Bilateral Knee replacement
- Thread starter Theresa
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cotton1958
supremo
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I'm a little over 3 months out from BTKR. Just had to return to my hometown for a funeral. I walked in the Atlanta airport from baggage claim to Concourse A to the gate, by-passing the train. Call me crazy but my family and I were so pleased to see me walk that far!!! I also do laundry now, make beds, grocery shop, go to Costco, decorated my house for Christmas, hauling boxes to and from garage and up stairs. Only take daily Ultram and hydrocodone in emergencies. Still prop my feet up!
Ask anyone a question and you are going to get different answers. The surgery was tough at first. But I have my life back.
Helen
BTKR 8/25/09
Ask anyone a question and you are going to get different answers. The surgery was tough at first. But I have my life back.
Helen
BTKR 8/25/09
Evnewknees
junior member
Good luck on your BTKR. I am 3 months post-op today. By the way, I'm 54. Somehow when registering I opted out of the age thing and can't figure how to change that.
Like you, the blood clot possibility scared me more than anything. But I really think that the possiblity is remote if all precautions are taken as prescribed. Blood thinners (I was on coumadin), the stockings right after surgery, and of course those ankle pumps. My blood was closely monitored through the second week post surgery.
I had never had a surgical procedure......never! Anesthesia once when I had my wisdom teeth removed 35 years ago. Therefore, I was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing. But looking back, I am amazed at how well the entire surgery and hospitalization went. My pain was never unbearable, and in fact, most of the time I felt it was pretty minimal. Surgery on Tuesday morning and went home Friday afternoon. I'm all-male, meaning the common cold usually freaks me out, but all in all, this procedure wasn't too bad.
Good luck to you. You'll do great. The -2- best recommendations I received before surgery......1)Stay ahead of the pain with the pain meds, if it says you can take every -4- hours then take it every -4- hours.
2)Positive healthy attitude.
Like you, the blood clot possibility scared me more than anything. But I really think that the possiblity is remote if all precautions are taken as prescribed. Blood thinners (I was on coumadin), the stockings right after surgery, and of course those ankle pumps. My blood was closely monitored through the second week post surgery.
I had never had a surgical procedure......never! Anesthesia once when I had my wisdom teeth removed 35 years ago. Therefore, I was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing. But looking back, I am amazed at how well the entire surgery and hospitalization went. My pain was never unbearable, and in fact, most of the time I felt it was pretty minimal. Surgery on Tuesday morning and went home Friday afternoon. I'm all-male, meaning the common cold usually freaks me out, but all in all, this procedure wasn't too bad.
Good luck to you. You'll do great. The -2- best recommendations I received before surgery......1)Stay ahead of the pain with the pain meds, if it says you can take every -4- hours then take it every -4- hours.
2)Positive healthy attitude.
Evnewknees....you can add your age in by going to the USER CONTROL PANEL link in the red tool bar at the top section of every page and clicking on EDIT YOUR DETAILS in the column to the left of the screen. Once there, scroll down to the Birthday block. You will see a section titled PRIVACY with some options for you to select. From the pull-down menu, select that you want your age and date of birth displayed. Be sure and save before you exit and that should do it!
WOW!
I am so happy I have this site to go to and the support I have been getting. My surgery date...as you kno is Jan. 11 and I am nervous. Of course that seems natural. You hear so many negative things...and I just want to scream. But...thank you...thank you...so much for all your caring support.
Theresa
MERRY CHRISTMAS aand God Bless
I will post off and on...just to read your wonderful support.
I am so happy I have this site to go to and the support I have been getting. My surgery date...as you kno is Jan. 11 and I am nervous. Of course that seems natural. You hear so many negative things...and I just want to scream. But...thank you...thank you...so much for all your caring support.
Theresa
MERRY CHRISTMAS aand God Bless
I will post off and on...just to read your wonderful support.
I am going to be scheduling my BTKR surgery for this spring. I too am frightened of what to expect because of all of the "horror stories" that appear. Thanks for the posting of encouragement and positive experience. This is what my surgeon has described (3 days in hospital, 7 days in rehab facility, 8 weeks back to my work after intensive PT). I am in the process of preconditioning myself with exercises to improve my core strength and quad strength.
I am so happy to have found this website for support! Thanks everybody!
I am so happy to have found this website for support! Thanks everybody!
cindy88fan
supremo
I was also worried about blood clots. Anytime anybody walked into my room they would see me doing ankle pumps. I got in the habit of doing them so much I didn't even realize I was doing them...LOL.
Having the BTKR was the best thing I could have done! I am soooo happy now and have my life back! I take walks everyday...even when it's cold outside. Remember we are always here for you. So post anytime and we all will help you as much as possible!
Having the BTKR was the best thing I could have done! I am soooo happy now and have my life back! I take walks everyday...even when it's cold outside. Remember we are always here for you. So post anytime and we all will help you as much as possible!
Hi, Wevrldy....welcome to BoneSmart. You are doing a good thing by strengthening before surgery. If I were you, I'd leave that "go back to work" date somewhat flexible. Some folks were able to do so at 8 weeks, many need a little more time. Once you provide that date to your boss, it will become firm in their mind and it's more difficult to negotiate additional time if you do need it.
We have had quite a number of forum members who had BTKRs and did just fine. So try not to worry. The internet is filled with horror stories and sometimes it's better to stay away from sites that are filled with them. The problem is that the people who have a great surgical experience tend to go on to live and enjoy their lives after recovery and never post about their positive experience. So sometimes you can get an imbalance of information out there.
Spend some time reading threads in the knee surgery and recovery forums. You'll find lots of information there and it will give you an idea of what is ahead for you. Recovery takes some work, but I think you'll really feel that it is worth it.
As you're reading, you may have some concerns or questions. Don't hesitate to post and ask about anything. Or....just pop in now and then and let us know how you are. We'll be here for whatever support you need.
We have had quite a number of forum members who had BTKRs and did just fine. So try not to worry. The internet is filled with horror stories and sometimes it's better to stay away from sites that are filled with them. The problem is that the people who have a great surgical experience tend to go on to live and enjoy their lives after recovery and never post about their positive experience. So sometimes you can get an imbalance of information out there.
Spend some time reading threads in the knee surgery and recovery forums. You'll find lots of information there and it will give you an idea of what is ahead for you. Recovery takes some work, but I think you'll really feel that it is worth it.
As you're reading, you may have some concerns or questions. Don't hesitate to post and ask about anything. Or....just pop in now and then and let us know how you are. We'll be here for whatever support you need.
Hello Everyone
Happy New Year to All..
I was just reading all the posts again. Well, my surgery is 9 days...and I have to say...I am getting very nervous. I guess it is to be expected.
Just like Wevrldy..I have been in the pool 3-4 times a week. it is the only thing that seems to help me with the stiffness and the pain. Not sure..but the water makes me feel good and I seem to forget about the surgery coming up. It's seems to calm me down.
So...Wevrldy...keep reading the wonderful posts. I do everyday. These posts are whats keeping me from getting to depressed about this up coming surgery.
Can anyone tell me...which med is better as far as pain goes. I have Tylenol 4 and tramecet. I do not take them together. Just need to know which is stronger for pain.
As far as getting ready for my seugery... I have been preparing some food and trying to get house in order. Thank GOD for my husband...who has been a great help.
Can you tell me what exactly you need as far as equipment goes. I am having BTKR. Also, what do you wear after surgery. I was thinking about just taking tee shirts and bagging workout pants. As far as shoes goes...running shoes???? Any other suggestions. Also, when the surgery is over...can you start doing excercises right away. Like the ankle pumps and the ones you can do laying in bed to strengthen your quads?
Theresa
Happy New Year to All..
I was just reading all the posts again. Well, my surgery is 9 days...and I have to say...I am getting very nervous. I guess it is to be expected.
Just like Wevrldy..I have been in the pool 3-4 times a week. it is the only thing that seems to help me with the stiffness and the pain. Not sure..but the water makes me feel good and I seem to forget about the surgery coming up. It's seems to calm me down.
So...Wevrldy...keep reading the wonderful posts. I do everyday. These posts are whats keeping me from getting to depressed about this up coming surgery.
Can anyone tell me...which med is better as far as pain goes. I have Tylenol 4 and tramecet. I do not take them together. Just need to know which is stronger for pain.
As far as getting ready for my seugery... I have been preparing some food and trying to get house in order. Thank GOD for my husband...who has been a great help.
Can you tell me what exactly you need as far as equipment goes. I am having BTKR. Also, what do you wear after surgery. I was thinking about just taking tee shirts and bagging workout pants. As far as shoes goes...running shoes???? Any other suggestions. Also, when the surgery is over...can you start doing excercises right away. Like the ankle pumps and the ones you can do laying in bed to strengthen your quads?
Theresa
cindy88fan
supremo
Theresa & Wevrldy...go to knee FAQ's and you will see a thread titled "Helpful Pre & Post Surgery Items". There's a whole list of things that you may need. Some hospitals send some of the equipment home with you. However mine sent nothing home with me. So ask your OS what you will be sent home with. This list will be very helpful.
As far as clothes go. Light weight pants...not tight...I had mine in the summer so I wore shorts all the time. When you get the bandages off, material touching your incisions may drive you nuts. What I did was my OS gave me shower protector sleeves to put over my incisions so that my sheets on the bed didn't bother me. You can do this with your pants...keeps the material from your pants from bothering your incisions.
Shoes...I wore slippers in the hospital and when I got home I wore my tennis shoes. I'm one that as soon as I walk in the door..shoes come off. However, I wore my shoes all the time except to bed of course...LOL. They gave me a lot of support when walking.
I went back to work at 6 weeks...part time and then full time after 8 weeks. Go back gradually...2 hours at a time is the best and then work up to full time. If possible see if you can ice and elevate while at work and when you get home make sure you get lots of rest and ice the knees and elevate. You won't believe how tired you will be after just a couple hours of work.
Getting food prepared now is great! The girls that work for me came over the weekend before my surgery and we had a cooking party. We made several things to freeze so that all I had to do was get the food out and thaw and microwave!
Best of luck to the 2 of you!
As far as clothes go. Light weight pants...not tight...I had mine in the summer so I wore shorts all the time. When you get the bandages off, material touching your incisions may drive you nuts. What I did was my OS gave me shower protector sleeves to put over my incisions so that my sheets on the bed didn't bother me. You can do this with your pants...keeps the material from your pants from bothering your incisions.
Shoes...I wore slippers in the hospital and when I got home I wore my tennis shoes. I'm one that as soon as I walk in the door..shoes come off. However, I wore my shoes all the time except to bed of course...LOL. They gave me a lot of support when walking.
I went back to work at 6 weeks...part time and then full time after 8 weeks. Go back gradually...2 hours at a time is the best and then work up to full time. If possible see if you can ice and elevate while at work and when you get home make sure you get lots of rest and ice the knees and elevate. You won't believe how tired you will be after just a couple hours of work.
Getting food prepared now is great! The girls that work for me came over the weekend before my surgery and we had a cooking party. We made several things to freeze so that all I had to do was get the food out and thaw and microwave!
Best of luck to the 2 of you!
aww honey! We all know how you feel right now. Counting off the days and thinking "this time the week after next I'll be <insert situation>". It's inevitable and understandable. But, as the man said, "this too shall pass".
referee54
Former BoneSmart staff member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
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- 17,577
- Age
- 70
- Location
- Northern Part of the Buckeye State
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- United States
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- Male
The absolute worst part of my hospital stay was the food. The nurses were great; my OS was awesome; the occupational therapists and the physical therapists were amazing; but the food was absolutely, positively the worst food that I have ever tried to eat. (And remember, I have eaten some horrible college food---ham slices that appeared to have the word "Rawlings" written on them.) One highlight for me was when my wife brought me a Whopper and fries---she apologized for them being somewhat cold. I didn't care; at last I was eating food (I didn't care how healthy or unhealthy it was!) that had some flavor!
I will never forget my last day in the hospital---it was the day OSU played Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2007. I just wanted to go home and watch the game (OSU won---"O-H-I-O"); the food service lady came in (she was really sweet, it wasn't her fault that the food was so bad...) and said, "Mr. Campbell, you haven't filled out what you want for breakfast." I said, that "The omelet that I ate yesterday had all of the savoriness of plastic, and I don't care to eat breakfast or anything that resembled something out of a Playskool Kitchen. I understand that it is not at all your ault, but please bring me something that they cannot screw up downstairs."
I received coffee, toast, a banana, and Cheerios. I would rate the coffee at -3 out of 10.
I tell you this story as you are facing a BTKR; you will need to eat to replenish you body with the energy it needs to heal. You will also need to eat as you will be going through some rigorous PT; having played four years of college football, I can honestly say that I worked harder at the PT than I did in the weight room back in college. The meds at times seemed to rob me of my appetite, which is truly weird for me! I hope that your hospital has a much better food service, too!
I would definitely have a reclining chair or LA-Z-Boy; that was my haven when I came home. I purchased rather large ice packs that are reusable and are stored in the freezer; ice is your "bestest" friend. I bought one of those "extender-thingy picker-uppers." If you cannot bend down to pick something up, this does the trick. I have to admit, though, I never, ever used it. If you want one, I will send it to you free of charge---better that somebody use it than it sit in the back of my closet somewhere.
My wardrobe was uncomplicated; sweatpants, slippers, a T-shirt, and a robe. Eventually I took short trips into the outside world with my wife (no, not dressed like that!) It did me good to get out, see the world, and rebuild my stamina. It also made me begin to feel normal again. You will be inside a house for quite some time; I would stand and look out my front window and see the world go by. Eventually, take a few trips (15-minutes to an hour) to regain normalcy in your life. If you have an exercise bike, all the better, if not, you might want to see about either purchasing one or borrowing one; it will be of immense help to you. It will help you with ROM, strengthening the muscles, and stamina. You will be amazed to see how quickly your muscles will atrophy. The PT's gave me exer-bands, and my wife bought ankle-weights, too.
Oh, and make sure that the TV remote has new batteries!:D
Tim C.
I will never forget my last day in the hospital---it was the day OSU played Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2007. I just wanted to go home and watch the game (OSU won---"O-H-I-O"); the food service lady came in (she was really sweet, it wasn't her fault that the food was so bad...) and said, "Mr. Campbell, you haven't filled out what you want for breakfast." I said, that "The omelet that I ate yesterday had all of the savoriness of plastic, and I don't care to eat breakfast or anything that resembled something out of a Playskool Kitchen. I understand that it is not at all your ault, but please bring me something that they cannot screw up downstairs."
I received coffee, toast, a banana, and Cheerios. I would rate the coffee at -3 out of 10.
I tell you this story as you are facing a BTKR; you will need to eat to replenish you body with the energy it needs to heal. You will also need to eat as you will be going through some rigorous PT; having played four years of college football, I can honestly say that I worked harder at the PT than I did in the weight room back in college. The meds at times seemed to rob me of my appetite, which is truly weird for me! I hope that your hospital has a much better food service, too!
I would definitely have a reclining chair or LA-Z-Boy; that was my haven when I came home. I purchased rather large ice packs that are reusable and are stored in the freezer; ice is your "bestest" friend. I bought one of those "extender-thingy picker-uppers." If you cannot bend down to pick something up, this does the trick. I have to admit, though, I never, ever used it. If you want one, I will send it to you free of charge---better that somebody use it than it sit in the back of my closet somewhere.
My wardrobe was uncomplicated; sweatpants, slippers, a T-shirt, and a robe. Eventually I took short trips into the outside world with my wife (no, not dressed like that!) It did me good to get out, see the world, and rebuild my stamina. It also made me begin to feel normal again. You will be inside a house for quite some time; I would stand and look out my front window and see the world go by. Eventually, take a few trips (15-minutes to an hour) to regain normalcy in your life. If you have an exercise bike, all the better, if not, you might want to see about either purchasing one or borrowing one; it will be of immense help to you. It will help you with ROM, strengthening the muscles, and stamina. You will be amazed to see how quickly your muscles will atrophy. The PT's gave me exer-bands, and my wife bought ankle-weights, too.
Oh, and make sure that the TV remote has new batteries!:D
Tim C.
ref, I laughed about your hospital food! It seems to be the same the world over. Amazing how they can get their hands on perfectly good meat and veg and totally ruin it? Pasta that feels and tastes like Polyfilla (not that I've ever tasted Polyfilla but I can imagine!), soup that tastes like washing up water. Yuk!
My sister is vegetarian. Almost every time she has been in hospital, she has had salads brought to her with ham! And when she refused it, they took the plate to the kitchen, removed the ham and brought it back. She can smell the water off ham a mile away but they would never accept she knew. So next phase was, they'd offer her some bread to make a sandwich with the salad. For three admissions, she existed on bread and lettuce sandwiches! So much for Florence Nightingale's requirements that "patients should have adequate nutrition in order to fight off infection and allow wounds to heal"!.
My sister is vegetarian. Almost every time she has been in hospital, she has had salads brought to her with ham! And when she refused it, they took the plate to the kitchen, removed the ham and brought it back. She can smell the water off ham a mile away but they would never accept she knew. So next phase was, they'd offer her some bread to make a sandwich with the salad. For three admissions, she existed on bread and lettuce sandwiches! So much for Florence Nightingale's requirements that "patients should have adequate nutrition in order to fight off infection and allow wounds to heal"!.
Well...thank you on the food situation. I actually thought about that. I am packing some soda crackers...just incase for nausea. But, my husband has already been instructed to bring up good food. So...glad about the suggestion. Wopper and fries....sounds good...right now.
This morning..was a stresfull morning. Thinking of hospital..surgery and so on. Getting really nervous...1 week away......Cranky big time!!!!
Went out last night...and all I heard from a fellow was the pain..pain..pain I was going to be in and how stupid I am to do both at the same time. i think I could have killed him. Now...I am thinking, why didn't I???
Oh, well! I am a little calmer now.
Thanks Theresa
This morning..was a stresfull morning. Thinking of hospital..surgery and so on. Getting really nervous...1 week away......Cranky big time!!!!
Went out last night...and all I heard from a fellow was the pain..pain..pain I was going to be in and how stupid I am to do both at the same time. i think I could have killed him. Now...I am thinking, why didn't I???
Oh, well! I am a little calmer now.
Thanks Theresa
Theresa, why is it that people feel they need to tell a person MISERABLE stories??? I will never understand it. Naysayers and doom-dwellers!!! Good thing you didn't listen to him. What the heck makes HIM the expert anyway???
Just keep focusing on the good things that are going to come for you after surgery....all the wonderful things you'll be able to do that aren't possible now. You will have two new knees with only one recovery - BONUS!!!
Just keep focusing on the good things that are going to come for you after surgery....all the wonderful things you'll be able to do that aren't possible now. You will have two new knees with only one recovery - BONUS!!!
referee54
Former BoneSmart staff member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 17,577
- Age
- 70
- Location
- Northern Part of the Buckeye State
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
Try not to be stresed; try to be excited. The therapy was tough but it was certainly worth it! You will certainly have your ups and downs through this, but in the end, you will regain so much of your life. Look down the road and set your sights on your goal; work constantly to achieve it; there will be better days ahead. I had both done at the same time and have absolutely no regrets about dong it that way.
Tim C.
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