TKR Mudge - Having Doubts

Mudge

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Hi, all. I’m scheduled 1/15/20, but am starting to worry that my knee isn’t really bad enough to operate! But then I hobble down the stairs or move my knee 1mm the wrong direction and gasp and think surgery is a great idea. Good luck to all!
 
Welcome to BoneSmart! Sorry you have such a long wait for surgery. Keep posting here and sharing your concerns. It does help ease the pre-op nerves.
 
Hi and welcome. Here is some pre op reading for you.

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 appMy 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
 
I was where you are before my TKR. Intellectually I knew I needed to do it, but emotionally I wondered if I was doing the right thing. It's a scary prospect, but if you've read the above score chart newlybionic left for you, you'll know if it's time. Even so, the doubts may creep in all the way to the moment of surgery; just know we're here for you and will support and help you as you go through the process.
 
Yes... yes... I was there!!! 6 months after my hip replacement my surgeon booked me in for TKR...was I ready... No! But 5 weeks post op.. it’s done & I can get on with recovery & life without wondering if my knee will hold up... hoping the run up to your surgery isn’t too painful xxxx
 
I also worried I was jumping the gun, especially because of age (46). Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that one CAN wait too long......

I had major doubts when I first scheduled it----I could still exercise "some", and I could go for a walk maybe once a week....but things were getting worse by the month. :nah:Then the bottom fell out!!!!

I postponed at the last minute when my mom became suddenly ill. She went to the ER Dec. 4, came home on hospice Dec. 15, we were told she had 2 months to live on Dec. 9, and she died on Dec. 17----- 1 day before my surgery. I'd already canceled a few days earlier once I knew she was terminal with only 2 months to live. I knew I'd be up/down the interstate for months and wanted to be there for her. Plus, I knew the estate stuff would all ave to be done by me in the months after her death. With all of that nightmare going on (her illness, death, funeral), by January my left ankle and back were severely affected by the way I was walking and compensating for the right knee. The ankle especially got to the point I could barely walk, as I was putting ALL my weight on that left leg.

It took 2 steroid injections and 2 months of PT to rehab that ankle and get it ready to handle the impending May TKR, as that was the GOOD leg!!! By the time my new surgical date of May 21 (2019) came around, I was ALL IN. Bring it on!!!! I finally knew it was the right decision because I spent all winter/spring dealing with the fallout of waiting too long and other joints getting damaged along the way. That ankle is just NOW back to normal, almost 11 months later.:yikes:

The takeaway from my surgeon (Plus 20/20 Hindsight!!): Don't wait so long on the other knee. Do it while I still CAN walk on it, and the rest of my body will say Thank You. :) The body can only compensate for so long before something else gives out.

He is honest after every set of x-rays and told me the left knee can probably wait 2-3 yrs (instead of 1-1.5 yrs like he originally said). It's MUCH happier since getting the right TKR, so that might buy me time. He never pressures me and admits I'll know when it's time. He's the sweetest man and just gives me that "I told you so" look. When he said I will know, he was right, because I've seen what can happen when I doubt myself.

Sorry for the novel----I just like to share how planning/doing it when you CAN is much better than when things get completely out of your control. :)

---Lisa
 
Like you I too had doubts and literally up to the day of my surgery - I was still pondering whether I was doing the right thing or not, as it was still Summer and my left knee wasn't hurting but I knew that once the colder months set it I would be in trouble yet again, also my limping had got so bad that I wasn't even aware I was limping until I bumped into friends whom immediately asked what was wrong. My doctor several months prior told me that my knee was bone on bone and for me to have any quality of life I shouldn't wait or leave it till I was older.
I'm now 5 weeks post op and can honestly say it is the best thing I have done - it isn't easy but it really does get better - just follow the success stories on BS xx
 
We are scheduled on the same day, 1/15. Should be interesting...

My Dad waited until he couldn't really walk at all and was bow legged and the TKR worked out ok but hasn't been quite right. Mine, I could go on for a number of years more, because I have been dealing with it for 37 years. And some days I question myself and if I should wait til next year. But I am pulling myself up the stairs with my arms now, can't go on walks very far or on un-level surfaces, have to use the other leg to stand up from the table or get out of the car most of the time. If I absolutely have to I can use my knee. But it's bad. I know it has to be done. So lets do it.
 
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I wanted to wait to age 70, so wouldn't need another implant before I died. Been getting cortisone shots in both knees for several years every 3 months. The left especially would become excruciating about 2 weeks before the next shot (and it would take about 7-10 days for the shot to kick in). Then, the cortisone shot stopped working at all for the left, it is just excruciating all the time.

Still, kicked it around for over 3 months, yes, no, finally yes because I can't do much of anything anymore.

If I'm on my feet a lot of the day, pain, aching, swelling, waking up all night with horrible pain just trying to turn over. If I get up out of a chair or my car seat, horrible pain, hobbling. Can't exercise, can barely walk. Don't want to do this, but no choice at this point.
 

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