scared spit less

[grandmajo]

my surgery is in the morn, have canceled it once. TKR. on rt knee. from all
all I have read on this site its not easy for a long time if ever. Am 69 and good
health except for knees and legs. Sit around way to much but lots of pain
if I walk very much. Getting up and down is a killer. Love to travel and
have had to give that up unless absolutly necessary. Am going into nursing
home rehab for a few weeks, husband not in good enough health to help if
I fell or needed help geting up. Keep me in you thoughts and prayers as
I am really scared.

 

[Linda2]

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I was really frightened, too. It has been ok, though--lots of hard work, but now there's hope. We will be looking for you on the other side.

 

[JudyS]

grandmajo

You will be in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow am. Don't cancel this time. It may be difficult, but you will be fine.

Judy in socal

 

[ship4]

Grandmajo,
Be strong! You can do this...... Just think about how this surgery will allow you to get your life back. You have more than another 25 good years ahead of you.
I am 10 years younger than you are and had both done on 6/18. I am 8 weeks out, still on medication, but know I will be able to do things I have not done in years.
You will be in my thoughts and prayers for tomorrow. Go for it!
Best,
Crystal

 

[dw6928]

I am but 12 yrs your junior and ha my left knee replaced in January. After 35 years of agony (bone on bone) I went for the surgery. I have zero pain in the new knee with total flexibility. It was a miracle, so much so that I am having the right knee replaced next Tuesday. It is a perfect example of the end justifying the means.

 

[Jamie]

God bless you, grandmajo, for having the strength to go ahead with your surgery. It is a tough decision, especially when you know that rehab can be difficult for a while. But.....believe me....once you get through the first couple of weeks (and great painkillers help with that!), any pain you feel is so different from what you experience now, it will all be worth it. Even though you might hurt as you work your muscles to get back ROM, it is somehow a "healing" pain. I can't explain it, but many others have reported the same thing I felt. Although it can hurt to stretch and push, you do it because it feels good to be getting better and back to your old self. If you don't have the surgery, there is ZERO opportunity to improve the quality of your life! It is scary to think about the surgery, so DON'T....think instead about all the things you can't do now that you will be doing this time next year. Make a list. Read it often!! Focus on the good things. Quite frankly, you'll be knocked out and won't know anything about the actual surgery at all! I think you have made a wise choice to go to a skilled facility during your rehab. It is good to have some help at the beginning. Just be sure and practice the important things you've learned if you've read much in this forum....rest, ice, elevate....stretch and move....put yourself first.....don't scrimp on your pain meds (you need them to do the stretch and move part as well as the rest part of recovery). You will be in my thoughts and I'm sending you a giant (((((HUG))))). We'll talk again when you are on the other side!!! As our forum nurse has said, fear is just misplaced excitement. So....just be excited about all the things you'll be doing soon. Post often, okay? People on the forum really care about all our knee and hip buddies.

 

[hollyhobble]

grndmajo
It's totally understable that you are fearful today but please go ahead with your surgery. You will begin to get your life back and be able to enjoy life again. To be honest, you will have a tough road ahead of your in recovery but please try to keep a positive attitude and know for certain that you will achieve success. I am about 14 weeks post-op from a bilateral replacement and although I am still a little stiff and have occasional pain, I am feeling so much more in tune with the world. I'll be thinking of you and praying that your surgery and recovery go well and that you are soon singing the praises in the New Knees Club!!
Holly

 

[grandmajo]

thank you all,will get back on as soon as I can get to rehab and my lap top. It helps
knowing there is a place like this that understands. trying to keep my chin up.

 

[Josephine]

Hugs, grandmajo - lots of them. You'll be fine.

 

[carolinagirl]

Grandmajo,
I completely understand about being scared. I was TERRIFIED before my surgery. But it is the best thing I have done. I no longer have that awful awful pain. It is sooooo liberating to walk and not hurt! Of course you will have surgical pain and muscle pain, but that goes away. What I was suffering with just like you are now, will not. I am 49 years old and 7 weeks post op. I just returned to work yesterday. I can't tell you how good it feels to have my life back. You are in my prayers. Please know that you are doing the right thing. You are taking care of you!!! Therapy may be a bear, but you hang in there. Its all for the good!
Tammy

 

[JenniferG]

Don't cancel. As not easy as we may make it sound, I think 99.9% of us say it is very worth it, better than we thought and would do it again. And certainly easier than the pain and loss of enoyment of life if we don't do it. Honestly, none of it hurt more than the knee pain I had before the surgery. Like a doctor saied to me prior trying to convince me, "You hurt anyway". Go for it!

 

[hess]

Grandmajo,

You ARE doing the right thing!! I am 10 weeks out now. The surgical pains still exist, but are getting better! I would do it again in a heart beat! True, there is post-op pain, but it is a GOOD pain, and I am much more willing to deal with that than with pain that is doing nothing but hurting me!

You are definately in my prayers, and will continue to be in my thoughts! You'll do fine, and it will be SOOO worth it!

Best of luck tomorrow,
Hess

 

[misscheer]

(((((((((( )))))))))) Big hugs to you gramdmajo. you will be fine. Rest and ice and elevate. Work hard at pt and you will do fine.

 

[Linda2]

Good luck tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you. Report back when you're able.

 

[Rowdy66]

I am your age and believe me when I say, we are not too old, heck I am not even old yet, but the pain and immobility makes you begin to feel old. I had both of my knees done at the same time, was in the hospital for six days and came home, although I could have gone to rehab if things had not gone so swimmingly. You will be surprised at how quickly you recover. I think the closest comparison I can come up with is it is sort of like having a baby. The pain was terrible for a couple of hours and then you pick the baby up and look into his or her face and fall in love and suddenly the pain is forgotten. You are going to have a couple of days right after surgery when it is a bit tough but nowhere near as bad as you might think. As a matter of fact the pain afterward isn't even all that bad in comparison to the pain you are currently in. I will keep you in my prayers but believe me when I say, you are going to be so glad you had this surgery you are going to look back on the fears you have now and laugh. Rowdy

 

[Gretchendz]

What they all said! It is scary and not fun the first few weeks, but after awhile you will be amazed at the lack of pain and what you can do again.

Able-bodied folks take their knees for granted!

We're all cheering for you

 

[grandmajo]

3.5 days since surgery. just moved into rehab about 2 hours ago. cannot believe how
well it has gone. No really bad pain,able so far to do the exercies. can walk on walker
to bathroom. now tomorrw when the real rehab starts it may be a dif. story. thank you
all for your prayers and support. some were doing as well as me and some were not
even close. probably could have made it at home wth out coming to rehab, but I am
one of those people who needs to be pushed to do exercse on schedule. thanks again
to all and will keep posting when I can find a connection.

 

[Linda2]

I'm glad to hear all has gone so well thus far. I will keep thinking about you and wishing you as smooth a recovery as possible. While there are good days and bad days, the general direction is certainly positive.

 

[AlaskanTKR]

Grandmajo-

You sound like things are going great! Keep up the hard work! You are going to do a great job!

Congrats on your new baby knee!

Marianne

 

[carolinagirl]

Grandmajo,
Glad to hear all is going well with you! Best wishes to you on your recovery and your rehab!