Sleep Quality Tracker started by Antibenzo7

Hi everyone,

Knee replacement surgery is not for sissies, as my aunt used to say. I think it was a phrase from Rodney Dangerfield about growing old.

Anyway, I don't know what I expected, but this was worse. lol

I am up and about, more or less. My post surgery sleep has gone away, but I am napping, which the ortho surgeon discourages so we can sleep at night. That's all good and well if it worked, but if I force myself to stay awake all day, I still am awake all night. I do recall a dream or two, so I have dozed off, but I need much more than a doze or two during the night, for recovery after surgery.

PT came yesterday and so we have a plan set in place. I do notice some improvements today and each and every day little things are  noticeable. The going is slow, but at least I am progressing. The therapist returns tomorrow. 

TS, I am sorry you have sore throat. That is good news you slept so very well the night before!

5-6 is not doable, but 9 is what we all want and need. 

Hopefully your sore throat is on the mend.

NG

Hi nightengale,

Glad to see you back on here. Knee surgery is nothing to think lightly about. You made it through, it's just been 1 week, so it's early days yet. To see small improvements each day is great! The PT is going to help a lot, I'm sure.

Sorry your sleep is down the drain at the moment. Taking a nap is ok right now; you need all the rest you can get.

Stay positive, I know you'll make it!

My throat is fine again. Getting lower on Diazepam brings with it, that my sleep is getting shorter and lighter.

Yesterday there was another milestone: I got to the 1 mg point! So tonight it's below 1 mg. Yay!  Can't wait to be off this stuff, but I have to remain patient. Hopefully I can finish this taper end of June.

Picked up my new orthopedic inlays today.  They feel really awkward. Will have get to get used to them.

Hi Rodolfo, sorry your sleep was this bad again. Ugh, horrible. But there’s always tonight. This night might be a 9 again. You had those nights before,  so they're still there!

Wishing everyone a good day and better nights!

TS

I got about 5 hours (total) last night, but it was broken up.

Slept from midnight to 3AM.

Then again from 7AM to 9AM

I am grateful for that, but I would prefer a straight 5 hours instead of the two segments.

Good morning,

TS first of all congratulations on reaching that very important milestone! That's cause for a celebration! I am so proud of you. Look how far you have come. I wish you continued success to finish the taper in June!!

Those orthopedic inlays sound like a challenge to get used to. Hopefully in a week or so this will be but a memory.

Antibenzo, sleep is something we are so happy to get. I think you did quite well with the midnight to 3 and then 7 to 9. Hang in there.

Rodolpho hopefully last night was better.  I feel for you.

As for me, what can I say. Sleep was gone last night. I was tearful before bed. Not sure why, but there it was. 

I had napped briefly right after we ate and so the 30 minutes was it for the night.  Good grief.

As the night went on, I started to feel nauseated. Eventually that went away. 

Today will hopefully be better.

I am finding that I can get somewhat comfortable in bed at night with out a lot of pain, so that's a step forward. 

Take care everyone.

NG

Hi nightengale,

Thank you so much for your kind words! So very sweet of you!

Sorry your sleep is so poorly again. Sleep as a big thing in our recovery. I sincerely hope you're going to get more and deeper sleep asap.  So glad the nauseau went away later on. That's a good thing, you getting more comfortable in bed.

Maybe tonight is going to be  better. As with most things, we had to take it one day at a time.

Rodolfo and AntiBenzo; I wish you better sleep too! Keep on hoping.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

TS

Hello nightingale,

I hope your days are getting better. How's your knee doing after the surgery? and are you able to walk? Is the PT working?

I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Stay strong. You can do this! 

TS

Hi TS, I apologize for not responding sooner. My knee keeps slowly improving  on my 15th day of post surgery recovery.  Sometimes I use a cane, sometimes I use a walker, and sometimes I am on my own two feet.  The therapist suggested I use the walker or the cane when I am doing my walks, as I limp walking on my own. The limping will eventually go away.  I still have a lot of healing left, but I'm getting there.

The therapist wants me up and doing the exercises seven days a week. I know he means well, but I get tired and I hurt, and sometimes, I just need a break. 

I wish this would all go more quickly, but at least it is going, I suppose. 

My sleep has changed, which may be good that I am out of the old post benzo cycle. I don't go to sleep initially and when I do, I dream. Then I am wake and then I drift off and dream some more. The dreams are always pleasant.  I will drop off to sleep throughout the night.  Today when I tried napping, sleep would not come, so I assume I slept enough last night.

We had a snow storm again two nights ago. I am inside, so it was pleasant just watching the large, white snowflakes drifting down from the sky. The sun is out today and the snow is melting away. Spring storms are short lived.

I hope you are doing well. Let me know how you have been doing.

NG

Hi Rodolfo,

That's not bad!

Hi nightengale,

Just lost a long(ish) post! I'll be back tomorrow.

TS

TS, when I lose a post, it is incredibly frustrating to try to remember what I wrote. Sometimes I highlight what I have typed and press ctrl C every line or two. 

Yesterday I went for my two week follow up and it went okay.  I did not see the surgeon, but his assistant. I am cleared to drive when I can go four hours without any pain medication before I get behind the wheel. I can go four hours mostly now, but will wait until next week before I venture out. The problem is standing, like at the grocery store to check out.  So far, the pain is too much to even attempt that.  Grocery stores have the motorized carts, so I could climb on one of those. I'll think about that some more.

When I asked the physician's assistant about my knee cap with no feeling, he snapped at me and said that numbness is mentioned at least three times and highlighted in the folder I was given on my first visit.  I hadn't thought about the no feeling as numbness when the words came out of my mouth. ha

The guy was running late and did apologize to me several times for his lateness, so I'll get over his shortness with me.

After the snowstorm yesterday/last night, the sun is shining.

How have you been doing?

NG

Hi nightengale,

Thanks you for posting. It's always nice to hear from you!

I'm happy you're allowed to drive again; It makes life a lot easier. Wise of you, to give it a few more days before hitting the road again.

Wisdom comes with age -  not getting angry at the assistent for barking at you, is a great example of that. Well done.

I had my first PT session yesterday. Mostly intake, followed by a physical exam. I was given a exercise to do every second day. I have a follow-up appointment planned for next Friday.

Most days I go for a walk in the morning, a bike ride in the afternoon,  followed by a shorter walk in the evening. My new inlays are starting to feel better on my feet. But the pain and moss-like feelings are still there.

Down to 0,8 mg Diazepam later this week! Hooray!

We had lovely weather for a few days,  but colder weather will be back from tomorrow...

Good luck with your recovery and sleep tight!

TS.

Congratulations, Rodolfo!  🤩👍

I was sleeping quite well.

Tonight it's 3:30am and I have woken up after one hour of sleep. Hello insomnia again...

Hi Rodolfo,

Tonight is going to be much better again. Trust in it!

Sleep tight!

Mine was an 8 or 9 last night. YAY!  The night before that was a 5...What can you do..?

TS

Hi TS, so good to see you are sleeping so much better!

Eight or nine hours are phenomenal!! 

Your daily exercise sounds is something to talk about!! The new inlays sound good. Hopefully the mossy feeling goes away.

congratulations on getting down to 0.8mgs of diazepam later this week! You really are getting there.

I'm in kind of a slump with my knee. Last night I tried a new muscle relaxant that seemed to make the spasms worse and did me in minus the sleep.  Oh well, I gave it a try.

My knee bend is going quite well, so I do have that to feel quite okay about.  The rest will follow along and perhaps with the in facility therapy 2X a week, things will pick up.

Rodolpho sorry about the returning insomnia. It does seem to be getting better overall.  Hang in there.

NG

I was sleeping quite well.

Tonight it's 3:30am and I have woken up after one hour of sleep. Hello insomnia again...

I have these types of sleep episodes too Rodolfo. Hang in there!

Hi everyone,

Hope you slept well!

Last night wasn't a good night: slept some 5 hours. Woke up with short, sharp pains just below my left inside ankle. Some snozing until I got up at 7 am.

Let's hope tonight 's sleep is going to be better.

TS

Hi TS, hope last night was a better one sleep and pain wise.  The five hours was not too bad. 

Hopefully Rodolpho had a better night. 

I am finished taking the pain meds, so my sleep is gone. I am guessing it will take another night or two for it to begin to come back. 

I've crashed and burned for lack of a better term.

Today I will just take it easy and not do so much knee therapy.

NG

Wow! You da man , Rodolfo! 😴😴😴

Mine was really good as well.

Have a great weekend!

TS

Rodolfo, congratulations! You are definitely headed in the right direction! Enjoy the weekend!

NG

Hi,

Slept some 7 hours last night!

Ts

Hi all,

Not much going on around here! Everyone's asleep, I guess.  😉

I hope you're all doing a bit better today.

My sleep pattern changed slightly recently, but I surely can't complain. Some 7 or 8 hours per night! And some 5 or 6 of those  deep sleep.

Hi nightengale,

How've you been this past week? I hope you're out and about a bit more. How's the pain? And sleep?

Would love to hear from you.

Take care everyone!

TS