TKR LTKR Scheduled

I thought I would start writing down details as I proceed along this journey. Mainly, so I can look back and remember details and also chart my progress. There may be some of you who, like me, want to know all the details. So, it may be of interest to you too. To me having more details makes me feel more in control of the situation! This will be long, so feel free to not bother reading it all LOL.

2008

I was at a park sitting at a picnic table while my then 9-year old son had football practice. When I went to get up from the picnic table, my sandal caught on the bench, and I very non-gracefully fell over the bench and landed HARD on my left knee on concrete. I really hurt my knee. It swelled like a balloon. I had fluid coming from it for a couple weeks. So much that I would soak bandages every hour. What did the doctor say? Nothing - because I never went. I was a busy mom with twin 9 year olds, a 10 year old, a husband, two dogs and a cat. I couldn't take the time and chose to ignore it the best I could.

From that point on my knee was never right. It would ache at night, hurt when walking, etc. This severity of it would come and go. Often it was very manageable, and then I would have occasional flare ups that I would get through on my own.

2014

I finally reached a point where I visited the ortho. He diagnosed arthritis based on the x-ray. I received a cortisone injection which really helped. I continued with these for a few years.

2017

The cortisone was not really helping anymore. In June of that year I visited my son in Florida. While walking in the sand on the beach, I felt a tearing sensation. Now, my pain was much worse. The plane ride home was terrible. I went back to the ortho and he ordered an MRI. I had torn my meniscus, the osteoarthritis was worse and I had several bone spurs. This led to surgery to repair the meniscus and do a general clean up. I felt so much better and did great for about 3 more years.

2020

The arthritis pain started coming back like a bear. I tried cortisone again, but it was no longer working for me. But then 2020 happened, and I let it go. My job became remote and being off my feet a lot more seemed to help. I also think part of it was not wearing dressy shoes anymore as I did in the office.

2022

I had returned to the office and was now starting to limp and be awake during the night from pain. I returned to the surgeon who did my 2017 surgery. Complete bone-on-bone and more bone spurs. He suggested a pain management ortho Dr and also mentioned the possibility of TKR at some point. However, he did not do knee replacements himself.

October 2022 I had the viscosupplementation injection. This did absolutely nothing for me. In fact, I was so much worse at my two month follow up appointment in Feb. of 2023. The doctor suggested consulting with a knee surgeon as well as a bit of physical therapy. He mentioned that the insurance companies like to see that you have tried everything before going to TKR.

2023

I attended five physical therapy appointments and absolutely loved my therapist. At the fifth appointment she suggested I STOP PT as it seemed to be doing more harm than good. My pain was so much worse, I could barely walk and my ROM had decreased quite a bit in five weeks. I knew two people who had used a particular knee replacement surgeon very recently and gave him glowing reviews, so I made an appointment with him.

March 2023 - I visited the surgeon. He took x-rays and agreed that my osteoarthritis was severe and fully bone-on-bone. He said I was certainly a candidate for TKR. His only hesitation was my age. (Which from Bonesmart, I know that 53 is not TOO young). He suggested I try one more cortisone injection as I had not had one since 2020. I would have to wait three months for surgery after an injection. I didn't really mind this because due to work obligations, mid-summer would be a better time for me to have surgery. So, I tried the cortisone.

I will say the cortisone made "some" improvement. The swelling went down some (not totally), I wasn't waking up AS many times a night in pain and I was able to walk short distances without limping. After a little bit the pain would start again and I would end up limping with stabbing pains. My ROM improved a bit, but I was still locking up often. There are times when I wake up and think "I don't need surgery", but after showering, taking the dog out and getting ready for work, I am right back to the pain. By the end of the work day I am quite swollen and hobbling out of the office. I go home and am finished for the day because my knee is too bad.

Knowing that I was bone-on-bone and still struggling (albeit, not quite as much), and that things would not get better over time, I decided to schedule the surgery.

April 6, 2023

I sent a message through MyChart to the surgeon letting him know that I would like to cancel my three month follow up in June and instead schedule the surgery.

April 9, 2023
On Easter Sunday I received an email with a link to an app. The email was from the surgeon's office and just said that the doctor had put in an order for my surgery and would like me to download this app.

April 10, 2023

I received a phone call first thing in the morning from a woman who introduced herself as a Nurse Navigator from my surgeon's office. She said she would be my liaison between myself and the doctor before and after surgery. She gave me her direct number and said I should feel free to call with any questions or problems. She also explained the app and said I will receive educational materials through it as well as messages from her. I can use it after surgery if I need to send a picture of my incision for her or the doctor to look at. She stressed the importance of having a support person with me when returning from the hospital for the first week if possible. This is fine as my significant other and myself live together. He will take some time off from work as we have two dogs. My three adult children also live very close. One is a career firefighter/paramedic and works 24 hour shifts with several days off in between. So, he will be available often.

About 15 minutes after that phone call I received a call from a scheduler. She told me I could have surgery anytime after June 21st (due to that cortisone shot I had back in March). I picked the date that worked best for me for work - July 12th. She also scheduled my first post-op appointment which will be August 10th. She let me know that I will receive a phone call when it gets a bit closer to schedule pre-op testing and asked me to contact my primary care doctor to make a medical clearance appointment (I called and made this for June 30th). We scheduled a pre-op appointment with the surgeon for July 6th where he will go over my pre-op testing and answer any questions.

April 11, 2023

The app let me know that I had a message. I logged on to see there was a pre-recorded virtual pre-op class that I was to watch. When I was done, it would let my nurse navigator know that I took the class. The class covered everything from helpful equipment, anesthesia, what to bring to the hospital, the fact that this would be an overnight stay, how to prepare the home, tips for preparing physically before surgery and what the exercises would be after surgery. It was interesting, but honestly, pretty much all the same information I read about on Bonesmart :)

April 12, 2023

I received a phone call from my surgeon's secretary. She was calling to introduce herself and give me her direct number. She wanted to once again stress the importance of having help at home for the first week and to see if I had any questions. She went over the upcoming appointments I have to be sure there were no conflicts. So far this practice gets an A+ for customer service!

Whew - that was long, but I am all caught up! If you read this far, I can promise that future posts won't be as long LOL.

So three months from today is my day. I am looking forward to it, but dreading it also if that makes sense?
 
Congratulations on getting your surgery date, @Lisa414 ! That's such good news.

And great job with your last post detailing your history. I found it very helpful to write posts like that one throughout my recovery journey because things begin to run together after a while!

You have plenty of time to prepare for your surgery, so take a look through these articles from BoneSmart's helpful pre-operative guide. I found them very helpful as I prepared for surgery and I'm sure you will too.

Knee Pre-Op Guide
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?

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

I know you've been participating in the forum for a while , so you know that you can feel free to ask any questions you have about this surgery and recovery; other members will be happy to share their experiences with you.

We're here for you. :flwrysmile:
 
Question: I have started making appointments for my IrishDoodle for doggy daycare after my surgery on the days needed so I will not be home alone with him. I do not have a fenced backyard, so he needs to be leash walked several times a day. He walks great on the leash. When were you able to start walking your dogs again? At this point I have him scheduled through week five.
 
July 12th is coming quickly now:

Friday, June 23rd - Surgical Pre-op appointment. Told to expect to be there a couple of hours
Friday, June 30th - Medical clearance appointment with primary care.
Thursday, July 6th - Last meeting with the surgeon.

Butterflies are starting!
 
Hello @Lisa414 i enjoyed reading your knee history. I had my first total knee (right knee) done at 52 years old (52 yr 10 mon) and my surgeon told me, after having done the surgery, that I almost waited too long. It was pretty bad. I had my left knee done the following year, and that knee was bad, if not worse. So I don’t think age should always be the deciding factor. I’m scheduled to have a revision of my left TKA done on July 14th, a couple of days after your surgery. Even though I’ve been through this twice, and know what to expect, I’m still dreading going through all of this again. It’s not easy. And I’m older, new surgeon, new hospital. But in the long run, I know it will be worth it. And yes, the date is approaching quickly. Too quickly. Still have a lot to do to prepare.
 
I would recommend doing the Oxford knee score and the other knee questionnaire that is here on BoneSmart before your surgery. You can find them by putting it in the search box.
I wish I had done them beforehand as it would have really helped for comparison. And to see at what point you move into profit from surgery. It is amazing otherwise how soon you forget how bad things were before surgery.
 
When were you able to start walking your dogs again?
There's no set-in-stone time frame for things like walking your dog. Because everyone's recovery is different, milestones will also be different. Scheduling through week five is a good start. If you need more time as the five weeks come closer, are you able to add to the time? That would be my suggestion.
 
Friday, June 23rd was my pre-op appointment.

  1. Lab Work
  2. Nose swab to check for MRSA and Staph
  3. Met with a PA from anesthesiology and answered a ton of questions
  4. PA listened to lungs and heart and checked my airway. Discussed the different options I will have for anesthesia.
  5. X-Rays
  6. General vitals - Height, weight, blood pressure, temp, etc.
  7. Received the soap I am to wash with for 3 nights before surgery
  8. Received eating and drinking instructions: Nothing to eat after midnight. May drink clear liquids until two hours before surgery time.
  9. Received instructions for where to park and enter the hospital.
Total visit time was about 90 minutes.

Monday, June 26th - a survey from the hospital wanting to know all of the information regarding discharge:

  • Who will take me home - name and phone number
  • Who will be my support person
  • How many steps into my house and how many upstairs to the bedroom
  • Was my house a single story our double.
  • Where were the full bathrooms located in my home
  • A list of aids (walker, cane, etc.) - Do I have any now and which will I need upon discharge
  • My surgeon has ordered for me to spend one night. Is this fine with me or would I prefer them to try to get me out same day? (I will spend the night).
Shortly after submitting the survey I got a response from a Nurse Navigator at the hospital thanking me for completing it quickly.

Also today - emailed HR at work to remind them that I will be out as of 7/12 and asked for disability paperwork. I told them I will be out 8-12 weeks. If I feel I can go back sooner, I may - even for half days. But for now I will leave them with 8-12 weeks. Easier to take back then it is to ask for longer!
 
Hang in there, @Lisa414. Not too much longer and you will be on the healing side.
Meanwhile, we are here if you have questions. :flwrysmile:
 
Last Friday (6/30) I went to my primary care doctor for my medical clearance appointment. She decided my blood pressure was high and was going back and forth about that. I could feel it getting higher by the minute as I was concerned she was about to NOT clear me for surgery. The conclusion was I should take my blood pressure at home twice a day and send her the results and we would talk again this week. Of course, at home my blood pressure was completely within the normal range. She called last night to say she was very happy with that and I had her blessing. Whew!

This morning (7/6) was my last appointment with the surgeon. (By the way, my blood pressure was fine). We basically went over any last questions I may have and signed some consent forms. He was happy with my labs, etc. He sent me on my way with a "warning" to stay healthy and not injure myself for the next several days until surgery day. Also, no more shaving below the waist as of today.

Sunday I begin the three night regimen of showering with the soap they sent me home with. Tuesday afternoon I will get a call with my arrival time for Wednesday.

Everybody asks me if I am nervous. I wouldn't really call it nervous, but more like a consistent anxiety that is growing by the day! I am not afraid of surgery as I have had several before with no problems. I am more anxious about the recovery and hoping I have made the right decision. This weekend we took the grandkids (4 and 2) to an amusement park. It about killed me. So, I know I need this, but the closer I get this little part of my brain is trying to tell me I am wrong. I am not going to change my mind at this point, but I certainly would like to!
 
@Lisa414 It is scary and I agree, the surgery was the easier part. Recovery just takes time and each of us have different challenges. I thought things would never get better after the first week of basically being unable to do much except ice, rest and watch TV. Then starting with week three I saw improvements. Little things like I could make my own snacks made my day. Keep to your med schedule and allow yourself some grace. Maybe keep a daily journal to see progress, although one day my journal was everything I was mad at. We'll support you every step of the way!
 
I well understand those nerves, as do we all. I had to keep myself super busy to keep my mind off the upcoming surgery, which is difficult to do when you can barely walk. But, the good news is it will soon be behind you and you'll be on your way to taking your life back. Recovery is a roller coaster for sure, but keeping yourself iced and elevated, along with breaks for walking and gentle stretching, plus taking any meds your doctor prescribes on schedule until no longer needed, really will help keep your pain down. Oh, and don't overdo any walking, exercises, etc, and that will also be a big help with pain.
 
Aww, Lisa, you’ll get through it! :friends:
It will be the weekend before you know it and you’ll be home in your recovery nest healing and happy surgery is behind you.
Hugs and best wishes on Wednesday. I bet you’ll do great!
@Lisa414
 
@Lisa414 I remember the nerves for both my total knee surgeries. The first one was nerve wracking. To the point of when in pre-op, and my friends had to leave the room I just started crying. It was just all that built up anxiety and nerves. Honestly, my surgery is the 14th and my nerves are starting. I’ll be thinking if you on the 12th. Praying all goes well for you.
 

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