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Bilateral TKR in January - I have questions

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tomorrow i see the ortho. well today! i am nervous, i know they want to mark my knees? tell me what all will be done, but I really don't have my list of questions ready! anything specific i should ask?


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Ask what the pain med philosophy is. What will he or she do when your in pain? Also ask what type of PT they believe is necessary, aggressive or non-aggressive. What type of anesthesia will be used?
How many TKRs has the OS done?
 
with bilateral he says general anesthesia. the other spinal one may not last long enough. PT is done yes, but he didn't make it sound like it was aggressive. pain ? ha he is worried about me taking 5/325 narco three times a day and says goal is to get me off those.. which hello i have pain and it's not all in my knees. BUT at this point 75% of it is, since I am not allowed to take the mobic. ( nsaid) would love to have less pain! got the special cleaner and some nose stuff for staph. all is well for surgery on the 10 th


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i wish you well @Kathi 777, you will do great. I am post op Bitkr and its been 4weeks and 4days, I was all worried and anxious to a certain degree, my advise is to exercise your bends good and do the preop exercises they gave ya and youll be fine, I had over 100degrees within a week of postop and 1degree (straight leg) the day after surgery, ask and lean on everyone here, we are her for you.
 
@hope4clay thank you! i am debating coming straight home or whether i would like to go to rehab. would like to be home but time will tell. i am packing my go to bag... how long were you in the hospital? curious!!


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Will you have help at home? It is possible to come home alone if you only have one knee done. Having both knees done at once does make it more difficult initially, and you will need a bit more help.
 
yes i will have some help. [emoji15] everyone keeps saying i need help but help to do what? lol I think I can manage somewhat most of my own care and really think that everything being within 30 steps of my bed and chair should be handy?


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You'll be able to care for yourself, but even with one TKR it was difficult to carry things like food, drinks, ice or ice machine the first week. With a BTKR you'll be using a walker for a few weeks. We attached a flat bottom basket to my dad's walker after his THR. He didn't want to depend on anyone, but you won't have a good leg to stand on so having someone for the first week is essential.
 
With a BTKR, some things are difficult at first. You will not be able to rely on one good leg to help you get up from sitting, getting out of bed and back in again. Carrying things will be difficult (how will you make yourself a hot drink and carry it to your bedside or "nest?)

Of course, you will be able to manage a lot of things.
 
I went to rehab hospital for a week, glad i did, i wish i would have not pushed for release, I found out i had it pretty good in there, haha
 
@Kathi 777 you should read a couple of post-op bilateral threads to get a feel for what you'll need.
 
@RMasano I had my BTKR in 2013. I was using crutches my knees were so bad. I chronicled my journey for a whole year starting just hours out of surgery and day to day.... you can click on to my story below. It will be the best thing you ever did!
 
@kathi777, Hi, Lene' again, I am 12 weeks BTKR, I am doing fine now....but the first few weeks although doable are gonna be rougher than you think. I am not trying to scare you..like I said you can do this,:thumb: but getting up from a sitting position or from the bed to stand is very taxing for the first couple weeks after BTKR. I was pretty strong going in and still had trouble. I also could carry 40lbs of dog food pretty easily before surgery, but for the first two weeks, I couldn't lift much more than myself let alone any carrying weight. There are a lot of us on BS that have had Bilateral TKR, and I read everyone's thread that I could but..... you don't know what you don't know. TKR is tough! I think Bilateral is tougher...! That said once it is done, you just have to get through it, and it IS worth it in the long run but it is not a "walk in the park". Lots of people go right home after TKR and BTKR, I did not...I went to rehab I was in the hospital for 6 days and rehab for 7. I am glad I went to rehab for two reasons, one it took alot of stress off my hubby having to take care of me at home. Two, while I could take care of myself mostly, if I felt rotten, then I didn't have too, all I had to do is push that button and someone would come an help me out. Also, sleeping is tough right after BTKR, you can ONLY sleep on your back, a hospital bed was the best for that!
There was someone on here that had BTKR I think it was TCJTeacher, she seemed to have a GREAT recovery and was happy right from the get go...Me, not so much and I thought I was as prepared as anyone. Now I am doing pretty good I think for 3mos out, I feel pretty normal, I can now roll over in bed and sleep on my side but it took me many weeks before I got out of the recliner and back in the bed and have really only been comfortable for a couple weeks. Again, I am NOT trying to scare you, just being realistic. That said, everyone is different and you may do way better than I did..(lots have, LOL) :heehee: You can do this and it is way better than the pain you are experiencing now!! Good Luck, keep coming here for support...
Blessings,
Lene'
 
if i am unsure i will opt for rehab. just because i rather not be dependent on my other half,


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Kathi 777 said:
i am debating coming straight home or whether i would like to go to rehab. would like to be home but time will tell. i am packing my go to bag... how long were you in the hospital? curious!!
Click to expand...

I had my BTKR on a Monday morning and went home around noon that Thursday. My OS would only do a bilateral on me if I agreed to go home (with help) and not to rehab (my insurance would only approve a nursing home as rehab and my surgeon worried about improper care and increased infections at a nursing home). I NEEDED a lot of help my first few days at home but after the first week, I was home by myself during most the day (husband and kids home after work/school).

Kathi 777 said:
everyone keeps saying i need help but help to do what? lol I think I can manage somewhat most of my own care and really think that everything being within 30 steps of my bed and chair should be handy?
Click to expand...

During the first couple of days, I felt super unstable getting out of bed, up from chairs, etc. Just knowing somebody was shadowing me helped greatly to make me feel safer. I had a problem with my insurance getting one prescription filled. I was too foggy, in too much pain, and unable to deal with that myself. I was glad my husband did that for me. I had a problem initially with the handicapped toilet seat (tipping when I got off). I needed somebody to hold it when I got off (and then we replaced it with a different kind). I had a CPM machine. I needed somebody to put it on the bed during the day, and take it off at night. It was helpful to have somebody else take care of the dogs, cook meals, do dishes and laundry, etc.
 
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@Want2hike i can go to a step down rehab at the hospital so that's still on the table. depends on how I am feeling. pretty sure my insurance will cover it. if not they have a great rehab just blocks away that my husband was at in 2015 for a broken femur. i want to think i will be ok to come home, but worse case i go to rehab a few extra days. hub works night shift, 10 pm to 630 am so he is gone from 9 pm to 715 am he has vacation days he can use for family leave. but would rather we sort it out, get me comfortable for the night and hope for sleep? ha lots of meals put in freezer for him, i figure on eating light, and high protein. CPM machine.... not all Dr do that but I was told mine does... but i am hoping to get off without coming home with one!! ( if that's the smart thing to do?)


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Research shows there's no difference between those who use a cpm and those that don't. I went to a step down within my hospital and it was so easy. They just packed me up and wheeled me through a set of doors. I felt the nurses knew just what to do for surgical patients. You may want to get a bottle of Miralax. The pain meds can cause constipation and although I was taking softeners they just didn't do the job. My favorite nurse at the step down suggested Miralax and was like magic, unpleasant magic though.
 
Glad you have better rehab options :-)
I seemed to have been one of the lucky ones in terms of appetite and sleep. My appetite was pretty normal after surgery (and hubby is a good cook). Other than having to sleep on my back, my sleep was pretty normal. I would take my pain pills and zonk out for the night.
 
@KarriB thank you for the information! i really do not want to be hooked up to that machine!



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A little freaked out today. Of course a well meaning friend tells me about his uncle who lost his leg to staph infection from a shot in his knee... Totally not cool. Anyone else worried about infection etc? How to put it out of my mind! I hate being so nervous


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