Beauty

[monicakm]

I'm married and my husband plans on taking off a week to help me.  My family lives close.  We have a sunken dining room.  Just one 5 or 6" step.  I don't HAVE to navigate the step if I can't or shouldn't.  My bedroom and ensuite is all I'll need for awhile.  I've heard the hospital has you up walking just hours after surgery...well see about that.  

I was 7 months pregnant when I had to have emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder.  I was cut from the center of my breastbone nearly to my right hip bone to navigate around my baby.  The nurses wanted me rolling over and coughing.  It hurt.  Not doing it.  I got away with it till midnight and shift change.  Enter Epiphany (head nurse on General Hospital) lol  It was at that moment that I stopped calling the shots

[monicakm]

@spent2much 

I've  heard it takes a full year to recover   I don't know what I'm going to do about pain meds.  I have side effects that make them intolerable.  Plus, I have a horrid fear of becoming addicted.  My brother abused drugs.  Street drugs at first and then prescription drugs.  I think he still does abuse prescriptions.  So I have a fear of maybe it being something I'm pre-disposed to and can become easily addicted.  I've lived in pain since I was 16 from Fibro, MS, neck pain from a wreck at 16, neuropahy, lower back pain.  Every time I go to a new Dr and they look at my chart, they ask, "what do  you take for pain?"  Only thing I can take is Neurontin.  It helps some things and doesn't touch others.  Doesn't touch my knee.  Pain meds cause impaction and nightmares and some cause itching.  I don't know anything other than living with pain.

[monicakm]

@tansy 

Thank you for sharing your experience.  You just said something I've been concerned about for months!  I've lived with this bad knee for 1.5 years.  I am sooooo  out of shape because of all the months of immobility.  This worries me   I told my husband I didn't even know if I was healthy enough to pull thru surgery   

[tansy]

Unless you have complications, @monicakm, it will not take a year to recover from the knee.  It took 6 months for the first one; much less for the second one.

[tansy]

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@monicakm wrote:

@tansy 

Thank you for sharing your experience.  You just said something I've been concerned about for months!  I've lived with this bad knee for 1.5 years.  I am sooooo  out of shape because of all the months of immobility.  This worries me   I told my husband I didn't even know if I was healthy enough to pull thru surgery   

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LOL...I was trying to reassure you, not scare you more.  I was heavy back then and having difficulty controlling my diabetes, which slows down healing.   I bet you are in better shape than I was.

i don't know what to tell you about pain meds.  Maybe your husband can supervise the meds for you🤷🏼‍♀️

[Goodie2shoes]

I'm not sure I should tell my story, but I will just say that I have had 3 knee replacements (yes I only have 2 knees) last one Sep 2020  but had one done twice. As far as the Hospital stay, 3 days max for all 3. Best of luck to you

[monicakm]

@tansy 

You did help   I'm trying to educate myself by others that have had total knee replacement.  I believe you guys more than a Dr lol.  My husband has already told me I'm taking pain meds   I'll just have to find something to counteract the bowel issue they cause!  

[monicakm]

@Goodie2shoes 

Thank you.  I know there are some gnarly stories out there.

[tansy]

Stool softeners...very important 😜

[monicakm]

@tansy 

LOTS and LOTS of those and prunes and mineral oil.