PKR Travel after 6 weeks? Help?

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tomk

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I had a partial right knee replacement on 12/30/13. I have been taking it slow with plenty of icing and elevation. I feel pretty good but still get tired after a couple hours of light activity.

I was just notified of an company function 10 days from now in Las Vegas. That would put me at 6 weeks exactly post-op. Las Vegas is a 3½ hour flight from my home. I am anxious about committing to the trip because I think I will be exhausted when I get there. I really want to attend this meeting though. There are some exciting new developments and also the chance to reconnect with other company personnel that I get to see only occasionally. The meeting will be for about 6 hours on that Saturday.

Luckily I have an OS appointment tomorrow and will ask him about the question of travelling.

I would really like to hear the experiences of some on the board. I value your opinions and experiences as much as my doctors advice ;)

Am I taking an risk by flying this soon? Will I just be too exhausted to enjoy the meeting.

Please weigh in!

Tom
 
Hi Tom, I just hit my 6 week mark on Monday. I had a total replacement, but pretty sure recovery from a partial is equally as tasking. Although I feel better than I have, the thought of traveling would be pretty daunting. Add into the 3½ hour flight the time it takes to get to the airport, to park, to check in, to make thru security, etc.... and then the same on the other end (and it takes FOREVER to get a cab at the airport in Vegas) I fear your knee would punish you greatly for putting it through that. See what your OS has to say, but if it were me, as much as I know you want to go, I wouldn't. :-(
 
I guess you will have to rate how important this meeting is vs a review from co-workers, perhaps simply reading the papers from the presenters, etc.

If you do decide to go, I would ask for a wheeled chair at the airport. It will meet you at the front desk and take you all the way to the plane. You can get another one in Las Vegas that will take you to the door. It will save lots of walking and additional anguish. Plus, they help you through the security gates. My husband used this service when we went to Europe and it really helped alot!! Add the tips to the person who will push you to your travel costs---I think we tipped each person at least $10, but it was money well spent.
 
Only you can decide if your energy levels will be up to the trip. As for the knee, I would recommend you request wheelchair service from check-in, all the way through, round-trip. In November, before my tkr, I took a trip that required a connection in Dallas. I was in so much pain I knew I could not make those long walks up and down the concourses. Wheelchair service was a lifesaver for me, and they got me through security pretty quickly, too. As for the meeting, I would plan to participate in the most vital activities, and ice and elevate in the room. Maybe also increase the pain meds for the duration of the trip.

I had my tkr 6 weeks ago today. Personally, I feel I could handle a trip such as the one you are describing, with careful planning, and planning a couple of days of rest after the trip. But as I said, it is an individual decision. I'm glad your recovery is going well!
 
Is train travel an option?

Nice that you want to go. I understand the urge to have life get back to normal. But I think you already know the answer. You can go but it will be difficult, so much so that you might regret your decision. You'd need a good deal number of Plan Bs -- opportunities to rest, ice and elevate as needed. Plus some assistance?
 
Boy, is this s tough one---I know that, at six weeks, I was in no shape to travel. I would also worry about DVT's

Am I taking an risk by flying this soon? Will I just be too exhausted to enjoy the meetin
hat is somewhat likely---remember, your surgical knee is not completely healed until the six-week mark, and recovery can take much longer. I do not believe that you may enjoy the meeting, nor will it be effective for you.

If you do decide to go, I would ask for a wheeled chair at the airport. It will meet you at the front desk and take you all the way to the plane. You can get another one in Las Vegas that will take you to the door.
This is an outstanding point---if you do decide to go, this should seriously be considered. The logistics of deplaning, going through the airport, to the hotel, etc---will absolutely knock you out and your knee, I feel, will be stiff, sore, and swollen.

See what your OS has to say, but if it were me, as much as I know you want to go, I wouldn't. :-(
I pretty much feel the same way.

As Falstaff said in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I, "The better part of Valour, is Discretion." What you want to do, what you should do, and what you can do all have a part in this.
 
Tim raised a good point about DVT's. You should wear your ted hose on the plane.
 
Hi all,

It has been a while since I last posted and I wanted to let everyone know that I did indeed take the trip to Las Vegas this weekend. My OS was pleased with my progress and I promised to take it easy so he gave me the OK. He also assured me that whatever I did on the trip (short of breaking my leg) would have no bearing on how my knee was going to feel in a year. So with still a tiny bit of trepidation I booked my airfare and hotel.

I just returned today without incident. Probably the worst part of the experience were the days leading up to the trip. I kept wondering if I was making a huge mistake. I kept thinking of all the things that were certain to go wrong. The afternoon before the trip I was very down and depressed. I felt like crying all afternoon!

Travel day arrived and my anxiety diminished slightly. I had developed a pretty well thought out game plan and was ready to face the challenge.

After being dropped off at the front door of the airport I got lucky immediately. First, the line for security was very short and second my gate was the second one after security! The flight was on time so I had minimal waiting and I boarded without any problems and had arranged for a bulkhead seat so I could stretch my legs. I did a couple hundred of the toe points and pulls and got up and walked several times during the flight to minimize the DVT risk (my OS wasn't concerned about the DVT risk at all). Still, I didn't want to take any chances. We had a slight tail wind and arrived about 15 minutes early.

When I arrived in Las Vegas I had a wheelchair ready to transport me to the taxi stand but I felt so good and confident (cocky?) that I declined the chair and decided to walk. The walk felt soooo good. Not that it was completely pain free but that it was probably the furthest that I had walked non-stop in 10 years!!! At that point I was probably walking on air!

The cab ride and hotel check-in were both short and I was icing and elevating in my hotel room shortly after arrival.

The next day I had a lengthy distance to get to the conference site. I decided to walk it and again made the trip without any problem. I didn't stop once where previously I certainly would have made several stops. Same results for the walk back!

I was very diligent about icing and elevating as often as I could during the entire weekend and I think that was very important.

The flight home was fine as I again had the bulkhead and walked about the cabin several times.

I got home feeling like I had made a major step in my recovery. I have a long way to go and know I am not out of the woods just yet but I am going to celebrate any victory large or small along the way.

I conquered the trip and got a glimpse of what life is going to be like once my knee is fully healed. Fantastic!

I am at 6 weeks post op tomorrow. I wanted to share my story for those going through the rough times (and boy they can be rough). I just wanted to offer you hope and a success story and tell you to hang in there!

I have been motivated and have loved reading the positive stories on this site. They really have helped! What do we call it here? Paying it forward.

P.S. I really appreciate all the good advice that I received prior to the trip

Tom
 
aying it forward.
Fantastic report out Tomk!
And sounds like a great time in Las Vegas.
Thank you for coming back and letting us know how everything went on your trip.
Much appreciated!
 
Way to go. I traveled at (just under) 6 weeks; a longer trip. Not because I wanted to -- my dad, 98, has been ill and I couldn't in good conscience put it off any longer. I'm glad I went. I did the wheelchair when I changed planes in Atlanta, as I didn't know how far I'd have to go, and I took/used my cane here and there.

My biggest challenge was being out of my exercise/PT routine and not being able to walk much outside because of snow and ice. (I wasn't the only one avoiding being outside!)

Yes, wear support hose of some sort and elevate!
So glad you had a good trip.
 
Loved that story! I will be 4 weeks post op on Wed. And I am having my right knee done on that day! The lefty has done very well and I'm hoping that the right TKR will be as successful! I cannot wait to walk through an airport and board a plane!! Good for you!
 
After my successful adventure to Las Vegas I thought I would try another challenge last night. I decided to go "cold turkey" with no pain meds throughout the night. I am 6 weeks and 3 days post op and for the first 3 weeks I took dilaudid throughout the day and night. I couple weeks ago I started taking only 2 Tylenol at bedtime.

Well last night I went to bed at 11 pm with no meds and made it until 3 am when the pain woke my up. Not severe pain but a dull throbbing pain. It took me about 30 minutes to get back to sleep and then I woke up about 6:45 am with the same pain.

I guess I feel like I'm making progress but the knee is clearly still the boss like many on here have stated.

I am really curious about the experiences of others on this board regarding when they went off meds completely. I know we are all different but please weigh in!

P.S. I also got a nice compliment from a friend that hadn't seen me in about 6 months who said he was pleasantly surprised to see me not limping for the first time in years. Little victories!!!
 
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Well done! You certainly are marking the milestones!
 
Thanks Josephine!

I try not to get hung up on the milestones but it is fun to have modest little goals along the way.

I had my partial on December 30th. Is there anyone out there with a date that is close to mine? If so, how are things going?
 
Fantastic. Well done!
 
I love hearing success stories like yours! Congratulations. You are pushing a bit, but in a careful, measured way and I think it's grand to see you accomplish something like that trip. Things will continue to improve for you. So just keep making these small (and wonderful) steps forward!
 
At 7 1/2 weeks I'm feeling great in most every category (pain, swelling, flexibility, stamina) but sleeping is way behind. I'm not too concerned as my OS warned me that sleep and appetite were two of the most common complaints after knee replacement.

I would love to hear from the Bone Smarties as to when normal sleep patterns returned to their lives.

I'm anticipating a wide variance. Anyone?
 
I had hips, not knees, but I am still struggling with my sleep patterns 3 and a half months post op. I'm not in pain, but just can't seem to get my sleep pattern back together. But I've always had a touch of isomnia.
 
The knee will reach the milestones in its own good time, but it sure feels good to celebrate them!
 
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