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TKR Recovering from TKR

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[Bonesmart.org] Recovering from TKR
Laura, don't know if you remember this link: Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
Maybe it will give you some answers.
 
The link you posted is the link to this thread? FYI, I have fibromyalgia and insomnia is one of the thingsthatncomes along with it. The good news is I'm kinda used to insomnia but I'm finding that my knee wakes me up early and I can't get back to sleep. :(
 
Lauramacky, I have edited my post above and fixed it. You might still look at the article. So sorry about the fibro; my DIL has that along with chronic fatigue syndrome and possibly lupus. So I know it's often a hard row to hoe.
 
Thank you bottom! I also meditate using Holosync by Centerpointe. Usually I have my nice headphones on my nightstand and I put those on for an hour and listen to it. It helps me relax instead of tossing and turning and getting frustrated. It's hard though after a week or ten days go by and I haven't had a decent nights sleep. Ugh. My kitty keeps me company too. :)
 
Hang on, sweetie! It does get better. I sooooooo feel for you. Knee replacement recovery isn't easy. On top of your insomnia, you are now dealing with the replacement bed dread and some sort of monster funk. That blew my mind. I had no idea what that would feel like. It surprised and scared me. I'm not sure if everyone gets it, but several of us had a tough time with that. At 3 months you begin to notice the light at the end of the tunnel. 4 months was my turning point. After 4 months I did feel tightness, but now at 7 months, I rarely do. I know that this is a long ride, but bonesmarties that know me, know I was NOT a happy camper during recovery.....so, I think that if I can say that I promise that things will get better....well, that's a pretty big deal. You know what is pretty cool? With all of my venting and complaining in the beginning, not ONE person here told me to knock it off. I felt safe to vent here and I hope that you do, too. It helps a lot. Take care, my friend. I wish you peaceful sleep tonight. Goodnight.
 
Awww thank you Nyland! I'm almost at three months...one more week! I think if I hadn't found all of you, I would've thought I was highly unusual, but it actually gives me so much hope that I'm normal! Yay!
 
Zingers anyone? I'm assuming these zingers in my knee are the nerves coming back to life? My knee is still numb on the top and right, so I really have to be careful shaving there, haha. Just wondering if anybody else has felt these? I had a hip surgery where that happened, so I'm assuming it's the same thing. OMG! I just noticed I have my 2nd post-op with my surgeon next week! Can't believe it will have been three months already. Where does the time go with all this fun, hmm??? :heehee:
 
To shave your scar???? Why does a a scar need to be shaved? Mine is very flat already probably because my PT guy really works on it.
 
:rotfl: Well, I have blonde hair on my legs. I did shave around my scar, but after a while, I noticed these UGLY, soft, very LONG BLACK hairs that were growing here and there along my scar. They gave me the heeby jeebies and I was embarrassed. This little gadget got rid of them. These bothered me so much, that I keep the gadget in the hidden compartment in my recliner, and run it over my scar every day. Maybe I was/am just becoming a gorilla???? My scar was nice and thin and pink, but now it is thick, tight, and lumpy. The dermatologist told me to ask the surgeon when it will be safe to inject a tiny bit of prednisone into the keloid bumps.
 
Oh geez...now I see what you mean. I thought you were shaving off some of the scar SKIN! EEK! I totally misread your post lol. Yes, I've been shaving off my hair as well haha. I do it every Tuesday & Friday mornings in the shower before my PT appointment. I'll have to check that utensil out. I do worry about the razor at times.
 
Hi Laura, Thanks for sending the link to your thread. As soon as I catch my breath from the PT I just survived, I'm going to read it and catch up. Here's the link to mine. https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/vickies-knee-recovery.18266/page-7#post-424763. I hope that I did that right. It doesn't appear like you can just click on it. It's called "Vickie's Knee Recovery". I wanted to be one of those amazing patients that just breezed thru all of this, but I've been a whining, crying complaining baby for at least 75% of it. It will really help me to read your posts since you are almost exactly 2 months ahead of me. It gives me a lot of hope when I see someone recovering. But also it helps when I read the everyday ups and downs so that I can expect that too. Vickie
 
Lauramacky said:
I do resent the person who had responded saying I don't need physical therapy. That was a very careless thing to say and one reason we all have to take this advice with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...
Lauramacky Roy was offering his own experience and opinion which is the underpinning of this forum. FWIW, I had no PT after my TKR either which is pretty much the norm in the UK. Our outcomes are marginally better than the US and we have less MUAs as well. It says something. In which case, Roy's (and my) advice is as good as anyone else's. I don't care to see members being negative towards one another because of differing opinions. All opinions are good if based upon personal experience.
 
Hi Laura, I have caught up on your posts here on Bone Smart. I'm also planning on reading your blog. It sounds like you have had a really tough time of it for many years. I'm praying that this replacement and recovery period are going to make a big difference in your life and you will get to go do everything that you want to. It caught my attention when you said that your husband was ready to take you anywhere that you wanted to travel to. Travel was my major incentive to get this done. Every year we try to go somewhere exciting for a dream trip. I hurt my knee on a trip while In China and it was the final fall that my knee just couldn't recover from. I had fallen before playing with my dogs etc., but that was the one that changed everything. My OS understands that we just want to go do things so he agreed to the TKR even though he thought I was a little on the young side for it. It appears to me that there are tons of people on this site in their 50's getting it done! My husband also takes care of me like yours does so we also have that in common....I asked my OS about the people that post that they just sailed thru this without a problem. He laughed and said that they were lying. He said that in all of the surgeries he had done, he had only one patient that just sailed thru it. The rest were like all of us. It's a major surgery and takes time to recover. I hope that we can continue to compare notes on recovery. Vickie
 
Had my three month check up with the surgeon today. He agreed that I needed more PT because of all these other issues in my leg. Thank god I have a doctor who is willing to go to bat for me! He is such a caring human being which is incredibly rare for a surgeon to show. He always gives me a big hug! He been my knee doctor for over twenty years so he knows my knee intimately, lol. I'm not having the best night though. It feels tight and swollen probably because I did more today, I just took a pain pill and am on ice now. One piece of good news is I haven't had a crying episode for several days. You all can stop buying stock in Kleenex now. :)
 
Oh! I just noticed two of you posted here before what I just did but I just noticed them! Sorry about that! It is funny that I keep hearing about these people who sail through but I bet you're right poof...barely anyone does. It always seems like everyone else is doing so much better doesnt it? Oh dear, that must've been a horrible fall!!! Ouch! What on earth happened after you fell? I can't even imagine how much that hurt. At least mine was gradual and not a major shock like a bad fall. I do think that eventually the TKR will be the best thing I've ever done. Today I noticed I could extend my leg without twisting my leg first which is what I used to do. It's amazing how much I was compensating in every way! I'm glad you have a great hubby...it really does make a huge difference!

Vickie..thanks for your recovery thread. I think I responded to it but ill have to double check! I was having Internet problems and I noticed an email I thought I sent never made it and it was the same time as I was responding in your thread. This is definitely not a surgery for the faint of heart! I've noticed that many of us say the same things which in a way is comforting because I know I'm not unusual. I just want to be completely boring and regular! I hope you're doing ok after your PT!! Hugs!
 
I'm just wondering how many of you used the cpm machine. I was in the hospital for four days and they had me in it there and sent one to my house. I tried and tried to use it but I couldn't stand anything touching the back of my leg. Both legs are like this actually...sensitive to things touching the backs. I've heard this is a trait of people use have fibromyalgia like me.

Anyway, I tried three different machines to no avail. I finally called the doctor and asked him if I had to keep doing it...this was probably around week 2 and he asked me what my ROM was. The in home PT had said I was at 90 and the doctor said to go ahead and discontinue it since I was already at 90 degrees.

I've been reading articles that say there is no evidence that patients do better with them which was interesting to me since I have always had that in my head that I have to use one! I think because my mom had a knee replacment and had drummed that into my head, lol.

Let me know if you can. I'm quite curious!
 
I never used a CPM in the hospital or at home, and my ROM was just fine. I was at 120 by week 3 and now at 150.

My OS said there is no real difference using one or not in outcome.
 
Wow, that's incredible!! I'm struggling with flexion a bit. I'm at around 120 at best without struggling and pushing to get more and I'm at three months! So happy for you though! Tnx for responding. I'll be interested to see how many didn't use one. Next knee I won't even try. :)
 
I used one. I really liked it as it made it easier to elevate my leg during the night. I don't know if it helped my flexion or not. Just mainly that it kept the covers off my toes, lol. My insurance only paid for it for 10 days. I do think it helped In the hospital. It never hurt me unless I had it extending my knee too much otherwise it was never uncomfortable. My flexion is 120 now at 3 months.

Wow Titianlady, 150 you must be able to touch your foot to your butt. Very impressive. I didn't even have that flexion as a child!
 
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