Decided to go with both knees at the same time I pray I have the stamina

[meowmary]

Here goes, I'm a just lets get it done and be on with your bad self kinda girl .so I'm open to suggestions . I think it's dec. 1 ,14 . waiting to hear from surgeon to make sure it's ago. going to pt twice a week hoping to strengthen my legs to prepare for surgery. with that said I have my moments of doubt .can't stand waiting......to much time to think.

 

[madinana]

@meowmary it will give you time to research and become prepared for the recovery Their are some great articles in library with information and you will see a forum moderator come along, they will show you the articles I say you are very strong to be able to do both I was chicken did one at a time next one is in Oct and out almost 9 weeks from my last one

 

[Lovestoread]

@meowmary, welcome to Bonesmart! There is so much valuable information on this site! I found this place a little over a year ago when I was facing TKR's and I don't think I could have gotten through it without all of the support offered here. Be sure to read everything and ask lots of questions. Don't be afraid of asking…..I'm sure there are others wondering the same things!

 

[tiredwife]

@meowmary Welcome! I think building up your leg strength is an excellent idea. I believe it speeds recovery. If you go to the recovery area and look down the list of names the ones that had bilateral will be labeled as such. You might want to check out their threads.

 

[Pumpkin]

Meowmary,
Welcome to Bonesmart , glad you found us.
Like everyone has said check out the library for helpful articles, and read the nutrition section to help you get ready for your surgeries in December. Here is the link to the nutrition section http://bonesmart.org/forum/view/nutritional-advice-for-pre-op-and-recovery.84/
If you have any questions just post them here and someone will be along to help.

 

[PuppyLove]

@meowmary I was scheduled for a BTKR in November (same attitude- lets just get it done), then I decided "why wait" and took an opening on Sept. 17. I had RTHR in May and PT gave me exercises to prepare for TKR- I hope they help! What part of Texas are you in? I'm in the DFW area.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

BTKR -- good decision. Check out my recovery thread (sig below).

All kind of strength building is good, but for my money upper body will be most useful in recovery. You'll hardly be able to use your legs for some weeks, but having strong arms helps you to get yourself up and down from seats.

 

[Jane B.]

I asked for a "double", but my left knee isn't bad enough yet. Yet.

I think it's smart to have one pre-op, one surgery, one anesthesia, one set of instructions, and one recovery. Granted it's tougher, but you get to go to rehab in the US for a bilateral. But hey, we're tough.

My singleton is scheduled for tomorrow.

 

[tiredwife]

@Jane B. Best of luck tomorrow! Hope you have a speedy recovery.

@meowmary Hope you are having a good day!

 

[skigirl]

The waiting is the worst part, I agree. You begin to imagine all sorts of things. I will give you a few articles from our library that we give to new members that will make some interesting reading for you. The articles are all short.



New BoneSmart members like you are in various stages of their journey to joint replacement. Making the decision whether or not to have surgery and preparing for surgery can be easier once you have done your research and know what lies ahead. Here are some tools that can help you decide what is best for you.

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:

Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?


If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:

Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?


Regardless of where you are in the process, the website and app My Knee Guide can help you stay organized and informed. The free service keeps all the information pertaining to your surgery and recovery in one place on your smartphone. It is intended to be a personal support tool for the entire process.

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced knee, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:

Stories of amazing knee recoveries

*************************************************************

 

[referee54]

All kind of strength building is good, but for my money upper body will be most useful in recovery. You'll hardly be able to use your legs for some weeks, but having strong arms helps you to get yourself up and down from seats.

I concur! After having a BTKR, you will be hoisting yourself around with your upper body. There may be a trapeze above your hospital bed---so you need to be able to have excellent upper-body strength to help you get through the early days of recovery.

If you need to have both done, having a BTKR is, in mind, the way to go. You have one pre-op, one surgery, one hospital stay, and one recovery. You do not have to have one done, recover, and then move on to the next one.

Besides, you get to learn the secret BTKR handshake!

Please keep coming back and ask any question or pose any concern that you may have ---we will be here for you!

 

[PuppyLove]

Best wishes for tomorrow!

 

[referee54]

@Jane B. ---thoughts and prayers for you on your big day tomorrow as you take that big step and reclaim your life that was stolen from you by arthritis!

 

[jeano]

I surely would've done the bilateral if my OS did them, but that's unlikely to happen any time soon at Man's Smallest Hospital. Although my recoveries (so far) have been comparatively easy and rapid, it has been tedious to spend this much of my life sitting on my big butt. go for it, get 'er done.

 

[meowmary]

thanks to everyone for all the well wishes puppy love I'm also from dfw area ..well my os told me my knees are horrible just about as horrible as he has ever seen and that I was born this way I'm knock kneed and when he straighten my left ..my rt. will still be crooked so why not do both at same time ...well he just blowed me away I've always guarded both knees for the past 47 years and been in pain for the last 15 somewhere or the other in my legs ..but never been told these things ..my reply was but im too young lol his reply do you know I replace all the childrens knees over at Scottish rite so if they are not to young neither are you. you were born this way just kept rolling through my head for days ..then I stumbled on bonesmart what a blessing ...slowly I began to realize no matter the reason ..as I have read all different reasons on this blog for knee replacement surgery..bottom line I'm tired of limiting myself due to pain and its only been getting worse.. so a BIG THANK YOU for all your testimonies I will be continuing to scour all threads until D day lol and after i'll continue as if the recovery blog were my bible. @referee54 @skigirl @jeano @tiredwife @janeb @roy Gardner. @pumpkin. @madinana @PuppyLove @Lovestoread

 

[meowmary]

@meowmary I was scheduled for a BTKR in November (same attitude- lets just get it done), then I decided "why wait" and took an opening on Sept. 17. I had RTHR in May and PT gave me exercises to prepare for TKR- I hope they help! What part of Texas are you in? I'm in the DFW are.

 

[meowmary]

@PuppyLove I'll be thinking and praying for you .And if you don't mind me asking who is your dr. ?

 

[tiredwife]

@meowmary Did you get a surgery date? I don't recall! Exercise as much as you can stand to get your legs stronger. Make sure your home and you are ready for your recovery time, and remember it takes a long time to recover from TKR so be prepared to learn patience.

 

[Jane B.]

@meowmary, will you be going to rehab after your hospital stay? I'd recommend it for bilaterals. I came home Saturday and everyone left today, and I was like, "Hey!" They took good care of me before they left, and I got a shower, but then there is this darn full coffee cup that's been in the living room all day. I got it to the dining room table, and that's it. I hope Amazon delivers my walker tray today.

 

[referee54]

bottom line I'm tired of limiting myself due to pain and its only been getting worse..

And that is the truest reason for having either a TKR or a BTKR---our lifestyles and our lives become horribly limited over time---so much so that, often, the dysfunctional unfortunately becomes normal.