TKR Lovetoread's Recovery Thread---She is home already!

[Hwa1538]

As I mentioned before, my doctor has patients from all over the country. There was a man from Georgia in my pre-op class, and he had been referred to Dr. Berger by another person in Georgia who had used him. I'm curious how it works for post-op visits though??? Do you have to go back to the surgeon or can you see someone local?

I am not obligated to go back to the same surgeon. Thank you for asking. However, I believe my insurance restricts me to use California facility unless it is an emergency. You are lucky having Dr. Berger to replace your knee. I used to live in Michigan. If I still lived in MI, I definitely would go to his office. I am very happy for your great recovery.

 

[Lovestoread]

That's good that you can go to a doctor closer or home for follow-up! I just wasn't sure how that worked. I'm very pleased with the way my surgeries turned out and I'm sure you will be to!

 

[Hwa1538]

That's good that you can go to a doctor closer or home for follow-up! I just wasn't sure how that worked. I'm very pleased with the way my surgeries turned out and I'm sure you will be to!

Well, I can not go to a different surgeon for follow up, but I can go to a local PT. Thus, I plan to stay is a hotel for 2 weeks( after my 2weeks check-up, then go home. I hope this will work. I don't know how other people do when they go to a surgeon who is out of state . Does anyone have this experience?

 

[Lovestoread]

Wow! It's only been six weeks since my first TKR. Guess I had already forgotten the side effects of some of the medications. Thank you prune juice!!

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

My cousin near Ft. Lauderdale went first to a Phila. hospital for her BTKR, stayed a couple of nights first in-hospital and then at a posh hotel and flew home to do her at-home rehab, but the implants turned out to be the wrong size (she is petite and small-framed despite her weight). So she chose NYC's Hospital for Special Surgery and then Rusk (just like Luisa) for her BTKR revision. She was permitted to fly home 3 weeks post-op, which would have been uneventful but for having forgotten to bring home her opioids. Fortunately, her husband's a retired dentist who still has prescribing authority (and a DEA #), so the flight crew was able to phone him; he met her at the gate with a sorely-needed bottle of Vicodin! That was 15 years ago, she is now 80 and both knees are going strong.

 

[Lovestoread]

Your poor cousin! Can't imagine traveling like that so soon after surgery, and without your meds on top of it all!

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

She can't believe she did that too! But this is a woman who at age 70 and 4'10" donned character-tap-shoes and a full-length habit to perform the lead in her community theater's production of "Nunsense," so I've learned never to underestimate her!

 

[Hwa1538]

My cousin near Ft. Lauderdale went first to a Phila. hospital for her BTKR, stayed a couple of nights first in-hospital and then at a posh hotel and flew home to do her at-home rehab, but the implants turned out to be the wrong size (she is petite and small-framed despite her weight). So she chose NYC's Hospital for Special Surgery and then Rusk (just like Luisa) for her BTKR revision. She was permitted to fly home 3 weeks post-op, which would have been uneventful but for having forgotten to bring home her opioids. Fortunately, her husband's a retired dentist who still has prescribing authority (and a DEA #), so the flight crew was able to phone him; he met her at the gate with a sorely-needed bottle of Vicodin! That was 15 years ago, she is now 80 and both knees are going strong.

Thank you for the info. I hope I will have a better luck with regard to the size of the implant. So many unknowns; that is why I am so concerned.

 

[Lexismom]

Loves: So glad you are doing well. As you know in a large part to your progress, I cancelled my surgery at Northwestern and will be going to Dr. Berger; the websites you gave me on him were very impressive. I have an appointment in early October. I don't want to postpone surgery again, but the recovery seems so much better with his approach that it is worth the wait. Also you must be relieved that your daughter is out and about and not moping at home.
I think it is a great idea for the CHicagoans to get together and compare scars!!

 

[Knee pain]

Really well done, cant believe what I have read. I am so pleased it is going so well, love to read happy brave stories. Your so brave, pat on the back, your a star.
I look forward to your journey, Regards Leonie from Down Under.

 

[Lovestoread]

Karyn, I so hope you like him! Now I'm nervous that you won't and be mad at me....you know, like recommending a restaurant you love to someone and they go there and think it's awful. The pressure is on! My out-patient physical therapist was a bit doubtful at first . She had also worked for an ortho group at one time. As the sessions continued, she was amazed. She is now my home therapist for knee #2. On Friday last week (my TKR was Tuesday) my flexion was 95 and extension was 5. She saw me walking around the house without my cane and declared, "I'm a believer!" I've had two home health nurses since I've been home, and both have asked for surgeons name and number. So, they see a huge difference and are impressed too. I want to stress again that it really is the recovery that is easier. I still have just s much therapy and as they say, six months from now there won't be any difference between me and those who had it done the more traditional way. Because I work in a school and had a pretty small time frame in which to get this done, I was really hoping this would work....and it has exceeded by expectations. Just know you will still have pain and you still have to work at therapy. Can't get around that just yet!

As for my daughter, yes I'm glad she's getting out and about. She still feels like she's home alone all the time, and told me nobody would want her because she is now "damaged goods." Breaks my heart to hear her talk that way. She's getting back into scuba and I hope she meets more people that way. She's getting certified for deep-water diving next. Lucky she has Lake Michigan right in her backyard!

I look forward to getting together with all of our Chicago ladies. Can't believe there are so many of us who live a few miles from each other!

 

[Lovestoread]

Really well done, cant believe what I have read. I am so pleased it is going so well, love to read happy brave stories. Your so brave, pat on the back, your a star.
I look forward to your journey, Regards Leonie from Down Under.

Thanks, Leonie from Down Under! Hope you're doing well with your recovery! It really helps to have found this site and to be able to read everyone's stories. No two stories are alike, yet they are all similar. Any time you have a question, you can just log on and there's an answer for you. It's so nice to find people going through the same thing, isn't it? You can certainly talk to friends and family members, but unless they have gone through it, they just don't get it.

 

[Carolina girl]

Jean,thrilled you are doing so well! I have to admit I was skeptical about your plans together back to work so soon But it looks like you are going to do it ! Your Dr. Berger should be teaching other orthopedic docs!
I saw De. Colquhoun this morning. I thought I was just getting the staple out buy since I was there they went ahead and did the six week follow- up one week early. The nurse showed me the staple on the x-ray and then she removed it with no problem.
The doctor seemed pleased with my progress but wants PT to push me more! I am very satisfied with how my therapist and his assistant work with me.

 

[Carolina girl]

BTW, that is awesome extension for so early in the game! I am sure giving such a small incision and no staples has a lot to do with that!

 

[Lovestoread]

See, you're doing great, too!! Glad the last of those pesky staples is gone! Do you have to go back to the doctor at all? I'm not sure what my follow-up appts will be like. Guess I'll find out when I go for my three-week post op appt on August 29. Our hard work is paying off, don't you think? Hard to believe we were posting our questions and worries here prior to surgery, and here we are on the other side.

If your doctor is satisfied with our progress so far, why does he want PT to push harder? If it ain't broken, don't fix it! My therapist comes at noon today. I was pretty stiff when I got up this morning and didn't sleep well. I've been using the ice machine at night, but that hose was really getting in my way during the night for some reason. I finally unplugged it around 3:00 am. I should have gone downstairs and just gotten a big ice pack, but was too tired. I'll do some of my exercises in a few minutes and see how it goes. I did walk around the block yesterday afternoon with my cane. I think I'll start doing more of that. Need to prepare for my walking the halls at school starting next week!

I think you're right about having glue and a smaller incision making it easier. I'm actually quite a bit better this time around....so far. I know it's still early and there will be setbacks, so I really have to make myself not overdo. Maybe this one was easier because I knew what to expect??

 

[Carolina girl]

I return in six weeks. I like my doctor and think he has done well by me but he has little personality. Yes, it is good to be on the other side and I hope I can be a source of information and encouragement to others on Bonesmart. It is a hard road to travel, but is easier when we travel together! Doctors seem to be very stingy with information.

 

[Lovestoread]

When I made a comment a few years ago to my rheumatologist about my (then) ortho doctor and his lack of personality, he laughed and said "he's a surgeon, they all think very highly of themselves." Over the years I have talked to others who seem to agree. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are some wonderful, caring, surgeons out there and many on this forum sing the praises of their doctors. When it comes down to it, though, I'd much rather have a competent surgeon than one who has a great bedside manner. Mine is friendly when you are with him, but your time with him is very short. Fortunately, the residents, fellows and nurses on his staff are the absolute best and never make me feel rushed or stupid for calling (yet again) with a question.

That said, my questions have always been answered by his staff, but without this forum, I wouldn't have known which questions to ask!

 

[Carolina girl]

My husband says what seems to be arrogance may be self-confidence, which they really need to do the procedure they have to have. I have done a lot of reading and the way your surgery was done may be "cutting edge". I do not think anyone else on Bonesmart has indicated that their surgery was done your way. It is certainly unusual to have it done as an outpatient procedure. I was only in the hospital about thirty hours which I thought was fast, but I was ready to go! I think they like to get folks out as quickly as possible because of the risk of infection.

 

[Lovestoread]

I think your husband may be on to something. I think I like to think of it as self-confidence rather arrogance! You are right when you say not many on the forum have had my kind of surgery, although some insist this is how it is done everywhere. This is one of the reasons I stopped talking about it much because I have been told that I place too much emphasis on the scar size, that I really didn't have a total knee replacement, it must have been a partial, that going home the same day is too dangerous, etc. If it we're too dangerous, I don't think they would do it that way. I just know it worked for me in the time frame that I needed to get it done. I don't have the luxury of taking months off from work, but I do have summers off. I think what is more common is the way you had yours done. Compared to several years ago, it is a fantastic improvement. I think with any hospitalization these days they want you out as soon as possible due to infection risk. A friend of mine's daughter had a baby by c-section in late May and was hospitalized two days. The baby picked up Mersa while he was there. Very scary for anyone, let alone a newborn! I do think they want you out as quickly as possible....and there's no place like home!

Isn't it wonderful that the pre-surgery anxiety is behind us and that we are well on our way to recovery? What a blessing it has been to find this forum and to "meet" so many people going through the same thing. Not sure I could have done it on my own.....

 

[Carolina girl]

My husband is a teacher and returns to work Monday. I will miss him. He has men a marvelous nurse and supporter. There were a few times when he seemed too controlling though. I believe it was out of concept for me though. I think this surgery is tough on family members too. Is your husband able to help you this time around?