New knees on 9/11

Rhody....I found a thread in successful recoveries that you might enjoy. It's by a forum member called Wednesday. I think it's titled "April Fool No More". She is a BTKR with a very successful recovery. Also, if you haven't already....read Susieshoes recovery thread. There are many others, but I particularly enjoyed those 2. Oh, and Roy Gardner another BTKR great recovery.
 
If you have that tag, use it. I wish I’d had mine earlier; I applied a few days after surgery and got it two weeks later, in time for when I started driving again but...

I think I used it (truly needed it) for only three months. By the third month I was walking much better and in much less pain than before surgery! It would have been really nice to have that placard when my knees were so painful and crippled before the surgery, especially those weeks when I wasn’t allowed to take my usual painkillers.

I ordered it because the OS office said they took a long time to process and that i needed to get on it...this was pretty quick...but, no complaints here.
 
Having the occasional bit of 'this is going to hurt...a lot...do I really need this?' trepidation. When I sit around the house, or work (which is really just sitting around the house, 'cept in a different chair), my knees hardly bother me at all. Sometimes a little stiff, but nothing at all unbearable. But, sitting around the house/working...I feel..is making me fatter and fatter and more easily out of breath all the time. So...just a bit ago, I got up, and headed out the door to walk that half mile block. And sure enough, right around the halfway mark, when it's no closer to turn around than it is to finish...my knees start killing me. I feel fortunate not to be in constant pain, but that's a great reminder...I can't wait til that's no longer the case...
 
Same here. And it's rapidly deteriorating since beginning of summer. I should have done this earlier. Oh well.
Don't cave and wait like I did.

The worst is when I take the wee little furball for a walk and 1/2 block later she's giving me the look. "Please can we go further so I can sniff every blade of grass and grain of sand in the zipcode" look. Pitiful.

I had a major meltdown/pity party earlier this week. Totally our of character. So, stay tuned for my coming soon new thread. It's going to be a count your blessings things.

STAY STRONG RHODY!!! LOL you have < 60 days!!!:climb:
 
When I sit around the house, or work (which is really just sitting around the house, 'cept in a different chair), my knees hardly bother me at all. Sometimes a little stiff, but nothing at all unbearable.

That was my situation pre-surgery, too. If I just sat at my desk, or on the sofa or at the table, I had no pain at all. My knees only hurt sometimes in bed, too, if I slept in certain positions. But the moment I stood up... :censored:. Pain through the roof. And walking was pure torture.

...my knees start killing me.

Indeed!

By the time my surgery date arrived, getting my knees replaced was all I wanted in the world.
 
It's really nice to have that handicapped hang tag, but I didn't use it past the 12 weeks. And I only occasionally needed after about 8 weeks--mostly I was able to park pretty close anywhere I went. But it was nice to have in case.
 
I might be in trouble...I keep seeing this "patience" word....everywhere... :unsure: Really not my thing... In fact...it's so not my thing that, you know how sometimes when you're interviewing for a job, they ask, "what would you consider your greatest weakness?" My prepared answer is..."I know sometimes I can have issues with patience."

Reading everyone's stories is providing me with some good 'ahead of time' notice about the needs and possibilities ahead...much appreciated.
 
You'd best go get yourself a bulk supply of patience, because you're going to need it. Pay whatever the cost-it's a huge necessity after this surgery! Luckily for me, I already have an unending supply so didn't need to buy it. (I did raise 6 kids and never killed a single one :rotfl:)
 
Yes, a TKR is a lot like a child: You can’t kill it; you can’t say you’re done with it and give it to someone else; no one else wants it even if you could; it will keep you up nights; and you can’t force it to grow up or behave. Despite all these things, you will find yourself protective of it and accepting it as part of you.

On the plus side, it grows up and becomes self-sufficient in about a year. Children take much longer and cost much more.
 
Children take much longer and cost much more.

Yep, all it takes is. "I want to go to the University of "Close to Home, but Not the Sate We Live In" :loll:

Question...
I've seen a lot of references to "classes"...are these pre-op classes, designed to better prepare for surgery? My doctor hasn't mentioned...should I be asking?
 
Ask if you're interested in attending one. They are usually offered by the hospital or, if the surgeon belongs to a very large orthopedic group, the clinic. Helpfulness of these classes vary.

You might learn more about how your surgeon/hospital handles things like post-op icing, mobility, and physical therapy. Maybe you will be introduced to equipment you will encounter or be given to take home, if any. You may get to see a video of the surgery or about rehab.

Seeing as you've been hanging around BoneSmart for a long time, you might not learn anything new. Not all of the patients will be having TKR, so some of the discussion or presentation will not pertain to you.
 
Protocol for some doctor groups for “ joint classes” but a true waste of time!
 
To echo pretty much what everyone has said...

Getting both done at once, since I'm pretty sure it's going to be painful. If I did one at a time, I'd probably never get the second one done.
Exactly my reasoning! And one surgery, one recovery -- panders to your impatience.
Anything I can do before surgery that will hasten recovery after surgery?
Lose weight if you need to, train upper body strength if you can.
Does, surgery on 9/11...work on 9/21 seem way too aggressive?
Vastly too aggressive. The body takes all the resources it can to heal, including brain power. I stared at the telly trying to work out what was going on in soap operas. Try to take as much time as possible.
I might be in trouble...I keep seeing this "patience" word....everywhere... :unsure: Really not my thing
It is now! Here's a way to think about it. When you are icing and elevating and watching telly you are not 'dossing around' you are 'engaging a carefully considered proactively designed heuristically programmed dynamically structured recovery programme'.
 
Anything I can do before surgery that will hasten recovery after surgery?
There really isn't anything you can do to hasten recovery. Your knees will take as long as they need to and that could be as long as a full year, although you will feel much better and back to normal activity long before that.
The knees are in charge in this recovery, not you, not your surgeon and not your PT therapist. They set the pace.
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)

Get used to that idea now, and find some things that you will be able to do while you are resting and letting your knees heal.
Plan to take ab out 12 weeks off work and then do a Phased return to work

While you can't do anything to make your knees heal faster, you could slow down their recovery if you try to do too much, too soon.
 
@Celle, appreciate the advice, but there's no way can I take 12 weeks off from work...it just can't happen. I do work at home, desk job. And one where I have a lot of leeway/flexibility, and not a terribly rigorous structure. Everything I need is on the first floor, no stairs. Also, my wife will be here almost 100% of the time and she's an excellent caretaker.

The doctor told me I could be back to work within a couple of weeks if I was off narcotics. Would like to hear from anyone else who may have been able to pull that off?
 
My husband did everything for me during my recovery. When back to work at 8 weeks to a desk job working from home. Brain fog is real, and so is the overwhelming fatigue.
 
I've been basically low/no pain since two weeks this time, which is a rarity. But I had to be as I can't safely take narcotic pain relievers, so don't know what we would have done if my pain hadn't miraculously abated on day 14. And I'm not joking when using the word "miraculously". I've had a ton of surgeries, and never have I been so comfortable as early as I am this time. I've been clear headed and awake since the first day as they had to use alternative pain relief for me since the beginning. I was able pay bills a week and a day after the revision, which was a surprise, as we thought hubby may have needed to do it this month. But, it takes me maybe 5 minutes as we only have like 6 or 7 recurring monthly expenses to pay, like water, trash, electricity, etc, and I pay them through our bank, so I was able to manage it. (I even thought about just paying them all before my surgery since I knew my brain might be too fuzzy, but there were a couple that weren't available yet, therefore I didn't know what the amounts were, so decided to just wait)

I said all that to explain the following...... I would still not be able to work consistently at four weeks, even at home and even on my computer. I am able to post here, and read my email, surf, etc. But I don't have the energy to really concentrate and perform any serious tasks. Even when writing posts here I take more time than usual to write them as I need to stop and find the words I'm looking for constantly. Then I go back and re-read them before posting to correct the mistakes. I usually make few mistakes when posting, but am finding and correcting a lot of them now. I also have my computer next to me on my bed as there's absolutely no way I can sit at my desk yet, even if I were to elevate my knee. I am able to sit in a chair for maybe five minutes, but my knee complains and swells and then the pain starts, so I'm not ready for that yet. Even walking around causes swelling, so I have to limit it as I have no way to alleviate any pain once it starts. I sat outside on my deck for a while when I had family here on the 4th of July, and I had my knee elevated. But, I was in a chair that I could comfortably recline in and we fussed with elevating until my knee was comfortable. Everyone waited on me and all I did was visit. Even with all that, I was exhausted afterwards and paid for that enjoyment.

Most people are still in a great deal of pain for at least a month, and many for a lot longer. That requires a regular schedule of pain meds, which makes one quite foggy at best and illiterate at worst. It is nearly impossible to put regular thoughts together when on opioids, and much of the time you'll just want to sleep. Add to that the energy drain from this surgery where all your energy is heading to your knee to heal it, and you will find this surgery has (temporarily) stolen your brain. If I were you, I would plan for a long and difficult recovery, then be pleasantly surprised if you have an easier time of it. That way your bases are covered and you won't have to stress about working before you're fully ready, but if you are able to manage sooner than planned, yay!
 
Wow...looks like I need to reconsider...no way I can be out of work for 8 weeks. Can't happen. Why would my doc have said 'couple weeks'...? It's not like he needs my business...
 
Because surgeons only fix your knee. They're not at your house every day to watch how you do so really don't understand that part personally. They know what they've been taught and told, but don't fully get the recovery part. It's like an obstetrician; they (the male ones) know how to deliver babies, but really are clueless as to how it feels. Unless you've gone through it, you don't really get it.
You may be able to do some minor work at your computer earlier than a month, but don't count on it. It depends on your body and knee, and how they do. But if a miracle happens and you recover more easily and earlier than most, you might be able to handle more by a month or 6 weeks. It depends on how intricate and involved your job is and how your mind is working.
 
^ I get that, but...wouldn't they get enough feedback from their patients to know? I mean, this guy has done this 1,000 times...how...could they think that 2 weeks or so is reasonable, if it isn't?

This board has a great selection of emojis, but I can't seem to find the face-to-palm one... kinda discouraged and note even there yet :sad:.
 
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