New member

[Jay]

Hi all!

I am waiting for the VA to send me a letter to let me know when I will have a RTKR. I'd have it done tomorrow, but my health insurance won't cover it because I'm getting disability payments from the VA. I found this site while doing research on the surgery. I may have questions from time to time, but mostly I'll just be reading the posts and getting prepared. My VA doc wants me to have at least 125 flexation prior to the surgery.

Jay

 

[beachcomber]

Welcome Jay,
Sorry to hear you have a *need* for a TKR but glad to know there is a procedure out there that can bring you back a quality of life many of of thought was gone forever. My new knee works great and I have absolutely no doubt it was the right thing to do. Hard work and lots of pain--- but worth it!

Work on that pre-op ROM. The stronger and more flexible you are pre-op the easier it will be later to re-hab. My ROM is not quite equal to my non-op knee--- but it wasn't before the surgery either. My PT says to keep working on it.

There is a lot of good information on this site. Go back and read some of the older posts. This current group has a lot of folks who have been on the mend together for several months and has branched of into a lot of friendly banter--- but we have all been through a lot of serious issues as well and have shared many helpful tips and ideas along the way. Josephine, our moderator, is the guru who has saved our sanity and kept us "real".

Good luck to you!

 

[Jay]

Thanks for the encouragement. After my last surgery, my OS opened up the knee poked around a bit with the camera and closed eveything back up. At the post-op appointment, he pointed out pink areas on the photos he took. He told me I should not be seeing the pink as it was raw bone. He also told me there was nothing more that could be done except a TKR. I just read a post from earlier this month about someone kind of getting used to the pain. I too have been in pain for so long there are times I think I have gotten used to it. I don't know how I will react to not having the constant joint pain.

Thanks again.

Jay

 

[Josephine]

Hello, Jay. Welcome to the forum. There is a stuck thread at the top of this forum with some tips and questions about choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis. Don't miss out on that.

 

[Jay]

Thanks Josephine. I'm afraid in my case, it is kind of like your system in the UK. The original damage to my knee was done in the U.S. Army, and the Veterans Administration has the next available OS do the surgery. I haven't been able to find out as yet what prosthesis is commonly used. They tell me I will receive a letter advising me of a pre-op appointment three weeks out. I had a devil of a time getting the VA to even put me on the list. At 56, I am considered to be "too young." I kept asking them if I had to live in pain until such time as I could no longer be active to receive the TKR. The volunteer OS finally put his foot down and told them I was to be put on the list. I enjoy riding horses and motorcycle riding too much to leave them behind. Besides, my wife and I want to see the UK and that encopasses a fair amoutn of walking. I am so glad I found this forum as I have found more information here than from any three doctors.

Jay

 

[Josephine]

OK, I see. Well, I wouldn't worry as the differences between the various joints are minimal as are the surgeons really.

Planning a trip to the UK, eh? Any particular reason? Touring London or elsewhere?

 

[JenniferG]

Hi jay and welcome. We are never too young to not hurt,huh? Hope your process goes well and keep posting. Lots of good info here. Jennifer

 

[Jay]

My wife and I decided we wanted to go somewhere we could kind of understand the people. LOL! The worst fight I got into while in the Army was when I told two British soldiers assigned to the NATO Honor Guard in Korea that my friend and I would teach them how to speak English for free. One was from Yorkshire and the other had a tremendous Cockney accent. They weren't real amused.

I enjoy history and get a kick out of "haunted" houses, castles and so forth. My wife is a Teddy Bear collector and thinks she needs a few more.

Jay

 

[Josephine]

Oh my!! I should think they weren't!!

 

[Jay]

Hi All,

Just found out today from the VA that my surgery is scheduled for September 15. Now it is time to hit the gym.

Jay

 

[Doug]

Jay,
I'm 55 and had my TKR nine weeks ago. I had a friend joke with me this afternoon that he had never seen someone train so hard for surgery as I did.
If you can get on an elliptical trainer and do some interval work on it, it is great. Also, after surgery, you will do stationary bike. Learn to like it...

 

[kath]

Welcome Jay and I am 54 and just had my left knee done in Jan. and right one in March.
I can tell you if you listen to Doug, you will be so glad you did. He really has it together on working out with the best results.
Good luck and stay here with us and keep us posted.
So glad they okayed it for you. I know without my insurance there is no way this could have ever happened for me.