!!NO More Ambien since I quit it 1.1.12 - YAY!!

Tuesday         'Here Comes the Sun' - The Beatles  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxzEeKfpyIg
1.10.12          Slept 6 Hours, midnight to 6am, one more hour than the 9th!

8:00 AM Meal  Oatmeal, Banana, Raspberries, Walnuts, & Skim Milk.
9:15 2ndBkfst Whole Wheat Toast, Butter, Jelly, and 1/2 c Coffee & Cream
1:30 Lunch     Herb Crusted Tilapia, Green Beans w/red onion, red bell pepper, & slivered almonds,
                    1 c Blackberries/Raspberries & 1/2 c cream
4:45pm          Cauliflower Casserole, Chicken, 1/2 c Chex Mix, 1 Vodka/Grapefruit Juice, Hershey
                    Bar, skim milk'
6:30              Roasted Butternut Squash w/pecans,apples,cherries, onion, sweet red and yellow Bell peppers, olive oil, real maple
                    syrup, salt and pepper

6am -             Pain 4
7am - 8:00     Trekked downstairs with my gear.  Organized my PT space for the morning slot. Made Breakfast,
                    cleaned up kitchen.
8am - 9:10     Chair Time
9:15 -9:30      Made 2nd Breakfast
9:30 -10:30    Chair Time     
10:30 -11:15  Clean up, , made my Hospital bed, getting ready for the day
(4Hrs, 15m)

11:15-1:30     Bed Rest, Pain7, Heating Pads on Hips for an hour.
(2Hrs, 15m)

1:30 - 3pm     Chair Time
(1 1/2Hrs)

3pm - 4:10     Bed Rest
(1 Hr, 10m)

4:15 - 4:30     Walked my Hubs & Dog for 1/2 mile, Hips' Pain 5, Both Knees' Pain 8
4:30 - 6:30     Made Dinner & Chair Time, 5:10pm Iced Hips
(2Hrs)

I was out of the hospital bed for TEN HOURS TODAY, and I WALKED MY DOG 1/2 MILE!

Good for you 2fer...do you need to taper off Ambien or can you just stop it altogether? Just curious.

Like both of your healthy breakfast choices this morning!! :) I did oatmeal but topped it off with bacon and toast. Opps on the bacon....but it tastes soooo good.

Luanna

Thanks, Luanna.  You don't need to taper Ambien.  Although there are No side effects upon cessation, you will not be able to sleep for approximately a week. 

Instead, I'm taking a 5mg Valium at night for sleep and it helps with muscle spasms enormously.  Valium is a funny little drug, so many benefits and no side effects like constipation, nausea, etc., and it gives you a very pleasant night's sleep.  However, if you take more than one Valium a day for even 2 two weeks straight, the withdrawal is much worse than narcotics and makes you very sick indeed.  Valium will be the next drug to go off my menu, even before the month's end.

Funny we are both on a 2 breakfast kick this morning.  Ever since 'Lord of the Rings', Hubs has teased me about having "second breakfast".  We must have a little hobbit in us!

Whadda ya' mean, 'Oops on the bacon?'  You lose the most weight and gain the most health benefits, even better muscle tone, when you have 'real' food splurges.  Look at the farmers of a generation back:  both grandmas on Hubs' side were farm women who lived a vigorous life, full of vitality, right up to 105 and 103!

Have a Great Day!
2fer

Wednesday 1.10.12
165 1/2 lbs    Time to rein in the cream and sweets a touch.
 
                      Slept 8 Hours!!!  1:30am - 9:30am
     
                      For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.  ~Lily Tomlin

9:30 AM Meal  Oatmeal, Banana, Walnuts, & Skim Milk.
11am2ndBkfst Bacon 2 slices, Ruby Red Grapefruit, & Detox Tea
1:30 Lunch      Ice cream Drumsticks 3
3:00 Snack      Roasted Butternut Squash w/pecans,apples,cherries, onion,
                      sweet red and yellow Bell peppers, olive oil, real maple syrup,
                      salt and pepper
5:20               Ruby Red Grapefruit
7:15               Toast w/butter & grape jelly, skim milk
12:30am         Plain Organic yogurt, raspberries, pecans, 2 TBSP sugar
                       
                   
9:30 AM            Pain 4
- 11:30             Trekked downstairs with my gear.  Organized my PT space for the
                        morning slot.  Made Breakfast, cleaned up kitchen.  Chair Time.  Made 2nd Breakfast.   Chair Time.
                        Clean up, , made my Hospital bed, getting ready for the day

11:30 - 4:10      Bed Rest
4:30pm             Walked my Hubs & Dog for a 1/2 mile, Pain 5 when I got home
7:30                  Iced
8pm                  Hips Pain 5, Knees 6

                        Went up Seven Flights of Stairs!

2-4;

Wow, nice snack!  Congrats on the 8 hours of sleep, getting sleep once I settled down a few weeks after surgery was hugely helpful.  Once the swelling was gone, and the urgent (and I mean urgent) need to offload the swelling byproduct liquid in the middle of the night subsided, sleep was much, much easier.

How's your swelling?

Best regards,

Dan

Congrats on the 8 hours!

The only thing I can compare it to is when my firstborn finally slept through the night. I had such a great feeling of actually having deeply slept after all of that OA insomnia.

Hi Dan,

Nice of you to drop by!

Hubs was freaking when I was running to the bathroom every 5 or 10 minutes and kept asking me to drink less water!  Poor guy was not prepared at all for the sleep deprivation of that 1st week especially.  Once the RN, PT, and OT convinced him I HAD to drink all the water and flush out the fluids from all the swelling, Hubs was cool. 

By New Years' Day, I lost the twelve pounds of water weight and all the swelling I'd gained in the hospital.  I was so swollen bilaterally that my legs were like elephant trunks, straight up and down, and I had no visible knees!  My feet looked like humongous gravy boats. and the only shoes that fit were Halfinger's slip on flats. http://www.zappos.com/haflinger-lc-kodiak-black  I had no ankles either; I kid you not, from my hips to my feet were like two big sausages bulging at the casings!

After that, pain kept me from falling asleep, and it woke me from my slumber when I heard myself crying in my sleep.  That alarmed the dog into his patented 21 bark salute and that in turn led to Hubs' inventing some new curse phrases.  Until last night, my typical nights sleep pattern was down by midnight or thereabouts, wake up crying at 2am & finally getting the drug relief necessary to fall asleep again until 4am, and then getting up at 5 or 6am.

Over the past couple of days, my muscle spasms, knee pains, and recovery kisses have  noticeably started to lessen dramatically, and sleep may start to come easier and easier.

Thanks, Dan.  How is your sleep now?  How long did it take before you stopped putting the house in an uproar with your nighttime excursions?

2fer

Hey There, hernanu,

QuoteThe only thing I can compare it to is when my firstborn finally slept through the night. I had such a great feeling of actually having deeply slept after all of that OA insomnia.

All during my 2 plus years pre op, I had no comparison because my sleep was equally truncated to 3 or 4 hours every night, and for different and a little less severe pain reasons, my post op sleep was about the same.

hernanu, when did you start sleeping soundly after your resurfacing?

Thanks,
2fer

Having no control over my body, a body that had until '09 blessed me with robust vitality, has forced me inward and to search for my own new truth.  I always had thought I was an introspective, self aware person, but I had no idea, no preparation, of how to be when my body's pleasures were gone and replaced by immobility. 

That's what we all face ultimately, our body breaks down and tell us when it's time for the game to be over.  I had always hoped it would be by degrees, a stately decline, and then passing on with equanimity and a readiness for a peaceful cessation of life.  I've come to realize that, more often than not, it's a bit more rude and abrupt than that - pain, fear, dependence, illness, and with little or no control over my physical being.

Yet my spirit still speaks to me of freedom.  My opinion is that we can control so much, especially and even when control seems out of the question. 

By great good fortune, my bilateral surgery is obviously a complete success to me now.  I can now walk freely a half a mile a day, I can now drive, and I'm getting so much stronger and more pain free with each passing day that I will be as good as new in a couple of months!

2fer


From 'Tiny Buddha, Simple Wisdom for Life's Hard Questions; - Lori Deschene

Right now you can control:

1. How many times you smile today.
2. How much effort you exert at work.
3. Your level of honesty.
4. How well you prepare.
5. How you act on your feelings.
6. How often you say “thank you.”
7. When you pull out your wallet for luxuries.
8. Whether or not you give someone the benefit of the doubt.
9. How you interpret situations.
10. Whether or not you compete with people around you.
11. How often you notice and appreciate small acts of kindnessâ€"they’re everywhere!
12. Whether you listen or wait to talk.
13. When you walk away from a conversation.
14. How nice you are to yourself in your head.
15. Whether you think positive or negative thoughts.
16. Whether or not you form expectations of people.
17. The type of food you eat.
18. When you answer someone’s questionâ€"or email or call.
19. How much time you spend worrying.
20. How many new things you try.
21. How much exercise you get.
22. How many times you swear in traffic.
Freedom23. Whether or not you plan for the weather.
24. How much time you spend trying to convince people you’re right.
25. How often you think about your past.
26. How many negative articles you read.
27. The attention you give to your loved ones when you see them.
28. How much you enjoy the things you have right now.
29. Whether or not you communicate something that’s on your mind.
30. How clean or uncluttered you keep your space.
31. What books you read.
32. How well you network at social events.
33. How deeply you breathe when you experience stress.
34. How many times you admit you don’t know somethingâ€"and then learn something new.
35. How often you use your influence to help people instead of focusing on building your influence.
36. When you ask for help.
37. Which commitments you keep and cancel.
38. How many risks you take.
39. How creative/innovative you are in your thinking.
40. How clear you are when you explain your thoughts.
41. Whether you formulate a new plan or act on your existing one.
42. How much information you get before you make a decision.
43. How much information you share with people.
44. Whether you smoke or drink (unless you’re an alcoholic, in which case I am not qualified to offer you advice.)
45. Whether or not you judge other people.
46. Whether you smell good or bad (unless you have some strange resistance to soap and deodorant).
47. How much of what other people say you believe.
48. How quickly you try again after you fall.
49. How many times you say “I love you.”
50. How much rest you get at night.

That is very inspirational. I plan on sharing that with my kids. Thank you.

Thank you, imgetinold.  You know what's kind of neat?  When I saw your Avatar name, I thought it read imgetinthegold. No kidding.

Congratulations, Andy, on your shiny new hip resurfacing.  I know you had your days when activities became scary because you'd be in agony for days afterward, but let me tell you that it will NOT be like that in recovery.  Take it smooth and easy; follow protocol and the reward is more a muscle pain, tightness, or spasms, and the best part is you will feel better and better as the first 2 or 3 weeks pass.

I'm starting to see and feel the good stuff come back in my hips and my walk, and you will too!!

Quote from: Two4One on January 11, 2012, 08:57:48 PM
Hey There, hernanu,

QuoteThe only thing I can compare it to is when my firstborn finally slept through the night. I had such a great feeling of actually having deeply slept after all of that OA insomnia.

All during my 2 plus years pre op, I had no comparison because my sleep was equally truncated to 3 or 4 hours every night, and for different and a little less severe pain reasons, my post op sleep was about the same.

hernanu, when did you start sleeping soundly after your resurfacing?

Thanks,
2fer

I think it was about 8 weeks.

That didn't mean my sleep wasn't MUCH better than before, since my usual nightly sleep pattern before the resurface was - one hour of sleep, wake in excruciating pain (sometimes due to my hip having dislocated), pop the hip back in if needed, then walk for a few times around the bed, spend about an hour until falling back to sleep, repeat until time to get up for work and driving daughters to school.

For about seven years, my sleep got much worse, so that the last three or four were like I described. So I was exhausted and never got any deep sleep. It was also when my weight went up and my morale went down.

I slept for three or four hours right away, which allowed me to reach the deep sleep part, so I felt much more refreshed even though my post operation pain / swelling / freaking out was there. I was thankful for 4 hours, since that doubled, tripled or quadrupled my usual OA sleep. The first time I slept through, I thought something was wrong.

I sleep anywhere from 6 hours to 9 hours straight now. Amazing and it brings me joy. I'm happy you're getting there.

Thursday 1.12.12

Wed Sleep       2:30am to 8:30am = only 4 - 5 HOURS :(

Breakfast        Oatmeal, 1/2 Banana, 2 chopped Walnuts, 1 c Skim Milk, 1 c Coffee &
                      Real Cream
!! I made my lunch all by myself!!                      Panini - fresh baked Boule Bread sprayed lightly with olive oil,
                      3 strips Bacon, Mixed Baby Greens, Tomato slices, 1/4 c Shredded
                      Sharp Cheddar Cheese - all grilled & prepared to perfection, and
                      Lightly Steamed Broccoli on the side.

CockTail Hour  Vodka/Grapefruit Juice, 1/2 c Chex Mix
                      Hershey's Bar and 1 c Skim Milk

PM Snack        1 c Organic Plain Yogurt, 2 TBSP sugar, 1/2 c Raspberries, 2 Crumbled
                      Pecans
_______________________________________________________________________

8:30 - 10am   Ready for the Day, Laid out Clothes, Made the Bed, Organized
                     for the trek downstairs, Made Breakfast, morning grooming

10am - 11:30 In Home PT Harry - Exit interview

11:30 - 3:30   Housework:  Repotted 4 plants, made floral arrangements for every
                      room on the ground floor.  Used a step stool to get potting soil and
                      various decorative pots from the garage.  Cleared and organized a
                      workbench to use as a potting area.  After moving my car, carried the
                      vacuum cleaner and hoovered the garage out, leaving it looking it's
                      best this winter!  Next, Kitchen and hall floors, wall cobwebs :-[,
                      cleaned coffee maker and the Fridge.  Neatly organizing all the bottles,
                      berries, condiments, etc.  Cleaned the downstairs guest bath. Dusted
                      and cleaned the living room.  All this accomplished in the midst of a drug
                      taper!!           
(8:30 - 3:30)
6Hrs Total       Housework

3:30 - 4pm      Recovery Pod, Ice, Pain 7, Makeup
4pm - 4:30      Hair, Last minute Cleaning & Straighten
4:30 - 9:30      Recovery Pod, Pain 5, Low Back Pain 6 from lifting and
                       vacuuming, etc.

Quote from: Two4One on January 12, 2012, 10:31:10 PM
Thursday 1.12.12

S
11:30 - 3:30    Housework:  Repotted 4 plants, made floral arrangements
6Hrs               for every room on the ground floor.  Used a step stool to get potting soil
                      and various decorative pots from the garage.  Cleared and organized a
                      workbench to use as a potting area.  After moving my car, carried the
                      vacuum cleaner and hoovered the garage out, leaving it looking it's best
                      this winter!  Next, Kitchen and hall floors, wall cobwebs :-[,, cleaned
                      coffee maker and the Fridge.  Neatly organizing all the bottles, berries,
                      condiments, etc.  Cleaned the downstairs guest bath.  Dusted and
                      cleaned the livin room.  All this accomplished in the midst of a drug taper!!           

If you don't sleep the WHOLE NIGHT TONIGHT then man - oh - man  you missed a good opportunity.  That was a Boatload of Work!  Hope ya had a good night's sleep!!!

WTW15, From your lips to God's ear, I hope I've earned my sleep tonight.  A couple years plus of Ambien has mucked up my sleep cycle a bit.  Since, I quit the Ambien on Jan 1st, I think I can expect some sleeplessness for up to another week.  I'm beat, just not able to sleep quit right yet.

Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you sleep well tonight!

Oh, hernanu,

Intuitively, eight weeks to get back to the fabled restorative sleep the whole night through sounds about right.  Back in the mist shrouded halcyon nights before circa 2009 and my undiagnosed bone on bone OA, 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night was my norm. 

QuoteFor about seven years, my sleep got much worse, so that the last three or four were like I described. So I was exhausted and never got any deep sleep. It was also when my weight went up and my morale went down.

I slept for three or four hours right away, which allowed me to reach the deep sleep part, so I felt much more refreshed even though my post operation pain / swelling / freaking out was there. I was thankful for 4 hours, since that doubled, tripled or quadrupled my usual OA sleep. The first time I slept through, I thought something was wrong.

I sleep anywhere from 6 hours to 9 hours straight now. Amazing and it brings me joy. I'm happy you're getting there.

Dan,

We had to do separate bedrooms immediately, I mean the very next day, after I was struck down with bilateral labral tears and the hidden OA that was the root of it all.  Hubs and I are planning on buying a new king sized bed later this year and getting reaquainted with my talking in my sleep and his snoring that wakes the dead.  We both can't wait!

Thanks for chiming in,

Two-4

I'd like to place an order for the Panini lunch with skim milk and a Hersey bar (per your earlier post).  Delivered to my work please around 12:30  :). You are a healthy eater!

Tw4one, love your menu plan. Pretty impressive.

LOL,  ;D ;D :D, Aeriel.  You crack me up, Girl! 

Getting ready to hit the 1st "Big One" of the season, Michiana's had 8 inches (this keeps getting better ;)), of Snow last night!!  It's still coming, but I'm heading out in my first drive since my bilaterals on 12.20.11 to go to my FIRST Out Patient PT; I'm hitting the unplowed road in my subdivision, back in the saddle once again in my trusty little Japanese car, aka 'The Red Sled', because she slides over snow and ice just like a saucer sled you had when you were a kid.  Wish me/Vibe me/ or Pray me luck that I navigate through the snow like Gerda, the heroine of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Snow Queen", and make my 11am appointment with time to spare.