TKR oregonlass post TKR - bionic accomplished

[oregonlass]

@Oregon mom , lol! Glad I could divert you and make you laugh!
Get well and I’ll share my magical bread recipe.

 

[oregonlass]

Anyone else having issues with restless leg syndrome of their surgical leg?
I'm lucky to get a total of 4-5 hours of sleep.
I had some issues post hip replacement and one of the moderators suggested magnesium. So I made sure I'm getting 300mg daily separate from my calcium.
Last night it took over four hours to settle down. Nothing seems to help. I am using the ice machine regularly and at night. Following guidelines for taking Tylenol. Acetemetophine doesn't do as much for me as ibuprofen, but my doctor has me on an aspirin a day therapy to prevent blood clots so I can't take NSAIDs, - I will talk with him on Wednesday when I see him for the 2-week follow-up.
I'd pulled back on the oxycodone as it doesn't seem to make much difference. I had already cut it back to night time only as it makes me sleepy during the day, Wish it helped with sleep at night.
Open to ideas.
On the positive side, I'm surprised how much more mobile I am at this point with my knee than I was with the hip. That's a good thing.

 

[sistersinhim]

My PA suggested heat on my thigh and calf before bed. It helped me. If you try it, just make sure you don't put the heat anywhere near the knee, front, or back. That would cause extra swelling.

 

[oregonlass]

@sistersinhim, thank you for sharing. That sounds reasonable, I'll give it a try!

I have a gentle micro-lymphatic massager that is supposed to help for tired muscles, etc. It's a pad that you lay over or fasten on the area to be treated. They did use something similar on both legs when I was in the hospital. Has anyone ever used one of these? Results?

 

[leejaa]

What helped me at times was getting my husband to gently put lotion on my lower legs and thighs - NOT on the suture or near it but everywhere else including the feet. It seemed to help.

 

[oregonlass]

Yea! Got over 7 hours of sleep and no RLS!
I eliminated any possibility of something aggravating the problem. I took another look at things that had helped me sleep and might help with healing. Since the oxycodone didn't seem to be helping, I had stopped that, leaving just acetaminophen, regular strength.
Bedtime herbal tea, warm the leg a bit...instead of going to bed cold and icy, and incorporate a bit of an alternative health product that had helped in the past. It worked.
Best, most restful sleep since well before surgery. Small wins!

 

[leejaa]

7hrs of sleep. Awesome. Have another wonderful night's sleep.

 

[sistersinhim]

What a blessing you had with your 7 hours of wonderful sleep! Yay!

 

[oregonlass]

@leejaa and @sistersinhim, Thanks for the support. It's nice to feel human again. I'm a pretty even-keeled person, but lack of sleep is my nemesis. I see my doctor on Wednesday and see if he has any alternative suggestions.

It was a surprise to discover that the active ingredient in my favorite antihistamine, Benedryl, can cause RLS. Now I'm checking everything for side effects and interactions. Where I live is the grass seed capital of the world, so allergies are a part of life. The Benedryl is in my medical records and I don't have issues with it at other times, so maybe a chemical reaction with something else they had me using.

 

[sistersinhim]

I learned years ago that Benedryl has the opposite effect on me. I can take one and I'm OK. If I take 2 my legs feel like I have bugs crawling on them. I'm glad you found out the cause of your RLS.

 

[_Annie_]

It was a surprise to discover that the active ingredient in my favorite antihistamine, Benedryl, can cause RLS. Now I'm checking everything for side effects and interactions. Where I live is the grass seed capital of the world, so allergies are a part of life. The Benedryl is in my medical records and I don't have issues with it at other times, so maybe a chemical reaction with something else they had me using.

I’m so glad to find this out, because I use Benedryl often for my allergic reactions, bee stings, etc. I don’t think I haven’t had 7 hours straight for a while. Just can’t seem to get comfortable at night. Glad that you got things figured out & are sleeping the night through. It makes all the difference how you feel the next day.

 

[oregonlass]

@annie, I found it when looking up RLS and drug interactions. You might want to verify and try a formula without that active ingredient. I couldn’t find anything to help me understand if anesthetics, other pain meds or narcotics could change the way benedryl works or if a combination could trigger the result. Another area lacking in many clinical studies.

 

[_Annie_]

@ Oregonlass - Just read through your complete thread and had a laugh about the comments about hubbys. Mine makes excellent coffee and does a great job with my ice machine. I’ve been very fortunate to have very little pain and so can get up and do mostly for myself. He can open a can of soup or warm up leftovers, but wouldn’t want him to have to cook from scratch.

 

[oregonlass]

@_Annie_ Yup, Hubby frozen foods reheating skills are excellent... especially when it comes from a box with directions. However, figure out what to do with frozen pulled chicken...not so much.
I think it has something to do with priorities because he has taken over making the breadmaker bread with stellar results.
I too am really surprised at my mobility and delighted for it.

 

[oregonlass]

4-Weeks score!!! I celebrated the 4-week milestone on Monday. I have good flexibility for where I am. All systems getting back to normal...except sleep... sigh. Only using OTC acetametophine or ibuprofen for pain. Seems like the biggest discomfort is the muscle on the backside of my knee. I'm doing gentle stretches to loosen the tight achilles tendon.
The weather has shifted and our Oregon air is now about back to normal so I can get outside and go for a walk. Slowly building up. I'm using a pair of walking poles my husband made me. They make staying vertical and getting the natural gait much quicker and better. PT says I'm moving as well without the cane as I am with it. I just have to think about it.
Self-preservation drove me back to doing some food preparation. My digestive system isn't fond of all that boxed food. Hubby is helping me with the clean up etc. so I don't stand too long. The stool I got before surgery is a boon so I can sit at the counter and do food prep.
I use a health tracker and am now getting about 4000 steps per day. Of that, I'm making a couple of walking trips down the street in our blessedly flat neighborhood. I only have 3 small steps to get into the house so not getting much stair practice.
My doctor uses a wide steri-strip technique over the incision. Instead of the multiple narrow strips, it was probably originally about 2" wide and the length of the incision. He said it could come off at 4 weeks, but still seems quite happy to be in place. Hubby suggested I just let it slough off rather than try to help it. I'm okay with that, however wondering other's experience in that area.
Happy healing everyone!!!!!!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Mine wants me to adopt his circadian schedule and it's tough as he is a night owl and likes to sleep in the morning.

If it's so easy why doesn't he adopt yours? It's you in recovery after all.

 

[leejaa]

Awesome report. So nice to be able to get outside as it is so great for the spirit. Have a peaceful night.

 

[newlybionic]

Great report! You’re doing well. Most surgeons just let the steri-strips fall off the wound. However that’s usually the individual thin strips. You can take off the large dressing you have on the incision now. The wound needs some air to continue to heal. If there is any spot that is bleeding you can just put a bandaid over it for a few hours.

 

[oregonlass]

Hi All!
For all of you in the USA - Happy Thanksgiving!
This year it's easy to find things to be thankful for. I haven't been on for a while so I thought a 3-month celebratory post was due.
I feel very blessed that I've had a smooth healing process. The two months of PT prior to surgery to help me cope and control sciatica pain caused by the knee and not walking aligned, really gave me a boost. Sure there's been pain, but I'm soooo much better.
With the pandemic, the doctor saw that I got an adequate supply of the pain pills and I have leftovers as I didn't need them all.
Working with the same PT who knew my non-surgical issues was another blessing and bonus. His techniques align well with BoneSmart. 6 weeks healing before he started any strengthening. If something increased pain, he had me change it.
My sciatica doesn't like leg band work. So I have a pile of unused bands here. Instead, he had me start standing at the base of some stairs, I used my front porch, and step up starting with my surgery leg, bring up the other and then reverse the process. Just 5 times once every other day. Railing there for stabilization. That worked. As it felt okay, I started increased to daily and then the number of steps. Within a few weeks, I did a full set of long stairs up and down, just walking in the middle and using 2 rails so I could keep an appointment.
My daily walks are now 30-50 minutes and I'm getting 6500-7500 steps most days.
There is still some stiffness and some muscle pain. That is normal. Sitting in an office type chair too long makes the knee stiffen up so I have to keep taking breaks. If I stand too long in the kitchen, it lets me know it's time to grab the stool and sit or get my leg up.
At my final PT, yesterday, he did an unaided range of motion measurement. I feel very fortunate it is
0-125 degrees at this point. He credits some of that to the pre-op PT for 2 months. My surgery leg is as strong or stronger than my non-surgical one in his manual resistance tests.
I feel very fortunate it has been as easy as it has. I'll be walking and exercising both of them daily to give myself a healthy aging edge.
Thank you for your part, my BoneSmart friends. For any of you in the midst of the process...my thoughts are with you. It keeps getting better with time.

 

[oregonlass]

Problem with knee pain in the cold? I went for a walk last weekend. The temperature was in the upper 30s F. (A few degrees above freezing for those of you on celsius.) It wasn't raining but overcast and dampish. My knee got to hurting so bad I couldn't believe it. Bone cold.
When I got home, my dear hubby said, "well, your joint is now porcelain and metal, what do you expect."
I had an afternoon of learning about winter layering for outdoor activities and some online shopping. The "walking pants" really helped. Appropriate base layers outperformed wearing leggings under the pants. Then my "leg warmers" arrived. I found them on Amazon. Think what girls used to wear for fashion and dancers use. They are like a sweater for the knee.
I wore them for the first time today. Toasty warm!!! They extend from calf to thigh and stay put without pinching. Photo attached. I've been wrapping a lightweight wool blanket or towel around the knee when I'm relaxing in the evening. Now I have a warmer on over my indoor pants and the knee is so happy. It seems to be keeping both the bones and the muscles from complaining.
My leggings are dark so they may be a bit hard to see. If you haven't tried one, they have lots of choices.