bilateral partial knee replacement soon.,,very nervous

[moon]

morning, i have no cartilage left on inside of knees, the OS was stunned that i am so mobile(pain meds, great pain tolerance), do to it being basicly gone i have become bowlegged(not a pretty sight)looking forward to that being straight again(still not wearing a dress for sons wedding!) i will check into you suggestion, always looking for another way to so this, that is less recovery, less pain just less everything, sure sounds like you are doing great with this, how did you come by this? your own or your OS? good luck to you, keep me posted on progress

[UK Girl !]

Hi Moon

Just wanted to wish you the very best for your op and look forward to you posting a diary !

A friend of mine had both tkrs done at the same time and was back at work in 10 weeks - amazing - he actually said that he it wasnt the pain that got to him - it was not being able to drive for 6 weeks !  He was in his sixties !! and has never had a days trouble with them.


I wish everyone had the same outcome - i can honestly say that since having my knee done i know frobably 20 people in my own social circle who have had tkr's all without probs - in fact the only problem ones i know of are here !

hugs
anj

[moon]

thanks anj!!! makes me feel better knowing there are so many that are doing great, i am so glad to hear that he did so wonderful and no major problems, i was told to expect to drive in 3-4 weeks, good for him!!!denise

[moon]

morning to all, two weeks from today i will be  on the other side, the nervousness has subsided some, kind of  a calm before the storm , finishing up the new office, ithink hubby did it cause he thought i needed a distraction, see what 33 years of marriage will get ya! LOL he really is a keeper, he did finally admit he is worried, feels we are in for a world of hell for a week or two but also said its nothing the two of us cant get through, god i love that man.ok, im off to finish up some shopping for the office, well have to have new shades and valances, maybe a new rug  or lamp..... have a great day,moon

[UK Girl !]

hey Moon - good to see your hubby is keeping you distracted ! - dont be suprised if you get a bit tearfull on the run up - its just fear and excitement its okay to feel like that!

dont overdo it before though!

take care
anj

[moon]

hey there anj, how goes it girl!, busy busy busy, this office is great, i have my own space, it is so interesting when a child leaves home, it is tearful, emotional, then WOW, i have  a whole room to re do to call all my own! yippie skippie. somewhere to sew, cross stitch, lovin it, got me all moved over  and computor all hooked up , right the first time, now thinking about what to do with the old office space, really need a guest room i guess, but doesnt that just promote visitors? LOL   , ok off to a warm bath, have pre op visit with PT in the am and a educational meeting we have to go to , nite all, take care, moon

[rottenkid]

This is the place people go that are in bad shape and looking for answers. I came across my procedure through my doctor. My doctor is up to date with all the latest procedure and is very well known in my area ( because of a law suit I wont say where I live ). If your already bow legged I am surprise that they are not going with a total knee replacement. My procedure you have to have good cartilage around the damage area other wise it wont work. The Hemi caps can be used on just about any joint and has been very successful on the elbow and shoulders. I can understand why you would want to get both done at the time but believe me it will be rough. Since it was my left leg that was done I was able to drive within a week. I lived on the main floor for about two weeks all my gear was on the main floor. Ice machine and cpm knee flex machine. The first two weeks of physical therapy were the two worst weeks of my life be sure to med up before you go. Good luck 

[moon]

 i find your reply to my post to be very snide and condesending, why do you bother to reply? i know very well what this site is all about, god forbid someone should try for a little humor and laughter at a time like this , please dont waste you time replying again with  that attitude, i do not have to tell you about MY pain level, or why  MY dr is doing what he is doing, orWHY  he is doing what he is doing , i know , that is the only thing that matters , is that my well known dr from illinois is the best in the county,i find it sad that a select few seem to have all the very best answers and feel we should all just go along with their advise, well i guess i could but damn , thats what i pay a dr to do.

[Mr.F]

Hello Moon,

As a person who has had both knees done at the same time (Oct.31,2005-PKR), I feel I can give you some advice.  First off I had terrible pain, could not make it through a day's work, and was in bed all weekend (I also had OA in both knees-rain and cold weather killed me).  I did not take any pain meds prior to surgery.  A day after the operation the doctor, nurse and his assistant came to change the bandges.  They had to lift my leg and said this would hurt.  I was able to help them with minimum discomfort.  I was up and walking (with a walker) that same day.  The nurses helped me get out of bed and sit in a chair 2 to 3 times a day (or more if I asked).  The only time I requested pain meds was when a nurse was suppose to help me (hold my legs and lower them) when getting out of bed.  She dropped my legs and was standing there doing nothing.  Some how I managed to get myself back into bed. 
After surgery I was doing PT one to two times a day in the hospital.  I was in a total of 4 days.  The worse pain of the entire 4 days was either the leg drop or prior to my surgery one doctor had to administer the muscle block (I have had these in other operations and I was out when they did them) which he did when I was awake.  He kept missing the spot he needed to hit.  I was ready to jump off the table and kill this man.
As for PT my wife took me 3 days a week.  The first 4 weeks were hell.  (My therapist pushed me every session.  He was great and thanks to him I progressed quicker than thought.  He never made me feel like I could not go on.)  Also do your therapy at home.  This helps.  I did my PT at home 2-3 times a day.
I was back to work 3 weeks after my surgery.  I was driving within 2 months (stick shift).  I am almost 2 and a half years post surgery and I can apply some pressure to my knees (kneeling).  I was in an car accident a year ago and I had to go back to PT.  I am back at a point where I am feeling good.
I do PT at home 3-5 days a week (10 pound ankle weights).  I have not need, nor taken, pain meds since my operation.  My wife and I do have a happy sex life.  Sometimes we need to take the knees into consideration.
It sounds like your husband is a great guy.  You are a lucky lady.  Take care....You and your family will be in our thoughts.
If you have any other questions let me know.  I hope this was helpful...
Mr.F

[moon]

mr. f YOU ARE MY HERO!!!! it is so good to hear good things about this, it is a hard thing to do but i think i will be glad to not to have to go back for anymore surgery for quite some time, dr,said 3ish days in hospital so i will believe now,,lol did you have a morphine pump?  ok the PT thing, i wasnt sure if they came to you or you went to them, i (we) meet with them today and the educational meeting also, i am hoping to be really pushed to the limit, i tend to be a overachiver so feel i am up for this, i guess it is a little "the fear of the unknown" did you feel that at all? you get so damn sick of pain it is just good to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, i do know this is going to be a real bitch but with people like you i am up for it, im sure i will have more questions for you, thanks denise

[Mr.F]

Denise,

I am glad to hear your spirits are up.  Yes I had a terrible fear of the unknown.  The night prior to my operations I could not sleep and I thought of calling the operations off.  Then I thought of all the pain I was in and how that could end (and did end) soon.  When I went to the hospital I was so sleepy the staff loved the fact I was just laying there not fighting or complaining.  (I am a hairy person so I shaved my legs.  I got yelled by one of the ER nurses because "If you did this wrong we could not operate".  I have no idea what her problem was.  I shaved my legs for all of my operations, and I never had a problem).  I WOULD SUGGEST NOT SLEEPING THAT MUCH PRIOR TO THE OPERATION.  This way you will be mentally "out" and let the hospital staff and doctors take over.
I did have a morphine pump.  I very rarely used it.  The nurses and doctors came in and checked the pump.  They would flick it and say "Is this right?"  I would ask why and they would say "it looks like you have not used it".  The reason why, I was in sooooooooooooooooooooo much pain prior to the operations that the pain after was nothing.  (The pain after PT is another story.  That is when you need your pain meds).
Three days in the hospital sounds about right.  Do not be suprosed if it ends up to be four.  You need to be able to do certain things prior to leaving (walking using the walker, some simple PT, and I forgot the last item).
When you get home make sure you have a place with lots of room for all the equipment you will have.  You should have 2 machines that help ice down the knees (this will look like a small cooler) and a motion machine (moves the leg back and forth).  The motion machines are great to have on while you sleep.
With PT different doctors, insurance plans, and people require different treatment.  My insurance did not cover at home PT.  This is why I had to go to PT.  (If you have to go to PT give yourself a good hour to get ready and get there). 
I tend to be a overachiver too.  But know your limitations.  Do not try and put 2 weeks of PT in 1 day.  Also you need to trust and feel comfortable with the therapist.  If you already have one great.  If not start looking now and ask tons of questions.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Just think of being with your family and being out of this terrible pain (and on to a new and total different pain...LOL...Just kidding).  The surgery pain and PT pain are temporary.  You can do it.  You have a supportive family (which I have) and a caring husband.

Take care,
Adam

[rottenkid]

I hope you have the best doctor. As far as being condescending I guess you only want to here the sunshine and roses stories. People on here give info from experience that they have had that for the most part is helpful. It is only info that you can use or not as far as not replying anymore I wont. I didn't realize that you were only looking for happy ending stories which by the way mine is.  Have fun with the surgery and hope everything goes the way you hope.
The know it all boring ass Rotten.
 P.S. real nice e-mail

[moon]

i see why rotten ass name for you, grow up. , real nice post, im sure with a pending law suit you are a happy camper, thanks once again for all the bs

[moon]

adam, i had pre op with PT, they are so supportive, great people, i was pleasently suprised that my legs are so strong, instead of the 10 exercises she has me opn 4 but more of them, range is great, i was more optimystic, went to educational meeting, was very informative, they are thinking of not using the pump on me, oxycontin cocktail ,she is so very confident this will be  simpler that totals, she workd with the surgeon everyday and sees it all, according to her everyone is so different, hieght, wear and tear on joint, artritis, my stats  are good so feels i will be a great one for this, hope she is right,, i really like her, not one to blow sunshine up you ass, just very down to earth. i will take advise on sleeping, sounds good to me, a plan,she did say shold be up that evening, some actually go home late second day, she just did a man ,same as mine, ewnt on day 2 late and is doing great. i am sure now that i will go to PT, guess it will be good to have to get up and get ready to go somewhere, she said if out on wed, will go to therapy on friday am, looking forward to having less pain, looking forward, looking forward to walking  normal not like a penguin, PT said the same thing that the pain is going to be temporary, not this nasty pain i have now, what a real tret to look forward to, thank you again for all the support, it really helps to hear how you are long term, thanks denise   PS, sorry about the nasty posts,  with rottenkid, i need to ignore more, just dont like bullys

[Mr.F]

Great to hear that the knees are better than expected.  Most doctors will not do a total if the Tibia bone is not damaged.  My knees were totally shreaded.  My OS came out of surgery and said my knees were worse than an 80 yr old.  (My Tibia was not damaged-No total knee).  If you can get out in 2-3 days than that is great.  The pain you are in now will be nothing compared to surgery or PT.  Just remember once you are past week 4 of PT the pain starts going away.  The only other advice is the post surgery dull pain.  (I do not know how to describe this.  There is no pain to compare it to.)  This pain affects people differently.  After surgery some people (like myself) get a dull pain that is impossible to get rid of.  It took me 1 and a half years to get rid of this.  It is nothing like the pre srugery pain, the PT, or just post surgery pain.  You can live with it, there is no need for pain killers, but it is annoying.
This pain will not stop you from anything.  You can still do your PT, walk, dance, ride a bike, etc.  The only problem I have had since my surgeries was swimming.  Kicking in the water hurts my knees.  If I am very careful I can swim slowly.  My son loves to race me because he always wins.

Keep smiling....

Adam