Counting down til 2nd September

[ditzy dinah]

Apparently you have to have good strong ligaments for a partial to work well. I was disappointed since I've heard that recovery from a partial is SO much better.

Oh that's too bad Rich! I think I was considered suitable for partials as its medials with me too, and I have had no previous surgery on my knees. Unlike you I have not been so sports active, so have had no injuries there. So I am hoping that my ligaments will be strong! As I have had no trouble with them I am just presuming they are! Like Judy I have heard that recovery from partials is about the same as Totals. That is what I am anticipating, anyway, so anything better will be a bonus! The incisions will be smaller, and I guess as the OS will not have to go in so far across the knee, so that some muscles and ligaments will be less disturbed? which has got to be good right? I suppose much will depend on the skill of the surgeon. I know I am going to a good place with 0% MRSA infection rates, and am having one of the two exclusive knee surgeons there who does hundreds of totals a year, so that's in my favour. They say too that you get a better range of movement with partials, so I am hoping that is the case as I am getting the drift that the philosophy of the unit is that the patient must work hard to gain ROM in the short "Window of Opportunity" that is available. I am hoping that this does not encroach on me overmuch, during the 3 - 4 days I will be there. The Bone Smart Mantra and all the advice here makes much more sense to me!

On the downside of partials, and therefore the good side for you, seems to be that partials do not have as long a "shelf life" as totals. After all it is taking a bit of a gamble hoping that the arthritis will not spread to the rest of the knee, or at least not for a good while! It makes sense really that if arthritis has come at all to ones knees why would it stop 1/3 of the way across? So it seems that partials are often upgraded to totals a few years hence.So down the line I may well have to be going through all of this again! You hopefully will not. If I get 10 years out of them before that happens I will be satisfied with that. The clincher for me in this decision was, why destroy healthy bone and tissue...why sacrifice a joint that is 2/3rds healthy? The practitioner I saw initially said to me that no replacement can match a healthy knee joint for functioning. Now healthy knee joints are not what I have, but 2/3rds of them are (at least the x-rays say so!) so for now, I'll hang on to that!

Good Luck with your surgery on the 23rd..I'll be watching your progress!

 

[rah2435]

I'll be watching your progress!

And I'll be watching your's as well.
Good luck!!

Rich

 

[referee54]

It is interesting that you heard that partials recover better; two of my friends had partials and their recovery was basically the same as mine.

When I was taking the steps to get my BTKR, I asked the OS if I could have partials---he laughed and showed me the X-Rays....

 

[rah2435]

It is interesting that you heard that partials recover better; two of my friends had partials and their recovery was basically the same as mine.

If you look up unilateral knee replacement in wikipedia there's a mention of shorter recovery time associated with PKRs.
Who knows ???

 

[referee54]

I do hope that your recovery is quick and uneventful!

 

[ditzy dinah]

I took my own pillows and duvet - much more comfortable than hosp. stuff.

What a good idea Carol! The hospital stuff is so uncomfortable because they have to put everything in thick waterproof covers, so all the softness disappears! At least that's how it was when I last worked on the wards! Having said that it was just the pillows so attired in those days, as we were still using sheets and blankets. 'spect that has changed now. But I do have a nice single duvet and I have been buying extra pillows for leg elevating purposes, so I think I will stash those in the car, and ask them if my husband can bring them in post op, once drains, and drips and any other potentially leaky tubes have been removed!
Face wipes good call too.
Glad you said easy slippers. I have been pondering about that because my pre op info says slippers with backs in, and I don't possess any, never wear them! this time of year I am in Birkenstock toe posts all day long...oh the comfort of them, and those of us with dodgy knees need foot comfort don't we? Also trainers for the PT! Well I never wear trainers, and no socks til the end of October. To think of having to put socks and shoes on that need lace tying just after having BPKR's seems like cruelty to me! So today at my post op visit I asked if I could wear supportive sandals with heel straps and they said why not? Yay!!

 

[ditzy dinah]

Went for my pre op visit today (meant pre op not post op in post above!). It was all pretty straightforward, B.P ok E.C.G ok. Nurse was very friendly and put me at my ease, and was able to answer some of my questions. Unlike our friends over the pond, we do not have contact with our OS again until the Op day. My pre op visit did not include a chat with the physio either. However I got the drift from the nurse that the physio is on the "proactive" side...she talked about the "window of opportunity" for getting the knee working and the "hard work" involved.....all of which was making me feel a bit wary! The criteria for discharge seems to be being able to manage stairs and a ROM of 90 does this sound reasonable? I have had a look at my surgeons pages online and he says:-

"recovering from a knee replacement is hard work in the first few weeks. The knee will feel stiff and sore which is normal and it is important to recognise this and the need to get the knee bending and straightening despite the discomfort.. Patients should aim to increase the range of movement they can achieve on a daily basis and the only way to do this is to push the knee into the uncomfortable zone, as in general whatever movement is achieved in the first few weeks is kept for life and it is extremely difficult to increase the range of movement after this time"

Aarghh!!!

Funnily enough he goes onto say that walking will come back naturally and does not need to be pushed, and he blames too much walking as being responsible for irritating the knee and causing it to become more swollen, which then restricts the range of movement of the knee in the vital few weeks post surgery when the window of opportunity to regain range of movement is still open...But surely as I have learned on this site, wouldn't bending and straightening the knee...working hard on it do exactly the same thing?? I mean what is too hard? Only I am going to know when discomfort becomes pain! I can see I am going to have to take an assertive stance on this, and only hope I won't be too dopey on pain relief, and/or too emotional to be able to do it! I am only glad I am going to be in but 3 or 4 days(barring any complications of course). Then it will be bye bye physio, and I will be seeing another locally on an outpatient basis.

I didn't get any info about the equipment that would be supplied to aid my recovery... that would all be sorted out by the physio dept before I went home I was told...oh they do expect us to be so trusting in this country!! Talk about blind faith! My confidence in this nurse started to sink when I asked her will I get a toilet frame, and would I be able to get two, one for downstairs and one for upstairs, and she said she thought not, as the physios thought going up and down stairs was good therapy, so does she really think that once I have got downstairs on my two wounded knees that I am going to go willingly back upstairs again every few hours when I need to, when I have a loo on level ground????is she crazy??

But the killer, and I'll stop soon I promise, is when I asked her if I would have ice therapy as an in patient, told her I had my Cryo Cuff all ready to go at home and she asked me "what is that" ? I promise you she did! I explained to her how it worked and she said do bring it in the dept would be interested!! No, she wasn't winking at me! I am not going to bring it in of course, I wouldn't want to embarrass her, I can only think that she can't have been working in the dept for very long!! Doesn't exactly fill you with confidence does it? and if you are still reading, thanks for tolerating this rant!!

 

[Carolina girl]

Dinah,seriously, I am amazed at how little these professionals get involved in the practical needs of someone recovering from knee replacement surgery! I ordered a wonderful toilet frame from Amazon.com. It was very easy to install and to remove when you want to clean around the toilet. I do not know how I would have made it without it! I am five weeks out and still use it. The only piece of eqipment my private insurance paid for was a walker.

 

[Bionic woman2]

Wishing you much success on your double Dinah. I'm having my second (hopefully partial) knee replacement done on 9/18, that will be 90 days out from the first one and I'm still a little antsy.

I understand all about rants! lol I've done several in my Bonesmart "diary," This is a good place to do it because EVERYONE understands.

As I look down on my knees now I see two large lumps, one on each, on the inner (medial) sides. Hopefully they will go and I will have normal looking knees again!

Prior to surgery, I had large lumps on the outside of both my knees. Now, the one on my RPKR knee is gone... it's a miracle! So, I'm hoping for double or nothing on my left after surgery.

I'm wondering if it's possible for you to get another Cryo machine to go with your other cuff. If you're budget conscious/alert/aware and broke like me, that may not be an option. :/ Maybe you can beg, borrow or steal one. I just know what a comfort it was to have it on my knee constantly and I couldn't imagine sharing it. Shoot! I may need another one myself for my next surgery, since I'm still using it on a regular basis. I only have one cuff! Maybe you can have someone semi freeze one cuff, so it stays cold longer while waiting for the machine, or keep it filled in a cooler, or swap it out with ice packs. That's probably what I'm gonna do.

Sounds like you are ready, that just jumped out at me. I'm sure you'll get a system going and will work something out, so you can "Chill" as they say here in the states.

Keep us "posted"... See what I did there.

 

[ditzy dinah]

The only piece of eqipment my private insurance paid for was a walker.

Hi Carolina girl, I am glad I am not the only one amazed! Thanks for your support. It is shocking isn't it? Especially as I too was once a specialist nurse (gynae) and I was INTERESTED in the speciality, so I made it my business to be well informed. My main purpose I thought was not just to be a good form filler in, and speedy bedmaker, but to empower my patients to make the best choices for their health by supplying them with the information they needed to enable them to do so, including aspects that they hadn't thought of , or the doctors hadn't thought to tell them. Most gynae surgeons tended for some strange reason to be men, and they of course could not identify with the problems, lacking the necessary equipment,(!) but I digress......... and to be fair some were better than others! It just makes me sad when I have to mention one of my own profession, who although very well meaning, and I am sure very good at her job in many ways, has just not looked properly into her speciality or the needs of her patients!!!

Now of course having my surgery under the NHS I know that the Occupational Therapy Dept will have all the equipment my research on this site has taught me will be advantageous.( apart maybe from the cryo cuffs!!) However because I am not directly paying for its hire (other than through my taxes as we all are here), they have the power to decide on my behalf whether or not I need it, not me! So I am coming to the unfortunate conclusion that if I want security and peace of mind, I had better not assume that the OT and I will be of like mind, and that toilet frame and seat will accompany me home. I had better bite the bullet, cough up the cash and buy at least one set, and then if OT takes pity on me and sends me home with a set, I'll have one for upstairs too! I have learned to my cost, that having looked after my disabled mother for many years, what I considered her needs, and what the OT considered her needs did not always synchronise! I think at least she/he will let me have a shower stool... I have still got my mothers walker which I can adjust for my height, plus various walking sticks. So I am getting there. As you say, thank goodness for Amazon! I can always sell what I buy later on ebay!! Good that your insurance at least paid for a walker, probably the most expensive item of equipment that you needed!

 

[ditzy dinah]

Thanks for your kind words and support Bionic Woman! and your tolerance of my Rants! We all have to face up to these feelings haven't we? Got to get it out into the open!, where we can sort it all out! Having a platform like this and the support of empathic people is a godsend!

I had large lumps on the outside of both my knees. Now, the one on my RPKR knee is gone

Wonderful news! I am looking forward to losing my lumps too, and having normal looking knees again, instead of these fat ones! Isn't it strange, now that the good weather is here, (we've waited about 5 years for a good summer in the UK, and this year it finally decided to show up!) and everyone is wandering about is shorts, I have been gazing admiringly at everyones knees! Never thought knobbly knees attractive before, but I am looking admiringly at them now and thinking, yeah those look good, that pair will be working ok for you! Hey! and I'm hoping I'm going to have straight legs too! instead of these bowlegs!!

I'm wondering if it's possible for you to get another Cryo machine to go with your other cuff

Well I particularly went for the gravity fed cooler rather than the electric pump type as I thought, once the cuffs are full you can disconnect, so I thought one cooler would service two cuffs! That is if it will hold enough water to do so, you've got me thinking now, so what I had better do is practice, and test that one out! I'll post the result once I have tried it! Yes I am "pushing the boat out" to invest in all this stuff, but I am seeing that the coolers and cuffs fetch a good price on ebay, so I am hoping I will get my money back in the resale!

. I just know what a comfort it was to have it on my knee constantly and I couldn't imagine sharing it.

Those are my thoughts exactly, I am anticipating that this is just what I will want to do!

Sounds like you are ready, that just jumped out at me. I'm sure you'll get a system going and will work something out, so you can "Chill"

That's a great reflection Bionic W thanks! That really encourages me. I am all for Chilling! I do not have a problem with that at all! I am quite ok for the recovery to take as long as it needs to take, as long as it is progressing in the right direction however slowly. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately in this situation I have a very fit husband, he did physical work back in the day, where you had to "push on", and now he climbs, bikes, walks long distances...he is everything I am not. You can see where I am coming from...he wants what's best for me but he is from the "no pain no gain" school, and believes I should do everything my physio is going to tell me.......Perhaps I need a physio from this site to give him a firm talking to (!), as I am worried he is not going to listen to me, and think I am not trying when as is my intention I am following the BS Mantra!!

Keep us "posted"... See what I did there

I will, and that's one thing you have in common with my hub, he's a punster too!!

 

[Butterfly]

Carolina girl What kind of toilet frame did you buy? There are a zillion out there and I can hardly get around, so I can't go out and try them all. I am short (about 5'1") and the one I did try out had the handle things where you grab way too high for me. Did you buy the one where the handles are attached to the seat, or the ones that stand around the toilet and somehow attach to the toilet? Do you know how they attach? I am not very good at putting things together. Oh, I'm a hip person, not knees (yet at least), if you think that matters.

Thank you.

 

[Mimi]

quote="ditzy dinah, post: 500117, member: 9930"]in general whatever movement is achieved in the first few weeks is kept for life and it is extremely difficult to increase the range of movement after this time"[/quote]
If this were true then I should be in a wheel chair for life!!! I had quads that were asleep from 6 days after surgery that lasted for another 10 weeks! Pt was fairly useless during that time, but I still went 3 days a week. If I had that to do all over I would have done my PT at home and then gone to my PT facility when the quads woke up!

Funnily enough he goes onto say that walking will come back naturally and does not need to be pushed, and he blames too much walking as being responsible for irritating the knee and causing it to become more swollen

Again my experience was the total opposite of this statement. I was on a walker for 3 months, and cane for one month and it was 4 months before I walked NORMLLY. Yes, most of this was due to the swelling from the infection and the quads that did not work (BTW I had strong quads prior to surgery, the intense swelling knocked them out).Walking was the one exercise that I could do and all the PT people that I dealt with urged me to do. My in house PT took me for walks every time he visited.It did NOT increase my swelling! I did have to learn to walk all over again. Heel first and roll forward! I have a great walk now!!!

I didn't get any info about the equipment that would be supplied to aid my recovery... that would all be sorted out by the physio dept before I went home I was told...

I would look into getting the raised toilet seat with handles and the seat for the shower. Oh and go out and buy a hand held shower head. These three things made my life bearable for months. You need them the minute you get home, don't wait. I wanted them in my house before surgery, but my husband said he could get them when I got home!! NO!! I did not get them for days and using a regular toilet was torture!! If you want peace of mind get them now. Mine was not covered by insurance, but it did not matter, they were necessary! Oh and keep the Crio Cuff. I had an Ice Man and lived on it. I also made ice bags to keep in the freezer. The "recipe1 is 1 cup rubbing alcohol to 2 cups water. You put it in a zip lock bag and then into another zip lock bag. I made several and kept them in the freezer. They stay cold a long time and are slushy and bend. You need to wrap them in a clean small towel each time.

 

[Carolina girl]

I do not think it matters. Let me find the link and I will zip it to you! Oh, BTW, the one I have is adjustable and one of the nice features it that it does not attach to the commode so it is easy to pull it out so you can clean. When I send you the link, you will be able to see how it is braced so that it does not have to be attached.
https://www.amazon.com/Foldeasy-Toilet-Surround-Support-Aid/dp/B005TQQRNE/?tag=ate362da-20

 

[Carolina girl]

If you click to enlarge this and then scroll down a bit you can see the foot piece which stabilizes the frame. It came folded like you see to the right and was very simple to fit over the toilet. I am fortunate enough to have a commode that is high rise so that makes it even better.
I went to a WalMart the other day and used the handicapped stall and was very disappointed to see they had rails to haul myself up on but the commode was low. It really hurt my knee to come up from so low a position and that made me even more grateful for my toilet surround frame. I hope this helps. I plan to save this after I am recovered for future use.

 

[Carolina girl]

It ships from a company called Wayfair and was delivered quickly.

 

[Carolina girl]

I did not get the bath seat and did fine but my husband stood by while I showered the first week and he did install two grab handles around the walk-in shower for added support. I was not allowed a shower for the first ten days and when I first took one it totally exhausted me but it felt so good! I already had a removable shower head but never used it. I am not sure what your mobility will be since it is your hip and not knee. In case I have not said so, I will pray that you have a safe and successful surgery and make steady progress as you recover! I will follow you so I can cheer you along!

 

[Mimi]

This toilet device would not work well on a low rise toilet after a TKR. The seat of the toilet needs to be raised as well as have handles to be well suited after surgery. I too have a high rise toilet, but I really needed a raised seat with handles for months to use after my surgery. The bend at the beginning is very stiff and painful and to lower yourself this much to a high rise hurts. Most higher rise toilets are only one or 2 inches. The raised toilet seats are much higher.

Also my husband built a wooden box to put under my recliner chair to make it more comfortable. My at home PT person said that it was a good thing to do.

 

[Carolina girl]

Mimi , are you talking about the seat you place on top of the toilet seat to make it higher?

 

[Carolina girl]

So, are you saying Butterfly would need to elevate her toilet seat to use the surround device? I did not have a woOden box for the recliner but home PT placed a square firm pillow in it which made rising from It much easier.