What to Do???

[Rhino]

I have to schedule my TKR on the 15th of October and i am wondering what i have to do to prepare for the surgery. Should i start to strengthen any parts of my body or should i prepare for crutch or cane use?? First timer in the knee surgery department so i am just looking for info.

[Nettan]

Hi there !!

Good luck with your surgery. You need to strenghten your quads. Look at excercise bandwagon. I don't know what a cone is but you probably need a pair of crutches.


Hug s Nettan  

[Heather M.]

See if your doctor will send you to physical therapy for 'prehab' in order to prepare for your surgery.  In a couple of weeks, with a lot of dedication, you can wake up some muscles and make your life easier once the replacement is done.

You also may want to work on your upper body for crutch or walker use.  You will be sore, no doubt about it, and your back/shoulders will probably complain.  This went away for me within a few days.  You may just want to practice with the crutches so you feel comfortable.  Usually, you are on pain meds when you first use the crutches, and that can be a little distracting.....

There are a couple of threads here about preparing for surgery in terms of things to do around the house and all.  Do a search and see what you can come up with.

Best of luck with your TKR!

Heather

[Jennie]

I second that...You really need to work on strengthening your quads pre-surgery, because they are not so easy to get back anyway after surgery, but especially if you don't try to work on them before time!

Good luck with your surgery, and the second major thing to do is prepare yourself emotionally...you will be out of commission for awhile so get yourself some things to do, such as reading, crossword puzzles, and make sure you have a good ice machine, or ice packs!

Love,Jennie