TKR with only one leg

[WhiteH2OWoman]

Mags, I just saw this thread, and while I know you won't read this message until post-op, I know you'll do just fine!  I had one knee replaced, the left one, on 11/20/06, and my original cause of my bad left knee was being hit by a car at age 16 (like you), while riding my bike.   I did not lose my leg, though, but then I took up competitive running and weight lifting. 

I'm 48 and female.  While I was rehabbing my TKR, I asked the PTs how people manage to WALK after having both knees replaced simultaneously.  They smiled and said, "Oh, you'd be surprised...it's actually good, because then they can't limp on their 'good' knee.  They HAVE to use those new knees!"

So for that reason, I'm thinking you'll be fine, since this is a surgery where you WANT to get up and walking on that knee ASAP.

Blessings to you!

[Nettan]

Mags, I hope your surgery went well and that you soon are home.
Thinking of you !!

HUGS NETTAN

[mags44]

Well everyone, after 26 days in hospital I am finally home!

Had my op as planned on Jan 26th. Had a spinal block and found it fine, heard all the banging and drilling and whatever....I kept asking if I could see what was going on but they wouln't let me LOL however when it was all done they let me watch them putting the staples in

Had a couple of things go wrong which has slowed me down. First of all after the op my heartrate was too fast and the doctors were worried I may have developed a clpt on the lung......was taken down to x-ray at 4.30 in the morning. Wasn't allowed out ofbed next day due to the heartrate. Ended up having a scan and two pints of blood......heartrate eventually settled.

3 days after op I was visited by the physio......I could hardly move my leg at all and certainly not lift it off the bed in any way! my leg was like a heavy piece of nothing.....just laying there. They came to the conclusion that my leg muscles were just extremely weak and started giving me exercises everyday to start building it up. On the 6th or 7th day (can't remember) they tried to stand me......impossible.......my heel would not go down........had incredible pain in my clalf which was also very painful to touch. Sent for scan to check for DVT......all clear.....just a very tight muscle.

Surgeon came to see me and said I needed a lot of rehab to get this knee going. He arranged for me to go down to hydrotherapy and this helped imensely. So that was my last two weeks in hospital.......lots of physio and hydro. I can now stand.......nice straight knee  and am waling round slowly with my crutches.

My scar is 6 and a half inches long and I had 13 staples in it. The wound itself healed really quickly.

I found the whole thing the most painful thing I have ever gone through.......hopefully things will now get better and better.

[Nettan]

Mags, so great to hear from you. Have been thinking of you so much and wondered how surgery went and how you are feeling and if you were up and about. You are a fighter and that pays back to you.
I knew that you could make this.
I hope all now will just be a process of getting stronger and stronger for every day.

HUGS NETTAN

[UK Girl !]

Hi Maggs

Hey well done you!!! Wow seems like you had a real time of it, but you knew it was gonna be hard and we know you are a fighter, so pleased to see you back! and you will soon forget how painfull it was to start with.

Keep us updated with your progress!

well done, really pleased for ya!

anj

[knee deep in Goo]

Mags

Oh what a time you must have had.  Looking back at the last 30 days you will see how much fight you had in you and knowing how major this operation is even with one semi good leg is sometimes a great ordeal. You really had a hard fight those first few days didnt you.   Transfusions and DVT scares.

 I was so pleased to see you had water therapy.  I am a firm beliver that it lifts your spirits.  It sounds like you had great aftercare with a great rehab team.

 You Rock!!!  You are the replacement recovery queen!!

[lilly_kc]

Yes - what Annie says is so true - you have overcome "stuff" that we cannot even imagine. How did the kids do while you were h ospitalized? Everyone hanging in there ok?

I also had the pulmonary embolism scare (still dont know if there really were any clots) but had the x-ray, leg scan, CT scan, lovinox, have been on coumadin for 4 months, doing blood tests every couple weeks. Better safe than sorry!

Will get a filter in artery before surgery next week, just in case it happens again, wont take me out. Hope to get off coumadin sometime soon too. Are you still taking meds? Dont let the pain catch up to you. Take care, you brave woman. Kathi

[bonstarr]

Mags,
Excellent news! Welcome home.

Kathi, getting close now...

Bonnie

[mags44]

I'm still taking painkillers (such a wimp with pain) paracetamol, brufen, and tramadol........i'll try to cut down from tomorrow. They give you your cyro cuff to bring home with you so i'm using that a couple of times a day. Walking is getting much easier it's the getting up from bed in the morning that is proving the real challenge. I slept on my side for the first time last night......much nicer than on my back all the time. Still wearing the ted socks, was told to keep them on for 6 weeks, they don't bother me though. My knee still feels pretty tight, I suppose that's the swelling. The left side of my knee has a large numb area, no idea if I will get any feeling back there.

Took a photo to show you my scar!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/kinnykin/?action=view&current=knee27days.jpg

[UK Girl !]

Hi Mags

sounds like you are doing really well - Keep it up!

Your scar is really neat - looks like mine only you have a short one!

Be carefull cutting back on the pain meds - it is more difficult to play catch up! It is still early days - but you know best how you feel - I found it was easier to cut back during the day than at night.

Are the kids and your hubbie being helpfull - I hope so even though I reckon you are a ery strong willed capable lady!

Dunno If you will get the feeling back - My kne has been numb on the outside since I was 18 - which is okay except if you knock it - can still do damage - just doesn't hurt so much on the outside but still bruises well!

Keep tose teds on - will keep you warm in this grotty weather! must do seasonal ones - mine were white in the summer!!

Take care
anj

[mags44]

Physio rang me today.......are coming to see me next Tuesday, not sure what they'll say or do! think I will be sent for more hydrotherapy though. Managed to get up and down a step today........I had not managed that at the hospital, so pleased about that. So difficult to get a good night's sleep, everytime I move it wakes me up.

Just a couple of things having read other people's experiences.......didn't get to use one of those machines that move your leg in the hospital at all........my sugeon believes that it's much better to get the patient to do the work themselves! (ouch) I also never had a drain in my leg.......he doesn't believe in those either. Wonder where thay get thier opinions from?

[UK Girl !]

Hi Mags

Hey well done on the step today- all of these achievements are really good!

All surgeons seem to have different techniques - the Constant passive motion (CPM) machines tend not to be used in this country so much - mine said absolutely no way - they are used if someone is unable to get out of bed and not move - but like you to get moving by yourself.  I can say about the drains - I wasn't expecting to have them but did! so I suppose it depends on how much blood you are losing at the time of the op - can't think of any other reason - I believe you get less bruising with a drain if you are bleeding?

The best you can do s just go with what your OS and physio advise. Don't worry your physio will find plenty for you to do! - Those lovely straight leg raises - I thought easy! trouble is I was doing them using the strength in my hip/thigh area - they wanted it using the quad - youch! Not so easy!

I only saw one person in the ward I was on using the CPM - and that was on her good leg as she wasn't allowed out of bed as her Tibia had fractured when they tapped in the replacement parts - which was something that my OS well and truly stressed was a risk.

Well done again - ask away any questions - we will all try to answer them

Have a good weekend
anj

[mags44]

Well I found out today I can balance on my leg for almost a minute without hoding onto my crutches! i'm glad that's coming back as it makes standing up after you've sat on the loo so much easier when pulling things back up! 

Knee has really started to ache in the last couple of hours......that heavy nagging feeling. Put the cyro cuff on for a while but only helps while it's on. Think i'm not going to sleep too well tonight.

[Nettan]

I'm glad to hear that you can balance on your leg for so long..that will improve and be more and more. Hope you have some painmeds you can use so you get some sleep.

HUGS NETTAN 

[mags44]

Seem to have developed a new problem........my hip hurts when I sleep on my side, it never used to and it doesn't hurt when i'm walking. God, don't say i'm getting a bad hip now!