Having LTKR October 30th !

Gingercat

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Hello so glad to be here. It's comforting to know that I have somewhere i can go to have my questions answered. I have been reading quite a bit here. My regret is not scheduling my surgery sooner. I have not been able to put a lot of weight on my knee since last Oct. Yes I am crazy, but it's taken me a while to realize this knee is not going to get better. But it's major surgery and this will be my first major surgery. I am not young so it's scary to me. I am getting over it and looking forward to THE DAY.:)
 
Welcome! You've come to the right place for support, advice and information. This is a great site with some great people all willing to help and support others. We've all been in your shoes, or are in the process of doing so, so we know what you're going through.
 
Hello @Gingercat and :welome:

Here is some pre-op reading, to help you prepare for your surgery:
If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

Regardless of where you are in the process, the website and app My Knee Guide can help you stay organized and informed. The free service keeps all the information pertaining to your surgery and recovery in one place on your smartphone. It is intended to be a personal support tool for the entire process.

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced knee, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing knee recoveries
 
Ginger I think that I came here for the same reasons---for info and for support for my out of control fear!! My knee is 10 years old and I have never regretted the surgery for a day!!
 
Hi skigirl ! I am by no means an outdoor type such as yourself. I did read your recovery. Amazing ! I am hoping for a recovery that will allow me to do some gardening, walk my dog, go shopping and play with my baby grandkids. It's hard to do those fun things. Recovery site is great when one is feeling blue. I am going to keep reading!!
 
Hi Gingercat and welcome!

This is the best place for info and support for your TKR.
I’ll be having both knees replaced in October, also.

There is so much to read and learn here. Enjoy!
 
I had my steroid injection this afternoon. Last one before my surgery in October. I am so relieved though not sure what the impact will be. It does feel better and this is the first one my OS administers. I was surprised at the location which was right in the middle to the right side. The last doc would administer right at the top to the left. I wonder if that will change the outcome for the better. It did hurt like crazy but I survived. This my second meeting with the OS and he was in a slight hurry to get to a surgery but was nice enough to discuss my knee. I had been reading the MRI a few days ago and figured out I have a torn meniscus, which combine that with arthritis is not a good thing. He mentioned if I wanted to go the route of an arthroscopic procedure he would be ok but I would be taking a 50-50 risk of finding myself coming back due to the arthritis. He thought a tkr was in my best interest. I wish I had really read my MRI and had been more informed at my first appt with him. It wasn't until I had the MRI that I was referred to the OS and all I heard was I was bone on bone nothing about the torn meniscus. So now I know why knee hurts so much and maybe I should have had my surgery early summer as opposed to early fall. :sigh:
 
I had been reading the MRI a few days ago and figured out I have a torn meniscus, which combine that with arthritis is not a good thing. He mentioned if I wanted to go the route of an arthroscopic procedure he would be ok but I would be taking a 50-50 risk of finding myself coming back due to the arthritis. He thought a tkr was in my best interest.
I totally agree with your surgeon.

Since you're already bone on bone, the state of the meniscus is irrelevant.
The torn meniscus will be removed as part of the knee replacement surgery anyway, and it is beginning to be established that, in the presence of arthritis, arthroscopic repair to the meniscus actually hastens its deterioration.
 
Thank you @Celle I do plan to go forward with my LKTR. I appreciate your advice:) :-) (:
 
Yep to what Celle said. From what I've read and experienced, torn meniscus repair is something of a rip off once you get to a certain age. I had three tears in mine and the sports doctor I was referred to never said anything about a knee replacement. After the repair and therapy, he told me for 3 months that it all looked great, blah, blah, blah. On the 4th visit, he came in and said it was a "really bad knee" and I'd need a replacement within 6 months. If it wasn't bone on bone when he operated, he certainly cleaned so much of it out that it was close to being bone on bone when he finished. That experience was a waste of time, money and energy.
 

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