PKR How much do you tell to someone considering surgery?

[RestAssured]

Yes that's me alright!! and my mother before me! Hope a year from now I will be doing all the activities I can't do now, like going for walks for instance!! even just a few hours shopping!!

My mother's side of the family is riddled with Osteoarthritis. My aunt, uncle, and grandmother all have/had it bad. I still remember my grandmother wearing braces that attached to her boot shoes, and wrapped below, above the knee, and continued up to her waist for hip support. My Mom said I bet you wish you could have picked a different family! My dad died of brain cancer, grandpa of colon cancer, and I have aunts and uncles on dad's side dealing with cancer! I have had precancerous polyps removed from the colon. And the stomach.

My reply to my mother was "if I had the chance to go back and pick my parents, knowing what I know now, I would still pick both of you!" Both of you made me into the woman I am today and I thank God for both of you!

 

[Lumiere]

Regarding TintanLady question: I would tell as much as possible so I can contribute to the other person's decision.

 

[RestAssured]

Well, my nightmare is going on a year and a half now. I would not do a BTKR and would choose a surgeon very carefully next time. Once the knee is in, you are forever under threat of infection and god help you if you don't have insurance down the road if that happens. I take everything these guys say now with a grain of salt even here on the forums with the overly sunshine and roses feel good attitude. The threads with people who are suffering the ultimate complications drop off the page pretty quickly never to be heard from again all the while many threads go on and on about stuff that is redundant and not relevant. This industry needs to get real about this procedure and dare I say Bonesmart should try not to be an enabler. Sorry, I just needed to vent tonight. I know there are allot of success stories out there and I guess my right knee is one of them. It's the left knee that has been a blood bath. If I knew what was ahead of me, I would never have undergone this surgery, there, I said it. Perhaps by this time next year I'll feel differently, who knows.

Plexiburg,

I am sorry you are going through so much! My implant that had MRSA was left in and we battled with antibiotics instead of putting a spacer in. Was everything always great? No.
Did I feel happy all the time? No. It is in my posts. But I can tell you this. I looked forward to the day that Dr. Maale would put in the new revision, because he has a different way OD eradicating infection than most doctors. That is why he only does a one step process.

You have suffered a lot and I do understand your bitterness, anger, and feelings of infection is always lurking around the corner.

Yes, I may look through rosé colored glasses, but I also realize an 18 wheeler could be cutting off my path and killing me instantly because of the craziness of the oilfield. Does that stop me from driving my car? No, I go on and realize that everyday is a gift!

I hope and pray that they are able to help you solve this infection from staph! You deserve to live a quality of life just like everyone else!

 

[Whimsy3]

I had a very dear friend who came to see me day 2 of my hospital stay. She was surprised to see me in a good mood, and was amazed at the fact that i wasn't in terrible pain. She said I was her inspiration and that she was planning on having her knee replaced. She and her husband came to see me around two weeks out. Once again amazed that I was sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather. I had my big walker, had my leg elevated, but I was outside and not in pain. She scheduled her surgery the next day.

I have been honest with her from the beginning, telling her it isn't a walk in the park but so worth the outcome. I told her of the sleepless nights, how important taking pain killers is. I also told her how amazing it is to realize your bad leg is now solid and is you good leg.

She is still in rehab and should be coming home next week. We have had many phone calls between us. Her freaked out, me encouraging her. Her journey has been very different from mine, she has had a much more difficult time. I did tell her from the beginning (and she knows it) I am a pretty tough cookie, and this surgery never even came close to my shoulder surgery as far as pain.

I think being honest is the best thing to so. Each of our journeys will be different.

 

[scaredinCA]

Everyone is so different. I didn't have any sleep issues to deal with like so many others have had. It bothered me that I had to sleep on my back for awhile and I didn't sleep as soundly, but I managed it quite well. The minute I could sleep on my sides again (about two weeks into recovery) I slept very well.

Speaking of arthritis, I remember telling someone that knee problems ran on both sides of my family, but I had escaped that pain.. Oh boy was I wrong.. I am the only one in my family who had to get their knees replaced. I ended up with worse arthritis than all of my relatives. Even though I'm overweight, I don't think it had much to do with it. Arthritis runs in families, its genetic.

 

[Midwest knees]

I appreciate this thread and agree with just about everything. My experience was pain for several years until my quality of life was nil and I was no longer able to do the absolutely necessary daily chores any more without suffering. I made up my mind to have the replacement 6 months before I actually had it done because I wanted to mentally prepare and research the procedure as thoroughly as I could. I read the books and watched graphic videos of the surgery on U-tube and found this website, thank goodness! I only read the pre-op threads and the library articles tho, I just did not want to hear about the post-op stories until I was there and could relate.

This worked out so well for me personally since there were several that were going thru the surgery at the same time as me (the May Marvels) and several that were weeks ahead of me and I benefited from their threads and the answers to my questions. It's usually the same questions that I've read over and over from the ones that came after me. I can honestly say that I have not shed any tears during my recovery (I'm just not a crier) but I've gone thru all the pain, sleepless nights, etc. and stairs are still hard for me. But I walk without a limp and my endurance has greatly increased.

The last several weeks I've been at the hospital almost daily visiting my husband who is going thru therapy after back surgery. I go with him to therapy and I've talked to so many patients who have just had their knee replaced. They are not in so much pain just yet because the anesthesia has not worn off. I've tried to encourage them and tell them how important icing and elevation is and told all of them to look up the website when they get home, none had ever heard of Bonesmart. All of the women were obese and from their mid 50's to 70ish and were happy to see how good my ROM is just 4 months out. The therapists were always gentle with them and I was so happy not to hear any screams, just some groans. But they sure pulled out those rulers all the time, I discovered that's how they determine when someone goes home, when they reach the magic 90 degree number.

I have to admit that I was converted here on Bonesmart to the UK type of therapy and I've not had any outpatient PT. I walk, stretch, go up and down stairs and ride a stationary bike at home and I still elevate every day. I recently bought an ointment recommended here called Sombra from Amazon that is really effective when my knee is tired and feeling tight in the evenings. There is one for cold therapy and hot, I bought both and cannot tell any difference between them.

I would tell someone that is contemplating having a TKR to ask themselves if they are satisfied with their quality of life, to research the surgery thoroughly and I would answer any specific questions honestly. As has been said over and over, each of us is different and some have an easier recovery than others, but it's very painful when all is said and done and only time is what makes the difference between the suffering stage and the "I'm glad I did it" stage. Just my .02 cents worth!

 

[ljm]

Midwest Knees---
My "I'm glad I did it" stage came around 4 months post. Probably because I didn't let myself go too far before deciding to do it. My quality of life was deteriorating and I teach school. If I didn't do it at the end of a school year with the summer to get better, I would have to wait a whole other year. Something I could not have put up with.

 

[TheHistorian]

I say I'm happy to talk about what I had done, and why. What questions do they have? Based on their questions I can tell if they are seriously considering knee replacement or if they want horror stories to justify their not having the operation. For instance, a year ago there was a poster obsessing on the stiff-legged gait we all get during recovery. 'But you can't walk normally? I'd not like that.' I advised him that he wasn't ready to have knee replacement if he was bone on bone and that's what he was worried about.

Or take the weird conversation I had with a co-worker last week. Just prior to a departmental meeting, while we were waiting in a conference room, he asked me about replacement and confided that one of his knees was very arthritic. Once I explained that the recovery was long but I went from being hardly able to walk to hiking and riding, he focused on kneeling of all things. "What's it like to kneel?"

"Well, it feels odd since I can tell I'm on metal and not bone, so I don't like to do it if I can avoid it."

"So you can't kneel?"

"I can kneel."

"But you shouldn't kneel?"

"Look." And I knelt on the seat of my swivel chair. "I am a kneeling Neil."

As for the serious people, I'd show my before and after photos:

And then this photo of my recent 'big' hike:



.... and they can reach their own conclusions.

 

[TheHistorian]

BTW my penny in the slot moment came when Zirog, one of the regular posters here, told me "Imagine just what you could do if you didn't hurt."

 

[ljm]

Well said, Historian!

I get the kneeling question a lot as well. Some doctors actually tell their knee replacement patients that they cannot kneel after replacement. My doctor said that kneeling would do no damage to the prosthesis, however it may be uncomfortable, which I have experienced. I am still having a wee bit of pain at times depending on what I do. All in all, I am very satisfied. I no longer have to plan my day according to how much pain I will be in at the end of it if I do this or that.

 

[Pumpkin]

Met a lady at the gym today with knee arthritis, synvisic is working well for her now, but she knows a TKR is in her future. I told her I wished I had consulted with more surgeons. That she should find one who does only knee and hip replacements, does a lot of them, and a hospital that does a lot of knee replacements. That knee replacement can be a very rough recovery, but it is worth it.
Our whole interaction lasted less than 5 minutes.

 

[ditzy dinah]

My doctor said that kneeling would do no damage to the prosthesis, however it may be uncomfortable, which I have experienced.

Well I can't kneel without extreme difficulty and much discomfort now....so no change there then! It would be great to kneel again, but if my "new" knees will give my legs the strength to get up from sittlng on the floor eventually I will be well satisfied with that!

 

[Limpynomore]

I was just asked this question yesterday. I believe the woman asking is in her 70's. She has zero pain when walking. The only pain she has is when getting up and down from sitting. She can walk for a few hours. I said heck, you will still have that pain after surgery getting up and down in the chair! If I were you, I would wait! It just didn't seem her entire life was impaired......unlike me, when I was counting every step I took. I had BTKR and so far I am really glad I did! I am almost 10 weeks out and I can do so much more than I could before. I am so thankful to have a second shot!

 

[calamity]

I, like ditzy dinah have not "crossed over" yet. I'm scheduled for bilateral in less than three days. I appreciate the honesty and the information found on this forum. It was this forum that helped me with my decision to go ahead with the bilateral rather that two separate surgeries. I felt I understood the pros and cons for both ways. I'm facing the surgery with the understanding that the recovery can be very difficult. So many people who haven't even had the surgery are telling me, "You'll do fine." I know they trying to reassure me, but they don't know. I much more appreciated the honesty on a friend that had TKR five months ago telling me it was very painful, but doable. She too did it without pain meds because they made her sick in the hospital. It's much better to face and expect the worst, and be pleasantly surprised when it's not as bad; than to have the opposite.
I thank all of you who stay and continue to encourage after your surgeries.

 

[referee54]

To me, honestly is the absolute best policy. To say less or to equivocate is to do somebody a disservice. I wish that I knew more before my BTKR---it would not have changed my mind in any way, but it would have allowed me to be more informed as to what to expect.​

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I guess I have always been a "straight shooter" and "call 'em like I see them."​

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I want folks to know what it is truly like so that they can make the very best informed decision about their knee(s) and their life.​

 

[scaredinCA]

The only problem with telling a 70 yr old to wait longer to have the surgery is that their health could go downhill while they are waiting. I would suggest the lady go ahead and have it now if she's in good health. At her age you just never know when your health will change suddenly. Do the surgery as soon as possible because the knees aren't going to get any better, only worse, which makes the recovery worse. I should know, I waited.

 

[skigirl]

I don't like to talk about my surgery---except when I am on this forum. I just give people a card from my wallet with the info from Bonesmart and tell them to make their own choices.

I hate having to rehash my surgery experience when I am at a party or skiing---what is the point? If people need the surgery, they should talk to their doc. If they are interested, they can come onto the forum--otherwise, I am busy biking these days and don't want to stand around and talk about their knees!!!

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

The only problem with telling a 70 yr old to wait longer to have the surgery is that their health could go downhill while they are waiting. I would suggest the lady go ahead and have it now if she's in good health. At her age you just never know when your health will change suddenly. Do the surgery as soon as possible because the knees aren't going to get any better, only worse, which makes the recovery worse. I should know, I waited.

That's another reason I decided not to wait till I could no longer function sans walker or scooter for either of my TKRs. By the time you're bone-on-bone, that cartilage is never coming back--autologous culturing & re-implantation's not possible. Even a year later, who knows what my health would have been...or my health coverage for that matter? Were I to develop some more dire unrelated condition, would I have been able to deal with that on top of having two bad knees as well? What if my pain threshhold were to weaken? And what if I waited till Medicare kicked in but it turned out that in "making government small enough to drown in a bathtub" Congress ended Medicare too?

Strike while the iron is hot--as long as one has the strength and wherewithal to do the striking!

P.S. Got my "Explanation of Benefits" from my insurer today. (Mind you, we pay through the nose in premiums). Except for the cost of outpatient prescriptions (which are cheaper than they used to be now that pharmacies compete), what do you think my entire out-of-pocket cost was? Fifteen bucks....for the leg-leash (hamstring stretch aid) I bought at the outpatient rehab gym. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone had that coverage (and didn't have to pay our exorbitant premiums)?

 

[Whimsy3]

I can Kneel! With a pillow and at the side of my bed every night. Would I want to kneel while doing a floor set in the shop? Absolutely not, but I can for the important things . I still have a stiff leg gait, but it doesn't hurt. I have found no negatives to having this surgery.

 

[Carolina girl]

This discussion has been fabulous and has really made me think. I am sure that giving someone the link to Bonesmart would be the smartest thing to do! Where else would they find such comprehensive information? I started reading on here in May and had the surgery in July. I was pretty prepared. The doctor had given me no information about recovery. They did give me a walker at the pre-op visit. The hospital told me even less! I really feel for people who go into this unprepared. Knowing I had a resource to go at my fingertips was just a comfort in those long, dark, early days.