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Revision TKR Woohoo I'm starting to feel better!

nite nite. I had to up my pain meds tonight too. 2 steps forward, 1 step back......all in all I have had a pretty good few days. Just not tonight. I'm sure tomorrow will be better. Xoxoxox
 
Thanks for stating earlier about the weepy days. I've had several and I thought I was the only one dealing with this!! I just get so frustrated at not being able to do little things. Sometimes I'll just start crying because of the pain and sometimes just because. How do you handle this? Please advise.
 
@Nannharwood , pretty sure I'm the queen of weepy days. It is VERY common in this process. Be it from the lack of sleep, the pain meds, the pain or the frustration of this entire process, everyone goes through them. I havent't found a way to avoid them and I actually just cry more when I try to stop. Just know that it does get better. There will be more good days than bad eventually in this roller coaster ride of recovery. I know that just knowing that I wasn't the only one being a big baby helped immensely. Part of the reason why I love this forum. There is pretty much nothing that I have happen, good or bad, that at least someone else hasn't had too. Helps to be among people that can identify with what we're going through. Stay strong and be good to yourself. It gets easier!
 
Hi @Nannharwood. Yes the weepy days are not pleasant. The only thing I can suggest is that a lot of this is frustration at not being able to do what we want to do because of the limitations post surgery. I have found that sometimes distraction techniques work e.g playing games like Candy Crush, watching tv, reading or listening to relaxation apps. Short visits off people helps too!!! I have to say that the sleep app by Erick Brown is excellent well worth downloading.

A lot of the weepiness can be brought on by lack of sleep, which is still an issue to me now. It also helps to chat on this forum about how you feel. There is always someone who will reply back and support you. It is clearly part of the recovery process because nearly everyone you chat to or read their threads is the same regarding the feelings of the post op blues! . I have this saying " you can only cry for so long" which is true. It pays to weep and let it all out because eventually you do stop and you can't cry much after that release of emotion.

This site truly is an amazing support tool and quite frankly, I don't know how I'd have got through my darker days/moments, without the help of the lovely people here. With my tearfulness, some of it is because I am on morphine for the pain and it does make you a bit down. Be prepared for good days and bad but remember Nannharwood you are amongst friends and not alone in this. I'm sorry I didn't rely earlier but there is about a seven hour time difference I think. I hope that my advice will help you a bit. Take care nana Moon 27 xxxx
 
Hi @DogLoverx3, I feel for Nannharwood. She sounds like us!!! I hope we managed to reassure her. How are you? I've had an up and down restless night due to PAIN Must go easier next week at PT. Its almost 8 am here. Gonna get some breakfast and take my pain meds and come back up to bed. Hope you get some sleep. Love Nana Moon27 x x x
 
Hiya NanaMoon! Sorry about your restless night. I've gotten a couple hours of sleep, but my sleep pattern (yes, you'll have one again soon!) is way off for the past few nights. It's 1am, I just woke up and I'm WIDE awake. I had been taking Tylenol PM at night and stopped that. Guess I shouldn't have. When I keep flip flopping with my pain med doses I get confused on what all I can take together. My knee is still nagging me from PT yesterday. Fooey. I'll just take it easy today and see how it goes. I hope you have a lovely breakfast! xoxoxoxo

Oh, and not to jinx anything, but I haven't cried in 5 days! That's a record for me! :-)
 
Another one the weeps, had such a bad day yesterday and just cried and cried , its so good to hear I'm not alone with this
 
Ah thanks DogLoverx3, maybe you reaching that light at the end of the tunnel with regards the upset!!!! I've come back to bed. My knee is all but screaming at me!!! Just took pain meds and hopefully they'll kick in. I'm exhausted cos of the rubbish sleep pattern!!!! Order of the day.... Rest al a mode and the mantra chantra for dessert!!!! Catch you later xxxx
 
Hi @yiayia3, no you are most certainly not alone with the weeping. At times it drives me crazy and I don't like being like this. However, nearly everyone has the blues after this operation. I think maybe it's all the disruption to our normal lives, routine, sleep pattern, pain and everything!!!! How are you getting on since having your knee done apart from the blues? Love Nana Moon 27
 
Thanks Nana Moon, feel a bit better today have just been to friends for coffee, I seem to have good and bad days lots of zaps of pain and very stiff in the morning getting a 90% bend so I think that's O.K still getting swelling so icing a lot,still early days I guess just over 2 weeks nice to talk to you Terri
 
Hi Terri yes it is very early days yet. It does you good to go out. I'm hoping to go out somewhere tomorrow even if it's only one of the shops!!! I get very frustrated because of having to have support with me wherever I go and the limitations this op has crested. However, as I keep telling myself it's not forever!!!! Xox nice to chat to you too! Ann x
 
Sorry about your knee. That's one of the hardest things as you recover, knowing what is 'too much' while you're doing it! Darn knees like to just surprise us with pain after the fact. Know that everyone has this is issue. You started a whole new exercise routine yesterday and you loved it. It will get easier as your knee gets stronger. I hope that your pain meds have kicked in. I wish there were something other than morphine that you could take though :-( I'm glad you're going to rest, relax and chantra the mantra today! It's a little before 11am here and I just took a shower and dried my hair (ahhhhhhh). Think I'm just going to putter around the house and clean a bit. Hope you're having a great day!!!! xoxoxo
 
Hiya apart from the knee I've had a reasonable day. I gave my daughters a bunch of flowers each to say thank you. They were so over the moon!!! My husband seems to be coming down with a cold or something! I went to the GP last week but he insisted I remain on morphine because of my resistance to Tramadol etc!!! He has suggested I reduce it when I feel better. Out of the question right now. You are right about the whole new exercise regime I've probably shocked all those muscles reminding them as to what they should be doing!! It's a minute past six in the evening. I'm hungry so I'm going downstairs on a fridge raid!!!! Chat in a bit. Lovely to her from you my friend xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :cheers:​
 
Hi everyone Just reading your posts and know how you feel. It is norman to cry and release during this time sometimes hard to handle all that is happening and the pain is unbearable. I am now in my 9th month. The pain is now almost forgotten and the tears are not coming as often but crying was a daily part of my life during the recovery which seemed to last forever. The expectations during pt for me made it seem like it would never get easier but it does. I was so lucky to have my husbands kind support he never judged always said the right thing when others always didn't and understood when I thought it would never get better.actually thought I was loosing it. I am happy now that I had my right knee replaced and it took a little while for me to feel this way. The common impression that many who have never been through this surgery was that a newly replaced knee would not be painful.

A member of my family actually said that there is no reason why it is painful how could it hurt when it is not your original knee metal does not have feelings. I found thqt people I knew neighours friends and fellow workers s tried to make me feel nice and showed concern for my situation. I tried not to complain but this was the worst pain I have ever experienced . I am scheduled to have my left knee replaced still and the details will be discussed in April with my surgeon. I have been reasonably comfortable over the last months and my knee is now not so much of my focus but wondering how the left knee will go well at least now I have an idea what will happen and not so worried. I wish you all lots of support and what you are dealing with is normal and know that you will find that things will get easier and your new knee will be your good friend. I didn't think I would ever say this but I now love this knee and know you will love yours too. Holly
 
@lavender , you're always so sweet in letting us know that 'it's not just us'! I'm sorry to hear you're in for another TKR but I bet that armed with all you know from your right, all the knowledge you've gained and having lived it before, that it won't be nearly as daunting as your 1st one! *fingers crossed!* Don't you just 'love' when non TKR people kind of look at us like we're big babies? I have many friends who just don't get it. They assumed that replace the knee with robotic parts and viola! All better. Even my best of friends are getting tired of me turning down invitations to do things. I know that things are getting better, but I don't get to pick the pace (darn it). Glad you're doing so well Holly!

NanaMoon! How was dinner? You sound SO good today! I'm so happy about that! I bet your daughters were thrilled with the flowers. How very sweet! Sorry to hear about your hubby feeling sick; hopefully it won't last long ('cause he needs to be better to take care of you!!) :whistle: I, like you, have admitted temporary defeat with trying to scale back on the pain meds. There is NO need for us to put ourselves through un-needed pain, so I've gone back to my full doses on days that my knee is acting up and know that in time, whenever that time is, I'll scale back. Until then, why not? ;-) Your knee will get used to the new exercises and I bet in a week's time, you'll look back and wonder why they seemed so hard. ;-) xxoxoxxo
 
Hi lavender it helps to hear how other people have got through the bad times, like you I have to have my left knee done maybe this year not sure yet, but at least know what to expect this time your all great on this forum so pleased I found it Terri
 
@lavender thanks for sharing your lovely post!!! You are so right people don't understand it. Even my GP said to me last week that he couldn't understand why I was in such bad pain although he appreciated that knees are worse than hips and proceeded to talk about me reducing my pain meds ha ha!!!! Even my husbands jaw fell open at that one.. I have likened the pain to that of childbirth - OMG it hurts but in time the memory fades. I actually said at my lowest point that the pain was worse than childbirth and wished I'd never had it done. However, yesterday I dropped something on the floor without thinking I bent both knees and picked it up and realised wow it's been a long time since I could do that!!! Good luck with your other TKR. You are right when you say about no one prepares you for the pain after surgery! However, because y have the experience of the first one it may equip you better for dealing with the second, fingers crossed x x x

I have to say my husband praised me tonight saying how well he thought I was doing despite having such a bad day pain wise. I was really surprised and I thanked him for that.

@DogLoverx3 yes I enjoyed my food. Didn't eat much again but as I said before that will not hurt me! I have had a good day today despite the Cruella De Ville knee! Like you I've increased my pain meds back again and my GP can moan all he likes!!! I am going to put a movie on and hope to fall asleep x x x I'm definitely in a better place mentally again. I think I hit a real low the other night and the only way left was up. I don't know if I told you or not but I had to wake my husband up at 130 am this morning, my leg and knee had set in a funny list ion and I couldn't move it I was howling in pain when I woke up. Any way he came to my rescue thank goodness and sorted it out. That was a real ouch moment:( anyway night night lets hope for some quality sleep. If not I'll be chatting later. Hope you had a good day too my friend xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
 
I'm so glad your husband was there to help you the other night. I've had those times where my knee would get 'stuck' in a painful position and I had to sort it out myself and then go get my own ice pack. :-( I'm so glad your mood is improving. Really though, you're right. I think we all get to such a low point at some time or other in this process that the only way to move is up! I also think you're pretty close (maybe another 2 weeks) to really turning a corner. I bet sleep will start to come easier *fingers crossed* and things will just be not so gosh darn hard. You have a wonderful support team in your family behind you, so I'm very glad for that. I hope you were able to drift off to sleep.......... xoxoxox
 
Hi Ellen, Terri, and Nana Moon nice to receive your posts and thankyou for your kind words. I think one of the most important part during the recovery of this major surgery is kindness and support. I have had lots of this in my home but was surprised at the amount of negative comments some actually from people that are supposed to love or be close to you. I My surgeon was very supportive of me was concerned about the amoun of pain and need for refills but always very supportive. He met me one day while at an appointment for massage in his medical building and sat with me even though the appointment was not with him he took the time to sit with me and talk. He expressed his concern for the methods that pt use and how no one should ever make you feel uncomfortable never feel like you are doing less then you should and never let anyone make you feel like you are letting them down not doing well enough. I think t most important people during my recovery was the surgeon who did my replacement and my family doctor wo was concerned he assists in this type of surgery and was veryc aring as he knew what was involved talked to me and said I was doing great with how I was handlling it. Most of all my husband who is the most wonderful of all. He was ran ragged back and forth to the hospital taking care of the house and just making sure that I was taken care of. My Mom was the one that I thought would be a good resource for information as she had her second replacement 2 months before me and my husband and I took her to her appointments and waited for her after surgery. I was helping to get her back and forth as my Dad died in a home 1 hour away so we spent a lot of time together each day. She willnot accept this as major surgery and thought that I was over reacting and just coundnt talk about it will never understand why she was this way. My Dad died two jweeks before my surgery and I had a difficult time dealing with this and told myself that he would take care of me believe he was with me through my surgery. I did not get my full flex the expected bend is around 90 degrees as there was so much damamged before surgery the bend is anticipated for the left knee to be about the same but the pain level is so much lower now. I wish you all comfort hoping that your recovery will get easier and hoping that you have lots of support. Oh I forgot to mention my second youngest brother who is also amazing so caring and supportive and helped my husband so much and he and his family made sure that they visited and phoned and made us feel like it mattered. I also am very thankful to bonesmart and all of the wonderful people who kept telling me it would be ok this happened during my third week of recovery and wish that I new about this wonderful place earlier. I have made so many wonderful kind friends here and will add all of you to my list of wonderful people. Thanks so much and have a great week Holly
 
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