TKR 7/24/18: Travel concerns

[Celle]

While I absolutely abhor the thought of being taken around in a wheelchair in an airport, I will leave that decision to a later date.

When the spacer in my knee broke while I was on holiday in Canada, I had to fly back to New Zealand.
I had wheelchair assistance at every airport and I can't emphasize to much how helpful it was:

• No having to walk slowly along long corridors in airports,
• No worrying about getting to a new departure gate when I had a change of planes,
• No waiting in line for security or immigration checks - my escort took to the the front of the line every time,
• Early boarding for all my flights, so I had time to get comfortable and arrange my stuff before the crowd boarded.

 

[JamesN]

When the spacer in my knee broke while I was on holiday in Canada, I had to fly back to New Zealand.
I had wheelchair assistance at every airport and I can't emphasize to much how helpful it was:

Yes, but what about my FRAGILE MALE EGO?!?!!

I know it's the probably the right thing to do. That's why I've gone from "heck no" to "I won't say no at this time."

 

[Celle]

Yes, but what about my FRAGILE MALE EGO?!?!!

Suck it up, mate!

Believe me, after you've walked a few long corridors and then stood for ages in a line for security, while your knee gets more and more painful, you will be glad to have wheelchair assistance.

 

[pdx]

Because of a family emergency, I had to fly 7 weeks post-op. Of course my first flight was late, meaning I had to zoom to catch my connecting one. (No nonstop available.) The "cart" I had asked to have at the gate to get me to the next one didn't show up. So off I went, limping more the farther I got. I made the flight, but that second flight, even in business class, was no picnic and I wasn't much use for several days.
As for medications, some people get off opioids really quickly. Others, not so much. How good do you think your decisions will be if you're "high" on an opioid painkiller? How about driving while on drugs?
Speaking of driving, it's easier to get back to driving after a left TKR than right (assuming no clutch), but the earliest I've heard of anyone driving is a month, and then only if off opioids. I started at 5 and 6 weeks respectively.
It sounds as if you work for a large corporation. Visualize what a woman executive with your responsibilities would do if she was about to take an 8-12 week maternity leave. Plan. Delegate. Then delegate some more. Give others a chance to step up, rather than have to deal with a boss who's nowhere near 100 percent.
You'll do fine with a) realistic expectations and b) a willingness to accept limitations for the short term in order to get better long-term results.

 

[JamesN]

pdx, good points of course. Good news is that I do have plenty of people to delegate to. And while my TKR is on my left knee, absolutely no driving while still taking opioids. I had knee surgery on my right knee (not a TKR, but to remove a lot (two cups worth) of calcium particles in my knee), and I stayed ahead of the pain with opioids while I needed them, which as I recall was about 3 weeks. For that surgery, they had to open me up on the front as well as the back of the knee. I don't think I drove for at least 4 weeks. Could have been 5-6.