Bilateral TKR Where to begin??? Let’s start on day one!

[79newknees]

@2-atime
Thanks, I am feeling more "resigned"! I do hope I can cope with it all..... am having a spinal and general anaesthetic, and femoral block, plus the local at knee site, so hopefully I will have time to adjust post op before the pain sets in! I think I am one of he older candidates on Bonesmart!

 

[KitKat64]

Physician's assistant's duties must include vaguely threatening everyone who has had a tkr with an MUA. Most of them seem to do it....

In my case, it was the OS who did my RTKR that was pushing the MUA!!

 

[Cementless]

@2@atime, do you recommend the spinal block with light anesthesia? That is what my OS revision dr. likes to do. He says it is so much better for pts. than a general. I'm scheduled for a revision on Oct. 8th.

 

[Cementless]

@2@atime, my pre-surgery instructions say "to prevent constipation, you may start an over-the-counter stool softner such as Colace two days prior to surgery". Continue with the stool softener until you have stopped taking the pain medications. Also: MOM or Miralax.

 

[2@atime]

@Cementless i would have preferred just the spinal block, but apparently I had some issues and needed general anesthesia in addition to the spinal block during the surgery.

I had a really long post op recovery because of all the anesthesia. I would assume it would have been much easier if I had just had the spinal block.

Everyone else on this forum seems to prefer the spinal block.

Good luck with your revision!

Best,

L

PS don’t recall those pre-op instructions regarding the use of stool softeners...wish I had been given them.

 

[Jockette]

I have lower back issues so I didn’t want a spinal, so I requested general anesthesia and did fine coming out of it. They gave me something before surgery for post surgery nausea and it wasn’t a problem.

As always, each of us are different!

 

[Eciulla]

Which position to sleep 23 days post op?

 

[sistersinhim]

Which position to sleep 23 days post op?

The answer is simple...wherever you can sleep!

 

[Eciulla]

is it OK to sleep on non surgical side?

 

[2@atime]

@Eciulla I had a bilateral...so I don’t have have a non-surgical leg

I think it’s safe for me to say to sleep anyway you can...it’s been maybe 5-6 days that I am able to sleep on my sides...unfortunately not for very long and usually will wake up within an hour and then very carefully flip to the other side and to sleep another bit.

 

[Jockette]

I used to be a side sleeper before surgery. My 17 month old Drama Queen knee still doesn’t like it. It likes to be up on my elevating wedge, so I indulge it. Anything to keep it happy!

 

[Eciulla]

Thanks to you both for the info!!

 

[Katkins]

Physician's assistant's duties must include vaguely threatening everyone who has had a tkr with an MUA. Most of them seem to do it....

Mine did and I'm glad he did because in my case I really needed it! Doing SO much better afterwards! Some knees need it. Don't feel shame or let yourself be bullied but listen and make an informed decision on having one. Whatever is best for you and your knee!

 

[Eciulla]

Okay my peeps, tell me when the big turnaround happens!! 25 days post op, still stiff and painful, 10mg of oxcy barely takes the edge off. Day by day can't say I am improving although I know rom is better as well as strength and extension. Kinda frustrating.

 

[2@atime]

Today is my four week Kneevisery!

I had my first good night’s sleep last night!

Woke up this morning feeling great! Walked outside with my cup of coffee (still using walker especially when Maroone is around, but practiced with a cane yesterday at PT).

Came back inside made breakfast and was actually able to read and comprehend an article in this week’s New Yorker (I had not been able to concentrate/focus enough to read before).

Have my four week follow up with OS tomorrow..not sure where my “numbers” are..but really don’t care. I feel great!

Down to one Percocet around 10:00pm and then two Tylenol 500mg every 6-7 hours. Total of 3325mg. per day.

Icing and elevating...ankle pumps, slides, quad and butt squeezes 2x a day (5 of each). Walking laps inside the house and outside around the pool. Monday ventured outside and walked around the cul del sac with my husband.

So excited to see what’s next on my recovery that I’m visualizing as a slow meandering walk through an English Garden.

 

[SusieShoes]

Reading your recovery posts gives me serious deja vu. That’s not a bad thing — you’re doing great! The coffee. The walks. The needing to watch out for pets underfoot.

You will so love walking through that English Garden. I love to visit Longwood Gardens locally. They’re huge and gorgeous and every season is a wonder. For the last few years before my surgery I could barely see them at all; I had to sit down every few hundred feet and people would wait for me. Not the most fun. At six months post-op I returned and it was so much better (so much less pain!) even though I still had to pace myself and couldn’t stand for very long in one spot. This year... piece of cake. Walk. Stand. All day would be easy. So look forward to that. Getting back your life is amazing!

 

[beachy]

Congrats! You are having a successful recovery! And it's so good for those of us who are pre op to read. Keep up the good work.

 

[Tkitlgtli]

Great to hear you are doing so well 2@atime. I have been reading your entries. I will be having a BTKR soon.
Both knees are Bone-On-Bone. I had the new longer-lasting cortisone shot early June and it's been a life-saving. However, it has worn off. I live in MN and am an avid gardener. Having the shot got me through most of the season. I am also very diligent about exercising every other day - 1 hour cardio or weights. Does anyone know how soon after bilateral knee replacement one can workout again? I think I going to go crazy not being able to workout. I haven't been able to workout as much as I used to but not working out at all for weeks is going to be hard.

 

[SusieShoes]

Does anyone know how soon after bilateral knee replacement one can workout again?

@Tkitlgtli, would you like to start a thread in the pre-op area (or we could move your question there)? This is 2@teatime's thread, so you will probably get fewer responses tucked in here than you would in your own thread in pre-op. Lots of members stop in on pre-op to help those who are anticipating their own surgeries. We could also call over a few members we know might be able to advise you of their experiences.

As for your question: It depends. Every person's recovery is completely different. We've had athletes who've struggled to get back to working out and other members who can return to easy workouts quite early. It's best not to give yourself any mental deadlines but to work with your knees in recovery and start working out when they let you know they're up to it.

 

[Eciulla]

2@atime you are awesome! anyone who has this procedure done on both knees at the same time is a super human!
I am 4 weeks post op and have just now started cutting back on pain meds. I must be a weenie!