Share your knee replacement experience with me...

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kathym

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I'm 46 year old female with degenerative osteo-arthritis. I've been in treatment for over a year trying to prolong the inevitable. I'm scheduled for total knee replacement surgery November 30, 2006. Is there anyone out there in my age group that can share their experience with me. I am scared to death of what lies ahead!
 
Deaar K, I am a 55 year old female with post (L) knee replacement 4 months ago, (R) knee repaced 1 year ago on the 22 of this month......Be prepared for a lot of pain meds and a long rehab. You will know right away by bending them in the hospital if it worked. The key is to straighten it...keep it FLAT as much as possible or you will not walk correctly. The bend will come in time. The R knee had to be manipulated 2x....go back to the hospital and go to sleep and they bend it to break up the scar tissue. Please keep it straight. I can not emphaize that enough....Sit in your bed and put your leg out straight and try to do this as much as possible. I myself had a rough time. A lot of pain and going back and forth to the hospital was depressing. Now I still have pain and stiffness when kept in one position to long. I don't understand it. I wish I had my old osteo arthritic knees back. At least they were mine. This should be your last resort....don't want you to feel like I do...Carol Ann write back with any questons to me at [email protected]
 
I'm 59 year old female and had LTK on Aug.28. I am back to work as of 10/12/06. I have been very blessed that the surgery went well and the recovery and rehab. I had the femoral block before surgery and the surgeon ordered the CPM machine (constant p***ive motion) so when I got to the room after surgery, my leg was put in the machine. It started at 40 degrees and slowly would bend the leg. I truly think that is a must. They would increase in increments of 5 degrees three times per day. I did not do well with the morphine pain pump and when I switched to the oral pain killers did much better. I was in the hospital for 4 days and then had home health physical therapy for two weeks before starting outpatient therapy. I did have the CPM machine at home for the two weeks and would put my leg in the machine 3-4 times a day. Worked up to 110 degrees. I had started the exercises recommended by the surgeon about a month before surgery and I believe that helped also. I had a good experience, there is still swelling and stiffness in the knee but that will take up to 6-9 months they tell me to fully recover. I used a walker for 2.5 weeks, a cane for 2 weeks and then no ***istance. I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have. Cheryl
 
Hi Kath,

I had my right knee on first September and am 49 years of age. I have to have my left knee done on 8th December which is only 3 months after first operation which I am not looking forward to as I have been to hell and back with first operation. I ended up in hospital for 3 weeks.

The first week I have no recollection of at all as a week after the operation I fell out of bed and since getting a hit on the head I only remember the next two weeks. It frustrates me that I cannot remember anything before cause I have been told of all the stupid things I said and did as I reacted to the anaesthetic and the morphine.

I cannot put off having the second knee so quickly because it now supports my right knee and is deteriorating very quickly. I also went through very bad depression but that too was due to all the medication I was on. I feel better now but still cannot stand up for long. I now use a walking stick and people tell me I am looking better but I do not feel it but have to say there is definitely progress since the operation.

It is probably good I cannot remember the pain I had after the surgery. The pain I have now is no different to what I suffered with five years before my operation. It gets hard to bend and I get very tired but try and keep with the exercise they give you to do after the operation no matter how much it hurts. I am just so scared to end up with a limp so that is why I push myself. Hope all goes well for you and please keep in touch and let me know how you are going. Take care Frances
 
Hello Kathym,
I too was scared to death and I would be lying if I said all went well. I have been to hell and back and it is very painful. But it is not something you can put off otherwise you will end up in a wheelchair. Jut make sure yo keep up with all the rehab exercises be positive and one day will be better than the next. I look back now it is 7 weeks since my op and even though I am still in a lot of pain I am now able to walk without a walking stick around the house only. Whenever I go out I take it with me for more support. I have to get my left knee done on 8th December and go back for my review to the surgeon next week so will let you know what he thinks of my progress. Yes it is scary but it also has to be done. I cannot remember any of the pain after the surgery because I was on so much medication it blocked it out but my family says I complained all day about the pain so maybe it is a good thing I do not remember. Good Luck. Frances
 
Hi I am 46. I have had 2 partials this yr. The first was May 3 the 2nd was Sept 21. The first on went good as far as the Drs part. The rehab really is painful. The second one I was walking with a cane after 3wks. I am struggling now though. Pain I do not know if it is due to the weather being cold or what. I feel that in both of them though. I am SO glad I had them done. Expect pain the first couple of weeks you HAVE to push yourself. I know it is not easy though. My wife is a big help for me, I do not know what I would do without her. Sometimes you need someone to get you going. good luck ...ken
 
I was told I needed a total knee replacement about 3yrs ago I was diagnosis with avascular necrosis of the knees due to excessive use of steroids. I been on steroids for about 5yrs off and on and on a daily basis for the past two yrs they wanted me to put it off as long as possible because of my age (49) I had my first total knee replacement in sept 05 went great had my 2nd sept 6,06 had two blood clots in the legs plus a hemotoma in the back of the knee a couple of week ago I was having some chest heaviness so I went to the hospital because I thought it was my asthma and turn out to be a blood clot in my lung which they told me it was in a good spot and not in the central. I been having a lot of pain and burning behind my leg and they think that because of he hemo. Unfortunately I may have to have a straightening cast put on if my leg doesn't straight out in a couple of weeks. I been held up with my therapy a lot due to the blood clots but i still try and do as much as I can
 
Does the weather affect how you feel in the new knees? This will be my first time with cold weather with them. I am haveing pain in them now I am curious if it is due to the weather or not
 
This is the first time i have been in to this web site so i hope i am doing it right.I am 51,my name is Lesley and it looks like i am going to be having a knee replacement in the next 6-7 months,after years of pain due to osteo arthritis in my right knee.Like you i am also terrified of what is to come and i would love to hear from people of a similar age to share experiences!
 
Good luck with your knee replacement. I am a 40 yr old female who is very active and I was told last year I needed a knee replacement. I have managed to hold out for a year but I'm struggling now, it hasn't stopped me working. I work for a community rehab team in Harrogate and look after people like myself. Be positive, you are doing the right thing, it is better to have quality now with your knee and in years to come things will change so much that knee replacements will last a lot longer. Good luck, be prepared for lots of discomfort and effort you will be fine and as my surgeon said to me you will wish you had it done ages ago Suzanne
 
kathym said:
I'm 46 year old female with degenerative osteo-arthritis. I've been in treatment for over a year trying to prolong the inevitable. I'm scheduled for total knee replacement surgery November 30, 2006. Is there anyone out there in my age group that can share their experience with me. I am scared to death of what lies ahead!
good luck for tomorrow,when you are feeling up to it let us know all the details! Lesley
 
Suzanne.have you had any syvisc lubrication injections? ive had a course of three and still waiting to see if any improvement,going back to work next week so keeping my fingers crossed.Lesley
 
IF you are still reading this site, maybe you could tell me if you still had pain, burning and aching after 12 weeks post op. Did all that you did/had and still in P. T. This 'thing' is getting old and I am out of patience to get on with my life. I am 8 years older than you and very active generally.
 
Had double knee replacement early Dec. Recovery is not a pretty picture. While I am now detoxing off my meds and have horrible pain, I do have really good range of motion after 10 weeks of therapy. I still want to know if people do have pain after 3 months and does it "really" go away. This is recovery is depressing and I am not a depressed person by nature. Probably people that don't have issues or pain don't read this website, but ask around if anyone knows others with same recovery pain!
 
bghlpc said:
Probably people that don't have issues or pain don't read this website

bgh, you are sooo right! Only people who have problems after the surgery are going to be looking for answers on a forum like this so right off, I would appeal to those reading this who have not yet had their ops NOT to be scared off by these accounts. It is very true that a number of people have very bad times with their new knees. Therefore, this group of 'subjects' are what researchers would refer to as 'self selecting'.

When looking at fora like this, you have to bear in mind that of the hundreds of thousands of people who have knee replacements carried out in any one year between UK and US, we only have about 280 registered members here. That represents a very tiny sample and therefore does not give a very accurate picture of how many get a rough time and how many don't.

Also, the majority who do find it plain sailing, will be too busy getting on with their lives to even think of contributing to a forum such as this. I'm reminded of a computer hardware forum I am registered with. The only time I post in there is when I have a problem. So what I am saying is, please don't be discouraged by these threads. We are very keen to try and offer help and advice to those who need it, but don't for one minute, think that their experiences are the norm because they are not!

Over the years I have got to know hundreds of patients who have had knee replacements. Often met some of them coming back for their second to be done. And when I asked them about their experience the first time around, they would waggle the leg in the air and proclaim it to be wonderful!! Indeed, 70 yr old friend of mine had his done earlier this year and two months later was repairing the roof tiles on his bungalow!!
 
I first wrote because I was terrified of knee replacement surgery. I looked at simpler solutions Partial knee resurfacing) but was told that only total replacement would help. On April 2 I had my left knee replaced.I was advised to enter an in-house re-hab facility, which would allow me to have 2x a day intensive therapy without worrying about running my houshold. I stayed for five weeks. I don't tolerate strong pain meds (reason for my concern)so I screamed a lot, but eventually I could handle all my exercizes. I walked out after five weeks without even using a cane. I was walking up and down a flight of stairs for the first time in ten years. Although sitting for any length of time still causes pain - in my knee and down the front of my leg - it is not the constant pain I had for so long - and it gets better as a function of time. On balance, I am glad I finally had this done but I wish my Dr. had agreed to do both knees at once, as my right knee is definitely going the same route as my left. And I can't imagine going through it again. Getting from there to here is great but the in-between is not fun. I should mention that I am a very slim, young-looking 69 yr.old.
 
Sounds about par for the course, there, Susan. But glad you came out good at the end. I can never decide whether the synchronous bilateral is good or not. Yes, you get both out of the way with only one anaesthetic but at what cost? You have two lots of agonising pt to go through. Some cope with that, some don't.

And given that the average TKR takes about 1½-2½ hours to perform, you're looking at a minimum of 3½-5½ hours on the table as staff need 20-30 mins between to reset and redrape. That's a BIG operation in anyone's books and requires a lot of stamina to endure without the double pt and rehab on top of it.

I know they often do bilateral hips but, strange as it may seem, THRs are much quicker procedures - a good surgeon can do one in 50-60 mins so it's a different ball game all together.
 
I am almost 8 months post op for my bi lateral knee replacemnet. I rode my street bike 7 miles last week..After a horendus recovery, pain and more pain, I am highly functioning.
Still have some quirky pain when sitting at the days end. Don't know what that's about, but I'm not that worried. Good luck to all of you out there.
 
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