Questions about Rehab time frame.

[hecticmom]

Hi, I am wondering if I you might be able to answer these questions

I have a brother in law who is having surgery today for TKR. He has a girlfriend but since she was out of work for over a month she cannot afford to stay home with him as someone has to make some money. I have offered to help. I run an active construction company. How many times a week do you go to PT?

My bil is not proactive in preparing for surgery and I am worried I will be asked last minute to pick up some stuff I tried to get him to do before surgery. Did you feel you needed shower chair for showering (his gf leaves at 5:00 way before he will be up) alone without assistance? How about a hand held shower? What about a walker? What else if you went home immediately from hospital would you need if you were alone during the day?

He is a plumber (works for us). We do new construction. He often has to jump into a ditch to shovel, walk and stand on concrete all day, up and down ladders all day, standing on ladders for long periods of time, and he has to bend and pick up items 100's of times a day. Work in very cold and very hot conditions. Realistically.....how long before he can perform these tasks on average? I know no one can predict how quicky he will heal but I wonder what the average for being able to return to this active style of working

I am surprised he was given no information to prepare for this surgery and he thinks he will be back to work full time in three months. I have tried to read alot so I can inform him but he is optomistic about being able to ride dirt bikes, jets skis, water ski etc after this TNR...is this possible?? I am under the impression this would be to hard on this implant. That golfing, walking leisure sports would be fine. Since we are employer and family I want to have facts not fairytale on this....what do you think?

 

[Max Wallace]

My PT was 3 times a week.

I had a chair that doubled as a raised toilet seat and a shower chair a walker is necessary and I found a 4" thick piece of foam was handy for placing in chairs and on sofas helped me get up and down. I also had ice pacs and heating pads and plenty of meds.

Everyone heals at different paces and it hard to predict, I had BI-TKR and returned to work at 7 weeks post op but a friend of mine had a single TKR and was out for 12 weeks.

The DR told me any activity like running where the knee takes an impact would cause excessive wear but arobic type activities would be ok. So sports or activities that call for running jogging etc. should be avoided.

I ride a 4 wheeler, jet ski, play golf, ride a bike and plan to bowl I guess it depends if yoou go balls to the wall or are conservative. I used to ride dirt bikes I would try it again if the chance occured.

This is a major surgery and everyone has different results. PT is very important and if done properly will be the base that you can build on. The more you achive during the first weeks of PT will ade in full recovery. I had 7 weeks of PT at which I achieved 0% extension and 120% flexion since being released I have achieved 130% flexion and will continue working toward more.

Good luck to you and you brother this is a life changing surgery.

Max

 

[Simon]

Interesting that your friend did not have to go to a preoperative class as most hospitals require patients and caretakers take this class where you get lots of information.

Anyway, if your friend will basically be alone he should check about having home health care. They will send a physical therapists, nurse (if needed like to check blood levels) and you might also qualify for someone to come in and help with personal care, doing light cooking and cleaning. He should have someone at the hospital check into that for him. I live alone so I went to inpatient rehab and then home with home health. A friend did drive me to PT but if she was not available home health would have helped out.

The hospital will probably arrange for the walker but you will probably need the shower chair, a toilet seat riser (something to make the toilet seat higher as bending is a little difficult) and I think one with arms works better. He should have a portable phone that he can take with him where ever he goes. Make sure all throw rugs have been rolled up and there are no lamp cords in the way (I ran mine under chairs). You just want things out of the way that you can trip on. Some premade meals will be helpful.

With the physical job you are describing 3 months seems pretty early but everyone is different. The key is to have very good PT and do your exercises ever day.

This forum can provide you with alot of answers, so just ask away.

Simon

 

[Josephine]

Voices of experience - I really cannot add anything better.

 

[ship4]

Hecticmom,
I am a 59 yo who had both knees replaced last June. I was in the hospital for 2.5 days and was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for the following 6 days. I was walking without crutches in the house 9 days post-op, and needed them outside for about 2 weeks. I only used a walker in the rehabilitation hospital. Is he going to a rehab hospital at all?
At home, I believe he should have:
a raised toilet seat with handles
a shower chair with adjustable height legs
a hand held shower
I used all of the above for about 2 months. Then was able to stand in the shower and take a normal shower. I used the raised toilet seat for an additional month. I was able to borrow the shower seat from the local Lion's Club as they have crutches, shower seats, raised toilet seats, walkers and other helpful items they loan out. It was greatly appreciated and it was clean and sanitized. I returned it the same way.
PT came to my home! I did not have to leave home for outpatient PT. They came for 10 home visits. It was scheduled for 3 times per week, but I had to deal with the 4th of July holiday and a vacation day on the therapist's schedule.
I advise if possible having a recliner where the knee can be higher than the heart while icing and resting. We have a 2 story house and I stayed downstairs for the first 3 months. I purchased a twin feather bed and put it in the recliner and slept down in the living room at night and took my naps (frequent and necessary for recovery) in it.
If no recliner is available possibly consider purchasing an broken link removed: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2633183 for inside use. I used one for outside and it was easy to transport to visit friends.
Is he having one or both knees done? Jumping into a hole will not happen for a long time if at all.......
I returned to downhill snow skiing just 2 weeks ago ~ 7.5 months post-op.
Best,
Crystal

 

[aussie]

All of the above, but the one thing that surpised me was the overwhelming tiredness at times, in the early days even having a shower was exhausting, so let him know if he feels that, it is just part of the recovery, your body tells you what you need.

Best wishes to all of you.

Chris

 

[hecticmom]

Thank you all for the responses.


I am a planner so of course the fact he has nothing arranged just drives me insane... He has no idea when he will start PT or even who he is going to.

I will tell him the things you mentioned and hope he is open to advice.

I just want to make sure he understands the need for the PT as often he is one to just go to bed and sleep for days at a time.

Thank you for your time

 

[ship4]

Depression is a side effect to look for with this surgery. With him going to bed and sleeping for days, depression will be a huge concern to keep tabs on for him, IMO.
He needs to be conscientious with his exercise with and without the PT daily.
Best,
Crystal

 

[Josephine]

When you're an inveterate planner and organiser, don't people who are so laid back drive you mad? I plan everything, make lists and worry over detail. It bothers me when others don't! But they're the ones who come to visit when I have the breakdown!!

 

[Judles]

Oh Jo,,,,,,you will be FINE!!!Btw, my lists have lists!!!!!!

 

[craftylady]

My lists also have lists which have lists, can never be too prepared is my motto....I would rather be overprepared then under prepared. Which is the main reason i found and joined this forum. So far, such very helpful advice....and two heads are better then one, helps think of things we did not.

 

[Josephine]

Now this is rapidly approaching OCD!

 

[JudyS]

My problem is my lists who have lists get lost now
Judy

 

[Judles]

Judy,,,,,I think I found some of YOUR lists! Haha! Planning? Ya just can't!
Jo,,,,spot on about OCD,,,,try as we might! With all good intentions,,,,,,

 

[hecticmom]

I am not so much into doing lists as making calenders, setting up things in my phone. My calenders are colored coded. I need to know what i am doing every minute of the day. I never used to be like this, in fact I was always chronically late until I had my daughter. She plays sports alot and had to be at practices etc. When she was late because of me she would have to run etc. One day she cried and said it wasn't fair to her for me to always be late...it made me very sad, from that day on I am always 15 minutes early to everything. My daughter is always at least 15 minutes if not 30 minutes early to everything and it gets quite uncomfortable for you if you are riding with her and you are not on her time frame, so to keep the peace I have now become a chronically early to everything and now need to know what i am doing every minute. It is true your children drive you crazy I am living proof!!!!

Ok back to the TKR, my brother in law so far has not called me to help on anything, his girlfriend has been able to take of all of it, I hope she is holding up ok. But I was shocked to find out he will not do any rehab except what he did in hospital until after he sees his doctor 2 weeks after surgery? Is this normal? I thought the first 2 weeks were the most important, I am confused?

 

[Josephine]

It's a good idea to start PT as early as possible but some people cannot for a variety of reasons. My sister couldn't on either of her knees because she had so much swelling it was almost like her legs were in casts. But she made up ground in the following weeks and is now as good as it gets, cepting for the limitations of her soon to be replaced hip!

 

[aussie]

Hi Hecticmom,

I didn't have to turn up for PT for 2 weeks after, however, in hospital they did encourage me to do basic exercises, leg lifts, ankle pumps, walking in the ward, etc, so he may do it that way, those original exercises are still important to recovery.

I know what you mean about being early, I've always been chronically early, but I have friends and relies who are chronically late and that can be really frustrating. I heard Dr Phil say once, to be late all the time is actually arrogance, to think what you are doing in your life is more important than what the people who are waiting for you have put off in their lives to be on time.

I'm a planner also.

Chris

 

[JudyS]

I was always an early person, now i tend to be late. I think I just have not accepted how much longer when recovering from surgery it takes me to get ready.
I remember once getting off crutches and being very early for eveything.

Judy

 

[Judles]

Somebody just has to set their watch AHEAD!!!

 

[Josephine]

I was always leaving things till the last minute. I'd frequently end up scrubbing up at the same time as the surgeon when I should have been about 20 mins ahead of him to get the instrument trolley ready! My boss used to tell me I practised 'brinkmanship'! And she was right!