TKR Milosnanna's Recovery Thread<

[Pheebs52]

Well....the red foot and ankle sounds a bit worrisome, but try not to worry too much. Perhaps if you showed a photo here, one of the advisors could give you their opinion?

When you state you are *bouncing around* in bed, do you mean just restless, can't get comfy, tossing and turning? I'm sure you do and unfortunately, it's common at first. Do you get up when this is happening? I certainly did. I was a regular nomad at night and gave up on bed sleeping!

BTW, don't take 6 weeks as some sort of turning point written in stone, ok? Many here have experienced *some* improvement is pain levels, swelling, mobility, sleeping and the like, but it isn't *magic* and it may not occur right at the 6 week point, just thereabouts. It might take 7-8 weeks. We're all different, but we all experience increased pain levels/discomfort at night. Hang in there! Oh, and don't walk the little wild man Milo, lol! Boston Terriers are strong and he could pull you down the street....don't want that, eh?

 

[SusieShoes]

I agree with @Pheebs52, a red foot and ankle sounds out of the norm. If you post a photo, one of the nurses on site could offer an opinion. If not, give a call to your surgeon or general doctor and let them know about it. Just to be safe.

Not sleeping well at night is such a problem! It does get better... but it's often the last thing to get better. I'm still not sleeping 100% great at four months out. My left knee decides to complain most nights, prompting me to have to try different things to make him happy. I've gotten good at making him happy, so don't lose much sleep anymore, but the point is sleeping can remain a problem for most of us well into our recoveries. Find ways to make your knee happy and you'll find that sleep will come your way.

 

[Milosnanna]

Redness on foot gone but still a little stiff, my new sleeping partner - lounge doctor worked well last night put it one side of the bed and laid there for three hrs, couldn't sleep but no pain, does everyone sleep with their lounge doctors, anyway after a few hrs rolled off lounge doctor and sissored legs and managed to get to sleep for an hour or so then back up on lounge doctor, seemed to do that all night, I think I had about 4-5 hrs of sleep so all good. I am still limping slightly I do not need the walker in the house but I used my crutches to take milo for a walk last night, I obviously didn't have the lead, hubby did, it was good iced on the way to the park and on the way back. Not taking pain meds in the day now for last two days and not feeling so nauseous so I guess paracetamol does make you nauseous, I think being a person that does not take medication very often had a different effect on me, I have probably only ever taken a box or two of paracetamol in my life, so to be taking so much every day probably really hit me, I take my wheatgrass, which I have been taking sine the operation and it makes me feel so much better, back on my glucosamine with crondroitin so here's to another day and another step forward, love to all for a speedy recovery xxx

 

[Jajakio]

Oh, Milosnanna, I feel for you. I'm less than 2 weeks ahead of you, but sleeping has been rough for me too. I'm just now getting a bit better. Days are good. I'm getting around better all the time, working part time, still tired and icing by late afternoon. But the nights! I still cannot really sleep on my side ( maybe 10 minutes) and can't get comfortable on my back. A thin squishy pillow behind and below the knee helps some but sleeping through the night is still in the future for me. But it is slowly getting better. Hang on. It seems most of us struggle with sleep for a good while.

 

[Polkadot]

You had a walk with your dog! Hooray! Or Kneerah, as we like to say here! You are on your way to recovery when you can do some of the things you love.

I can't sleep with my Lounge Doctor. My legs don't mind being elevated like that when sitting in a recliner with the LD, but they object strongly when I'm trying to sleep. While things are getting better at 3.5 months, I still don't sleep well every night. I am lucky if I have a good rest every other one! Honestly, there seems to be no rhyme or reason for which nights will be good and which will be bad. @Pheebs52 and @Canada35 have the right idea, I think. Take what you can get re sleep and get up to do something you like when you can't sleep.

I was "sleeping" (and I use that word very lightly) downstairs for the first 2 months, as I was rolling all over the bed trying to get comfortable. I have since moved upstairs, but after a few nights of trying to sleep in the same bed, my DH and I decided it wasn't working--I was trying to lie still in uncomfortable positions so I wouldn't wake him, as he has to go to work early and is very tired when he comes home at night. So he is now temporarily sleeping in another room. Good on you and your hubby for trying that.

I never thought it would be such a long process before nights would become comfortable. It's a mystery why things get more uncomfortable at night, but I'm reminded of when my children were sick, their temperatures always seemed to go up in early evening. When they stayed home from school, at times during the day I would wonder to myself whether I should have sent them off to school because they seemed comfortable enough to do all kinds of quiet activities. By bedtime, though, I would be congratulating myself that I had made the right decision--their symptoms were definitely worse at that time. So I don't think it's just that we are tired of our discomforts.

 

[bashbago]

@Milosnanna , my surgery was a day after yours. I started sleeping in my recliner this week and manage a few hours. Had to go back to 2 pills an hour, Icing the back of my knee more has helped. Sure would like to get rid of the achy feeling that goes on night and day. Maybe I am trying to do too much. Unloaded dishwasher, sorted laundry, started a load of wash this morning. Guess we should try to enjoy our time out while we can. LOL

 

[Milosnanna]

Sorry to hear you are not sleeping well I guess it does help to know that I'm not alone and it is somewhat "normal"
Thank you for the information re not being able to sleep with lounge doctor I thought it was just me last night when I just lay there waiting for sleep totally comfortable no pain but no sleep - strange I even took a nytol at 10.30 still awake at 1.30. My sister just called to see me and I was telling her I was off paracetamol in the day, as soon as she left I had terrible pains and reverted back to taking a tabled, again I jinxed myself. She brought a huge chocolate cake but I am still nauseous thought giving up the meds would help with nausea which it has to an extent but still off anything sweet.

 

[liam2015]

hi Milosnanna...i was also put off of anything sweet for several weeks after stopping the meds. eventually i did get my appetite back, even the junk food appetite lol! if you have the pain, then do take something to help. then again, the nausea...ugh! it's a vicious cycle for sure. i'm one that does sleep with my lounge doctor all night ~ somehow it keeps me still and cozy and i'm sleeping through the night. having said that i don't go to bed until after midnight ~ i've always been a night owl. going to bed too early, then i'm wide awake in the middle of the night. besides i have to wait until hubby goes to bed so i can watch my 2 recorded shows (soap operas lol). everyone is different though. good for you getting out walking with your dog, even though hubby was holding the leash. yummm that chocolate cake sounds delicious ~ were you able to eat any? continue to be patient and feel better.

 

[Milosnanna]

@liam2015 thank you so much glad I read you answer before I go to bed I will definitely try again tonight it was only my first night last night. And yes I did actually have the tiniest bit of cake and it was delicious and had a peppermint tea after just in case. No nausea yet so perhaps the tea helped. Thought I was turning a corner yesterday but like everyone else no two days are the same. It was lovely seeing milo run, he's my grand-doggy as I have no grandchildren and his mum is in the us for 5 weeks travelling. I do love this lounge doctor only wish I had got it sooner. Hope you are doing good xxx

 

[Milosnanna]

@bashbago no I'm way ahead of you 4 weeks mine was July 18th actually it was 19th, so you are doing good for so little time I certainly was not doing as much as you at this point. I'm going to ice the back of ,y knee tonight thanks for info, I only have ice packs. My recliner moves f I move it dose not lock into sleeping position and I fiigit quite a bit I would be on the floor if I tried to sleep in it, not a pretty sight lol, poor milo watches my every move now. It's funny we can't wait for bed then it nears and the fear sets in, time for my nytol. Nite nite x

 

[Milosnanna]

Loving my lounge doctor' had a slightly better night last night not so much heat? Pain yes from 4 am onwards just dozed off for a few minutes now and then. Strange thing but I don't shave my legs, I have had very little hair on legs and have never had hair under arms (lucky me - mum didn't either) I shave legs probably twice a year or just going holidays, since my knee replacement. I suddenly have hair on my legs have had to shave 3 times since op? Still none under arms though thank goodness.

Also the one stitch that was above my scar, the last one to dissolve. Any ideas? Is it normal? I had dissolvable stitches.

Another plus is I have realised that I am using the wrong hand for crutch, have been using TKR hand but apparently should be the other, onwards and upwards.

Love reading SusieShoe's posts on her recovery threat and pleased she is now a forum advisor. She is amazing

 

[Pheebs52]

It's great to read about some real progress for you @Milosnanna! Huge congratulations on dog-walking! The sleeping improves gradually, very gradually for some, but you will get there, just not as quickly as you'd like, so, "Patience Grasshopper!" I found sleeping with the Lounge Doctor to be dicey at best. He was rowdy and would throw my legs off for no discernible reason, lol. So, I just used him during daylight hours, and sometimes, even then, I found him to be too high which negatively impacted my back issues. However, I did and do enjoy him while in the recliner and just lying down for a good icing session with no expectation of sleep.

I never experienced nausea from the pain meds (lucky!) but I lost all appetite for sweets and most everything else during my first 3 weeks. I just wasn't hungry, perhaps due to pain meds or pain; not sure. However, the entire appetite has returned and now I must watch it or the pounds will creep up; pffft!

The only thing I can say about your leg photo is it appears as if you are *spitting a stitch* and that's quite common. To avoid infection, in your shoes, I would definitely have the OS or your family doctor look at it. It's better to be safe than sorry, eh?

Wishing you a great day of healing and perhaps some good naps!

 

[Milosnanna]

@Pheebs52 thank you, yes it is infection - antibiotics so hopefully it will clear, I contacted out of hours after reading you response so glad I did thank you x

 

[Milosnanna]

Update on infection - looks really angry after taking 3 antibiotics hope this is is normal

 

[Milosnanna]

Started using sleep cycle two nights ago. It is really good.

Had a nap yesterday and that was the best sleep I had over past three days. Photo is of last night. Really good, It has an alarm but I leave the alarm off. It's on my iPhone and it is free if anyone is interested. Your phone has to be face down on bedside table and ringer off.

Added a photos.

 

[SusieShoes]

Just got caught up on your thread, @Milosnanna, and must thank you for your kind words. Glad you've been enjoying my recovery thread.

Have you informed your OS about the angry stitch? When I had a stitch poking through, my OS told me to call him if it became red or angry.

About the hairy legs... YES! @sooz58 mentioned this, too, (I think) so a few of us have definitely gotten hairier. I was like you, hardly ever had to shave my legs because the hair was scant and super soft. Now I have more hair and it's coarser. Bristly. Unless I shave every other day, I feel like a hedgehog. Where did that come from?

 

[Milosnanna]

Losing the hair from my head and it's going to my legs lol

 

[sooz58]

LOL Hairy knee syndrome!!!! Yes @SusieShoes it was me!

 

[Pheebs52]

@Milosnanna, I'm so glad you contacted your physician and you have some antibiotics! But...if it looks worse, I'd call them back and let them know....*just in case.*

The Sleep Cycle App looks interesting, but does it help you sleep? LOL, probably not, right? I notice yours is all peaks and valleys.....mine would probably be a flatline; hahaha!

 

[Pheebs52]

<---So glad to NOT have developed Hairy Leg Syndrome, lol!