Faron - that's good news. I'm glad you're finally getting it done. I can honestly tell you from personal experience that it was one of the best things I've done. I had both replaced at the same time 2 years ago and I was amazed at the improvement. The first few weeks are rather slow and it worried me that I wasn't progressing fast enough but the therapists assured me I was on track.

Just think of all the time you'll have to listen to your music and visit with us here while you're recovering. I'll be thinking of you so you'll have to keep us updated. You'll love your new 'hardware'. Did you watch the video of the procedure - I found it fascinating.

This post was edited by maire_cate on Sat, Jul 5, 14 at 7:44

Faron, My daughter had a total replacement less than a year ago. She was back to work in 6 weeks, her decision as she can't sit around doing nothing for very long.

In the hospital for 3 days, but they have changed this to same day with a new ortho surgery center and mobile devices taken home that one is usually hooked up to in a hospital. She also had her two shoulders done a month apart in early spring and used the center. It was a much better experience than the hospital.

I was her caretaker for 2 weeks and amazed at the progress. Other than my concern about a possible fall, she was doing everything herself moving through using a walker, then cane. I did mom stuff because I wanted to. Also did everything they said to heal, was proud of her sticking with all the work for healing. She is hiking and biking 4 days a week, coaches and no complaints.

Hope yours goes as well, they sure have this down for getting back to normal and you will welcome not having pain again.

Everything I hear about replacements (hips and knees) is good and all seem to say they wish they had done it sooner! Get ready to let yourself take time to heal and follow every single direction the docs give you!

You'll be out dancing in no time!

My sister is having one of her knees done in early September, although she really needs both. She is fortunate she has a desk job with an accessible entrance where she can go back to work probably by 6 weeks. My nephew and his wife are having twins due in December, so she wants to be ready for the babies' arrival.

MC-
Both at the same time!??!!? Yikes!
I can't even imagine that!

Thanks you guys! It helps take some of the worry away, listening to your info. Good to know I've got support on a nice forum like this one...:-)

Faron

My sister is having hers done in a few weeks and is opting for "hard core therapy" which her dr. recommended. He said the patients who do it are home in two weeks and ready to do almost anything. It's done in a rehab hospital and you do therapy all day. She's looking forward to it also.

My grandmother at age 78 had both of her knees replaced at the same time back in 1976 when knee replacements were just starting to be done.The recovery was horrendous. Thank goodness surgery and rehab techniques have improved. By age 95 she had out lived the knee replacements but her age and the memory of how bad it had been kept her from having it redone.

Fast forward to 2004- My 83 year old MIL had her knee replaced and was back to walking the mall, riding her exercise bike and swimming laps within 3 weeks. She too wished she had done it sooner. She is 93 now and still exercises daily. She is also a 25 year cancer survivor. Oh and she had carpel tunnel surgery on both wrists 2 years ago so she could keep on doing needle work and other activities.
If the two elderly ladies could get through it, you can too.

Good luck.

Oh my!

Little old Ladies are more hardcore than I am...LOL!!!

Got my packet of pre-op stuff from the hospital on Sat. Leg strengthening exercises, getting the house safe/ready, surgery info., etc. It's starting to seem REAL now!

Faron

You'll be dancing in the streets (well, wait maybe not - snow and ice in ND starts when?) afterwards! My uncle had both his done at the same time (yes, had to sleep on cot in his study) and my dad is having 1 (wimp) done this fall though I don't think he's scheduled it yet. My uncle said DO THE EXERCISES even before the surgery, and of course gt a good surgeon and you'll be fine. He is so glad he had his done and has been telling my dad (his older brother) for more than a year that he has to get his done.

My dad had knee surgery before, they just kept scraping out the cartilage (?!) so he doesn't have any "padding" but he's been afraid to do the replacements. He also had a bad surgeon who used screws that were too long when he broke his leg 30 years ago and almost severed his Achilles tendon (kept telling my dad he was a wimp and walk on it - and my dad is NOT a wimp, I was joking, this man is allergic to Novacaine so has had root canals without). But he had 1 hand then the other operated on for carpal tunnel and is so glad he did, I'm sure it will be the same with the knee(s).

So you'll have even more time to hang out on GW while you're recovering, right ;-)?

Boy, I can understand both the dread and the joy! It's not something I'd exactly look forward to except that it will bring you a pain-free life! So that is certainly something to look forward to and that is wonderful news. Everyone I know who has had knee or hip replacements say they are glad they had it done and have no regrets. Just the same thing everyone has said...do what your therapist says to do. I have had two ACL reconstructions (one just last year), which is no walk in the park either. The more you can do now to get ready for the surgery (building up your quads, hamstrings, etc) via a stationary bike or some small exercise if you are able, the better off you will be after the surgery. Glad they have given you some leg strengthening exercises.

Hi Faron,
I had a knee replacement 8 years ago. I was a new mother to a baby girl and had another 2 yr old daughter as well. I had a bone tumor as a teenager that was reconstructed with rods and bone cement. There was an egg shell thin rim of bone left that held my meniscus in place. The added weight of my pregnancy did a number on my knee and the bone left sheered off with my meniscus and was trapped in my joint exposing the rods into the joint. There was no repairing it. My only option was a total knee replacement. I was 30 at the time. Anyhow I'm happy to tell you my new knee has allowed me to complete 3 triathlons and I was even brave enough to have another baby, ha!
Here are some things I experienced after the surgery:
The first week was the toughest. Just tell yourself during that first week it will get better every day. The first few days are the toughest with pain management so I recommend you discuss a plan with your doctor ahead of time. He may recommend seeing an anesthesiologist for pain management.
Even after the initial pain subsides, always take some pain relief before physical therapy. You will be happy you did.
There is a strange phenomenon amongst joint replacement patients in which you wake up several times a night. Everyone I know with knees has experienced this and I did as well. (Although I did have a 4month old who wasn't sleeping thru the night either, but hubby was on baby duty since I couldn't walk with her) I didn't think much of it till I was yawning at PT and my therapist asked me if I was sleeping well and he told me all his patients complain of the same thing. It lasted for a few months after the surgery.
And lastly, the knee feels very tight the entire first year post op. someone else told me it takes about a full year to feel like your own knee and they were exactly right. I found the tightness weird but it's kind of like breaking in new shoes. It would be stiff in the morning or after sitting for long periods and then be fine. Never felt it again after the first year.

Anyhow, I wish you luck. You will not regret your decision.

Hopefully you'll have lots of rest and relaxation to spend here on GW chatting with us. Your wife will be happy to know we will try and keep you entertained.

Everyone I know that has had surgery like this is so happy with the results, it's the anticipation and waiting (and recovery) that are the toughest. Hoping September gets here quick for you. :)

Yeah, it'll be a real pain in the knee to get through, but I'm sure you'll be happy with the outcome...have to think longer term on these things.

DH had shoulder surgery and he felt worse after surgery, but with PT and time, he's completely back to normal now and is very happy with the outcome.

OSP, AJM, P929, Em624, "AD"...

You "guys" are truly wonderful!
Your wisdom, humor, & advice are appreciated more than you know!! It's helping decrease the apprehension...A LOT!!!

Em624-
I really chuckled at your comment! DW would probably nominate you for "Sainthood"...;-)

Faron

Polly's comment about waking up at night reminded me of the advice my PT gave me when I mentioned that I had trouble getting comfortable at night, especially since I had both knees done. She suggested that I put a pillow lengthwise under my leg so that it's elevated. My post op instructions said not to sleep with a pillow under a bent knee, it's important to keep the leg straight but it was OK to elevate the entire straight leg. That made all the difference.

My neighbor had one knee done a few months ago and she found she was more comfortable sleeping in a recliner for the first week.

As for pain- I can honestly say that it wasn't bad at all. I followed the instructions from the pain management team and only had minor discomfort after PT - which is normal and then I used cold packs. You may want to have some on hand before surgery. I picked up 2 and kept them in the freezer. I liked the ones that were flexible and could be wrapped around my knee. I also had a shower chair, a walker and an elevated potty seat attachment with handles which was very helpful. We have one taller toilet in our master bath (ADA approved) that I could use without the arm supports.

Don't be surprised - they'll have you up and walking very quickly. The morning after surgery I was standing with my walker and taking small steps. In four days I was able to walk short, slow laps around the floor with the other patients.

DD wanted my surgery done at a specialty hospital and by a surgeon who does hundreds a year. He researched it thoroughly and we went to HSS (the Hospital for Special Surgery) in New York City. Since I had both done at the same time I stayed in the hospital for 4 days and then was transferred to the PT rehab center at the hospital where DH is on staff for another week of inpatient therapy.

I did use the CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) device while in the hospital and in the rehab center but not at home. The physical therapist did home visits 3 times a week for a month and then I went to an outpatient center near my home 3 times a week for 3 months.

As others have said progress is slow the first week or two but then improvement comes quickly. Since my surgery I've been doing water exercise at our local health center. It's no impact and great for improving strength, range of motion and flexibility.

faron79,

I don't have a lot to add, but I had both my knees rteplaced the same morning in 2000 - I was 58 years old. I was in the Hospital for two days and in a Nursing Home for five more days. (So I could get Physical Therapy twice a day and get to the point that my wife and I felt I could be safely home alone.)

It is the best thing I have elected to do medically! I have suffered ZERO pain after the surgery - I was actually waking up in tears prior to the surgery.

There is one disclaimer to that last paragraph! Physical Therapy following surgery is a real b**ch! It is worth the pain to get back to the new "normal."

I took no painkillers post-surgery except an hour before physical therapy - and I assure you I did not miss those doses!

When you have both knees done at once it complicates recovery dramatically. (Think going up stairs - where you start with your "good" leg. Oh wait, there is no "good" leg.)

I was able to drive and go out inside of four weeks.

The spacer in my left knee cracked in two about five years ago and they had to go back in again. Piece of cake - was out and about in less than two weeks.

As others have told you, follow your doctor's instructions and grin and bear it re the physical therapy. When I had fully recovered, I went back to see my physical therapists and gave them a box of Godiva Chocolates and apologized for any and all profanities I had uttered. They said I wasn't bad at all - I should hear some of the seniors. (And I am a 24 year Retired Navy Submariner. lol)

Best of luck!

You should definitely not be dreading it. If you did your homework and know your surgeon is one of the best then you should be celebrating that your days of pain will soon be over for good. My doctor waited and waited to replace my knees because as he put it "I was so young." Under 60. I insisted and well, it's the best decision I've ever made. I had them done one at a time because he told me both at the same time is too hard on the patient and could be dangerous because if infection should set in that would be very complicated. He said it's just better to have a good leg to stand on while recuperating from the other knee surgery. I'm going to recommend you buy this book entitled
Total Knee Replacement & Rehabilitation. You can find it on Amazon for not much money. It's written by Daniel J. Brugioni, MD and Jeff Falkel Ph,D., P.T., CSCS If my memory serves me, one of the authors actually went through a knee replacement. At any rate they are in the business and this book is an excellent guide to prepare for what is to come. Being informed and ready for the pain afterward, the PT and how difficult it can be at times, etc. is the key to a fast and successful recovery. Remember to always take your pain meds 1/2 hour before therapy. This is imperative. Another word on pain meds. Take them as instructed. Do not skip or be late because you don't want to the pain to get ahead of you and my last personal piece of advice is ice, ice, ice. This is what keeps the swelling down because it's the swelling that causes the pain. In the book I'm suggesting they talk about pre surgical exercises. I can tell you these made a world of difference in my recovery because I had built up the muscles in my leg which helped me get around by day 2 with a walker.

I'll tell you I suffered like heck. I was 3 weeks after my first one and I told my DH I couldn't wait to get the other one done and his comment was "are you nuts?" That's because he'd listened to me yell, cry, complain after surgery, but the fact is I knew by the 3rd. week I had made the right choice in having it replaced and couldn't wait for round 2. Round 2 was 3 months later and it also hurt like heck. LOL

There are lots of forums and discussion boards on the net that you can go read from other people who have gone through the surgery and there's nothing like getting first hand knowledge and hearing how others have faired. You'll read bad stories, but the majority are victories. I know of one very good forum but because my memory is not worth a darn anymore, for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of it. When it comes to me I'll post it here for you.

So don't dread this surgery. Prepare as much as possible and you will up and dancing in no time!! Good luck.