankful for that. I have to see my PT today and I hope this feeling is not gone by the time we finish. I understand I need to redevelop a new fitness plan in which I'm envisioning now. It funny how im so wanting to go back to the gym but dreading when I see my PT... well I'm going to start this day but before I leave I hope everybody has a good day today

 

[jenng2003]

@referee54....I understand I need to redevelop a new fitness plan in which I'm envisioning now. It funny how im so wanting to go back to the gym but dreading when I see my PT... well I'm going to start this day but before I leave I hope everybody has a good day today

That's because pt is an evil torture chamber and the gym is a stress reliever ;-)


LTKR. October 27th 2014

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[referee54]

I understand I need to redevelop a new fitness plan in which I'm envisioning now.

My life has changed---my workout regimen had to meet that change.

Another aspect of my trips to the gym---as well as cycling---are for maintaining my weight.

 

[sirj]

Ok... this might seem like a dumb question but I was just reading about people wearing compression sleeves on their knee even acter TKR.. Is that a good thing or bad, I mean wasn't the purpose of having this surgery to alleviate the issues that occurred when not wearing a brace... please let me know before I get rid of my tommie copper brace

 

[referee54]

No such thing as a dumb question---I had the surgery to get rid of the braces. I wear no braces now.

Toss that Tommie Copper brace in the trash! You will not need it anymore!

 

[jenng2003]

I wear the copper sleeve, especially at this point in recovery. It helps minimize the swelling. I don't plan to wear it forever. Just for now.


LTKR. October 27th 2014

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