3 Weeks Out.....starting to come undone

[JDonovan]

Thank you everyone! It is good to know you aren't alone in this isn't it?

I am also going about 200 miles from home for my TKR. I will actually be about 10 miles from my Brother's so I will stay with him when I get out and spend Thanksgiving at his house (which I do every year). My kids and grandkids will come down for Thanksgiving as well as my boyfriend. I won't have to cook, just micro manage from a safe distance.

 

[maggie may]

Creeper13 your advice is wonderful and right on target.

Thanks to this great forum!


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[Creeker13]

You are welcome.... I am glad I could help.
I found the frozen dinners suggestion after the fact with my first knee, while my poor hubby was struggling with working, cooking, doing my farm chores, and running all of the errands for me and the house... My job... healing and getting better. A few warm up meals would have been great to relieve his stress when he got home from work. Our significant others and families see our pain and feel helpless. It is hard to remember this while we are such a train wreck.:rolleyes: If you can do something before you are laid up it can be a nice memory to share when frustration sets in for both of you. Remember look to the positive. (No... that is not, 'I am positive every thing bad will happen to me.' )
Planning can be a great way to deal with the pre op stress.... I made up my nest in my bedroom with everything I thought I might need within arms (or grabber) reach on a bedside table. I was pretty independent considering in the first couple/ few weeks short trips to the loo or fridge to get your sandwich out when there is no one home at lunch is just about all you can do. (Standing for any length of time is very uncomfortable to impossible.)
Thermos for coffee/tea.... Thermos for water to drink.... fruit for snacks.... Drugs.... note pad to list when to take and if you have taken your drugs (Very important!) and to remember what you need to remember to tell some one ... the drugs will impair your memory... it is very frustrating.... let the note pad be your memory so you can relax. Red solo cups of ice in freezer for your cryocuff (two will last for close to 8 hours of heavenly cold)... Laptop.... phone... long strap (belt from robe) to loop around foot to help lift your new leg onto bed or footrest... book.... magazines.... channel changer....
And anything else you can think of for your lifestyle and situation.
Cheers!

 

[kneeper]

Not being at home should help you "let go" a bit for Thanksgiving. I've notice most of the Bonesmarties are take charge kind of people who have a hard time relaxing.

 

[BigGene]

I just got back from a hiking trip to the finger lakes. Hiked the gorge at Glen Canyon and several other in your region.
Everything you are feeling makes perfect sense. We all survived the anticipation.

Think about this--- a new active, pain free life awaits you. It may not be fast, or easy, but it will happen. There is hardly a limit to the changes, for the better, that await you.

It sounds like you have support, and folks here at the forum to guide you.

Good luck. in a year, it will all be a fading memory.

 

[DAJ]

yes I was terrified and would wake up in the night before my Osteotomy in 2008 and I wondered should i just skip this surgery?My virgin knee would be cut into!! I sweated! Post op was bad. 6 months to recover ,I survived.
Four years on, and newly separated from a marriage from hell, the pain made me go back and plead for more.I wanted that plate out, gone!
My hardware was scheduled for removal in June to prepare the way for RTKR. I cried onto the hands of my surgeon, I shook I shivered. I came out of the spinal alive but fighting. I was sent home with 30 staples in my femor to recover alone. I survived. I had peace
I was just enjoying the first pain free walks with the plate out in September when I got the call for TKR. I was on the list!! I didnt want to be on the list! why so soon. I had second,third,and forth thoughts. I had nightmares about bone-carpenters cutting and sawing and a huge contraption metal knee. I was terrified, what if I never walk again?
I was wheeled into theatre again on Oct 3 like a terrified baby!, the man who inserted my drip was a brute I screamed out.I fought and shouted as they were inserting a femoral nerve block on me which I wasnt told about. Then I went into theatre saw the kind eyes over my surgeons mask,felt the tourniquet squeezing my leg and said "GIVE ME THE MEDICINE KNOCK ME OUT!" the spinal and sedative kicked in.. I awoke back in the theatre all bandaged up and once again saw my surgeon and asked "I hope you did a good job because Im not coming back!" he smiled.
Im now one month out and too soon to say if it was worth it all. But I trust I will soon be doing things I havent done since 2007
Its natural to be afraid and put your life into a surgeons hands,all the pre-planning that goes into TKR gives us lots of time to think. Too much time in my opinion. Do your research find a surgeon you trust whodoes hundreds of these and then close your eyes.

 

[RestAssured]

Oh yes it will be so worth it! I am now able to do the rowing machine which is 12 inches off the floor, and then using leg strength only push up into the standing position! I am doing planks, push-ups held in the up position for a count of 30 seconds from 12 inches off the ground. This week we are moving to 6 inches because Abby says they are too easy! I did Zumba for the first time EVER last week at a pink out for breast cancer charity event! I kept up with the 20 year olds for over an hour before they needed a break!

I have lost over 150 pounds now and going. I feel fantastic! Life is too short to sit on the sidelines, so I'm "back in the game!"

 

[beth1954]

I'm already falling into the panic mode........and I'm about 6 weeks out from my RTKR.

 

[RestAssured]

beth1954,

Perfectly normal, but let me assure you that you are making one of the best decisions of your life! To be pain free and doing what you want, instead of worrying about the pain you will experience if you do it with bad knees is priceless!

 

[beth1954]

Yes, I have had very good luck with my RTKR. I never did build up my quads the way I should have. I am trying to do some exercises for them now (have been for several weeks) but I should do them more often than I do. I ended up setting an alarm on my phone so that I don't forget them.

 

[SmartChoice]

Rest Assured, I love your signature quote about God being your pilot.
I was very nervous, but I know I will be fine, my real concern is overcoming constipation issues. I've been sick and meds have taken their toll on digestive... Plus goofy me started taking calcium supplement trying to strengthen bones, and now was NOT the optimal time. Dr. has prescribed iron 3xdaily week before surgery, and I'm concerned that is REALLY going to mess me up!!!! Hohum!!!

 

[beth1954]

Have you had trouble with constipation and meds before? A stool softener did wonders for me. I didn't have any problems at all after my first knee replacement.

 

[Hwa1538]

Fearing of unknown is human nature. However, To get a new knee will have a happy ending. I am 10 days from my operation, no constipation problem except no bowl movement for the fist 2 days. I bought a big beg of dry prunes Every time when I take a pain med, I take 2 prunes before and after pills, plus several no-salted crackers. Every lunch time, my husband will blend one apple, grapes, or oranges, plus handful of almonds, together. This can be a meal by itself. My digestion system works fine. Good luck to your operation. Bonny

 

[SmartChoice]

Hwa 1538, Thank you!!! Those are wonderful suggestions, I'm writing them down.

 

[RestAssured]

SmartChoice,

Pain meds will slow the digestive tract down, but fruits, and stool softeners are your best friends!

 

[referee54]

I'm already falling into the panic mode........and I'm about 6 weeks out from my RTKR.

Fearing of unknown is human nature. However, To get a new knee will have a happy ending

I was nervous and excited---I was worried about surgery (I am one of those control freaks!) and I was also excited to be ridding myself of two painful knees and a very restricted lifestyle.

I broke down and wept like a little child in the pre-op area the morning of my surgery.
I did have a very, very happy ending; Friday will bring me to my sixth anniversary of my BTKR, and I can tell you that my life is so much better now than it was , say nearly eith or nine years ago!

 

[JDonovan]

I have a friend who is a TV news anchor in my market and she did a bi-lateral replacement 2 years ago when she was my age. This woman ran the NYC marathon the other day!! She calls me every day to "remind" me of all the things I can't do now that I will do later. I find that helpful.

Now 2 weeks out and really pretty good about it. Now my Brother, who I am staying with when I leave the hospital, is starting to get nervous. He must call me with crazy questions (sometimes the same ones several times) a few times each day. I think they will need to sedate him prior to my surgery.

Again, my biggest issue is the fact that it's just my daughter (16 years old and very responsible) and I at home. However, since I live in a high rise condo complex, I have a lot of friends in the building who will keep tabs on me. The place is like a college dorm for grown ups!

I got up this morning and said to myself (and my knee), "this is your second to last Tuesday to torment me"

 

[RestAssured]

That's the spirit! College roomies indeed and a RESPONSIBLE 16 year old?

Wow, what most people would love to have in their corner! Goodbye achy knee! Hello world of infinite possibilities! Maybe you will be joining BionicWoman2, and me for hours of Zumba and flash mobbing soon!

 

[denpucc]

The very best of luck to you...you can do it!

Hugs,
Denise

 

[beth1954]

I'm just thinking how nice it is for you to have a brother that cares so much.
Good luck with your surgery! I'm sure you'll do fine! You are young and it sounds like you are normally active. I think that helps alot! It's a challenge, but it will be worth it!