Wellness

[Goodie2shoes]

@pdlinda  This knee replacement has been coming for a couple of years. I put it off last year, MD wanted to do it in October 2018 but I said no, to close to the holidays ( I was bone on bone then) and he said no more cortisone injections. So I finally decided I had had enough pain, sold my home in July of this year(many steps to the basement) moved to an apartment with no steps ! and decided to get it over with. Plus my guy has already booked us for a cruise in May (my first) so I want to have my sea legs ready !

[hckynut]

@Goodie2shoes 

Are you still on a blood thinner like Coumadin/Warfarin, or maybe injecting yourself with Lovenox? If on any of these, do you know your INR/ProTime numbers?  Doctors concerns for "blood clots", generally speaking now, are when the INR number is around or below 2.0.

With all of my wife's major surgeries(over a dozen for sure) she was never on a blood thinner for more than 10 days. She always demanded Coumadin/Warfarin and always had her INR checked before quitting these thinners. If her INR was close to 2.5, I was fine with that number. She passed this decision to me because of  many years, and hundreds of blood draws, for that specific reason.

I plan on taking care of this with her surgeon(our friend) after her TKR at the end of this month. Coumadin/Warfarin will be our choice, along with the compression sleeves. First visit post surgery I will make sure she has blood drawn to check her INR reading.

Best to check with your surgeon or the Navigator he assigned to you for your surgery. Everyone reacts differently, but INR numbers are pretty much the same for most. I hope everything other than this is going well for your rehab.

hckynut

[Goodie2shoes]

@hckynut: I have never been on any blood thinners, they never said anything about any concerns or that they did a protime. Again I am on 81 mgs of ASA 2xday along with pain meds and  Celebrex. Best of luck to your wife and a speedy recovery.  

[hckynut]

@Goodie2shoes 

Thank you for your reply. This is my feeling from my years of researching deaths from, even minor surgeries, caused by PE. Too many die unnecessarily from blood clots, primarily PE, in my opinion.

One of my long time hockey players died a few years ago from a broken ankle surgery he had from it being broken in a game when he was my referee.  It was 2-3 days after his surgery when he died from a PE. That really shook me up, and I have survived 2 episodes of PE.

I knew all of his family very well, and his son played several years in my league. It was so sad this happened in one of my Adult League hockey games. I still think about that a few years later, and still see the play where he was injured.

That is why I make sure my wife gets all the necessary precautions, not just during surgery, but also post surgery. I learned much more info on DVT and PE than I knew existed after my 2 bouts with PE, and those 7-9 day stays in the hospital on an IV Drip of Heparin.

Again, thank you for your response.

hckynut

[pdlinda]

@Goodie2shoes 

My knee has been deteriorating for over 2 years and I just got to the point where I had to take action to return to the activities I enjoy the most.  

That cruise alone should give you great incentive to rehab as quickly as possible.  By that time you'll no doubt be "better than new."

[tansy]

I apologize if this has been mentioned earlier. but neither my husband or I had an ankle pump after our double TKRs.  Instead, we were instructed to flex our feet up/down and around at least once every hour.  

[JesssMe]

I had the pump on both lower legs after my TKR in April, but only for 3 days while in the hospital.  If you don't have someone at home that can help you get in and out of the bathroom, provide meals, and in general take care of you 24 hours a day for a couple weeks, I strongly suggest skilled care.  You get PT and OT every day, all you meals, and pain meds, and I had a private room.  Much better and nicer than the hospital.  I stayed 2 weeks, then went home, after I could do steps to my 2nd level.  ( one at a time for quite a while, but now doing steps just like before the surgery, only without the aching). I was on a blood thinner for 30 days following surgery.
The main thing is to get up and move, move, move, and strengthen your quads.  Do you exercises, you will be just fine.