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Thinking I should join the Depression forum!

Posted , 15 users are following.

Lindyblue
Lindyblue

Almost 6 weeks post TKR surgery, and all I can do the last 2 days is cry!

I thought this has almost stopped, and bam! back it came!

Mind you my sleep has been lousy too - I rotate in bed like a roasting chicken, then trot (quiet not so tippy toed as I'd like) into the loungeroom, kind of get comfortable on the couch, only to then get up, get a drink, back to bed, back to the lounge, etc. Its a terrible vicious circle. Maybe lack of sleep isn't helping the tears. Starting to feel like a real oldie (I'm 56 feeling more like 96) (my aplogies to anyone who IS 96) ... watching movies doesn't help - people running around, in wonderful countries, dancing and singing all over the place only makes me more miserable! So I watch the news. Well that's a bad move too! Ok so my usual humour does poke through occasionally, but I think you get the message. I'm MISERABLE like this!!!

0 likes, 35 replies

35 Replies

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  • veronica91735
    veronica91735 Lindyblue

    Posted

    When you get down - think of me & all the others in that percentage that goes wrong!! I am waiting for a revision, after my misaligned TKR Oct 21st last year. I have decided to stop wasting time crying over it - it's more aging than the lack of sleep!! One day - hopefully before 2015, this will be behind us all!
    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue veronica91735

      Posted

      Do many go wrong Veronica? I hadn't crossed paths with many that have. Not that I've crossed paths with many who have had it done either other than on here. Yes, I should consider myself lucky. So far, so good in that department.

      I wish you well and hope your miseries improve really quickly for you. smile

  • sueoz
    sueoz Lindyblue

    Posted

    Cheer up,  I have had both knees done in the last 16 weeks.  Second one is 7 weeks post op.  I am already cycling 6 klms each day and bend and straight  is top notch.  I am telling you this because today I had a bad day from standing too long in one spot, and burst into tears feeling sorry for myself.  I should mention that I have had two major eye ops. In the last 5 months, the last one four days ago.   The only way I can deal with it is to tell myself that I will be better in the near future, and there are so many poor souls for whom it is all downhill from now on.   I take my full meds at night, plus a sleeping tablet.  Probably too much but I do get at least 5/7 hours sleep, only broken by a loo dash.   Chin up, and make sure you are loaded up with wine and chocolate.   Best wishes   Sue S 
    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue sueoz

      Posted

      Hi Sueoz ... I'm off all my meds now, and really don't think I want anymore because I'm not really in pain ... stiff yes, but pain no. Just the other dramas - yesterday I thought I needed to join the Depression forum, today I think I need to join the Insomnia forum. Someone said they've been feeling bipolar, and I thought 'YES! That's ME TOO!" lol ... *shrug* thinking wine and chocolate sounds the best!

      Cheers!

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 Lindyblue

    Posted

    I had TKR 3 years ago. The stage you are at is roughly when I began to have problems with sleeping. It was not as bad as you are describing, but still a problem.

    Allow yourself to feel low sometimes, it happens to all of us.

    It is a long hard road recovering trom TKR but it does get better I promise you. I am here for you if you need me.

    Take care and keep in touch

    Praying for you

    Love Sarah xxx

    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue sarah87162

      Posted

      Sarah, just a question. Do you know i that stage might have related to you finishing all your post surgery pain meds? I'm thinking that might have something to do with the insomnia ... maybe ... maybe not ... *sigh*

      Cheers!

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 Lindyblue

    Posted

    By any chance are you going at this same pace during the day? Sounds you are wound up from the days activities and the brain just continues ripping along, dragging the body along with it, making the weakest parts suffer the most. I always have said, next to sex, my recliner is my greatest form of relaxation and comfort. The pain meds, ice bag, recliner in the middle of the night is great but adding a big dish of rich vanilla ice cream and large ladle of hot fudge sauce with generous portion of toasted pecans makes anxiety and depression disappear. In the last few years of leg problems I have spent more time with the recliner than I did with my kids when they were growing up. It was always the same routine, go to bed and sleep for a couple hours, the wake up and get up, head for the recliner, start the routine, finally get back to sleep, wake up in a to2 hours, go back to bed for awhile, back up for pain meds and then the sun would slowly begin it's assent. My wife use to to find articles about sleep interruption, sleep problems, problem sleepers and their habits and on and on. Finally I told her that all the information was good but the one common thread, not a Damn one of them had gone through one single knee surgery. Reading material ceased. Keep the ability to laugh and make others smile. More help than LOUSY do it yourself self improvement projects.
    • pam1313
      pam1313 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Relaxation and comfort.......I've no recliner......and sex?.......I'm beginning to wonder (as is my hubby!) if I'll ever get my leg over ever again......either my good one or the operated one lol! So I think I'll just have to turn to drink.

      You so make me smile - everything you say is so comforting and yet you haven't had much comfort yourself. When I'm feeling a bit low I'm going to instantly think of you and your truly positive attitude. Most of us have suffered nothing compared to your journey........and still you take the time to come on this forum and offer guidance to all of us. I do hope your recovery is progressing successfully.

      You are one of a kind! 

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 pam1313

      Posted

      Thanks so much. Once again recovery is pretty much the same same old same old no matter the # of times you've been through it. I'm keeping pain levels under control to a liveable level. I have this immobilizer on that really controls the amount of rehab I can do as far as bend is confer 23rd so I work on straight which is very good , weight bearing which is restricted to 50 % and strength which I am able to do 3 sets of 15 leg lifts. Big area of pain is in the calf and shin. I guess the pressure from the band that held my leg down in surgery must have squeezed it very tight but not to the point of any black and blue or visable injury. I get one hour of physical therapy and close to an hour of occupational therapy daily except for yesterday, which was a national holiday. It was good thinking by our founding fathers 239 years ago to know I would be needing freedom from therapy. Short sightedness on their part was just to boot an unfriendly king and his red coated army.
    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      As it happens OFG, yes I do going full on all day, and yes, you're right ... my brain just refuses to turn off at night!!

      And the routine you describe (minus the ice cream, fudge and pecans) is just like mine - into bed, outta bed, onto the couch, back to bed (maybe) onto the couch again, and so it goes.

      Think I'll invest in some ice cream, fudge and pecans - especially since the rest of my appetite has gone to the sh*t, I might as well indulge in the stuff I do love! hahahaha

    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue pam1313

      Posted

      I've no recliner either, and no sex either, others have suggested icecream, fudge, chocolate, wine, and other yummy treats - I think I'll have to give those a try. At least if I don't sleep I'll be happy in the tummy!
    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 Lindyblue

      Posted

      How about a hammock and a ........nah, I won't get that personal😍
  • NewKneeGal
    NewKneeGal Lindyblue

    Posted

    Lindy,

    Wow!  I've been a member of this website/forum for about 3 minutes.  I read your post and was convinced I wrote it myself in my sleep.  If I slept, that is...

    I'm right there with you.  I'm 44, had my TKR on 04/11/2015 and then MUA on 05/11/2015.  Prior to that, my 11-yr-old daughter and I were the two halves of a non-stop whirlwind, always going here and there and finding some adventure [while my poor hubby runs our business to pay for our adventures].  Decided to go ahead with TKR in April, the very next day after a stream of activities wound down, so I'd be back up to 100% by he time Cori's summer school break came around.  Ha.

    Today's been a mediocre day for me.  Most days I wake up with a fairly positive attitude, qhich quickly changes when my "to do" list for the day stalls after crossing off only one item due to knee pain or fatigue or just a general change of mood.  (I swear the doctors injected me with mood swing stuff during my TKR.  I've felt totally bipolar since the surgery.)  Amazing how fixated you become on people's legs/knees, huh?  People on tv dance, people out and about locally wak around without limping, etc.Every day I want to get back out and experience the world and live my life, but within minutes fall into that funk and don't wanna leave the house.  Yes, quite the vicious circle, but I unfortunately think it kinda goes along with the surgery AND our ages.  If either of us was over 70 years old, most likely sitting around watching tv all day or folding one load of laundry and callin' it a day would be satisfaction.  But for thse of us under that age, we're just used to doing more, I think, so the post-surgery time hits us harder.

    Am sure some of what I've written makes perfect sense to you.  Don't think any of it is actually helpful, aside from letting you know that you're not alone in your thoughts.  Am trying to keep my chin up and hope it will soon pass.  smile

    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue NewKneeGal

      Posted

      Hi hon! As I read, I got teary thinking 'yep, she understands!' and then found myself laughing at your comment about feeling bipolar! My eyes lit up because, don't think I haven't thought I'd suddenly become bipolar, hadn't crossed my mind! Now I really am laughing at us both!

      And the two parts of the whirlwind - yep my granddaughter Miss 11 going on 20 is us too! 

      And the hubby running the business so we can embark on more adventures which of course includes shopping expeditions? Yep that's us too!

      Yippeeeee, either we're both bipolar, or both suffering post surgery shenanigans.  I'll opt for the latter!

      Anyway, hon, like me, I'm sure you're hanging in there ... feel free to chat again and keep in touch ... in the meantime, I think I'll cheer myself up and plan our next holiday - but then thats depressing too with whats going on all over the world now. (No I will NOT let that bring me down!) ... I'm in Victoria, Australia - where are you?

    • NewKneeGal
      NewKneeGal Lindyblue

      Posted

      We're way over here in Florida, USA!

      Will definitely keep in touch!

    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue NewKneeGal

      Posted

      Hey there NKG ... how's you day going?

      I got sleep last night!!! Was ready to knock my head up against a wall just so I could pass out and sleep for a while, but .... it finally happened, almost like an elusive orgasm ... only better!!! I got to sleep!!!

      Went to bed, got up again, tossed hubby out to the loungeroom, went back to bed, tossed and turned, and around 2am (was just before that that I checked the time) I was out ... and didn't wake again until 10am! Looked out the window and the sun was shining, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Winter really does make it easy to feel gloomy but when the winter sun shines, its just beautiful. The birds were twittering and I thought, Spring must be on its way ... (even though it won't be here for quite some time, lol) ...

      Anyway, have never been to the US, would love to visit one day ... thats on my 'to do' list when I get over this knee thing!

      Cheers,

      Lindy

    • martinarvelo
      martinarvelo NewKneeGal

      Posted

      Hang on a minute!!! I'm over seventy, and believe me, life was not all watching t/v or folding the laundry before TKR! (LOL) and certainly not after either!   I was trying to work out how you could possibly have had TKR in November 2015 when I realised that in the States you write dates the other way round from us here in europe!  So, it was April/May!  Well, fairly early days yet, and unfortunately, it does take an age.  I'm now six months post TKR and most days I would say that the knee is no longer my major preoccupation in life.  In fact, I often forget about it completely.  Still remember it when going down stairs, as it still hurts a bit. . . There are things I know I won't be able to do again, and that is sad . .no more riding horses, hiking, running. . . .but there is still swimming, walking, enjoying our wonderful beaches here in Tenerife, teaching Spanish on Skype  . . life has lots of good things to do so I try to keep upbeat.  I'm sure you'll find that as the weeks pass, the depression etc. wille ease and hopefully even sleep will return (although I'm still waiting for that magical moment)
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