TKR on Dec 2nd

[Braves78]

Hello,

I will be having my right knee TKA on Tuesday, Dec. 2nd. I am pretty nervous about the post op. I am 48 years old and in pretty good shape but not like I used to be. I have rheumatoid arthritis which is pretty much under control but my right knee is bone on bone and I can't take the pain anymore. I will be having the surgery at the New Albany Hospital in New Albany Ohio. It is an orthopedic hospital that does mostly joint replacements and has an excellent reputation.

One of my worries is that they tell me that if I have my surgery in the morning that I will go home the next afternoon. That scares me a bit since I don't have much support at home and I my bedroom is on the 2nd floor. There is no where for me to sleep on the first floor. My Mom will take me and will bring me home and will stay with me some during the day when my two daughters are at school. They are 17 and 13 years old and will be at school from 7:30 am until about 2:00 pm. How much help will I need when I am home and for how long? I hate asking my Mom to come over every day to just be there if I need something. I am very independant and find it about impossible to ask for help. I did take my church up on their offer to provide food for the first two weeks every other night. That is mostly for my girls so that they will have something decent to eat while I heal.

I have been ready the posts and suggestions and it has been very helpful to read all of your stories.

Theres

 

[Josephine]

You accepted the food but only for your girls? Did you think you wouldn't need to eat, then? (j/k!)

Truth is, you will need a LOT of help in the first 3-4 weeks and maybe more. You won't be able to do much of anything, the first couple of weeks you'll even need someone to help you get your leg on and off the bed! But your girls will pitch in and help, surely? So when they are at home you should be okay. I'm sure the others will soon be along to tell you what's what but you will have to be prepared for home truths. No point in getting anything else.

Had you thought about going into rehab for a while? Will your insurance cover it? Those stairs worry me. You're not going to be abe to manage stairs for a couple of weeks at least so maybe rehab witll actually be necessary.

Also, what about your sleeping arrangements? Most people here suggest getting a recliner chair and spending day AND night in it. You should also arm yourself with lots of gel bags to keep in the freezer. You're going to need them.

If I've missed anything, I'm sure the others will chip in!

Welcome to BoneSmart!

 

[Gretchendz]

Jo is right. You will need a lot of help especially the first week or 2. I spent 3 days in hospital before going home with each of my TKRs. Even then, it's not easy.

I was able to move a bed to 1st floor. Can't imagine getting up the stairs well that first week. I would recommend you talk to OS and insurance about rehab facility due to stairs issue. Around here, they evaluate you and your home arrangement before releasing you & if you don't have a good set-up, someone to help you 24/7 the first week or so, and good enough range of motion, they usually send you to rehab facility. Please be very clear with them about your home situation.

Jo's right, just getting leg on and off bed often requires help from someone.

Accepting the food was a very good thing as you will keep your girls busy.

It is very hard for those of us who don't like to find ourselves needing it. You need to remind yourself that getting help now in the short run will get you active and fit all the sooner.

Good luck--and use this forum for support--everyone is great!

 

[beachcomber]

Did you get a toilet extender? That and lots of pillows are the things I couldn't have lived without. I hope your bathroom is near where you will be spending most of your time and not at the other end of those stairs... good luck and best wishes to you

 

[ship4]

Do you have a recliner chair downstairs? If so, consider sleeping in that........ I purchased a twin size feather bed and used that in the chair to make it more comfortable. I slept there for 6 weeks in the living room on the first floor.
I also went to rehab for 6 days post op. When I did come home I was able to walk without crutches inside the house and only used them outside for a couple of weeks after (so that would be week 3).
I wish you luck!
Best,
Crystal

 

[Kimgrif]

If you are going to be spending time alone, the biggest thing I would say is having help to move your leg. You can buy a "leg lifter" from the hospital that would help you be able to move your leg on/off the bed, a chair, etc. I had a non-stretchy winter scarf that I used. I would "lasso" my foot and then pull the scarf tight. It held my leg great so that I could swing it and/or lift it.

Elevated toilet seat is a MUST. You can get a basic one at Walmart for about $20.

How will you get back/forth to PT appointments, or will PT be coming to your home?

I heavily second (or third) the recliner. I slept (lived?) in one for about 4 weeks postop, and then finally was able to transition back to my bed.

Good luck! You WILL need an extra set of legs to do some running for you for at least the first week.

 

[Gretchendz]

Before you buy toilet extender or other items, check with your insurance. Often it is covered. Mine covered walker, toilet seat/extender but not the reacher/grabber. I didn't get the leg lifter but think it would have been covered. The grabber is helpful if you will be alone a great deal. (And,as I said on another thread, after surgery it is good for getting that clothing that falls behind the dryer! Mine was about $20)

Also, the other thing I needed help with was getting glasses of fresh water to all my spots in the house (bed, recliner, etc.) It's hard to carry liquid with a walker! (Although tippy cups or travel mugs work.) Drove my husband nuts first two weeks with my liquid needs!

Amen to the need for the extended toilet seat!

 

[Simon]

Check with your insurance company about Home Health Care. Where I live they have they 3 levels of service, professional which is nurse/physical therapists etc, home health aids which can help with personal care like bathing, exercises and assistants who will go grocery shopping, pick up perscriptions, make meals, do laundry and some light house keeping. My insurance company would pay for the first 2 levels. I was able to hire someone who I knew slightly to take care of things the aid would do.

I live alone so I did alot of cooking ahead of time so there was premade meals in the freezer, bought extra supplies of things like toilet paper, shampoo, soap etc and stocked them in the bathroom. I also bought extra underwear so that I did not have to have someone coming over every week (the laundry is downstairs).

I agree about not purchasing anything ahead of time as the hospital might provide them. My hospital had the leg lifter on my bed when I came up from surgery and the OT staff brought up several other items like putting elastic shoelaces in my shoes and providing an extra long shoe horn, a grabber, a big sponge on a stick to wash the back etc, a neat little device to help put on and take off the teds.

I agree about the rehab stay. Because I live alone with no family in town and was new to the area, I went to inpatient rehab (which was at the hospital) and it was the best thing as by the time I came home, I could manage by myself.

Asking for help is hard but do it as you don't want to have any set backs.

Good luck

Simon

 

[Braves78]

Thank you all for responding to my questions. It helps to hear from others who have experience with this surgery.

I already have a walker (borrowed) and a toilet seat extender and a cane (borrowed). I don't have a recliner downstairs and my couch is kind of low. I called another hospital here in Columbus and talked to their in house rehab center and they only take acute rehab patients but told me that they send their joint replacement patients to Arlinging Center if they aren't ready to come home so I called and talked to them. They put my name down in pencil so are aware that I may be coming next week. This center is close to my Mom's house so it will be easy for her to take me there and to pick me up and take me home when I am ready.

The surgery will be MIS and the doctor specializes in rapid recovery protical.

Theresa

 

[Josephine]

Oh that's great! You will benefit from that. AND it's MIS - well that does change the goalposts some as the kind of things we've been taking about are more with the total knee op. Hopefully your recovery shouldn't be so rigorous.

But that first arrival home and having to climb two flights of stairs? uh uh!