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TKR Reassurance needed

You're welcome.

Well, no C. diff is great news! I am glad you're feeling better.
I know you tend toward anxiety as you've openly shared here. It's understandable since you recently experienced a major surgery. Your recovery sounds very much within the normal range and will likely continue to be.
Please understand that joint replacement surgery is one of the most prevalent surgeries performed worldwide. The outcomes of these surgeries have become excellent based on a number of techniques changing over the years. The implants are durable and long lasting, with longevity much greater than before offering an increase in the likelihood you’ll never have to experience this procedure again.

I am wondering if the loose stools may be a result of a sensitive intestinal tract due to stress and worry. I do know stress and anxiety can affect some of us in that way. I am not saying you shouldn't speak or meet with your GP for reassurance. Early recovery can be emotionally challenging as well as physically, but hang onto the fact that you're doing well, and concentrate on having a relaxing weekend. No googling! :no-fin: Google search is closed for the holiday weekend.:heehee: :wink:

I wish you a peaceful Easter, if you celebrate, and if you do...don't be tempted to eat too many sugary Easter treats because chocolate and sugary jelly beans etc, may make the situation worse.

Wishing you peace and comfort. :console2:
@William1950
 
Hi William1950. Hope you enjoyed the hydrotherapy session. I’m keen to get in the pool but my workers comp insurance hasn’t approved outpatient sessions and being Easter weekend doubt it will be approved for another week, so more likely to do my own. My surgeon said if I was off the pain meds I could drive this week. This can be a long journey, so do what feels right; your body, your recovery. This being my third TKR (revision), it was much harder with the full TKR with my knees as I needed the Pain meds at this stage, now only on Panadol for the past 3 days. This forum helped me in the past. Lots of great advice.
 
This Easter is not being good to me I am getting very anxious being week 6 I still having sleep issues had a few night where I had a little more sleep then go on to have sleep from 10 to 4am which then brings me down I am still not able to eat much and obviously concerned about my last tread.
As it Easter I cannot get an appn to c my GP here in the UK until.Tuesday I need reassurance as this still part of the post op and how long it might take before things change. In the past I.have suffered with Depression in 2021.

Help please.
 
I'm so sorry that this recovery is causing you so much anxiety, @William1950. But please know that sleep and digestive issues are both really very common among patients at your early stage of recovery.

During my first TKR recovery, I struggled with sleep until almost three months post-op and understand that it can be both physically and emotionally debilitating. The best advice I was given was "sleep whenever you can, wherever you can", so I often napped during the day. I also found that when my nighttime sleep was disrupted, getting up and walking back and forth around the house for 10 minutes would help me settle down.

Many of us struggle with stomach issues from all of the medications we have to take during the early days after surgery. I'm glad you have an appointment with your GP on Tuesday to discuss this and see if there is something he/she can suggest to help. Be sure to take a list of all your medications with you to the appointment.
 
Hi William,
I can feel that this is really stressful for you and I'm sorry for that. Please know that your recovery is not abnormal and you are in the very early weeks of a healing process that takes a full year for most, and even longer for some.

Many are still dealing with the after effects of surgery such as discomfort, pain and sleeplessness. You are not alone. Your body is doing its job of healing, s-l-o-w-l-y. Try to focus on what improvements you've made since last week. Consider picking a day of the week and on that same day each week, reflect back on the progress you've made, rather than worry that you're not as far along as you think you should be.

All of us feel "off" some days. Maybe Easter hasn't been great so far, but the day is not over yet. It may help to plan one small thing to do today, like taking a walk, just getting out into the fresh air. Usually when we get moving it can take the edge off if we're having a less than perfect day. I hope you have plans, or you're able to make a plan to do something to take your mind off recovery for awhile.
Wishing you comfort and a brighter rest of the day! :SUNsmile:
@William1950
 
I’m sorry you’re feeling anxious and I hope the comments above are helping you realize what you’re experiencing is very much normal. This was major surgery and it disrupts your system for more time than most people realize. And….everyone is different, so what one person experiences can be completely different than what you are going through. Our bodies are in charge of the healing and recovery process. Our job is to listen to the signals our bodies are giving us and respond accordingly by providing more rest, healthy foods, and increases or decreases in exercise and activity.

As suggested, getting out as much as you can will help. Movement and gentle exercises or walking can help both mind and body. If you are not getting a full night’s sleep, try to take one or more short naps during the day.

This will all level out eventually. Be sure to drink a full 64 ounces of water a day. Try using one of the hydrating powders to be sure you have a good electrolyte balance if you’ve not been drinking enough water. Take a look at our BoneSmart nutrition guide to be sure you are eating the right foods. Focus on proteins, vegetables and fruits. Avoid processed foods and sugar as much as possible.

If you’re feeling down, don’t hesitate to post here and get the support you may need from your BoneSmart family. We’re always here for you!
 
Six weeks out is very early in this yearlong recovery. Look at it this way, you are around 1/10 of the way healed. What you are experiencing, we all have experienced, so it is normal. Sleeping, unfortunately is high on the list of complaints. Sleep where and when you can! All sleep counts, not just nighttime sleep!
 
Well I have put in my request to see a GP have to wait now for them to get back to me very worried that I am getting depressed had it before not something I want again. Unfortunately I have been doing Dr Google trying to get my head round it all. I know I should not, but living on my own I have nobody to lean on especially in the middle of the night.
The problem is I go to sleep, I do all right things as they call it sleep hygiene but then I wake up not always at the same time. I feel warm my knee not that bad but I very aware of my heart beat in my head going faster than normal. It’s then I find it difficult to go back to sleep I get up walk around say to myself when back in bed I am just resting. I wonder if mine is more a cortisol spike. I had something similar but worse when I was about 4 and 5 days after my op but this is not so severe. I am aware of not being alone in this.
Just getting to see the GP and talking about might help me. I think it me just again thinking I should be getting better sleep by now. When I rang our 111 about my stool problems when I was reassurance that all was good I got a better night sleep not mega but more than usual so my mind can do it. Thanks all for kind words and thoughts. Might not get appn today as I sure they will be very busy as it’s after the Easter break. Still eating small things during the day.
 
@William1950 I can hear all your anxiety in your words. Maybe your GP can give you something mild to ease your mind. Time is a beast, we want it to pass so we can feel better but we don't want to go through the depression and inertia involved with being " patient". Sleeping is restorative and not sleeping is terrible. Relaxation techniques do help a lot, deep and slow breathing, in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6. They help the body relax and the mind does follow. Good luck with the GP visit.
 
William1950 said:
very aware of my heart beat in my head going faster than normal. It’s then I find it difficult to go back to sleep I get up walk around say to myself when back in bed I am just resting. I wonder if mine is more a cortisol spike.
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I can relate to this. Anxiety is a beast and it feeds on itself. After years of struggling with it, I leaned that depression and anxiety are related -- two sides of the same coin. Since you indicate that you've dealt with depression in the past, this may be a recurrence that is expressing itself differently. I encourage you to speak with your doctor about treating the anxiety/depression. There are many good medication options available. I also found talk therapy helped me find ways to manage the symptoms.

Please know that you are not alone. There are many of us who struggle or have struggled with this and there is light on the other side.

Sending hugs :console2:
 
Good Morning William,
I imagine given your self described anxious temperament, it is easy for you as you're recovering alone to feel down. It's not always simple to stay upbeat when we're feeling discomfort / pain, loneliness or uncertainty as you seem to be feeling about your recovery. Your recovery seems normal. With your heartbeat, you may simply be hyper aware of all of the physical sensations you're feeling, your nervous system is overactive, especially given the fact that you aren't convinced that you're making normal progress. I am wondering if you are using any of the tools from your first round of depression to calm yourself. Such as some breath work to slow your heart rate and calm yourself, slowing your thoughts?

See if you're able to discipline yourself from googling since search results always seem to expound on worst case scenarios, like serious or rare conditions and can often make you feel worse afterward. My guess is you feel more unsure after doing this, rather than better. I think watching something lighthearted on tv when you're unable to sleep will do you more good than "doom scrolling" as it's aptly known.

It may help to avoid going through a mental checklist and expecting daily progress, but only re-visit improvements once per week, on the same weekday, and I believe you will see / feel better about the progress you're making.

Hopefully talking to your GP brings some reassurance. Or meeting with a mental health professional for a time who can prescribe something that helps take the edge off of the anxiety you're dealing with currently.

There is an article in the Recovery Guidelines titled Post Op Blues -> HERE
Re-read that article and I'll also include a link to a thread on Depression and Post Op Blues -> HERE

I hope you're able to meet with your GP soon, but know that we're here for you always. Best Wishes!
 
I'm hoping you were able to see your GP today. Something that you might try, that I use every night, is music. Soft relaxing soothing music to calmly listen to as you go to sleep, but if you wake up, its still playing and you can enjoy listening and hopefully fall right back to sleep. Music is soothing to your sole and that calms your mind.

We are here to help you.
 
Hello and Happy Wednesday, William :wave:
Hopefully you slept last night and you're feeling better today. Were you able to schedule an appointment with your GP yet? Hopefully so.

Just some thoughts...I am wondering if you have any structure to your days lately? The reason I ask is because having a plan for the day can actually make recovery feel a little easier. You will have something to look forward to each day, rather than just allowing the day to unfold and possibly get caught up in all you're feeling anxious about, or falling into the trap of online searches, focusing on worst case scenario's.

If you're not already, I wonder if having a plan for the next day, before you go to bed, may give you something to look forward to and take your mind off of recovery. If you don't have any friends / family nearby, there are many things you can do solo. You can take a walk outdoors. Run short easy errands. Take a drive just to get out of the house. Go to a movie, or sit on a park bench and people watch, go to a coffee shop and if you're alone, you'll be surrounded by others that are also. You can also do the same if you decide to spend the day at home. Make a plan the night before to call a friend the next day, or watch a favorite show, or Netflix series, read a book or page through magazines, do crossword puzzles, assemble a puzzle, or play Soduku. There are adult coloring books and you may enjoy coloring as you listen to some calming music. If you're a baker, bake a favorite treat. Then there's always BoneSmart and we do have a Social Area that you may find interesting, linked -> HERE
Game Room -> HERE
Wishing you a peaceful day!
@William1950
 
Spoken to the GP over the phone he a partner at the Medical Practice so I trust him.
He agreed that I am suffering with anxiety over my TKR. I told him all about my lack of sleep/eating, gagging from my throat. He reassured me my results from my stool problem were all ok. He asked how my knee was doing and PT I told him that appears to be on track it’s just my mental health. So I mentioned that back in 2021 when I had a melt down post grief of my husband death I was put on Mirtazapine half a tablet it did the trick so he was happy to put me on it, for this. I was worried that he would suggest CBT or some others meds. It’s a shame I have resorted to this but I could not hang out anymore waiting to see if I would improve over time. He will ring me in 2 weeks. Seeing my consultant tomorrow I don’t think he will be that interested about my mental condition just about how my knee is doing.
Compression stocking off freedom. Thanks Lesley x
 
William1950 said:
Seeing my consultant tomorrow I don’t think he will be that interested about my mental condition
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Your mood can affect your recovery so I think it's important you do mention it to the Consultant. It can slow your mobility and affect pain management. The Consultant can adjust meds if you feel it may help, and possibly refer you to counseling if you're interested. Tell him you tend toward anxiety and have battled depression, he may be able to offer you a lot of reassurance in regard to your recovery which you may find mentally / emotionally beneficial. Good Luck!
 
What good news that your GP will help you out with a med that worked for you in the past! I agree that you should tell your consultant about your anxiety.
 
There's no shame in needing meds to assist you in healing from the mental stress of a TKR, @William1950 . It's a huge assault on the body and I remember we'll the terrible depression after my TKR. There is new research on the effects of anesthesia on the brain and mood in patients. You're right, surgeons are typically uninterested in our emotions, so it's probably better to not engage with them about this part of recovery. Your GP sounds so compassionate, that's wonderful. Depression is a terrible companion, sapping our joy. It's hard to remember that everything is cyclical, and with the additional help of the Mirtazapine this too shall pass.
 
How did you appointment with your consultant go, @William1950 ? Give us an update when you have a chance.

We're thinking about you.

:flwrysmile:
 
William1950 said:
put on Mirtazapine half a tablet it did the trick so he was happy to put me on it, for this. I was worried that he would suggest CBT or some others meds. It’s a shame I have resorted to this but I could not hang out anymore waiting to see if I would improve
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If it's worked before then it will likely help again. An added bonus is that Mirtazapine is pretty sedative- so it should help with sleep even before any antidepressant action kicks in. Don't feel bad about taking medication.
This is a really tough journey and anything that helps is not to be rejected.
 
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