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Done and Done: Lessons Learned

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Ema, thanks for this post! I am also having a RTKR on Dec. 18th. It's my first time, but I am already aware of the lessons you learned, because my hubbie had both his knees replaced last year, 5 months apart. He's very goal oriented, so he over did it a little, but he's a new man with his new knees. Now I've become the cripple! No fair!

One lesson he learned the hard way....he was terrified he was going to become addicted to the pain meds, so he tried to take them less frequently than prescribed. The pain quickly got to be too much for him, but he had a hard time getting it under control. He was in rehab when this happened (thank goodness he wasn't home with me!). The nurse explained that he and pain were in a race, and if he let pain get ahead, he'd have a hard time catching up to it. That's why they wake you up to give you pain meds while you are in the hospital, instead of letting you sleep.

So maybe #4 should be amended to: take your drugs, ON time EVERY time, whether you feel pain or not!
 
Recycled...

Officially added as Lesson #13. A number of people have warned me that the two could be very different. My OS and I had a discussion about this very topic at my last pre-op appointment. That being said, in many ways I'm better prepared emotionally and physically than I wad the last time. However, I've arranged for 12 weeks off work this time compared to 9 the last time. I promised myself right from the beginning that I will not allow myself to compare the two knees. Thanks!
 
Ziggysmom...

Good point... #4 is officially amended. I tried to be one of those heroes the day of surgery, but nurses, pain manager and OS QUICKLY brought me to heel. BTW, I had a dachsund-German Shepherd mix when in college. We never did figure out how that happened either!!
 
Less than a week to go... There are five of us scheduled for December 18th.

So here's Lesson #14: Allow spouse/partner/significant other, children, friends, family, strangers (WHOEVER IS AVAILABLE) to help you out. Don't do anything that someone else can do for you.

And Lesson #15: Don't feel guilty about being "out of it" for the holidays. It'll be okay. I learned this ten years ago when I walked away from a rollover accident on Christmas Eve morning (darned black ice!), and spent that day and the next several in a fog. Who knew that I had so many muscles that could hurt after rolling over four or five times?!?! My family dove in and did their best to cook/bake/present all of our favorite Christmas Eve menu items to keep our traditions alive. I was very thankful for the effort that they made even if it wasn't the same as my versions :console2:, and I was even more thankful to be alive, since according to the sheriff's deputy on-scene I had taken quite a beating. I look back on that day with appreciation, thanks, and affection, because I learned some really important lessons from that experience.

Finally, Lesson #16: Take past lessons and apply them to current circumstances, situations and life-events.

Best wishes to everyone undergoing surgery next week.

Elaine :ereindeer:
 
And now we're down to the last 14 hours before surgery, so it's time for my last lesson on the pre-up side.

Lesson #17: Time slows down as anxiety levels rise, so it helps to go out for a nice quiet late lunch, play with the dogs, have a nice heart to heart with the hubby, and finish Preps around the house. And Lesson 17.5: It'll be okay if everything doesn't get done tonight :-)
 
[Bonesmart.org] Done and Done: Lessons Learned
@ema8447 , on your surgery tomorrow. You sound very organized and prepared for this. Previous experience does give you an edge. Looking forward to your first post for the "other side".

Take care. We care. [Bonesmart.org] Done and Done: Lessons Learned
 
Done and done!! Second knee surgery happened in Wednesday but I was at risk of being rescheduled because we sat at a dead stop for 50 minutes due to a car accident. Talk about having to use meditation and deep breathing to calm my stress. I still haven't been able to find out about the accident.

@Josephine or one of other moderators, my thread title can be changed to Done and Done: Lessons Learned and moved to the post-op forum. I'll write more when the brain fuzz clears. I'm now happily ensconced at home, hubby is making quesadillas for dinner and the doggies are baptism because Mom is back home.

I hope everyone else did well this week. And I'm sending good wishes to the rest of the December group and the early January group.

I'll write more in a few days.
 
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Oh man!! Bunches of typos in that last post. I promise to clean things up the next time I post.
 
Never mind - I cleaned up your typos! And I changed your thread title.
 
My dogs were HAPPY to see me and it has nothing to do with Baptism, at least not in these posts.
 
Hello ema8447....I am home and recovering very well so far. I am journaling about it on the thread The Journey Continues. Ziggy was so happy to see me I had to take defensive measures with a pillow so he wouldn't hurl himself at me with full force. I am being well cared for by him and my husband...hubby has learned I might fall asleep in the middle of a sentence, and it's not because he bores me...actually he was on the healing side himself twice last year when he had his knees replaced. I start PT on Monday.

I hope your recovery also goes smoothly...this is your second time around, so you've had a little practice, although I hear knees can be as different from each other as fraternal twins. I just took a pain med, so I'm starting to head to la-la land, so I will sign off...don't want any baptisms going on right now, LOL!
 
@icep707...wait until it's your turn, LOL!! Trying to think with a giant cottonball inside your head is quite a challenge!
 
Alls I can say is make sure before your surgery you have at least two weeks of bills paid or set up to be paid, frozen dinners if you have no help and all other medications set up for two weeks. Cotton balls for sure. I am very duh!!! But I might add I am not in any pain. Two weeks for me tomorrow and I am just starting to function mentally. I feel very lazy - like I should be doing more. I am so grateful for my hubby for all he has done to make this easier for me. Also to my daughter who scrubbed my house yesterday, wrapped all gifts, and finished my cookies yesterday. This is definitely a different Christmas for me as I usually have the entire family for Xmas eve. My son has taken that over and I will be resting peacefully at home. I feel blessed not only with my family but with all of my new bonesmartie friends who have definitely made this easier!
 
Yeah, not funny @icep707! I really wasn't that bad, but the spellcheck on my phone is useless, because I don't see what it does until after I send the message. Your turn is coming :-). Be forewarned!! My husband is already shaking his head when I tell his stuff multiple times, and he's already been through this before, poor guy!!

No Christmas cookies this year. I've been told to stay away from the oven, the mixer, and well pretty much everything because apparently considered a threat to society and an overall mess. Oh well, back to resting and taking drugs.
 
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Can I add another lesson?

Your house will not fall down if it is not cleaned to your liking.
 
@jdonavan...

Oh so true! Lesson has been added along with the corollary that if its not a trip hazard that gets in my way, it doesn't matter, right? The stuff can just pile up :-)
 
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