I wear a 'Lifeline' button on a string round my neck and I know it gives both family and friends assurance that I am well looked after.
Yesterday - in spite of the heat- I seemed to have plenty of energy. That is always a time when I have to watch my step as it is easy get careless in such circumstances and one false step and I am down like the proverbial 'ton of bricks' but I did too much in my enthusiasm and when I got into bed (after watching a very poor episode of 'Sewing Bee' = I shall watch one more week and if it doesn't improve I shall stop watching. I have always enjoyed it so much but being given a pile of crocheted blankets to create an outfit is not my idea of fun) . I had over-active muscles in my swollen right leg and every couple of minutes or so the spasm pulled my knee up. After coping for a couple of hours I began to get anxious so I pressed my Lifeline button. After listening to my tale of woe the Lifeline lady said she would put me on to the doctor on duty and it could be anything up to a two hour wait. I found sitting up in my chair much more comfortable.
In the event it was only ten minutes before the doctor rang and we discused symptoms and he assured me that none of the symptoms I described suggested a stroke (my fear) and he thought if they didn't go away I should ask to see a Physiotherapist. I returned to bed and it took me another two hours to settle.
So today I am weary and ready for bed (at 7pm!). My evening carer W has just gone - so just a short post - I will be back again in the morning bright eyed and bushy-tailed.
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22 comments:
I don't know if you can get a product called TheraWorks Foam there, but if you can, have someone look for it and buy a bottle of it. It is specifically for aching legs and feet and quells leg cramps almost immediately! Amazon has it! I use it on my swollen feet and my legs when they are achy and I am trying to get to sleep! It works!!
The muscle spasms sound very uncomfortable, and exhausting. I hope it can be relieved soon.
Oh I'm thinking of you . Cramp is painful and frightening. I hope it settles down and you can get a good nights sleep .
My mother used to go to bed at 6pm. I was the one who put her to bed each night. I am quite likely to go to bed now at 8.30pm. My brother goes to bed at 7.30pm. Nothing is unusual and no time is right or wrong. The best thing to do is answer the call of your body and go to bed when you are tired. I am glad the call system was able to reasure you about the leg.
Wonderful that the doctor called you so quickly. That had to be comforting, as well as his assurance that you weren't having a stroke. You may have had muscle spasms/cramps as described due to low levels of potassium, especially if you were a bit dehydrated. Bananas are a good source of potassium and having one or even half a banana in the evening may be helpful. As the nurse will be by Friday to check your leg, please mention the muscle cramp/spasm to her as well.
Wishing you a sound & restful sleep tonight.
I'm so glad the help button worked so well. I had the same things (leg cramps) happen to me a week ago and everyone said the same things - dehydrated or low levels of potassium or magnesium. Hope you sleep better tonight!
Do hope your bad leg will behave itself and allow you a good night' sleep. It is so annoying when sleep is disturbed or impossible.
I also have one of those buttons. I wear mine every day so my children can be assured. I must admit to setting off the alarm accidentally on a couple of occasions, but at least I know it works.
Auntie Gladys went to bed at 7.30
It always bothered me in summer
I couldn't agree with you more on the Sewing Bee. I have made almost every garment in my life and think that this lot are abysmal. I was equally horrified that they cut up crochet blankets that had taken someone hours to make. I think they are running out of ideas. shame.
Briony
x
by the way. my way of having contact should I fall etc it 'Alexa'
Not my choice but it means that I just have to shout and I can call my daughter, son or the dr and I don't have to drag a phone around. it can even hear me from the garden.
Briony
x
Going to bed early in the summer reminds me of when I was a child put to bed at 8 and it would still be light out. It's comforting. I used to love to lie in bed and look at the sky, listen to the leaves rustle in the wind and feel the breeze moving the curtain. Heavenly.
The doctor phoned you quite quickly. Such efficiency is not common. A restless night is usually followed by a very restful night and the next day is just fine. Someone else mentioned potassium or magnesium deficiency and it is well known that many people have this deficiency. Ask your doc to check your blood levels.
I have that very spasm happen to me, but no more. My doctor suggested magnesium and I eat two gummies of magnesium before bed every night and the spasm is no more.
I hope your own doctor and nurse can get things sorted for you Pat. It seems you have some helpful advice here. All the best - Pam.
Hope you get a good nights sleep tonight. Everything seems more difficult and worrisome when you don't get enough sleep. The visiting nurse tomorrow will probably have some idea as to the cause or can refer you to the Dr. for more information if necessary/. It was good that the Dr. called so soon to relieve your mind as to the lack of a really serious cause. There's nothing like worrying as to whether or not something is really wrong that needs to be dealt with to keep a person awake at night. Maybe it was just a "one off" and will never revisit you.
Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite.
Now I am thinking of the Robert Lewis Stevenson poem about going to bed in the daylight in summer, something like
"In summer quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day".
Now I have to look it up. I remember hating early bedtimes in summer, especially as it tended to be so hot and sticky.
Hope you are snoozing soundly about now.
Ceci
Tim's legs twitch a lot at night. I'm not sure whether they could be called a spasm or not. But it makes it hard to sleep with him sometimes.
My wife woke with bad legs two days ago; she could hardly walk. She'd never had this before, I hope it's not a bad sign, she seemed better yesterday. I can understand your panic, it sounds awful.
What a lot of comforting ideas, suggestions etc. I don't think I can be short of Potassium as some of you suggest -- I have a banana with my cereals every day - but I shall mention it to the Hurse today.
For all those leg sufferers above - I do think the hot weather may have something to do with it. I have had another bad night and attribute that to the heat too.
On the rare occasions I have cramps/spasms in my legs, it is usually down to me not having had enough exercise (stuck at my desk all day) in combination with lack of magnesium. But of course your situation is entirely different from mine, and I am really glad you have that button - and proof that the system really works, and works well!
I hope you're feeling better this morning. It's difficult to get a good night's sleep when the nights are warmer.
Well I hope you are feeling better this morning. The stuff you learn in your comments, thank you everyone, I never knew about magnesium.
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