Right TKR Scheduled for 13 March 2017

[Bluebell53]

The time has finally come to trade in this bad knee. CBC results came back good, no more anemia. Any pre op advice from anyone would be most appreciated, I'll take it all in. Thank you
Bluebell53


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[Celle]

Hello @Bluebell53

Here is some of our pre-op information for you:

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 app My 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

And here is a summary of the BoneSmart recommendations for recovery:
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist (PT) - to do it to you. exercise only gently
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lie down!

 

[Grammy211]

Hi @Bluebell53! Glad you have your TKR scheduled! Read all the material that Celle left you (and then read again). There's a wealth of help and info there and throughout the posts in this forum!

It makes a huge difference to prepare as much as possible before your surgery. The biggest thing for me was making sure I had my pillows for elevating, gel packs for icing, and non skid socks! I didn't know that I'd come home with an ice machine but I still use the gel packs too. I also tried to get a months worth of groceries stocked, scheduled bills to be paid through our bank for a month, got my walker, cane, and elevated toilet seat cleaned and set out. I set out a basket on my end table next to my recliner with some things I might need (Tylenol, pen, books, tissues, hand lotion, deodorant, etc.). I even had a couple sets of jammies ready in case of accidents (very helpful).

I'm sure others will chime in with tips and helpful ideas too! Plan to follow the mantra advised by BoneSmart (I printed and put on front of my fridge) and you'll do great! Do t be afraid to ask any question!

Our church had ladies sign up to provide 3 weeks worth of dinners for us! That was one of the most helpful gifts! If I hadn't had this blessing, I would have prepared and froze meals ahead of time.


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[Bluebell53]

@Grammy211, thanks for the info. Question, How long did it take for you to walk around on your new knee without any soreness or pain?

 

[PolarBear60]

Grammy211 pretty well covered it (and the articles will help, too). Practice getting in and out of your shower/bathtub with a knee that doesn't bend well so you're comfortable with the process. I picked up a shower stool and a hand-held shower head to make the post-surgical showering process as easy as possible. I used that for three or four weeks afterward.

I'm still using the raised toilet seat. I was nearly ready to take it off, then I cracked my patella, so a few more weeks with it.

Set up your "nesting" spot on a chair, sofa, or bed that you can comfortably get in or out of and have all your conveniences within arm's reach -- remotes, phones (if you still have a land line in addition to your cell phone), grabber, chargers, tissues, books, notebooks, pens, coloring books and pencils -- whatever you plan to do to pass the time between naps. Some people experience brain fog for several weeks or months after surgery (I did after the first one) and can't concentrate on anything very long -- for that, your TV, VCR, DVD player, satellite, or Netflix, etc are your friend. Put something mindless or inane on and let it play. I finally watched all my George Carlin DVDs -- he wasn't always as funny as I remembered him. I also replayed my SportsNight series, and that was every bit as good as I remembered. Lots of people binge watch series they never had time to watch before.

If you're assigned any physical therapy, remember to never let your physical therapist hurt you. If they lay hands upon you, it better be for a specific massage purpose and not to force your knee to bend. PT may be uncomfortable but it should never hurt. If it does, stop and ask for a different approach.

Make a list of questions for your surgery team as well as us and let us know how we can help.

 

[Grammy211]

@Blubell53, PolarBear60 brought up some great suggestions! As far as the shower/tub; it helps a lot to practice getting in and out. It was hard for me to stand long enough for a shower for the first couple weeks so I used a lawn chair that fit in our tub. I also requested a hand held shower head for Christmas knowing it would be helpful and it was!

The comment about brain fog is so true! Even though I love to read there was no way I could focus and concentrate enough to read so I signed up for Netflix and finished watching some series I have on DVD.

The other thing that I remembered is practicing getting in and out of the car! This was a suggestion from another poster here and was very helpful!

As far as pain goes, with my first TKR I was still experiencing a lot of pain at 3 months, however with my recent surgery I am just getting to feel like I can start weaning off the meds. I am 7 weeks post op tomorrow. I've read of many people on here who were pain free much earlier which shows we are all different including each knee! The biggest help is to make sure you control your pain after surgery by taking your meds on schedule. Believe me it makes a huge difference! Don't be afraid to take what you need, my doctor encouraged me to not be afraid of them!

Hope this helps!


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[Josephine]

Question, How long did it take for you to walk around on your new knee without any soreness or pain?

You need to remember there are stages of healing.
1. is the first few days. Patients are usually got up the next day (or that same evening if done first thing) to move from bed to chair and thus take a couple of steps.
2. day 2 and after, you will first be required to walk around the bed, then down the ward corridor
3. the period from day 5 and onwards, you will be mobile in your home but will still need the assistance of a walker, crutches or canes or progress from one to the other as things improve
4. at some stage, 2 weeks or onwards, you will find yourself able to walk without aids.

That's the mobility bit. The pain of standing on your knee will be gone from day one but you will have pain from the surgical site but if you take pain meds properly, that shouldn't really be a problem either.

 

[Red's Mom]

I agree with all the above and wish you well with your surgery! Test your nest for a day. I added chocolates, peppermints, a letter opener, scissors, pen and paper, body lotion and massage oil. I also swear by an ice machine. Mine were Breg Polar Cubes eBay has plenty of them. As far as walking my left knee was relatively happy at 3 weeks my R knee took quite a bit longer like 6-8 weeks. Life is returning to normal slowly now at the 12-16 week point. Don't underestimate the energy drain and brain fog it sounds like that is harder for us middle aged knees. I still have energy drain

 

[Lumberjack55]

Oooh, eBay! I hadn't thought about that! I was sort of balking at the retail price of the Breg. Thanks!

 

[Bluebell53]

Don't know what's going on with my body lately. The last few weeks my hands hurt and feel stiff all the way up to my elbows. It hurts so bad picking up a frying pan is different for me. I'm only 55 and arthritis is taking over my body. I just hope the hands and arms last me through my knee and hip surgery. My orthopedic dr recommended that I see a specialist to check for lupus. Can lupus affect the joints like this?


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