LTKR scheduled for 7/14/16

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Diane LTKR

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HI,
I am scheduled for a LTKR on July 14th. I had my RTKR done about 3 years ago and couldn't be happier with it. I'm trying to focus on that to alleviate some of the anxiety I am feeling. Hope this one goes as well. Looking forward to supporting all of us July Sparklers ( and others) through this journey.
 
Hi and welcome to BoneSmart! What are your concerns?
Perhaps if you share them, we can help alleviate them.
 
Welcome, another Diane in Florida :)

Where in the sunshine state are you? I'm in Orlando
 
Hi Diane,
I'm not too far from you. I live in Leesburg. My son and his family lived in Orlando for 6 years. They just moved to Washington, D.C. Missing them!
 
Oh very cool, almost neighbors. Are you in The Villages? I have a friend there. What hospital will you be going to?
 
No, I'm not in The Villages, but I'm very familiar with that area. I am in the Silver Lake area, near the mall. I will be going to Florida Hospital Waterman in Eustis. This is where I went for my RTKR and I was very happy with the care I received. I see you're scheduled for a left TKR in August. Our recoveries will be very close! Which hospital are you going to for the surgery?
 
Josephine,
Thanks for the welcome. I think my anxieties pretty much revolve around pain control. I had some difficulties with getting adequate meds the first time around and endured some very painful days. I only have one kidney so I am limited in the amount of Advil or Aleve that I can take. For that reason, I need to be on the prescription meds longer. My surgeon was understanding and gave the meds willingly....after I finally got past his office staff and talked to him! I have a pre-op appointment with him in about 2 weeks and I guess I need to have a conversation with him about the pain management plan. I would like to have this in place before surgery so that will be one less thing to worry about.
 
I went through the exact same thing with my last replacement and it's my only concern this time around as well. I live in NY State and because of the tight laws on narcotics, it is preferred that the primary care physician takes care of the meds. You can see where this is going, 2 weeks after my surgery, my primary care physician told me I shouldn't need pain meds any more and to just take tylenol :holysheep: ....my surgeon actually had to call him and ask what he gives his patients when he performs a TKR....my primary care physicians answer: "I don't do joint replacements"...my surgeon's response: "that's my point" and my surgeon told him he will handle my meds and will let him know when he releases me from his care. I am using a different surgeon this time because of insurance company change, but I intend to make my last TKR experience abundantly clear.
 
.my surgeon actually had to call him and ask what he gives his patients when he performs a TKR....my primary care physicians answer: "I don't do joint replacements"...my surgeon's response: "that's my point" and my surgeon told him he will handle my meds and will let him know when he releases me from his care.
:rotfl: Nice one!

Here in the UK, when we are discharged from hospital we are discharged into the care of our GP for everything unless it's something the GP wants more input on which is rarely. But at least most of them do understand about this situation.
 
No, I'm not in The Villages, but I'm very familiar with that area. I am in the Silver Lake area, near the mall. I will be going to Florida Hospital Waterman in Eustis. This is where I went for my RTKR and I was very happy with the care I received. I see you're scheduled for a left TKR in August. Our recoveries will be very close! Which hospital are you going to for the surgery?

Oh I know the area you are in as well. I will be going to Orlando Health/ORMC. I had brain surgery there in March and was very happy with the care. I had a hip replacement done in Kissimmee at Osceola Regional, and I was not happy with that place, and in my mind, they were responsible for the infection that made my life miserable for almost a year. I liked my dr, but hated the hospital and won't go back there. It took me 6 months to find my current surgeon, and he is at Orlando Health and I really like him alot.

Yes, we will be recovering fairly close, may we BOTH do well :),
 
Well, had all my pre-op done today. This is starting to feel very real. I am both excited and nervous. Trying to imagine what it will be like to be able to walk pain free. I, like I am sure many of you, currently have to plan my walking.....do I REALLY need to walk to the whole other side of the grocery store for that forgotten item! It will be good to not think about those things. Trying to focus on the long term....not the immediate recovery phase. Hoping this second knee goes well....we will just have to see.
 
Best wishes in advance for your LTKR surgery. Given the time interval of approx 3 years from RTKR, we share similar experiences.

I was also anxious about the pain management issue, knowing what it was like the first time LOL not!

I had my LTKR done 3rd June And to be honest the journey this time is entirely different. Rather than any pain concerns for my actual knee, I am suffering more with calf or ligament strain and the pain meds do little to relieve it so it's just a matter of "time to heal" for the whole leg!

The main lesson I learned from finding this website (post op) last time, is to be a patient patient. This time around I know I will only hobble before I walk, compared to last time when I expected to trot around within a couple of days of coming home!



Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
 
Welcome Diane. I'm having my right TKR a day before you !



49 year old
Recurrent dislocating patella left knee since age 14
Meniscus tear repair 1 March 13
Scheduled for BTKR in 2016

Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
I found that using a product called "Cryoderm" on my calf because it felt like a constant charlie horse after my surgery. It has Arnica and MSM in it, along with a cooling/heating effect....obviously, you don't put it anywhere near the incision, but it helped with the tight and cramping feeling in my calf. I got it on Amazon...both the heat and the cold.

https://www.amazon.com/Cryoderm-Col...d=1465913133&sr=8-4&keywords=cryoderm+roll+on
 
My revision RTKR is scheduled for July 19 so just a few days after yours. Never dreamed I'd be going through this 3-1/2 years later but I'm thinking good thoughts and so glad I know about Bonesmart before surgery.

Dorothy
 
@turtle68 You have echoed my feelings completely; 2.5 yrs ago I was saying, "I will never go through this again!" But approaching the second op was a mixture of fear and excitement. Knowing what I endured the first time brought such positive results, this has to be worthwhile second time around - or at least that's what I'm reminding myself 11 days in :scratch::sigh::umm:
 
@JDonovan Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my plea :angel:

I will try to get hold of the Cryoderm or at least check to see if we have an equivalent in the UK.
Anything will be great to calm the calf :ice:
 
Thanks for the good thoughts from all of you. Deep down I knew that I would have to have this other knee done...maybe I was hoping that by the time I needed it done there would be a new miraculous PAINFREE way to accomplish it! Oh well. Folks keep telling me that now that I've had one knee done that the second one will be easier....because I know what to expect! Not sure about that!! Hoping all of us scheduled soon will have a peaceful recovery. I'll be watching for you all on the other side and offering any support I can.
 
@Diane LTKR - I was also uncertain that second time around would make it "easier". Physically it doesn't, but mentally you don't feel as shocked about the experience. First time around I thought I'd never walk or be normal again! Forewarned IS forearmed in our cases :idea::thumb::good-bad:

You will be fine. Have to admit I had the strength to just get on with it in hospital, whereas first timers were struggling, but I seem to remember coping well last time in there (perhaps it was the oramorph?!) It's still difficult when you get home but you do no what to expect and how to best organise yourself for the recovery time.
All the best :friends:
 
Thanks Mazza. I do agree with you that this time we know we will eventually heal and feel normal again. That was truly questionable the first time around.

Well, just had some discouraging news. I just came back from my pre-op appointment with my OS. Everything went great there. He even talked about some new things they are doing to alleviate post op pain. Also found out that he has discontinued using the CPM machine - yeah - I hated it and never used it anyway. The discouraging part came while I was driving back to work after the appointment. I got a call from a member of his staff that said my MRI had "failed." I was getting a custom made Zimmer knee just like I had with my right knee 3 years ago - it has been wonderful. Well, the nurse said that Zimmer needs 30 days to make the knee and we don't have enough time to get another MRI to them prior to my surgery date - July 14th. So, I said, what can we do? She said, "Well we can just put in a standard knee - not a custom one." I told her I didn't like that idea because I had had such good results with the first knee and didn't want anything different. She got kind of huffy and said that the standard knee "is made by the same company - Zimmer." I still said I didn't like that idea. She said "Well, we would have to postpone the surgery then." By this time I was getting pretty upset and frustrated and said I would call her back. In thinking about this though, this is too big of a procedure and too long of a recovery to settle for something that might not be as good as the custom Zimmer I had the first time. I HATE to postpone my surgery but I am leaning towards that. Nurse just called me back and said the OS would be calling me shortly to discuss. I'm glad to be able to talk to him. I hope he is not going to try to convince me to go with the standard knee. I think I will lose respect for him if he does. I'm also wondering if I will have to go through all the pre op again and if my insurance (Medicare and Blue Cross) will pay for it and another MRI. Darn! I had just gotten myself in a good place about this surgery and now this. Sorry this is so long. It's really good to have a place to let this all out though. Will let you know what the OS says after I hear from him.
 
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