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Up Last Night

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Jamie

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I had another night last night where sleep was impossible starting around 2 a.m. My leg was in that "gotta move it" stage, where the muscles HAD to be exercised. If I didn't move it constantly, it would move itself! No sleeping with THAT going on. So I got up and came online. Unfortunately I think everyone else was sleeping like babies, cuz no one was posting. I'm so glad for YOU guys!!! I got on my bike in the dark and rode for 5 minutes and that helped a lot. After about an hour on the computer, I was able to go back to sleep until around 6 this morning. The good news was that I almost made it through the night like a normal person without pain meds. I had taken some at 11:00 right before going to bed, so didn't take more when I got up at 2:00...so that meant I went a whopping 7 hours in between pills. That's a first! Now if I can just do that some night and really sleep all the time. Josephine, I have a question for you. I'm at 4 1/2 weeks and I keep feeling like I would be comfortable sometimes lying down if I could cross my feet at the ankles. Is that okay or is it too soon?
 
Jamie - I'm so sorry you came and found the forum devoid of life. What a shame! I also went to bed early last night for some reason.

As for your question; well, the general opinion is that the thrombosis risk, whilst always a risk even for otherwise healthy people, steadily comes down from its post-op peak, reaching an acceptable low at a minimum of 6 weeks, maybe longer. Different numbers for different folks, of course.

Upshot is, it's your choice but personally I would try to resist it for at least another month and more if I could.
 
Hi Jamie,
You know I almost signed on, but I was so uncomfortable I just didn't have the gusto to even type. I was up until 5:30am. Slept for 2 hours then. My leg just aches and aches in my thigh mostly lately and then my knee just gets so stiff, I have to get up. I walk around circles about every hour or so. I just don't have a comfy chair, sofa, bed, nothing hits the spot yet. It has been 2 weeks since this knee, and last night my other knee started to bug me, not too bad but just annoying that one it has been about 12 weeks now. I have to admit though I can do more things and the pain level is getting less.
If I am up all night tonight, I will check in and keep you company if you are here.
 
Thanks, Kath. I guess I should have put an actual thread out there....which I didn't do. Next time I will go fishin' to see who might really be there! It's always helpful to talk to someone who knows what you're going through. It's so frustrating to WANT to sleep but not be able to!!! When I was about 2 weeks out, I also had the Nighttime Walks almost every night....round and round in circles with my walker. The dog would get up with me to be sure I was okay and then just lie there staring at her dopey Momma walking in circles. I'm sure she's having a tough time figuring out why I'm behaving this way! The good news is that it will get better. The doctor's office recommended using Benadryl at bedtime and I've had some success with that. You might try it.
 
Boy, ---as the cliche goes, "Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt." EVerybody told me it was going to be tough to sleep, and you know what? I DIDN'T BELELIEVE THEM. I dreaded night time, as sleep was elusive. I would be up all night, trying harder and harder to get to sleep, and the harder i worked, the more difficult it was to gt o sleep.

I asked my doctor about this when I went on March 19th (I had been sleeping by then for over two months) and he said that HE REALLY HAD NO ANSWER FOR IT.

I, too, would walk around the house and would go from place to place in an effort to get comfortable. Didn't work---the walks helped, but I tried sleeping on the couch, the futon, dragging the futon mattress on the floor, my son's bed (when he was away at college.) the botom line---NOTHING WORKED. I would finally crash when my wife got up for work.

It does get better. I used Ambien for 10 days when I went back to school---and I got my sleep pattern back. Hang in there...don't fight it (I know you will; I did) but the sleep will come.

I am sorry that I can't be more comforting, but that is normal--with all the abnormalities that come with this procedure, this is normal,and it will go away.
I am not a very patient person, and you need to be patient about this.

Tim C.
 
Jamie....This helped me. I sleep on the right side of the bed SINCE my operation (RTKR)....I find when I get restless (which is all the time), I hang my right heel off the side of the mattress. Sometimes it helps....sometimes it doesn't.

You're going through a normal phase - honestly can't tell you when it ends because I haven't got there yet!!

Good Luck!
 
I managed to have my sleep go for the better. After 10 days of sleeping in exactly one position with the pillows all wedged exactly right so that even if you slept your back work up sore. I FOUND ANOTHER POSITION!
 
Thanks Ref and Patti.....I know in my heart of hearts that it's normal. Sometimes it just feels better to whine.... That said, I'm NOT exactly what you would call a patient person. So that part will forever be difficult for me. I keep workin' on it, though. And it does help to know everybody goes through the same stuff!!!
 
Ref, you got on a mattress on the floor???????????????????? WOW! I avoid my couch because it is too low, not for real people but for me & my knees now it is, plus it is microfiber and I can't easily shift around. Maybe it's tougher for me because both sides are compromised.
 
I don't know if this will help anyone out there but I am a back sleeper and I use a king size pillow under both legs and it goes from just below my hip to past my feet. You can't use a pillow just under your knee or you will have a permanent bend in your knee but with the king size pillow it is big enough to cover the whole area. Now if you are a stomach or side sleeper this probably wouldn't help a bit.
Cathy
 
Ref, you got on a mattress on the floor???????????????????? WOW! I avoid my couch because it is too low, not for real people but for me & my knees now it is, plus it is microfiber and I can't easily shift around. Maybe it's tougher for me because both sides are compromised.

Hey wait I just remembered, you had Bi-Lats also! And you still tried mattress on floor? You the man!
 
Yep, I would sit on the couch, lower myslef tothe floor, and then get on the mattress. To get up, I would get over to the couch, and slide up the couch until I was sitting, then I would stand up. Took some doing, but then, I was sleepless and I had plenty of time! Getting down on the lfoor to wrestle with my four dogs now still takes some doing.

Tim C.
 
woooooooo hoooooooo i went to bed at 10:30 lastnight slept all the way through 8:30 am man o mano it felt so good to finally sleep that long ...im 4 weeks out now i usually dont sleep but 6 or 7 hrs so 10 for me was like WOW !!!!!!! im finally gettin to where i can move my leg around in the bed and it not kill me seems to be getting better everyday.but now my back thats a whole other creature critter just wont quit hurtin when i try to go to like the store and wlk thats a joke maybe if im lucky ill get 5 mins out of it then it stops me in my tracks ...and my legs especialy my right hurt so bad and it was my lest i had the TKR go fugure LOL ...... well nuff said about me how is everyone else today i hope and pray you all are doin good ........ huggggggggggs JIM
 
Well, I have to say, I usually sleep for about a 3-4 hour chunk and I am grateful for that. The pain meds make me quite drowsy so falling asleep is not a problem. And if I think back, pre surgery, I was sleeping in one hour or less intervals because each time I would move I was racked with pain in both knees.
 
jb....what I would give for a full night's sleep like you had! Congratulations! You and I are about at the same spot. My surgery RTKR was on February 29th. Hope you have many more of the same!!! I am with you too on the back pain. Sometimes it comes from nowhere it seems. I find a heating pad works pretty well. Have you tried that? 'Course that's kind of hard to do when you're trottin' around a store.
 
I will tell you how frustrating it was---I could tell you what was on AMC, TV Land, and A&E at 3:00 AM! I have seen ALL---ABSOLUTELY ALL of the Law and Oder episodes at that time.

Tim C.
 
Thank goodness for cable television. Remember the "old days" when all you would have gotten at that time of the morning would have been a test pattern? At least now there is something on to mindlessly watch!
 
I to am a little past the 1 month mark. Some nights I find myself getting a good nigts sleep 5-6 hours and then some nights I don't even thinking about trying to sleep until 2-3 am easy... Althugh I must say I have been wanting to go to bed a little earlier more and more every day. Tonight is going to be a longgg night being I have a wedding to attend. Hopefully it will have me more tired than hurting when I get back. I know I will be taking my Perc before bed tonite.

But 10 hours, kudos,,, you might want to save some of those hours for a night you MAY need them : )

NN
 
Hey Jamie i havent tried heat but i do have a TENS unit and it sure does the trick at times but shoot im willing to do about anything for the back pain ...but only hurts when i walk or stand to long in one place ...but hey thanks for the suggestion on the heat ill try it ....... thanks JIM
 
i agree with you nu neeze i should have saved some for tonight i felt to good today and yep you guessed it i overdone it and MAN im a hurtin pretty good swollen the whole nine yards and good ole PERCOCET aint a helpin ..... and they call aninmals dum LOL i think not !!!!! JIM :O)
 
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