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I haven’t read through all the responses, so please forgive me if these points have already been made.
Awesome that you’ve lost weight! Excess weight is one of the biggest hindrances to rehab/recovery.
The hospital will provide you with a walker, and a “3 in one” combo toilet seat. You can use a cane after a couple of weeks if your gait is stable, but you must use a rolling walker initially. Follow your doctor’s or therapist’s direction on this.
You’ll most likely be on DVT (blood clot) prophylaxis. This can involve taking an anticoagulant (pill or injection) for a period of time after your surgery. You’ll possibly be required to wear compression stockings as well.
Depending upon your doctor’s preference, you may have your incision closed with staples, or the skin may be closed with a type of skin “glue”.
You may not even need to be concerned about changing your dressing, depending on what kind your doctor orders. At my facility, we generally use a waterproof bandage that remains in place until the patient’s follow up appointment in a couple of weeks, where the staples will be removed if present. Showering is allowed with this type of dressing, without any extra covering necessary. Check with your nurse at discharge.
Driving (obviously) depends on which leg you’re having done. Check with your doctor, and be aware that your pain meds may impact your driving ability.
Take your pain medication. This isn’t the time to try to “tough it out”. You won’t be able to complete your necessary rehab/therapy if you are in severe pain. And this procedure does hurt. However, the pain gets better quickly. Without the bone on bone pain you have been suffering, your recovery will be amazing.
Listen to your doctor. Listen to your physical therapist. And always listen to your nurse.
I haven’t read through all the responses, so please forgive me if these points have already been made.
Awesome that you’ve lost weight! Excess weight is one of the biggest hindrances to rehab/recovery.
The hospital will provide you with a walker, and a “3 in one” combo toilet seat. You can use a cane after a couple of weeks if your gait is stable, but you must use a rolling walker initially. Follow your doctor’s or therapist’s direction on this.
You’ll most likely be on DVT (blood clot) prophylaxis. This can involve taking an anticoagulant (pill or injection) for a period of time after your surgery. You’ll possibly be required to wear compression stockings as well.
Depending upon your doctor’s preference, you may have your incision closed with staples, or the skin may be closed with a type of skin “glue”.
You may not even need to be concerned about changing your dressing, depending on what kind your doctor orders. At my facility, we generally use a waterproof bandage that remains in place until the patient’s follow up appointment in a couple of weeks, where the staples will be removed if present. Showering is allowed with this type of dressing, without any extra covering necessary. Check with your nurse at discharge.
Driving (obviously) depends on which leg you’re having done. Check with your doctor, and be aware that your pain meds may impact your driving ability.
Take your pain medication. This isn’t the time to try to “tough it out”. You won’t be able to complete your necessary rehab/therapy if you are in severe pain. And this procedure does hurt. However, the pain gets better quickly. Without the bone on bone pain you have been suffering, your recovery will be amazing.
Listen to your doctor. Listen to your physical therapist. And always listen to your nurse.
Good luck!
Emphasizing again, and for the last time: I cannot stress enough to make sure you understand what types of pain meds you will be taking once you are HOME and to make sure that you have them in hand when you leave the hospital or make sure that they are READY to be picked up. My coworker had a terrible recovery because of the lack of access to pain meds. The fact that she had a 100% legitimate prescription post-op didn't mean anything. Pain meds are on a 5-day wait in her state.
I really do hope the OP pays heed to this warning.
Emphasizing again, and for the last time: I cannot stress enough to make sure you understand what types of pain meds you will be taking once you are HOME and to make sure that you have them in hand when you leave the hospital or make sure that they are READY to be picked up. My coworker had a terrible recovery because of the lack of access to pain meds. The fact that she had a 100% legitimate prescription post-op didn't mean anything. Pain meds are on a 5-day wait in her state.
I really do hope the OP pays heed to this warning.
I got it already, geeze. I'm so scared I'm not going to do it now. Thanks.
DH just had shoulder surgery and they gave him his Rx 3 days before the surgery during the pre-op appointment, and we did have trouble at one pharmacy.
See if your doctor will do the same, it is just easier.
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DH just had shoulder surgery and they gave him his Rx 3 days before the surgery during the pre-op appointment, and we did have trouble at one pharmacy.
See if your doctor will do the same, it is just easier.
No, I'm not doing this. Not until every other option has be explored. I wish I hadn't posted it in the first place.
No, I'm not doing this. Not until every other option has be explored. I wish I hadn't posted it in the first place.
Well, most of the advice will only apply to IF you have surgery.
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And check this out: FAQ
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No, I'm not doing this. Not until every other option has be explored. I wish I hadn't posted it in the first place.
You are going to get the good and the bad and in-between on City-Data. The one thing I can say after having the two replacements is that I now have stability in my knees, I can stand and walk longer distances than pre-surgery and also I can get up and down without the pain and effort it took before. When I say stability I mean that the knees do not give out on me when walking. I just had a different healing experiences with each knee which I mostly attribute to the Doctor and surgery procedure. Which is why I say choose your orthopedic Doctor wisely.
I explored every option for over 5 years and eventually all doors led to knee replacement as the option that worked for me. The knees are done now and life improves as the days go by.
I'm still exploring and my knee started to moan and groan when I was 57 and I'm 80 (23 yrs) One rather rough replacement for me keeps me exploring. Can't chance it again.
I just dropped in at the knee replacement group I stop at now and then and omg, talk about some miseries. This is a group talking a lot about burning from knee down to foot. Lots of neuropathy...every time I check in there, I want to keep on working at what I'm working on or will go to the end of my life with this knee. I have a problem knee but it still works pretty good, I have burning and I think this is from the "clean out" when I was in the hospital recently.
Here is what one member of the group said:
((I had my Tkr in 2010. The Dr. Said 6 MONTHS you will be glad you had it done. Well it's 7 years. Not one minute without pain. Now I have the burning from above the knee to the bottom of my feet. My toes burn like fire too. I am about to go nuts.))
Last edited by jaminhealth; 08-12-2018 at 06:43 PM..
I got it already, geeze. I'm so scared I'm not going to do it now. Thanks.
You do what is right for you...that's the main thing, keep getting information as you have been.
Keep in mind though that 90% of the poster's on this thread have given you GOOD practical advice, several who have been through this same procedure themselves. Others who have a very good understanding of what goes into the surgery and the rehab after the fact..
TWO posters here are very extreme and closed minded in their views toward's surgery and medicine in general you can honestly discount most everything they say....
You do what is right for you...that's the main thing, keep getting information as you have been.
Keep in mind though that 90% of the poster's on this thread have given you GOOD practical advice, several who have been through this same procedure themselves. Others who have a very good understanding of what goes into the surgery and the rehab after the fact..
TWO posters here are very extreme and closed minded in their views toward's surgery and medicine in general you can honestly discount most everything they say....
Only TWO of us???? Doc. And you are speaking for the 1000's who have done? I don't know how many 1000's and I'm not checking facts as they are all made up anyway.
Talk about closed minded. And I do believe some have a vested interested in surgery. I do not, just talking about what I live with from a replacement and also knee damage.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 08-12-2018 at 06:56 PM..
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listen to your nurse.
