KNEE ARTHRITIS - Total Knee Replacement :
TKR 12/19 - - Posted by westview5579 (westview5579), 18 December 2003
I will be getting my new right knee on Friday. Yes indeed, I am a little nervous but not really bad. I am looking forward to a knee that is pretty much pain free and moves better. I know it will take alot of work in rehab, but at least this time I should get somewhere. Rehab with this knee has always been 1 step forward and ten steps back, this time it will only be forward.
Sheila
Posted by muskypike (muskypike), 23 December 2003
Sheila:
I hope your surgery goes well. I too am scheduled for tkr in january. I bet your are looking forward to having it done. Won't it be great to be able to return to a somewhat normal life. I cant wait to be able to actually use a shovel in my garden without experiencing gut wrenching pain.
I have been told that the success level of the surgery depends on how hard you work at physical therapy. Have you heard this also?
Well good luck and have a great Christmas!
Ellen
Posted by westview5579 (westview5579), 23 December 2003
Ellen,
Yes I have heard that the harder you work the better it is. I just got home from the hospital today. Everything seemed to go well, I'm not gonna say it was fun or is fun, but I know I will make it through ok. I'm already at about -8 on extension which hase been a huge issue of this knee. If you would like to write to me please feel free to do so.
I need to get some rest right now my mind is not keeping up.
Sheila
Posted by Chuck (Chuck), 23 December 2003
Sheila;
If they sent you home with a CPM stay in it 6-7 hours per day. Challenge yourself with it.
Also, keep your leg elevated and ice it down often.
When elevated, DO NOT put a pillow under your knee. You will want to, but it will make the stretching you are going to go through in PT that much harder and more painful.
You won't start outpatient PT until your staples come out.
I had my TKR last 12/17.
Have a great holiday!
Chuck
Posted by heronak (heronak), 23 December 2003
Sheila,
Hope surgery went well and you're doing ok with pain meds. Here's to a healthy and less painful 2004!
Heron
Posted by enuff81020 (enuff81020), 24 December 2003
Hi Sheila,
I had my left tkr about this time last year and it is the best thing that could have happened for me. The rehab is important--I exercised it from 6-8 times a day at home as well as at my pt appointments.
Get that leg straight often--that is a key issue. I had my other tkr in July and haven't had quite the same results. At this point of time there are no explanations for my issues especially given the fact that I had the same surgeon, same assisting surgeon, same hospital same therapy service, same prosthetic company, etc... I know that I have worked as hard if not harder with this one, so sometimes things go on.
Be sure to pay attention to any signals you get from yopur body, ask tonbs of questions, look after yourself, give yourself a break when you need it, and follow the suggestions you get. I'm willing to bet that you will have the same results that I have had with my left knee. What a blessing! Sylvia
Posted by westview5579 (westview5579), 24 December 2003
Thanks for all the well wishes, I'm now 5 days postop and seem to be doing A-OK so far. Yes I had a CPM in the hospital straight away from surgery, we got it to 80 by the second post op day. Then I had so much calf pain that they were worried about DVT, had a doppler which was neg., then it started swelling and turning bright red, they put me om Soma which has made the calf much more relaxed, the redness is not as bright but the swelling is huge. It looks like it could pop like an over cooked ball park frank. The pain level is controllable though. I'm getting around the house with a cane, which I think is good.
Thanks again,
Sheila
Posted by heronak (heronak), 30 December 2003
Glad to hear the surgery went well and you're motoring around already! Keep us posted,
Heron
Posted by muskypike (muskypike), 2 January 2004
Hi Sheila
Hope the new year finds you feeling okay. It is very encouraging to hear how mobile you are. how long did you stay in the hospital, did you have a nerve block for pain after surgery, and what about a pain pump. what is the pain like
? how is it when you bear weight does it hurt alot, or is it tolerable. Remember I had a staph infection in my knee (which is worse than natural child birth) so I can tolerate alot but I am just curious as to how limited you are due to pain. I have a tendency to ignore the pain and just keep going along.
What is your incision like? How long was your surgery? Do you have to give blood before surgery? I see my OS on Monday and we will decide when to do it.
We close on our cottage in northern wisconsin on 1/23 so i'm hoping to get this surgery done hopefully in a week so i can make the 5 hour road trip up north. i certianly don't want to wait until after the 23rd my knee is getting alot worse - I'm having to use crutches more frequently now-pain is getting much worse. Although I'm sure this damn Chicago weather is not helping me at all 50 degrees and foggy and rain for the next 2 days then temp drops to 20's and snow for the rest of the week. So it looks like 7 days of hell for me.
Please let me know how you are getting along.
Thank you.
Hope all is going well, and your swelling in your calf has subsided.
Ellen
Posted by westview5579 (westview5579), 2 January 2004
Ellen,
I will try to answer your questions, if I miss some ask again cause the vicodin tends to make me a little brain dead. I went in the hospital Friday the 19th had the surgery was out Tuesday the 23rd. No nerve blocks, no pain pumps, but they did give me what I needed to get through. The first 24 hours is the worst but that was bearable. I did get a little cellulitis in the leg and spent another 5 days in the hospital, which was a real bummer. I caught it early and it responded to IV antibiotics about instantly, it was amazing. Now I have to start over with my rehab, I can do quad sets and single leg raises with little problems, among other things. I still can get around with just a cane and sometimes nothing here in my house.
Feel free to email me if you want I will be more than happy to share with you what I've been through.
Sheila
The surgery its self took about 3 hours and my incision is about a foot long (got my staples out today), I had extensive scar tissue in the joint which added to the length of the surgery.
Updated Sat Nov 21 2009
