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MUA Ruby's Tuesday--July 11th, 2017<

I guess I'm no different from most people going through this. I have my good days, not so good days, and bad days. Today was a not so good day. There was a lot of knee pain and fatigue, low appetite, and feeling a little meh. I may have overdone it with PT yesterday, which was only learning how to get into the drivers seat of my car and walk around my house and up and down the driveway. My home is on 3/4 of an acre and we walked around it a few times. My son, who's 22, autistic, and developmentally delayed, came to me with a list of things we needed: Kitty litter, ice for my ice machine, an Rx that needed to be picked up from the pharmacy. I didn't dare try to drive to these places that are very close by because I was looped up on Diazapam and norco.so we had to wait for DH to come home. I felt inadequate that I was unable to run to the stores real quickly to get these things. But the pain level was so high today, I had to medicate. Ts a balancing act, and I need to figure it all out.
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@Ruby9297, oh my you are just a month out from knee replacement. You shouldn't even be thinking about driving and running errands. You should still be on those pain meds, please dont think you shouldn't. You are correct, this recovery is such a roller coaster ride. You talked about good days and bad days...sometimes I'm having what I think is a good day when something just gets me out of the blue and then I'm crying all in the same day! As a friend tells me, "Patience Grasshopper ". You have a special needs son and that has demands on you that others don't have. My heart goes out to you. Do you know @Jennszoo? She has an autistic son as well. Please be patient with yourself.:friends:
 
Oh Ruby, patience indeed. One month is not even to the point where you will get back your equilibrium. Give yourself another couple of weeks. This recovery is two steps forward and one back, and can seem to take forever, but one day soon you will see for yourself how much progress you've made.
 
So, this has happened a few times since surgery where I sleep practically all day long after waking up from sleeping the night before. Now granted, last night was not the best night. I had bone pain and muscle spasms, and was up a few times unable to get comfortable. But then I moved back to my bedroom (sleeping in the guest room so as not to disturb DH at night) and I slept all day long in the recliner. My DH thinks I'm depressed and trying to block out the world. I may be a bit depressed but I think it's more than than that. I think my body decides it going into heavy duty healing mode, and out I go! I can sleep all day and all night, with enough time to use the restroom a few times, take meds, and grab a few bites to eat. Any thoughts? This is crazy?


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Personally I don't think that it's crazy at all. I do believe that our bodies know whst they need, even if we don't always listen, and that eventually the body gets what it needs. I had many days early on where all I did was sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. Now, I do have narcolepsy, so I can do that on a regular basis if I skip those meds, but even with those meds, that was me early on. :zzz::sleep: So my opinion is, if your body wants to sleep, let it. A great deal of healing takes place while we sleep!
 
I agree that you are in healing mode. When you're not sleeping well at night your body will crave sleep during the day. Also your meds may make you drowsy too. At one month I was napping every afternoon for at least an hour and often having a short nap in the morning(!)
 
6 time zones or more? away and I'll join you:sleep::zzz: One moment I'm doing ok then BAM ! I'm soooo tired and sleepy. Or also suddenly very hungry. This is new for me...actually no. I was feeling the same when we had our baby.:yawn:
 
Feeling way better today than yesterday when I basically slept the day away. Nonetheless, I'm still taking it easy because I've discovered that when I have a good day and then do a bunch of stuff, I pay for it with two really bad days. I'm learning. It's hard doing nothing!
 
It is very very hard doing "nothing", but in reality, you are doing alot! You are healing from a very major surgery! That takes a ton of energy. Hopefully you have things that you enjoy doing such as reading, word puzzles, etc. that can help keep you occupied while your body works on healing itself. There is also a games section on this site to help pass the time. I use it now, but wish I joined the forum sooner in my recovery as I could have used them even more back then!
 
You're not doing nothing... you're doing the best thing! Our society places such great emphasis on "production." We focus on movement and visible results. The clean house. The list of tasks accomplished. But healing is just as vital, more so, only it's largely invisible. If only your body could print out a list of what it's accomplished in those hours: repaired 100,000 muscle fibers; reconnected scores of nerves; flushed 3000 ml of toxins; produced 250,000,000,000 red blood cells, 15,000,0000,000 white blood cells and 500,000,000,000 platelets; continued repair of damaged tendons; knit together layers of incised fascia and skin; non-stop conversion of fibrocartilaginous callous into bony callus and new bone; etc. etc.; and continued all normal physiologic processes necessary to life.

Pretty monumental, when you get down to it. Go body! It knows how to heal. All it needs to do is keep you from interfering... so it makes you tired so you won't spend all the resources on nonessential things. :smile2:
 
Thanks for all your supportive replies and explanations. I was starting to think something was wrong with me . We have a family wedding in 3 weeks, and I haven't been able to go out shopping for an outfit,and then just a week ago we were told it's formal attire! Great, so now I have to find a dress and shoes. But how can I wear heels in my condition? I decided to shop online. I ordered 3 dresses from amazon and decided I'd choose one and send back the ones I didn't like . I kid you not, after trying on 3 dresses yesterday, I had to nap for an hour and a half. Who does that? I wasn't in love with any of the dresses, but I chose one because I haven't the stamina to keep shopping. And what am I going to do about shoes? how do I wear a formal full-length gown without high heeled shoes? And will I have the stamina to ride 70 miles, then immediately attend a formal wedding? We will have a hotel room, but their check in time is 4:00 and the wedding starts at 3:45, which is another problem--wearing formal attire in a car for 70 Miles then going straight to a wedding? I need an early drive to the hotel,early check in, nap, shower, get ready for the wedding, then go. Am I stressing necessarily?
 
Wear sneakers if you have to! Nobody will be interested in your feet. Fortunately the bride and groom will consume everyone's attention! And if anyone says anything hit them in the knee with a baseball bat and tell them to walk in heels!:rotfl:
 
Yes, you are stressing unneunnecessarily! I will be back here after work to tell you more, but for now, RELAX!
 
Ruby, Just wear your flats, your flip flops or whatever you feel comfortable in. The bride and groom will be thrilled that you made the extra efforts to be there for them, that they won't care and neither will anyone else. You likely won't be out on the dance floor shaking a leg so your feet won't be exposed most of the time anyway. Enjoy your sortie into normal life!
 
Ruby, how about some flat, ballet style slippers? Actually, under a formal gown you could wear combat boots and no one would know :yikes:

Unless you got frisky, of course...
 
Don't even attempt to wear heels! At your stage it would be way too dangerous. Flats or even sneakers would be much better. Black sneakers can look really dressy.
 
Thesoutherncook said:
Dear one, why not ask for early check-in at the hotel, explaining your predicament ( and request the handicap room)? I bet they will accomodate you. As for shoes, flats are in, so go that route and do not worry! You have the perfect " excuse" to be as comfortable as you can be!
Click to expand...
Just called the hotel and explained my situation . They won't guarantee an early check in, but made a notation that I asked for one. Yeah, me and every other guest at this, the only hotel in this tiny foothill town in Northern California! They have given me a room with a walk-in shower though. Woo hoo!
 
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