TKR Jitters

[pwsharpe]

Scheduled for the on July 8. Will have to admit I am VERY ANXIOUS about this surgery. Any words of wisdom out there about pre-surgery jitters?

 

[Pumpkin]

@pwsharpe
Welcome to BoneSmart, glad you joined us !

The pre op jitters are normal we all have them when we are having a major surgery.

Here are some articles to help you prepare for your upcoming surgery.

New BoneSmart members like you are in various stages of their journey to joint replacement. Making the decision whether or not to have surgery and preparing for surgery can be easier once you have done your research and know what lies ahead. Here are some tools that can help you decide what is best for you.

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

 

[Pumpkin]

Looking forward to seeing you on the other side and following your recovery. Be sure to start a recovery thread in the Knee Recovery Forum here:

Knee Surgery Recovery Area

For post-operative knee patients, on the "other side"

bonesmart.org

 

[ArmyVet]

Scheduled for the on July 8. Will have to admit I am VERY ANXIOUS about this surgery. Any words of wisdom out there about president surgery jitters?

Realize how many of these type of replacements your surgeon has done, and he/she does know what they are doing. Are you jittery for the anesthesia? The surgery itself?

I can tell you how mine went. I had the iv line started. Got some happy meds in there. I remember the ride to the OR, and saying hi to my surgeon and his PA. Next thing I know, I woke up in recovery and my hubby was sitting there waiting for me. I did NOT have general-- my doc does a nerve block, but whatever else he uses is good with me!!! The good part of this was NO nausea due to general, either!! I woke up and asked for lunch!!!

 

[pwsharpe]

Yes, having surgery July 8. More concerned about post op than anything else. Hate pain.

 

[Sara61]

The 1st couple of days after your surgery you probably won't feel much especially if you are correctly medicated- if not make sure that you let them know, once the initial medication wears off make sure you take your medication on time, don't think that as it doesn't hurt you can skip, as you will pay the price - believe me I've been there and it's not worth it, infact I medicated well into my 3rd month as I felt that I could achieve more pain free, I didn't do any PT until the end of the 2nd week only the heel slides recommended by my surgeon, afterwards the PT facility believed in gentle movements and no forcing or stretching.
I can honestly say that I would be happy to do it all again with my other knee, as I can now at 8 months do so much more
Positivity is a great healer xxx

 

[Tykey]

Having jitters is common, but not compulsory.
I couldn't wait for mine, especially the second one!!

Compared to the months of grinding pain of continuing with worn out knees, it's a walk in the park.
As you can tell, I have a very positive approach. Worrying and whittling never gives us any advantage.
It's great here on the other side.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Being nervous before any surgery is very normal. I don't think you can change the nerves, but you can keep yourself as busy as you're able getting ready for it. I used my pre-op time to make a lot of meals for after surgery, I made sure my house was ready for me post-op and made sure I had all my recovery aids ready to go. The busier you can keep yourself, the quicker the time will pass.

As for post-op pain, make sure to have a thorough conversation with your surgeon about your concerns for pain control. Ask him what he will be prescribing, for how long and make sure he answers your questions to your satisfaction. Some of us have pain for a longer time than others; we never know how much pain we'll have and for how long. I know after my TKR I had a lot of pain for a long time, but after my revision I had very little pain after about 2 weeks, which is very unusual. It was actually a miracle for me due to my particular circumstance, and one for which I was very grateful. But people have varying degrees of pain, and for varying amounts of time; in my experience most people have pain that lasts longer than two weeks.

Make sure to have a good icing method, whichever one you choose, as ice and elevation really do help alleviate pain. It was my only source of pain control after the aforementioned two weeks; even though I had very little pain, I did have times when it would spike (usually after activity) and the ice machine/elevation combo really helped deal with that.