MUA My LTKR journey continues to RTKR<

[Thesoutherncook]

Becky,
Sorry about your lack of sleep....that makes for a looong day! I do take Gambapentin before bed. I credit it with my good sleep. Although, last night I did not take it and still slept. Probably because I was exhausted from the trip to ATL. I've also had good luck with Benedryl and Tylenol ( same as Tylenol PM) OR 10 mg Melatonin.
I'll send the Sleep Fairy to you if I see her tonite! Nap today if you can!
Hugs

 

[VW54]

Oh yes... bending down the wrong way can really play havoc...and the older we get..(.fill in the dots) and carrying too heavy things aswell!
I walked r e a l l y slowly back home with groceries in my backpack. That was hours ago!
Can still feel it twitching. And it ain't good for them knees, not for the updated nor the just hanging in there one. Will I ever learn that I'm no longer a spring chicken?

 

[becticu]

@VW54, you really do amaze me. I am so pampered. I can't image walking to get groceries and then carrying them home! You take the metro and do all kind of things! You are an inspiration

Helen I've been taking 200 mg of Gabapentin before bed for the last three nights. The first night I slept amazing but not since. I ended up taking Benadryl and reading and fell asleep sometime after 3:30. I did sleep till almost 8 so ended up getting some! What hospital did you use in Atlanta? I cover part of Atlanta and in a lot of their hospitals. I'm sure you were exhausted afterwards!

Pegi, I looked up Gravol and here in the states it is Dramamine and that is over the counter. I may have to try that.

Pheebs, there's not enough bubble wrap to wrap me in

Sara, I try to be conscious of how I bend etc. part of the problem is I carried myself incorrectly the last couple of years and I have bad habits I need to overcome. Like a Pheebs described in her how to walk thread, I have many body parts to think about when doing anything. Don't lean your shoulders, don't tilt your back, do the pelvic tilt. Pick my feet up. Increase my pace. Keep my knees straight and oh by the way don't hike your hip and keep your head up...By the time I think of everything I can't walk! I never thought about walking before. Maybe if I had I wouldn't have so much trouble now!

 

[kmak81230]

You describe the daily walking-with all the cues perfectly!

 

[Thesoutherncook]

Becky,
My surgery was at Northside Forsyth in Cumming at GA20 and 400. Thankfully, we don't have to go downtown!
The PA yesterday reminded me that everything will begin to sqawk...hips, other knee, back, feet, ankles... all while adjusting to new " normal"! I can attest to that happening last time, too. I even had to buy new shoes! Mynold ones were worn inside to the old gait pattern. We have a Clark's factory return store here. When you come, we will visit it!

 

[Fire wolf]

Hoping that the sleep fairy found you!

 

[becticu]

Helen, yes I know where that hospital is but it's not one of my accounts. There are some great outlets near there too. Is the Clarks store in an outlet or standalone? It's been a while since I was in Murphy. I've invested in 3 new
Airs of sandles since surgery but have purchased any dress shoes for work yet. I guess I need to get busy!

Kathleen, that may have described it but know one can describe it like @Pheebs52! Who would have thought walking was that complicated??

@Fire wolf sleep didn't find me last night but already in bed and tried to do all the right things to get ready for sleep. Hoping it works tonight. One out of seven nights is just pretty awful but things could be and have been worse so I don't want to complain.

I posted how I got my braces off on Wed. I had them 3 1/2 years...long time. Tonight DH and I went out to celebrate and I ordered steak. I don't eat much red meat but hadn't had steak at all since I got braces. It was good but think I just like salmon better.... I'm posting a pic of us as we started out.

 

[Pheebs52]

@Happydale, I've been that route with Pheebs, my 12 pounder. I picked her up once at around the 3 week point and the back objected vociferously. Now, I just don't pick her up. Or the crumbs. I use my grabber tool for anything *grabbable* on the floor, but unfortunately, it doesn't work on dogs. Nemo, at 26 pounds never gets a pick-up and he doesn't seem to be maladjusted, so I expect Pheebs will adapt. Eventually. Like our knees.

 

[Pheebs52]

Becky, what a gorgeous photo of the two of you! I see real *lovebirds* and that's a beautiful thing at our age. Seriously, I can tell just by looking you were made for each other. Oh, and your smile looks absolutely MAHVELOUS!!! Even if you're not a real steak fan, I'll bet those brilliant, brace-free teeth enjoyed ripping into it! Kudos!

Dramamine makes me sleepy....worth a try! And remember, @liam2015 told us when all else fails, there's "Golf Radio!"

 

[Fire wolf]

What a handsome couple!! Yes, I have been on the 1 in 7 nights sleep schedule and agree it's not much fun. Eventually exhaustion has to catch up with us and knock us out, right? (Please say yes, please say yes!)

 

[becticu]

YES!!@Fire wolf

 

[Pheebs52]

YES!!! Wow, I wish I could knock you both out....gently, of course. This sleep stuff is really serious. No REM, no dreams; pffft!

Personally, I wouldn't even want to try Ambien or any of those meds but if in all four of your sleepless shoes, I'd inquire with my PCP about something like Trazadone or perhaps a muscle relaxer. I took Trazadone years ago when I had trouble staying asleep after my mother passed away. In fact, my sleeping was very much like post-tkr; sleep for an hour or two, wake up for an hour or two, and then repeat; ugh. The med really worked wonders, did not have any oddball side-effects, and did not give me any sort of *hangover* sensation the next day. I took it for about 2 years, then didn't seem to need it anymore.

 

[Canada35]

Becky - what a beautiful smile! You two look wonderful together! I hope you enjoyed your celebration and that the sleep fairy can follow the map to your house tonight!

 

[JJ65]

Becky love the picture, hope you get good sleep tonight.

 

[liam2015]

what a lovely picture becky of you and your hubby and your smile is beautiful with those nice straight teeth. hope you get some sleep more regularly.

 

[Celle]

You look lovely, Becky. Nice straight teeth! Such a handsome couple.

Do you have to wear a retainer at night? My daughter did, for a couple of years after the braces came off.

 

[jboles]

What a great picture of you and your DH. Beautiful smile too. I hope you had a good nights sleep last night.

 

[sandi4213]

What a great picture of the two of you. You can just feel the joy and love radiating from it. Thanks for posting. Let me add my hopes to all the others that you were able to sleep last night.

 

[Happydale]

Wow, Becky, two new bendable knees, straight teeth with a lovely smile, and a kind-looking handsome man to share it all with. Life is good. Sleep will surely find you...

 

[becticu]

The sleep fairy found me last night!! I slept hard from about 11:30 to 6:45 and then took a two hour nap this afternoon! You know I was trying 200 mg of Gabapentin to help with nerve pain the bothers me at night and that crazy restless leg. The first night I took it I slept but not the next 3 nights. Last night I took 1 Loritab, 1 Benadryl and the Gabapentin. That did it last night. That does scare me to take all that to just sleep but I'm pretty desperate to get good rest especially getting ready to go back to work.

@Pheebs52 my Dr actually did prescribe Trazodone for sleep. I was scared to try it for weeks and I finally took it one night. I woke up to go to the bathroom and I was so dizzy I could hardly walk. I haven't taken them since.

@Celle, yes I actually have an upper and lower retainer I'm supposed to wear all the time for a couple of weeks and then I guess only at night. It's really strange to be able to chew things that were very difficult with braces on for so long!

Last night after we ate we had about two hours before our movie started. I haven't shopped much at all since surgery and wanted to go to some of my favorite stores. I just couldn't do it. I had been up all day with not much elevating and was feeling it. We went to a book store and looked around and I could sit there. It will be so amazing when I can just go all day and just be the "normal" tired!! All in due time