waiting for my date

[newfie girl]

Hi there
i have really got a lot out of this site does anyone know if there is a similar one in england please.

am waiting for my date after having had osteo arthritis for 16 years have no cartilidge left in either knee. the consultant wants to do both knees with a six week gap in between.

have asked about having a general rather than epidural and he says will be up to the aneathatist on the day!!!! whichever is deemed to be safer but am very nervous and do not want to see or hear anything.

have just been told i have gum disease do i need to let the hospital know this.

look foward to hearing from you all

 

[Texas]

Welcome. There are a number of people on here from England. Our moderator/mother hen is in England. and a few others.!!! This is a great place for support and help... from England, to US Australia and much more. There are alot of members that have had bi-lat knee surgery can give advice. I had GA but from what I hear even if you have a spinal others drugs are given and you dont hear or remember anything..........I hope you get your appt soon....I think you will feel much better..Yes let the hosp.now everything . Hang in there and post anytime..........Sure hope you feel better soon...

 

[Judles]

Welcome, Newfie! This is a whole process,,,,from choosing your OS, to the particular prosthesis! If I were you, I'd try to get as much dental work done BEFORE your surgery! And you will most likely need antibiotics for the rest of your life for dental and other invasive procedures! Good luck!

 

[Josephine]

Judles! Stop scaring the new members! We do not need antibiotics for the rest of our lives! And in the UK patients don't get to choose their prostheses! Many don't even get to choose their surgeons!

Newfie - I'm in the UK and up in Tyne & Wear. Where are you situated and which hospital are you going to? I can give you an idea if it's a good one.

As for the gum disease, it depends upon what kind of gum disease it is. Do tell me and I may be able to advise if it's a problem.

The anaesthetic will be up to the anaesthetist on the day and most use spinals/epidurals but please don't let that worry you. People seem to think that having spinals inevitably means you have to be wide awake throughout but that's not true. I had a spinal (having spent a lifetime saying they'd never do one on me!) and it was brilliant! Plus I knew nothing from the monent he put the magic potion in my back till I woke up in recovery! Honestly! Was as spark out as that. So put it out of your mind altogether, all right? Plus - and it's a big plus - you have hours of lovely pain free time afterwards and then a little button to press so you can get morphine on demand when it wears off. Also brilliant!

You post in here too and lots will be posting to encourage you and answer your questions (but never mind Judles - she's the camp drama queen!

) (she knows I'm just kidding! )

Oh yes - and welcome to BoneSmart! :thmb:

 

[Jamie]

Hi, Newfie Girl!!! Welcome to BoneSmart. You'll find lots of support here from members all over the world. As Texas said, we have members in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and other countries in addition to the USA. While the health systems are a little different from one country to another, the surgical procedure and recovery are pretty much the same for everyone. That's why this forum is so important....you can get TONS of information about what you may experience (people do heal differently, so there are some things unique to some individuals) from those who have gone before you and took time to post here.

Spend some time reading old threads. There is a wealth of informaiton there. Plus you may notice some craziness...we have found that sometimes being a bit silly and joking around help in the recovery process. As you read, if you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to post again.

 

[stives]

Welcome Newfie.

Nice to get someone else from the UK on here, as we appear to be in the minority - but we have the quality, the others have the quantity!!:hehe:

I've been similar to you - osteoarthritis for years following cartilage removal many years ago. Bone on bone for years.

My ops were 6 months apart, but I can see advantages in having them either together or a short time apart. I thought I'd had a spinal and sedation until I went for my six-week check-up this week, and discovered that I had an epidural and a general anaesthetic for both knees. Whatever it was, I knew nothing of what went on. Absolutely no problem there. With the first op I felt a bit nauseous afterwards but put up with it. With the second, on the advice of Jo, I told the anaesthetist beforehand about the nausea, and when I did feel a bit grotty on the evening of the op, I told the nurses, who got the doc to give me something, after which I felt really well.

Unlike Jo, I didn't have a little button to administer my own painkillers when I needed them. She gets all the luck! However, the nurses were always asking how the pain levels were, and there was never a problem.

I'm still in the early stages of recovery on my second TKR, but am absolutely thrilled with my strong, straight legs. I should have had the ops years ago!

Keep posting - although I'm off on holiday tomorrow for ten days so may not be on line. I'll catch up when I get back. I live in Cornwall, by the way.

 

[newfie girl]

thanks everyone for your replies has really given me a buzz.

they havent told me what kind of gum disease, just that my gums are receeding and have had my first hour and a half of treatment but no antibiotics prescribed. the orthodontist said will have to have them done again in about four months so after the knee ops.

do we think they are as good at doing these ops in the uk as in the US.

What kind of things might i need at home when i get back from hospital. my husband will have two weeks at home to look after my every need so should be ok and then it will be friends and grandchildren.

how soon will i be able to drive do you think.

has anyone had two knees dons close together.

 

[Sticker Lady]

Hi Nwfie Girl!
Finding BoneSmart and all the wonderful people here is the best thing you could have done for yourself.
I had bilat tkr on May 18--not quite 3 weeks ago. It has been painful at times--but not more than I was expecting. I was in the hospital for 3 days after the op and then went into an intensive rehab for 5 days. When I came home I was able to use the bathroom, wash up, dress myself (except for the TED stockings). I was walking with a walker and would take a stroll either inside or out in the driveway a few times each day.
I've been getting PT at home 3 X per week and the visiting nurse came a few times to check my blood (until I was off coumadin) and my vitals. PT will continue at home for two more weeks and then I'm hoping to be driving and going to outpatient PT for the remainder of the time.
I'm VERY happy that I decided to do both knees at the same time. If you have any questions or want more general information, I or any of the other members who have been on this journey will be happy to help you.
By the way, I too was hoping for general anes and ended up with an epi with sedation. It was great--the dr said he was giving me a "little something" to relax me before he put the epi in--I didn"t see, hear, or feel anything until I woke up in postop--perfect!
Best of luck,
Irene

 

[ship4]

Welcome newfie girl! I had BTKR last June. My one year anniversary is coming up. I could not drive for 6 weeks. However, I could still take pain medication but not drive within 2 hours after taking it.
A high rise toilet seat is a must. As is a shower chair for the bathtub. Hopefully you can be on one level and not have to do a lot of stairs in the beginning. I have a full bath on the first floor, but all the bedrooms are on the second floor. I made a nice "home" for myself in the recliner. It is leather, so I purchased a twin size feather bed, made a custom sheet for it out of a Queen size flat sheet. This worked out great for me. I also used a King Size flannel sheet for a blanket. It was not heavy but enough to keep me warm.
Good luck with this, and do keep us posted on your progress.
Best,

 

[Josephine]

It would be a good idea to first ring your dentist and get the exact name of the treatment and condition the ring surgeon's secretary and ask her to tell him about it and what, if any, action needs to be taken. Could be anything from a short course of antibiotics to delaying the op a couple of weeks. But whatever they decide it's all for the best and much better to take precautions if he thinks it necessary.

And you didn't tell me which hospital!

 

[BigRed]

I live in the United States (in Connecticut) but one of my sons lives in England (in Tynesmouth). With the Internet this really is a small world.

My Bilateral TKR is scheduled for June 25th. My doctor requires that I meet with someone at the hospital in the anestheia department one week before the surgery to decide on what will be done. I also have to meet with a surgical nurse and attend a one hour class at the hospital on what to expect with knee replacement surgery and post-op recovery.

I know the system is different in England but I am sure your doctor will do what he thinks is best for you. Use information you find on this website to help you prepare. You will learn what questions to ask your doctor and you will read some comforting things from others who have been through this before. I know they are helping me.

Good luck to you.

 

[Brian]

... And you will most likely need antibiotics for the rest of your life for dental and other invasive procedures! Good luck!

I asked my dentist and surgeon about this (having read it in the Knee Owners Handbook) and they said antibiotics were unnecessary for most dental work. The dentist eve showed me the relevant NHS guidance - perhaps Jo could comment?

 

[Josephine]

I posted at length on this somewhere. Here's the text:

Well, there's a lot out there that is right and some that is almost right but not quite. For starters there is a lot of confusing information about dental work and joint replacements and the circumstances under which the one is a hazard to the other. There are so many different opinions between the surgeons/dental organisations and in different countries. One says antibiotics 2 days prior and several days after, another says just one dose 1-2 hours prior. Some say forever, another says for the first 2 years. Some people also include other things like colonoscopy, colonoscopic biopsies or polypectomies, etc., while others say they are not a hazard. It's a right royal mess and no-one seems to have any specific data to back up their own point of view so at the moment that's pretty much all we have to go on - people's points of view.

What we do know is that some dental ailments like abcesses, extractions and root canal work, also urinary tract infections, can dump a whole load of active bacteria into the blood stream which can (note 'can' not will) deposit itself onto the surface of a metal implant. Added to this is that the nature of the metal being biologically inert, the immune system cannot 'see' the bacteria there so the bugs are not attacked by white blood cells in the usual way. Over time a kind of fungussy sludge develops which interferes with the cement or bone to metal bonding, thus causing the implant to become loose. When this substance is investigated in the lab, the origins of the pathogens can be identified somewhat, meaning that they can tell if it's oral or urinary, for example. Hopefully the patient will then be able to back it up with information but it's not exactly a pure science.

So truth to tell, we have no idea how many thousands of people have dental work and never have a problem, nor how many have a late stage infection in their joint replacement and no idea where it came from. Or how many had prophylactic antibiotics that worked or didn't work. In the end, we're pretty much left with the BSTS philosophy (better safe than sorry)

But I quite liked how my surgeon put it - he said even on odds of 1,000-1, what is the cost of a thousand doses of antibiotics compared to having to do one revision? (He was talking pure accounting there!) Personally, I think I'd sooner go with that philosophy than spend months of anxiety wondering if I was going to be an unlucky one!