Bilat - second thoughts?

[nensi]

Omigosh the big day is getting SOOO close. Just took my morning meds

5 more days!

 

[gertie]

@nensi Best wishes for Friday's surgery! Post when you can.

 

[newlybionic]

Try to keep yourself busy while you are waiting. Go out to a movie or a nice dinner with your DH. Get your 'nest' ready where you will do your early recovery. Put your ice packs in the freezer. Get some extra pillows so you can elevate your knee correctly. ( see the guidelines that were left you above). Make sure you get whatever your doctor recommends for constipation since pain medications can cause that to happen. Many members find Miralax very helpful.

 

[nensi]

I was reflecting a bit about how I have arrived at this point in my process. I live in the Flemish speaking north of Belgium (very flat) - everyone bikes - kids to school, commute to work, groceries, 70-80 plussers - everyone ! When my ROM decreased so much - it's about 60-70 in both knees - I kept putting my seat higher and higher until it was downright dangerous because I couldn't reach the ground in case of instability - so I had to stop biking. Well two summers ago I just got angry about it and refused to accept it - found a bike inventor in Amsterdam who invented a special crank (see the you tube link for a video).
He sent me two to try out on a trial basis and I was biking again. Turned my OS on to them and he has passed it on to may a patient !
So that was the start of getting my life back. I sat down with my DH and tried to figure out the progression of things which could get me back to knee health. At that moment I was about 35 pounds heavier and the only driver in the household - so part of the plan was to strive that all three of the kids would get their licenses.
So here I am now - fitter with four drivers in the house !

 

[tjcteacher]

I had both knees replaced at the same time and I have zero regrets! Surgery was April 26, 2016-so it's been 14 months and I love them!

 

[Celle]

@nensi
I have moved several posts wishing you well for your surgery back to this pre-op thread.
Your post-op thread should be about your recovery, so please continue to post in this pre-op thread until you have had your surgery.
Thank you.

 

[kayak59]

@Kare2dare I think I started PT within 2 days of coming home from the hospital both times. I had both knees done at a "Joint Recovery Center" at a local hospital. It was a wing dedicated to joint replacements and they had PTs assigned and their own mini PT room. They said the typical stay was 2-3 days because they wanted to do the PT and give you some extra recovery time. Like a very short Rehab Center stay. So, without that, two days would probably be right. But, I actually stayed 4 days for both surgeries because I had some medical issues. They will not send you home unless you can do certain things like walk stairs if they are in your house, get out of bed, and of course, you are medically fit.

 

[nensi]

Had my appt with the anesthetist today, and got the planning for Friday - I'm the first btkr at 8.30 European time. Glad to be early, not so much that I have to report to the hospital at 4pm on Thursday. Days too busy. Bed now.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Thesoutherncook]

Since I've been to Brugges and eaten the WONDERFUL chocolates, I would be happy to volunteer to come help you convalese! :smile2: Oh, wait! I have TKR July 18! Bummer!
Seriously, you're going to do GREAT! The first 4 wks are the hardest...but there is always light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[Kare2dare]

@nensi my best thoughts are with you! I have to report Thursday at 11:30. Surgery will follow about 1. I will see you on the other side

 

[nensi]

@Kare2dare thanks for the well wishes !

@Josephine I was wondering if you have any info about newer procedures for tkr - my RN cousin in New Jersey was telling me about a nwe procedure where the knee ligaments are left intact. Frankly I am ashamed to say that although I usually want to know all the details, technical and otherwise (I am a scientist), for some reason with my knees it was too close to home. Maybe because of all the knee pain over the years, I....do....not...know.
But anyway if you have any articles which discuss this, please point me in the right direction !
@Thesoutherncook
Damn right about hose chocolates ! When I was an expat in the US - pretty funny - expat in my own home country... we took big bags of Belgian chocolate chips (7 pound bags) en stuffed our freezer with them !
Needless to say, our house was a favorite neighborhood pit stop.
Hey with that tag - will you be able to share your favorite recipe for sweet potato pie ?

 

[Thesoutherncook]

@nensi... ohhhhh.... chocolate to die for!!! Yes, of course, I am happy to share recipes! By fall, we should all be baking!

 

[Celle]

The most important factor for success in a knee replacement is the skill of your surgeon. It helps if he/she is using a technique and a prosthesis with which he/she has had success in the past. That is far more important than chasing after the newest technique or implant model.

Josephine will explain better than I can, but there are two different types of prosthesis for TKRs - one for when the internal knee ligaments are left intact and one where a post on the implant does the job of stabilising the knee - the job the internal ligaments did previously.

This article explains, with illustrations:
Knee replacement surgery types and suggested videos

 

[Josephine]

my RN cousin in New Jersey was telling me about a new procedure where the knee ligaments are left intact.

It's far from being a new procedure nensi. In fact, it precedes the cruciate sacrificing type by years! It's just in the design of the implants, as you can see here ...

 

[nensi]

@Josephine Okay thank you that is clear! My cruciate ligaments are shot in both knees so there is not much choice there.
@Celle - that is my opinion as well !


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Josephine]

For your interest, I had a cruciate sparing in my right knee and sacrificing in my left knee and I can't tell the difference! It's like I also had a patellar button left and not right and the same applies.

 

[nensi]

Okay it is the evening before the big plunge, deeeeep breath, keep breathing....
Today I thought that it would be a good idea to list all the reasons why I decided to have this surgery.
-Pain
-60deg and 70deg bend means
-struggling out of chairs, flopping around to get out of the couch
-stressing wrists because of pushing up out of said chairs and couches
-walking through on the amusement park ride (after waiting forever) because lack of knee bend meant the legs could not fit in in anything approaching comfort (at a standstill)
-feet barely leaving the ground while walking - lots of danger tripping over uneven pavement - many close calls and a few (lucky) falls
-recently, instability and a recent fall after losing my balance - luckily just a big bump and balck and blue on my butt
- my DH is healthy now but also has some surgery in his not too distant future
- good health insurance
- a job where my contribution is considered important and has flexibility to work out of my home
-good support system - all three kids living home this next school year
- can't stand for any length of time

I am sure that there are more, just getting tired now I guess. Still have to shower here in the hospital with the antibacterial scrub...

I also thought I would document how I much - Elena (my middle daughter) filmed me with my week 0 movements. Very confrontational - I had absolutely no idea what my movements through space looked to others.

Getting up and down the stairs: ,

Sitting down and getting back up out of q good chair:
Putting on my pants:

See ya on the other side !

 

[nensi]

@Josephine please reopen my recovery thread ! I am in the hospital and it is almost time to go to sleep.
I'm first up tomorrow am.

 

[SusieShoes]

Wow, you will be soooooo happy with your new knees! Those videos are painful to watch, and part of the reason I wince is remembering that's how I moved. Never took a video of it, but Mr. Shoes said it was hard to watch me walk down a grocery aisle, or go up or down stairs. Your videos show why. You are not going to miss your old knees at all.

Look at all the great reasons you have for getting this done now!

I'll look for you on the other side. Sending prayers and wishes for the very best.

 

[nensi]

@SusieShoes thanks! Actually I have never thought of filming (or photographing) my knees or gait. I just thought that I might need some extra motivation on the other side