Attended a joint replacement class this morning

[bashbago]

The hospital where I will have my surgery on Monday, had a joint replacement class this morning. Most of the folks attending will be having total knee replacement, but a few will be having hip replacements. I am 63 and probably the youngest there.
We met the person who is in charge of our floor, maybe he is called the head nurse or the charge nurse. He explained what would be happening to us, in general terms, from pre op to what we could expect for the three days post op.
The second speaker was the head of rehab services at the hospital. He gave us the "lowdown" about what we would be doing while in his charge. He demonstrated three exercises that he wanted us to do several times a day pre and post op. There are additional exercises to be done during the time the therapists will spending with us.

I learned that my surgeon will place a drain in my knee. The fluid from this drain can be used to replace those lost during surgery. The drain will be removed the day following surgery. In additon, my knee will be in a Continous Passive Motion machine after surgery.

I have the meeting with the surgeon on Friday which will be the final go ahead and final instructions. I have my knee X-rays from the preop testing at the hospital which I am to take to him. I am sure I will be able to look at them as I did the ones the surgeon previously took. Man. those bone spurs are really, really big ! I only saw the lateral ones, but know that I have medial ones as well.

Wish me luck. I wish Coppernob the best of luck too. We are scheduled for the same day. Best of luck to those of you predeeding us this week.

 

[edk]

I don't know if this is standard but I did almost the same thing at Northwestern in Chicago,
is that where yours is happening?

 

[bashbago]

Nope, I am in middle Tennessee. I hope it is standard most places. I found it very helpful.

 

[JudyS]

I attended one here in southern california too. Very informative, especially about needing the raised toilet seats for home!!
Judy

 

[Josephine]

That sounds a pretty good pre-op introduction. All the best for Monday.

 

[Rowdy66]

I am in Southern Arizona and we had a class that included the spouses that lasted approximately 2 hours, they covered everything. In addition to that class my OS gives all his patients a notebook that he put together that takes you through, in chapters, the period prior to surgery to the time you are back to normal. I have a friend in Knoxville who is having her knees replaced this spring and I am sending this notebook to her. I was really impressed with the time that and detail that was put into this and it was given to me at my first appointment with the OS so I had plenty of time to become familiar with the entire notebook. He even included several pages for the patient to take notes and to write down questions they want to ask. Good luck to all of you having surgery this week and next. I know you are aprehensive right now but within a couple of days after the surgery you will be wondering why you waited to long to have it done. For me it totally gave my life back to me. Rowdy

 

[MaryEllen]

I too went to a class here in New York last week. It was very similar to what everyone was told. The only thing I'm wondering is wouldn't it have been better to get the pre op exercises earlier.

 

[edk]

When I had my consult for the surgery they gave me a prescription for PT before surgery. So I had a month of preop PT to try to get some ROM and strength back.

 

[Laurie]

Hi, I wanted to give a shoutout to our local hospital here, Saint Clares in northern NJ. Required attendance to an educational session before joint replacement, complete with the notebook that was described previously. I used it through to Pt. I was also given a tour of the joint replacement unit in the hospital -- all comforting before the big day. The joint center educator was an APN (Advanced Practive Nurse) who was a key contact to answer questions, etc, pre-op and during the hospital stay. All in all, this nurse was a great support and very accessible. She took away some of the pre op willies. Is this standard in other locations?

Laurie

 

[Josephine]

Woudn't it be great if it was? There are too few nurses prepared to put themselves out front like that.

 

[mvo]

Hi all

At our hospital they showed the whole process via a DVD that featured all the hospital staff – I thought that was quite neat. Then you met with the surgeon and the anesthetist and finally with the “top nurse” here called a nurse practitioner. I guess it is the position that used to be Matron. Everything was done individually, not in a group, was very well structured and organized – one process happened after the other and we were there for about 1/2 a day. You get a booklet – (almost a book!) again written by the staff. I’ll always remember what the nurse practitioner said as I signed the final documents, “I would be very happy to have any of our surgeons here to operate on me or any of my family”. It was an unprompted statement – I must still have looked as though I had some of those pre-op nerves!

Monica

 

[Gretchendz]

West Michigan here. Hospital had a 2 hour class with a nurse and OT. Spouses invited.

Also, they gave a VERY helpful and informative with a very detailed book telling you everything to expect.

I didn't go until a week before surgery. If you have this available, I recommend going a month before. That way you can start the pre-op exercises. (or, even better, pre-op PT if you are allowed/covered.) That was my only regret--that I didn't know to do pre-op exercises....

 

[justjuls]

I'm in Ohio, my surgery was in Cincinnati and I went to the class too. At 39 I was the youngest person there. Each time a new speaker would come in they'd ask me if I was in the wrong room or gathering information for a parent. But, the class was helpful and the gave me a huge binder to take home and keep and it's got a wealth of knowledge in it. If anyone needs it let me know I can make ya a copy and send it to you! But, this forum has individual one on one information so it definetely wont take the place of this great website.

Juls

 

[JudyS]

Juls
I am 51 and apparantly looked young for my age (act it too). When i walked in to the joint replacement class, the OT said, this is for a joint replacement class what are you looking for? I said you!!! Then she asked if I was picking up info for someone else.
That class was very informative and I am glad I took it way ahead of my surgery.
Judy

 

[edk]

One of the things we did in our class was practice crutches and walkers

 

[JudyS]

Now that we did not do and is a good idea. I had been on crutches recently so I had those down, but the walker was a challenge for me!!!
Judy

 

[Shamrocker]

I recommend going a month before. That way you can start the pre-op exercises. (or, even better, pre-op PT if you are allowed/covered.) That was my only regret--that I didn't know to do pre-op exercises....

It makes perfect sense to start doing exercises some time before surgery, but when I brought that up with my surgeon, he said "there's no point, because I'm going to be cutting all your muscles and you'll be starting from scratch anyway." I asked about doing upper body exercises to prepare for the non- or partial-weight-bearing period, but he discounted that as well, saying I'm too young and active to need that. As it turned out, he was partly right about the latter, as I only had mild muscle discomfort from using the walker/crutches, and was 50% weight bearing upon leaving the hospital. But I still wonder if there would have been less leg pain and faster recovery if I'd done some pre-op exercises. Certainly, it couldn't hurt. If/when I need to go through this again, I will definitely visit a PT before the big day.

Interesting to hear all the surprised comments the younger patients receive (I've heard quite a few myself). Just look at how many of us on this forum are "too young for THR". I've read several articles recently about the sharp increase in joint replacement in people in their 50's and younger. Are we really falling apart at an earlier age? Are we being harder on our joints than previous generations? Are we less willing to live with pain and hindered mobility? Or are we just taking advantage of better medical technology? Who knows? I'm just sorry I had to go through it this soon, but ever so grateful to have good options and such a beautiful result.

 

[edk]

We wear out our joints earlier by exercising more so when we're laid out in our coffins people say will say doesn't he look good

 

[mvo]

Oh, yes, “crutches training” would have been a good idea before the surgery! I put that in the suggestion box at the hospital

And yes, I got the funny looks etc for being “so young” and the assumption I was accompanying someone else to all the preliminary appointments etc. One radiologist even went so far as to say, “Oh Dr so-and-so wont operate on you, you’re far too young.” She changed her tune somewhat after she saw the x-rays.

As for there being a lot of us “younger” THR patients – I think quite a few of us have dysplasia. Now it is something they check for in babies (at least in New Zealand) and can correct so perhaps there will be fewer of us in the future.

Monica

 

[marennorge]

New England Baptist Hospital in Boston also offers a 2-hour seminar on knee replacement surgery with a staff nurse and physical therapist providing all kinds of information. They encourage the patient and family or other caregivers to attend. We even got a fanny pack to take to the hospital for our personal items that easily attaches to the bed. The fanny pack even included a bone-shaped pen to take notes.