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Christmas emotional roller coaster

Posted , 12 users are following.

Soobeedoo
Soobeedoo

Is this odd..... Not sure how an op on your knee pulls strings on your emotions .  It's been quite a busy christmas but I find then when I get to a certain part of the day I want to withdraw and sleep when I can't do this eg at family gatherings, concerts,  out and about, I get , (not to be over dramatic). almost panicky and tearful. I was quite tearful on Christmas Day torn between being with my gorgeous family and wanting to be rolled up in my duvet. I did receive a few knocks from my great nephews very excited jumping around.

My sleep is  one or two hours at night and two or three in the day time. The deep ache pain has subsided mainly soreness in the wound and joint now. 

Usually I am a very upbeat person. I did have another major op in August too of excess skin removal in Abs area due to weight loss.

i am a bit worried has anyone else had anything like this

2 likes, 95 replies

95 Replies

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  • EileenH
    EileenH Soobeedoo

    Posted

    If it is any consolation it isn't just this op - I had a c-section just before Christmas 32 years ago and had major knee surgery after an accident at Christmas 20 years ago and still find Christmas with other people can be very hard work.  I've also had totally torn knee ligaments 3 years ago having had an autoimmune rheumatism for several years - my confidence was zero for months. It does come back before you think I am being absolute gloom and doom though!

    If you aren't sleeping properly that alone is enough to do it but the fear of falling or being knocked is permanently at the back of your mind, even if you aren't aware of it. 

    I'd say for what - 5 weeks post op? - you are doing very well. It is a massive insult to your body. Give it time.

    • jean95756
      jean95756 EileenH

      Posted

      So true Eileen

      my Granddaughter had a C section just before Xmas and she's really down 

      plus the baby is one that is awake all night

       

    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 jean95756

      Posted

      I've got an idea , Jean.  Baby awake all night.  Jean awake all night.

      What do you think?  Up for some babysitting?!

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder lynn08926

      Posted

      Haha good idea! 

      No babies around here but I've read 17 books in 7 weeks of sleepless nights! smile 

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder lynn08926

      Posted

      Haha good idea! 

      No babies around here but I've read 17 books in 7 weeks of sleepless nights! smile 

    • jean95756
      jean95756 lynn08926

      Posted

      Great idea Lynn

      I think ...lol 

       but..... How do you walk round with a crying baby in your arms and crutches?? biggrin

      maybe tie her to my back like red indians did and walk up and down all night 

    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 jean95756

      Posted

      Yep.  But could you please call them Native Americans?  PC and all that😊😊
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 suzidownunder

      Posted

      Well done.  At your stage, I had the attention span of a knat!

      Lynn 26.5 weeks post op (and knee number 2 on the horizon).

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder lynn08926

      Posted

      Haha Lynn - gave me a laugh! 

      Oh well off to bed for another night of James patterson. ........wink 

    • Tucks
      Tucks suzidownunder

      Posted

      Hey forget James Patterson try Peter James, brilliant ,won't make your pain go away but it won't be as bad. Trust me 
    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder Tucks

      Posted

      Downloaded 13 Peter James. Ebooks 

      just started 'Alchemist'! 

  • Tucks
    Tucks Soobeedoo

    Posted

    Oh dear I'm afraid you are experiencing what we all do, I am still like this after 5months. Depression, tears, anxiety, can't concentrate on telly or a book. Just want to be on my own and warm. And this is so not like me, family gatherings and any type of loudness makes me want to roll up in a ball, if I could.still getting pain but can walk ok, bit off balance but no sticks. Confidence has taken a huge step backward, and quite honestly don't think I will ever be the same. Sorry cant tell you what I think you want to hear, but its a long,long,road. Wish you well my freind 
    • Soobeedoo
      Soobeedoo Tucks

      Posted

      I wish I knew why it effected the emotions so much.
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 Soobeedoo

      Posted

      If you ever work it out, please pass it on to me.....

      Personally, I found the mental affect more difficult to deal with than the physical.  I can only think that the op has such a traumatic affect on our bodies.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Soobeedoo

      Posted

      It's well known that orthopaedic surgery after an accident causes something very similar to PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). It isn't just something that happens to people who have been in disastrous accidents, war and so on. The operation is a massive insult to you physically, it involves massive changes at the time which you have to adjust to and if it doesn't then go the way you expected or were encouraged to expect then that shakes you a lot. It is the same with many sorts of illness or surgery - it doesn't matter that to the doctors it is an every day routine op. It jolly well isn't for you! And as I said before - lack of sleep can cause awful repercussions on its own. Add the pain you have and it makes it all worse. Depression is common post-surgery - and even if you are not clinically depressed there are little bits that impinge on your life: poor sleep makes you tired and there is the fatigue from the surgery as well. Everyone expects you to be all chirpy now you have your new knee and - well, it's a month since you got home so you must be fine now!

      And as one of you said - all your immune system has rushed to the operation site to sort it out and is rushing around like a mad thing. One of the things that is common to all autoimmune illness is fatigue - and it is because your immune system is not working properly. No different after surgery. Your body is making loads of cortisol from the stress and that has upset the finely tuned set up of the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands - and your poor body is at the centre of it all. That's why it wants to roll up in a ball and hide.

      But it will improve - it takes time though.

    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks for this, Eileen.

      Why oh why don't our surgeons prepare us for this?

    • Soobeedoo
      Soobeedoo EileenH

      Posted

      That's brilliant thank you Eileen  very helpful. My surgeon told me it would hurt. In fact as he was going around the pre assesment clinic it's the first thing he said to me.i said can't more than it does now. And he said "well......."

      apparently he had to dig around a bit more than normal and shave off a lot of boney spurs. My TKR was a result of carrying twice body weight, (gone now) being hit by a car and knocked around by 2massive pigs (long story )

       . There was no alternative, like most of us we wouldn't choose to have it done if there was another way.

      I don't think anyone warned me of the emotional wipeout but I guess they don't want you to live on a self fulfilled prophecy.

      physios are quite tough but they could do with maybe a counsellor on the team.

      but when you know what is happening to your body, hormones, etc it helps.

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH Soobeedoo

      Posted

      To be honest I don't think many surgeons think about it. They have a job to do, they do it and then hand you over to the other healthcare experts. It is well known that specialist nurses are far more down to earth and think about the post-op effect but they often don't have time to spend with the patient. Other people - even healthcare professionals - see it as something done to "make you better" and until they have been on our side of the sheets haven't a clue what it is all about. Believe me, once a medical professional has been there they can be totally different in attitude! 

      If I had said to you in the weeks before the op that you would feel like this - would you have listened? Or would you have left in the huff cursing that miserable old woman with her tales of doom and gloom? It is a very different thing having an accident and being faced with surgery to glue your leg back together. Having a TKR does have an element of choice very often and most people know about a friend who has had a hip replacement and was back to normal after a few weeks - what no one tells you is that knees aren't hips!

       

    • Soobeedoo
      Soobeedoo EileenH

      Posted

      Maybe they should give you a list of resources like this forum. This forum has been invaluable to me. When I can't sleep there is someone like Caz on the other side of the world to talk and seek comfort or just to know you're not the only one.

      and today I feel so much better talking over my christmas

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH Soobeedoo

      Posted

      Yes - I think the international aspect of this forum is very useful. My home forum has people all over the place plus a load of night owls and there is often someone about.

      A support group for my rheumatism has produced a DVD to explain to family and friends how it affects us - if someone could do that for joint replacements it would be wonderful. Our has doctors, physios and patients all explaining stuff. GPs have learnt a lot!

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