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TKR My Life on the Other Side

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@MotownGirl66

Hello,
I see that you RTKR is on tomorrow 8 September, best and warm wishes for your surgery & recovery.
Stairs: I spent 7 days in hospital and then 14 days in a rehab centre, so it was 21 days post-op before I had to face the 41 stairs over 4 levels at home.

It is something that all of us in homes with stairs are concerned.

When I came home I walked up & down the stairs like a two year old, one step at a time.
Ground floor to first landing & toilet 12 steps and then 5 steps to landing and bedroom is my most frequent route and leave the rest of the stairs& landings for another time.

My advice is just take it slowly, literally one step at a time.
At 7 weeks, I can go up o.k -but slowly.
But, have trouble still going downstairs, but it is getting easier.

Best of luck tomorrow.

Take care,
Cathie :flwrysmile:
 
marmora said:
@MotownGirl66

Hello,
I see that you RTKR is on tomorrow 8 September, best and warm wishes for your surgery & recovery.
Stairs: I spent 7 days in hospital and then 14 days in a rehab centre, so it was 21 days post-op before I had to face the 41 stairs over 4 levels at home.

It is something that all of us in homes with stairs are concerned.

When I came home I walked up & down the stairs like a two year old, one step at a time.
Ground floor to first landing & toilet 12 steps and then 5 steps to landing and bedroom is my most frequent route and leave the rest of the stairs& landings for another time.

My advice is just take it slowly, literally one step at a time.
At 7 weeks, I can go up o.k -but slowly.
But, have trouble still going downstairs, but it is getting easier.

Best of luck tomorrow.

Take care,
Cathie :flwrysmile:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Cathie....I feel better. It's weird because, after both hip replacements, the stairs didn't concern me, but for some reason, everyone (including my hip PT girl 2 years ago) has said how much more difficult recovering from a knee replacement is. She said it is TONS more painful than the hips because its a hinge joint and most of her PT patients are afraid of the pain.
 
gr82cu2 said:
@MotownGirl66 I don't know that you should be worried. Just know that stairs are more of a challenge. @marmora deals with lots of stairs in her home and would be a much better advisor than I would be. My understanding, from talking with @ConnieJOS who has had both hips replaced and now one knee, is that yes, knees are a whole different thing from hips. I've tagged them for you. Hopefully you will get some answers and advice from them.
Click to expand...

Thank you!!!!
 
@MotownGirl66 If possible I would look for a "plan B" if you need to stay downstairs. For me, the knee has been a much slower and painful recovery than the hips. I'm six weeks out and I am just becoming more able to do stairs. They had me walk up and down them three times today! It was tough, but I made it.

I got some bad news today. Found out my insurance will only cover 20 physical therapy visits per year and I've already had 16. I'm not going back until after my next surgery, and I'll only have four visits left. You'd think this would be determined by the surgeons recommendation, not jus a flat 20 for everyone. I'm having four joint replacements for Pete's sake!!! If I have to pay, it's $80 per visit and I can't afford that. I'll just have to do it on my own.
 
@ConnieJOS the same thing happen with my insurance so stopped physical therapy before they really wanted me to so have to do on my own, You can do it just have to be patient with yourself. I only have 5 steps and finally can go down like a big girl going up was easy I struggled with going down
 
@madinana My other knee surgery will likely be in late October or early November and I'll only have four visits for it! But honestly, I know the exercises they have had me do. There's no reason I can't do it myself at home. It will just take some discipline. And do I have any of that?
 
@ConnieJOS you might check about the PT limitations. On my insurance I have a patient representative that checks with me a few times a year. To be honest, at first, I was paranoid about that and really didn't want to talk to them. I figured they were more interested in their bottom line than mine, LOL. But I really like her and I've come to believe she does have my best interests at heart. Anyway, she said I have 40 PT visits for the year but if more are necessary it requires pre-approval which would be arranged between my doctor and them. Since you've had 2 hips and one knee so far this year I can't believe they wouldn't make an exception for you. Afterall, if your rehab wasn't up to snuff and caused complications it could cost them far more in the end. Just a thought......
 
@MotownGirl66, wow you've had quite the surgery experience the last couple of years! I hope his is the last one for awhile and that you heal well, your pain is controlled, any nausea is held at bay, your nurses treat you like a princess (your choice as to which one), and may ice be ever at your disposal!
 
@ConnieJOS
Such frustration caused by your insurance company, with the number of joint replacement surgeries you've had and also one more to go.

As Janet @gr82cu2 suggestions, contact your insurance company as your would seem to be an unusual case.

My insurance company here in Ireland pay 50% of the PT costs for a maximum of 7 visits in the year.
Then have to pay for the rest in full myself @ €60.00 or $74.00 per visit.

Have had 5 sessions as of today, 6th session in two weeks.
But, continue working at home on my exercises in between.

Recovery is hard enough without the added frustrations of what insurance companies will cover.

Take care,
Cathie
 
Hello, and I hope everyone had a great day!

I talked with my insurance company and they confirmed that 20 PT visits a year are, in fact, the maximum no matter how many surgeries I have. So I won't have ant more for this knee and I have four visits left for my ne surgery Oct 21. I I'll just have to live with that. At least after having my LTKR I know the exercises and most of them I can do at home. Just have to discipline myself to do them!
 
Hi @ConnieJOS if it is any consolation here in the UK although I have had my 'physio dude' as I call him pop in a few times all he does is check I am OK safe with the stairs and doing my exercises. There is NO formal physio. I had my surgery on a Tuesday was discharged on the Thursday so it's not like I was in the hospital for weeks having physio.

So don't worry, you know the exercises do them according to the BS mantra and you will be fine!

Shortie x
 
ConnieJOS said:
@MotownGirl66 If possible I would look for a "plan B" if you need to stay downstairs. For me, the knee has been a much slower and painful recovery than the hips. I'm six weeks out and I am just becoming more able to do stairs. They had me walk up and down them three times today! It was tough, but I made it.

I got some bad news today. Found out my insurance will only cover 20 physical therapy visits per year and I've already had 16. I'm not going back until after my next surgery, and I'll only have four visits left. You'd think this would be determined by the surgeons recommendation, not jus a flat 20 for everyone. I'm having four joint replacements for Pete's sake!!! If I have to pay, it's $80 per visit and I can't afford that. I'll just have to do it on my own.
Click to expand...

So sorry your insurance won't be covering your PT - hopefully you remember what they taught you before.
 
I'm preparing for my self administered physical therapy. I'm sure I can do this. I came home from rhe hospital with a set of exercises and many of them are the same as what I did in PT. I bought a set of adjustable ankle weights. They are great! Each one has little slots to add the included weights to progressively increase the weight, which is how the PT did it. I also have a good workout video that I ordered from the Arthritis Foundation that I can use. And we have a small gym here at our apartment complex that I can use for free. Now all I need is for you all to kick me in the rear if I get lazy and don't do it!

One other thing that may be an option, I noticed my insurance will pay for 60 home healthcare visits. My sister had a THR with a different doctor and different insurance, but they recommended home healthcare for he PT. Surely if her one surgery qualified her, my FOUR surgeries would justify it. When I pre-register I'm going to ask if they will refer me for that. It may be denied, but it can't hurt to ask!
 
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You can do it Connie! You are super woman after all :) Having the small gym at your apartment complex will be a huge benefit, especially when you get to the time to start building back some strength. You will know what to do and what not to do and when not to overdo!!!
 
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