PKR Recovery!

[Cyclegal]

4 weeks and coming along! Still very restless at night, am going to try valerian at bedtime and see how that goes. Pedaling my stationary trainer with low resistance (with PT guidance). Good ROM, walking well outdoors without a cane, incision looks good, still a bit of swelling but not too bad.

Icing, resting, elevating and napping, pain meds at night only, I seem to need a small amount (2.5mg oxycontin) to settle me down. Oh for a good nights sleep...

Liz

 

[Cyclegal]

Sounds like a good place for 3 weeks!

The sleep can really be an issue for quite a while. I hope you're able to catch up on rest or nap during the day.

Janet, yep, have a daily blissful nap!

Liz

 

[mendogal]

Great update! I hope valerian is effective for you.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy One Month Anniversary, Liz!
I do hope you're sleep improves soon...I am sure it will.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season!
@Cyclegal

 

[Cyclegal]

Hello and Happy One Month Anniversary, Liz!
I do hope you're sleep improves soon...I am sure it will.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Hi Layla, thanks! Oh my it is a rollercoaster.


Week almost 5 update:

Sleep still is a huge issue. I detonated last night, burst into tears, so restless, have been taking tylenol through the night but that doesn't seem helpful. I had stopped opiates because they didn't seem to offer more that a couple hours relief, and honestly I don't seem to notice any difference taking VS not taking. I did taper off over about 10 days. Really I didn't feel that I had pain, but just restlessness, and I'm a stomach sleeper so sleeping on my back was challenging.

What seems to be new and bothersome is a little swelling at the top of my incision (maybe 1 inch down from the top, top part is OK, not red or anything, talked to Ortho PA and she reassured me (I had uploaded pics), not infection, fluid, or incision popping apart. I do feel like my incision is on fire when any thing (pajamas / bedcovers ) touch it, or when I flex my knee maybe 80 degrees. She prescribed some low dose gabapentin AND reminded me that at under 5 weeks I was still early in the recovery process---hmmmm where have I heard that before?

Skipped walking, stationary bike, home exercises, but did some gentle stretching. I'm exhausted. Last decent night sleep was 2 nights before surgery. *sigh*

I suspect some of my mood issues may be related to coming off pain meds, even after just one month, and at fairly small doses for pain control. That can only get better with time, right?

Oh and our power went out this morning, for about 6 hours, starting around 5 am. All I could think of was "MY ICE MACHINE!!!"

Love to all of you who help me navigate the knee replacement shark infested waters (and I'm only a partial!)

Liz

 

[mendogal]

"Mood issues" are really common after this surgery, and sleep deprivation most definitely does NOT help things!!!! (ask me how I know...)

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Post op blues is feeling depressed, weepy, nervy, shaky, fearful of the future, anxious, overwhelmed by what is happening to you, convinced it's never going to get any better and finally, uttering that most intense of all cries "I wish I never had this done!" It arises out of a variety of...

bonesmart.org

 

[Cyclegal]

"Mood issues" are really common after this surgery, and sleep deprivation most definitely does NOT help things!!!! (ask me how I know...)

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Post op blues is feeling depressed, weepy, nervy, shaky, fearful of the future, anxious, overwhelmed by what is happening to you, convinced it's never going to get any better and finally, uttering that most intense of all cries "I wish I never had this done!" It arises out of a variety of...

bonesmart.org

Oh my that really sums it up!!!!

Soon I will hopefully be a Mendonoma gal, we are hoping to move up to the Sonoma coast once our house renovations, and my knee renovations are complete. We were there for a couple years but moved back to the Bay Area Sept '22 to get the work done.

Liz

 

[AnnYo]

Hi @Cyclegal--

I am also at about 5 weeks and just wanted to tell you that my scar has also just recently gotten very sensitive when it hadn't been before. I also wanted to mention that for the sleep troubles, have you considered Tylenol PM? I saw that you were already taking Tylenol. I take 2 about an hour before bedtime and it just makes me a little sleepier than I normally would be and I think it helps me to go back to sleep when I wake up with pain from having been in one position of too long. I've never taken anything to help sleep before and I hope not to take this much longer, but that has really helped me. I'm still not sleeping WELL, but better.

Hope you continue to do well!

 

[Cyclegal]

Hi @Cyclegal--

I am also at about 5 weeks and just wanted to tell you that my scar has also just recently gotten very sensitive when it hadn't been before. I also wanted to mention that for the sleep troubles, have you considered Tylenol PM? I saw that you were already taking Tylenol. I take 2 about an hour before bedtime and it just makes me a little sleepier than I normally would be and I think it helps me to go back to sleep when I wake up with pain from having been in one position of too long. I've never taken anything to help sleep before and I hope not to take this much longer, but that has really helped me. I'm still not sleeping WELL, but better.

Hope you continue to do well!

Hi AnnYo, thanks! I started gapentin yesterday, and oh my what a difference that made!! Slept soundly and woke only once needing to stretch my hamstring, and do a bit of nighttime yoga stretches. was a bit groggy in the morning but enjoyed blissful sleep.

Interesting but most of my pain is in my thigh now. Feel like I did a hard workout at the gym!

I tried tylenol + benadryl a while ago but I woke up very confused, though that may have been from the oxycontin + benadryl.

Liz

 

[Cyclegal]

Week 7 update

I can pretty much do everything except sleep! Though last night with gabapentin, tylenol PM, melatonin and valerian. I did sleep through the night, woke up once (habit) to take my thyroid med then fell right back to sleep. First time in 7 weeks!

Still have stiffness / soreness, that band especially behind my knee, most noticeable when I straighten it after it has been flexed a while. Goes away quickly. I don't like sitting with my knee bent for long but had that pre op.
I have a whole variety of aches that come and go, not just in my knee but my shin, calf, thigh. My kneecap was on fire till I started the gabapentin

Had a 6 week check last week, had my gabapentin doubled up, which seemed to really help my sleep and incisional pain. OS pleased with my progress, ROM, -2 140. Today in PT got to 145. I think that is close if not better than pre op. My other knee is 165.

I'm doing PT 2x week, quad is a bowl full of jelly so working on that, the strengthening exercises seem to go OK, I can ride my stationary bike but per OS, no working up a sweat. Walked over an hour with my cane (good insurance if I get tired and also came in handy when a car cut me off in the crosswalk, gave the car a good klunk).

I'm really lucky to have a PT that helps not hinders. My visits are mostly ROM and soft tissue mobilization, and non torture strength work.

I was able to walk up and down a flight of stairs without holding the handrail for dear life, and going foot over foot.

I'm still icing to my hearts content, love my iceman.

This hasn't been an easy journey, but I am seeing weekly improvements! so yay! I think I am in that s-l-o-w plateau, with up and down days but not the dramatic improvements of the early days, like yay I can shower! Stitches out! no more walker! Narcotic pain meds only at night then a week later no more.... which opened the door to driving!

Couple not so happy milestones---I think the sleep and mood hit a low about week 4. Maybe stopping pain meds had something to do with that, I was pretty down especially about 4 am. It helped to read, and reread the article on depression. The hip post op forum has a fairly recent thread going on this very topic. Knowing this is kind of expected is helpful.

Wishing all of you a wonderful new year and wonderful new knees, Total, Partial, Bilateral or however!
Thanks for reading

Liz

 

[CatieViv]

gave the car a good klunk

I laughed at that! Going to have to remember in case any cars cut me off

I'm not a good sleeper and wasn't before surgery either. Can't sleep on my sides. I found the best way was a fluffy pillow under my legs that I can adjust as needed. I have been sleeping much better since my most recent surgery until the last few nights. I feel for you. Hope sleep gets better.

 

[Layla]

I am seeing weekly improvements! so yay! I think I am in that s-l-o-w plateau, with up and down days but not the dramatic improvements of the early days, like yay I can shower! Stitches out! no more walker! Narcotic pain meds only at night then a week later no more.... which opened the door to driving!

Yay! Great progress! As for sleep, Magnesium may support the following:
Bone health, healthy blood sugar, cardio health, muscle and nerve relaxation and can also promote
healthy sleep (falling asleep and staying asleep)
An article on Magnesium -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/magnesium-is-a-star.20301/

Keep up the good work and I hope you catch some Z's soon!

 

[mendogal]

What a wonderful status report (this born in Brooklyn gal has indeed wielded crutches and canes defensively when appropriate!)

 

[Cyclegal]

And just like that, I am 2 months post op.

Going to PT 2x week, working on strength, ROM is in a good range so no more pushing that (though I would like a matched set of knees, my lt is 160 degrees but that may be wishful thinking...

Getting out and walking, overdid it a bit with a 6 mile walk...

My "bad" sleep nights are what the good sleep nights looked like 1 month ago, waking up at 4 or 5, then getting back to sleep in about 15 minutes. I have even slept through the night, thanks to gabapentin, melatonin, extra strength tylenol PM, valerian and ice just before bed. I was needing to put ice on during the night but haven't done that in about a week so that's good! Next step is weaning off the gabapentin and tylenol PM, I am a bit groggy in the morning so I blame those meds.

Mostly minor achiness--I'm not happy sitting with my knee bent for any period of time, and it is warm (which I guess lasts a while..). I also get really tired after a day of errands. I can grocery shop one day, make dinner the next, run errands the next day but can't do all that in one day! PT days are just for pt and a nap. Well everyday is for a nap...Even with the warm knee I didn't want to go back to celebrex or mobic.

One setback---I was putting my kitty in her carrier to go to the vet and she went full on claws out and slashed me pretty good, cleaned it up, sent pics to the OS, all is clean and healing and I didn't need antibiotics, but I was worried that I would end up with a joint infection. I was taking some mobic at the time which I think contributed to a lot of bleeding!! I looked up cat scratch on this site and found reassuring info! But I don't advise getting scratched up by a mad cat!!

So patience, patience and more patience!

Liz

 

[mendogal]

This is what a good recovery looks like!!!!

Many small milestones adding up, and every now and then going into the ODIC for a day because as we do improve we need to test new limits.

 

[MSuki]

PT days are just for pt and a nap.

You made me feel better - I am a week ahead of you and starting to feel like I should be accomplishing things at least some of the time…but I was just telling my husband I feel like I can’t do much right after PT because even if I don’t WAY overdo I usually do enough to have an achy feeling down my leg that makes it hard to focus, so I end up reading or watching TV or playing on my iPad while I put ice on my knee and heat on my hips.

 

[CatieViv]

Those murder mittens are dangerous weapons on those sweet innocent looking creatures. So glad you didn't have worse than some scratches.

Rest days are still essential for me. So is pacing myself. You are being smart listening to your body.

 

[Cyclegal]

This is what a good recovery looks like!!!!

Many small milestones adding up, and every now and then going into the ODIC for a day because as we do improve we need to test new limits.

Yes, testing the waters is good! Thanks for the encouragement!

Liz

 

[Cyclegal]

Those murder mittens are dangerous weapons on those sweet innocent looking creatures. So glad you didn't have worse than some scratches.

Rest days are still essential for me. So is pacing myself. You are being smart listening to your body.

hahahaha murder mittens!! She doesn't have many teeth so the bites are just gummy bites, but those claws!!!

 

[Cyclegal]

PT days are just for pt and a nap.

You made me feel better - I am a week ahead of you and starting to feel like I should be accomplishing things at least some of the time…but I was just telling my husband I feel like I can’t do much right after PT because even if I don’t WAY overdo I usually do enough to have an achy feeling down my leg that makes it hard to focus, so I end up reading or watching TV or playing on my iPad while I put ice on my knee and heat on my hips.

I just started to feel like I could do more ambitious things, like cooking, but I am surprised how wiped out I get. I think part of it is being on my feet rather than the sofa. I am getting a lot of knitting done during my couch and ice time! Hang in there!

Liz