BTKR - Oct 7

[Juanice]

Wanted to introduce myself and say a very heartfelt Thank You to everyone who contributes to this site. I am scheduled for BTKR on October 7. I found this site in May when I finally admitted to myself that I was going to have to have surgery at some point. The “some point” has come a little faster than I hoped. Had the Synvics injections in June and unfortunately they provided no relief. Am at the point now where I have to use a cane at all times. I am dreading the surgery but looking forward to getting my life back. Went online and watched an actual knee surgery so have an idea of what they will be doing.

Thanks to all of your suggestions, I think I have everything at home that I will need during my recovery. I will not know until time to be discharged from the hospital whether rehab will be authorized. I am in hopes of it being approved.

A couple of questions for the people who have had bilaterals. How do they get you up that first time with both knees affected and how soon after surgery? I can’t get my head around the thought of that first time.
Also how soon will I be able to comfortably sleep on my stomach – such a small thing but that is the only way I have slept for years.

Juanice

 

[cotton1958]

I Juanice, welcome and thanks for posting.

I had BTKR last month. They got me up the same day. I had my surgery in the morning. I had femoral blocks and was on dilaudid and basically I slowly inched/swung my hips and legs to the side of the bed and leaned a little forward and stood up from the bed, using hands on the bed and one at the rail..and raised/stood my body until I could get a hold of the walker. I had help and they use a gait belt around the top of my waist to grab me.

I have still not gotten onto my stomach, and actually still having a hard time getting comfortable on my side.

Good luck to you. : )

Hope I explained it okay, if you have any more questions, please ask!

 

[Jamie]

Hi, Juanice and welcome. Glad you decided to join in on our discussions.

I am a stomach sleeper too and it was one of the most difficult things I had to do to sleep on my back. In fact, I didn't do it much after the first few days when pain medication helped me sleep.

What I ended up doing was a modification somewhere in between stomach and back. I tilted over on one side and propped pillows behind my back so that I leaned on them. I put another pillow under the leg closest to the bed and sometimes one under the other leg too. Basically I was pretty hemmed in with pillows. Because it hurt early on to rest my bent knees against each other, I would slightly stagger my legs as they were bent or sometimes even put a pillow between them.

At the end of all this, I was sleeping on my side which was MUCH more comfortable than my back. As I progressed in recovery, I was able to tilt more and more toward my stomach as I placed my pillows. Eventually I didn't need the pillows (except on my legs) and I could get mostly on my stomach. I would have one leg straight and the other bent up slightly.

I wish you luck. Once you get home, experiment with pillows and positions until you find some kind of compromise. I know you'll find something that works for you. And don't hesitate to use your pain medication to help you sleep in those early weeks. That's what it's there for.

We'll be here for support in whatever way you need. I'm proud of you for making this tough decision. You won't regret it once you get over the first few rought weeks of recovery. It will be life changing for you.

 

[ship4]

Juanice, Welcome to BoneSmart. I went into surgery on a Wednesday and had general anesthesia and femoral nerve blocks in both legs. My OS does not like the patient to be up on their feel until feeling returns to the legs. I had a catheter for my bladder and remained in bed until Saturday AM. I had to do exercises in bed with a pulley above my head to pull up my knees prior to getting out of bed. I did not use a CPM machine in my bed at all. You swing your feet over the edge of the bed to the floor and hold onto a walker and then sit in a wheelchair the first time out of bed. Then they have you stand and take some steps using the walker. Your new knees feel like your old knees without the bone on bone pain, this is a new pain which will go away eventually while healing.
I went to a rehab hospital and stayed from Friday evening to Thursday afternoon. I could walk up and down 15 stairs with 1 crutch by that time, and could walk well with crutches and without in a close familiar area like my room. I did not use the crutches inside my home, just outside when I walked up and down the street and around the block. Just remember to have enough stamina left to return back to where you came from. It will take 2 weeks for your entire body to recover from the surgery anesthesia for every hour you are under anesthesia...... So pace yourself.
I slept in a recliner in our living room for about 10 weeks. I lined the recliner with a twin size feather bed and was able to elevate my knees higher than my heart. I made a sheet to fit to the dimensions of the seat of the chair and I was very comfortable. I could also sleep on my side in the recliner. I was awake in the middle of the night to ice, and take my pills. I loved having a TV tray with a trash bag taped to it, along with my drink in a cold pitcher and a glass with a straw, and my medications. I
BTKR is the best decision I ever made. Your recovery will be one recovery rather than 2, and you can work on your knees recovering evenly. Good Luck to you!

 

[Max Wallace]

They stood me up the day after surgery and I almost cried because there was no pain of course at that time I was on Morphine and De lauded. Still I realized that the surgery had changed my life and even that first wobbly step I could tell my knee joint in general was far more stable. two or three steps on the first day 50 steps on the second 100+ on the third day and then I was transfered to the re-hab facility for 7 days. That consisted of 5 hours of the motion machine per day and two 1 hour PT sessions each day. At the end of the 7 days I was using a walker but could walk without it(no dancing) I could get up and down stairs,in and out of bed,chairs etc. When I started out patient PT that is when the hard work started (real stretching and bending) and building muscle. the pain during mine was minimal compared to before surgery and the pain I had I could tell was different than what I had pre surgery.

Good luck!

And yes it is hard to believe how amazing this surgery and recovery is. I am 9 months post op and have no limitations. I avoid running and jumping but have done both on ocassion and have just started bowling regularly.

 

[kimberlyann]

Welcome Juanice, these guys have given you great and thoughtful advice. I love this forum!

I hope your surgery goes great. You will be feeling better very soon!

Best Wishes, Kimberly

 

[calling_all_angels]

Juanice,
So nice to meet you. Everything will work out. The sleeping on the tummy
may take a couple of month's but after recovery you will be able to enjoy
life again.

 

[Texas]

Hey.Juanice you will be just fine you have all of us behind......you will be in my prayers please post anytime..............)

 

[Josephine]

Gosh - another bilat! This forum is awash with y'all!

Welcome to BoneSmart, Jaunice. Glad you decided to book in to our little family.

 

[tom67]

Hi Jaunice, Glad to meet you. Wishing you the best on your
upcoming surgery! Tom

 

[cindy88fan]

Welcome Jaunice! I am 10 weeks out. And I was able to sleep on my stomach after 6 weeks but O iput very thin pillows under each knee for a bit of cushion. I did this for about a week.

They had me up the very next morning walking in my room with the walker. I could not believe it. When my PT came in and said O.K. it's time to get up and out of bed...I thought he was nuts! Here's this tiny young man and here I am, a large woman! Him and what Army was going to get me up? But I did it all by myself with him by my side giving me advice on how to do it. Then the next day I was in the hall walking with the walker.

Let me tell you, it's the best decision I could have ever made. I had so many people telling me to get it done and I had always thought I was too young. Your age, size of your body...none of that matters! What matters is the attitude you go into this major surgery with that really matters. With a great attitude, you will be just fine.

Please feel free to post any questions anytime. We are all here for you. Best of Luck!

 

[Josephine]

When my PT came in and said O.K. it's time to get up and out of bed...I thought he was nuts! Here's this tiny young man and here I am, a large woman! Him and what Army was going to get me up?

I love that! Mostly because I had exactly the same thought. In the end, I had no less that five people around me and they still managed to let me slide onto the floor!

 

[Juanice]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I always handle things better when I know what to expect. It sounds like I may be sleeping on my stomach a lot sooner than I thought.

I generally am not an overly emotional person. The last few months I have found myself crying over some of the dumbest things. I have noticed that since the surgery date was set I have again returned to my normal calm self. I do hope that continues. The overly emotional state is almost as hard to deal with as the pain.

 

[Max Wallace]

Once the surgery is over you may experience more of the emotional thing. Three days after surgery I awoke in the middle of the night with a panic attack only once but once was enough. Then at 3 months post op when I fully realized how much my life was changed by this surgery and the realization that I had just started getting the benefits I had a crying episode out of pure joy and excitement. I am not prone to emotional outburst and can usually contain my emotions but I had lived with pain and disability for some 10 - 15 years and it happens.

This is major surgery and life altering.

 

[Lubbock58]

Juanice, I still have crying jags, especially at night. I don't know why, since I seem to be healing nicely. I guess it is par for the course. Just think what a trooper you are to do both at once. I did only one and thought I was crazy. I am hoping when every little bit of pain is gone, that I will then know I made the right decision. I do know that before the surgery, it was getting worse all the time and I could barely walk after getting up from a chair. I will be thinkin of you next Wednesday. Take Care and know you will do great!
Lubbock58

 

[brs0660]

Sometimes meds will cause the emotional side effects...corizone is the queen! You are having major surgery..you can cry if you need to!

 

[Judles]

Juanice......as if you needed a(nother) excuse! Be easy on yourself!!!:pnc: