Wellness

[RedTop]

@dogsx3 

No to crutches, but you will use a walker for those first steps and for several weeks until your balance is stable enough to switch to a cane.   

With a hand held shower attachment, I was able to shower daily, just avoid getting that bandage soaking wet.  Your discharge instructions will be more specific.   

Get rid of throw rugs on your floors.  Have easy to prepare foods available for several weeks.  You will be taking blood thinning medication after the surgery, and will be instructed not to do anything to put yourself at risk for even a tiny cut.  

T shirts and pull on elastic waist shorts and capris are the easiest clothes to get in and out of and most comfortable to wear at the hospital and for physical therapy.  

In my area of WV, surgeons require you to attend a short class prior to joint replacement surgery to prepare you for what's ahead.  

[Thats Me]

Hi @Jacie @I meant to reply yesterday but forgot. Anyway, as others here have said it sounds like you're doing GREAT! The discomfort will be around for a while because it's major surgery and involves bone. Complete healing takes months but you're getting there! Continue the pt as prescribed. I did it 3x/week for 2 months along with other exercises I did on my own every day. Reducing the swelling and getting the range of motion back as you heal is super important. You might be there by now but it's a variable. Icing is a great thing to do and feels wonderful.

Keep up what you're doing!

[Bookplate]

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@dogsx3 wrote:

I am waitng for my total left knee replacement  surgery, I am very nervous. Do you have to use crutches ? Do i need any special stuff, and how do you shower? Waiting for call from dr,  said it takes about 2 months, they are behind and booked up. I may change my mind by the time i hear from them !

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Once you book your surgery, your doctor's staff will inform you about preparations for before and after the surgery.  Mine were very thorough.  

I bought a small seat for the shower and also had a grab rail installed. Since I have a tub shower, the hard part was being able to bend my knee enough to get my leg over it.  And unless you already have an unsually high toilet seat, I recommend getting a seat riser, because you are not going to be able to bend your knee comfortably to be able to sit; most toilet seats are quite low.

They sent me home from the hospital with a walker, but I switched to a cane very quickly, and didn't use that for that long.  A visiting nurse came to my home the day after my release from the hospital, and for a few weeks after.  The physical therapists also came to my home until I was ready to go out to the office for those visits.  PT is crucial.   I know it sounds scary, but it's do-able, and worth doing if you are in constant pain. 

[Jacie]

@dogsx3 You've no need to worry! The surgical team will guide you from start to finish! From prep work to prevent infection, to showers, to how to care for the incision will all be laid out for you! You most likely will be on a walker first, then graduate to a cane then actually walking. That all goes relatively quickly. I was barely into my hospital room 3 hours when I was told we are getting up to take a short walk! I was in overnight then discharged to home.

Will say my first night home was really hard, then everyday since, I have seen something improve. Really.

I will say I was ill prepared for how little sleep I had initially, also how much help I needed. My husband wouldn't leave me alone for that first month, If I were to give anyone advice I would say follow your Doctors and Therapists orders to the letter. You have to do the work to get results. Good luck!

[Jacie]

Just want to thank all who participated and answered my questions! In the 2 weeks since I posted this, the dull ache has been greatly minimized, I managed a slow 20 min walk (been ages since I have been able to do that!) and was up on my horse again for 15 minutes!

Now I can only hope that the feeling returns part of the incision area! Kind of "dead" feeling there, at times it feels like something in there is knitting back together, all those nerves reconnecting I guess!

You have all been so helpful, thank you again!

[PilatesLover]

My husband needs to schedule his TKR but keeps putting it off and then having episodes of the knee buckling and he's in agony and can hardly walk for a week.  

May I ask - is the post-op pain and recovery discomfort any better than the pain you had in your knee prior to surgery?

[RedTop]

@PilatesLover 

The pain in my left knee prior to replacement was chronic; regardless of what I took orally, rubbed on topically, or anything I tried to do to alleviate the pain, it did not help.  My knee was tight, ached, throbbed, and hurt to the point I cried from the pain at some point every day.  I was miserable.  

When I woke up in recovery, the pain I had dealt with for years was gone.  Knowing you've had surgery where your knee bone was sawed out of your leg, you know your pain is coming from the trauma of surgery.  There's inflammation, swelling, and tenderness that's going to subside as healing takes place.  You stay focused on each day bringing you a little closer to moving and feeling better. 

[Jacie]

@PilatesLover  The pain I had after surgery was due to some inflammation. After I was put on an anti-inflammatory, things changed quickly. Yes there is pain, but I have to say that I notice some improvement every single day. I also discovered early on, that some of my discomfort and pain was from the dang compression socks and my quad ached from where the tourniquet was! The muscle bruise on my quad from that took some time to feel better. Remember, they have sawed bone and ground screws into to bone for the implant, moved muscles aside to get things in place etc etc etc.

I went into this knowing that there is alot of work to do post-surgery. They are not kidding when they say that. At times it is painful. But having had knee pain for the last 15 to 20 years, this is amazing! My PT Team said that the recovery for the knee joint is one of the hardest, but worth it.

I am back to getting some sleep,YAY! My husband says I moving smoothly and even am graceful! LOL! I don't have to ice as much, or ever, depending on what I am doing. 

For me, this has been a process that has been worth it.

[tansy]

@PilatesLover 

I was like @RedTop.  I delayed the first TKA for years and my activities were severely limited by pain.  When I found myself crying at night from pain, when there was no pressure on the knees, I knew there was no choice.

There are new surgical techniques now.  My second knee was much easier.  

[PilatesLover]

@RedTop @tansy @Jacie thank you so much for that feedback. Hopefully he will muster up the bravery to do it soon.