Replacing the Knee

kenmac · Nov 25, 2022

QRTRHRS said:
Saw my surgeon today. He agreed with everyone else that I have been working with on the knee which is to replace it. He sent the scheduling person into my room to pick a date. He asked how Dec 12th would work and I said fine but if you get a cancellation, please consider me. He then said would Monday work? Whoa! I jumped on it but then he said that we needed clearance from my cardiologist. I have some blockages but they are not getting any worse and I take meds for my BP but that is well controlled also. I had not thought about an issue there and I wished that it had been brought up before but o'well. Turned out that my heart doctor is on vacation so I have to wait until he comes back to the office. The staff felt that I would not need to come in as it has not been that long since my last visit but now it's back to Dec 12th.

I wish you the best ! I'm just now getting somewhat back to normal. Start PT next week.

This stem cell injection was pretty bad. (painful!!!) Caused a lot of inflammation within my knee.
I wasn't allowed to take anything to knock out the inflammation as he (Dr) said this is how the stem cells work.

I'm not so sure if I would have not been better off with replacement.
Dr says the only real way to know is to do a follow up MRI, and you guessed it, Insurance won't pay ! LOL
So, he says time will tell, but studies have shown a very good success rate.

QRTRHRS · Nov 26, 2022

kenmac, glad that you have had the treatment and I hope that it works out. I am kind of bummed that going in tomorrow did not work out for me. I keep finding things to do prior to being laid up and I am paying for it nightly. Oh well', it is what it is.

Molalla1 · Nov 27, 2022

QRTRHRS said:
Saw my surgeon today. He agreed with everyone else that I have been working with on the knee which is to replace it. He sent the scheduling person into my room to pick a date. He asked how Dec 12th would work and I said fine but if you get a cancellation, please consider me. He then said would Monday work? Whoa! I jumped on it but then he said that we needed clearance from my cardiologist. I have some blockages but they are not getting any worse and I take meds for my BP but that is well controlled also. I had not thought about an issue there and I wished that it had been brought up before but o'well. Turned out that my heart doctor is on vacation so I have to wait until he comes back to the office. The staff felt that I would not need to come in as it has not been that long since my last visit but now it's back to Dec 12th.

I'm scheduled on 12/15. Good luck to the both of us!

DKCDKC · Nov 28, 2022

Been warned I'll need a knee replacements within a few years. So I'm exercising and prepping a bit already. My wife prepared before having both knees done at the same time and she bounced back quickly - following PT & doctor's orders. She played softball a year later. Unfortunately her arthritis got much worse and she had both hips done... Then most of her back fused. Since she has not been able to walk too much for years, she still has the same knee replacements she got in the 90s. But she still says that losing weight and strengthening muscles is the best way to prep. She knows.

TylerLee · Nov 28, 2022

I had total replacement on left knee 10 yrs ago. Today I say it's the best surgery I've had done.
I had a TERRIBLE recovery. I believe due to scar tissue from previous ACL surgery.
My insurance paid for a nursing home, so I did therapy there. I followed all the instructions...
My range of motion was poor. When I went home I used both bending and straightening braces.
I had hours long muscle cramps. 3 months later the doctor did a maniplulation- put you under ad bend the damn thing... not a crack doctor - Cleveland Clinic.... today I have no pain and walk normal...What worked --- pool therapy. walk, do the exercises, run in a shallow warm pool. Advance to deep pool - using flotation dumbbells - run, peddle, scissor for months. 5-6 days a weeks. Not log each time.. you learn how much is helpful, I'd watch the clock. I went into it determined to walk, it took me to the limit... now I'm good.
Never give up! Elaine

QRTRHRS · Nov 28, 2022

Molalla1 said:
I'm scheduled on 12/15. Good luck to the both of us!

QRTRHRS · Dec 12, 2022

Done deal¡ had a spinal tap and an upper and lower nerve block which i was able to watch on the ultrsound screen. Not pleasent bu not bad. Had bad bladder pain perhaps due to the spinal. They had to cath me for that but all better now. Knee pain level is maybe a 2 or 3 at best at least for now. Therapy had me standing with a walker for maybe a minute. I will be in overnight and hope to "escape" tomorrow. No regrets so far.

bigtiller · Dec 12, 2022

What a coincidence, mine was 5 years ago yesterday.

Happy healing.

QRTRHRS · Dec 13, 2022

Thanks, so far, minimal pain but they have had to continue to cath me in order to urinate. Hoping that's from the spinal and has simply yet to wear off

QRTRHRS · Dec 14, 2022

QRTRHRS said:

Molalla 1, good luck with your op tomorrow. I ended up being cathed three times before i was able to go on my own. Glad about that else i would have been stuck there. The hospital sent in a prescription for oxicotin which i do not really care for. I did not know that untill i was home. Last night was kind of rough but i am down to a maybe 2 or 3 pain wise so i will skip the pills. Now it's on to getting around again

Molalla1 · Dec 14, 2022

QRTRHRS said:
Molalla 1, good luck with your op tomorrow. I ended up being cathed three times before i was able to go on my own. Glad about that else i would have been stuck there. The hospital sent in a prescription for oxicotin which i do not really care for. I did not know that untill i was home. Last night was kind of rough but i am down to a maybe 2 or 3 pain wise so i will skip the pills. Now it's on to getting around again

The surgeon has moved my operation to next month, I don't know what day yet . . .

.

QRTRHRS · Dec 15, 2022

Bummer, i was not pleased to have to wait until the 12th when had i had clearance from my cardiologist, i could have gotten in the Monday after Thanksgiving. Hang in there

QRTRHRS · Dec 31, 2022

Thought that I would update on my progress. Nineteen days out now. I can walk without any support but prefer to use a cane. Still have a little swelling. Pain level mostly about a one or a two. At therapy yesterday, the therapist got me to about a 60 degree bend which was pretty tight but not unbearable. I can do a lot of things on my own or some things to help my wife whom is bearing more of a load than I am going through this. I can also manage to drive my E350 Ford van albeit a bit cramped for my left leg which I had the procedure on.

I have suggested finding homes for our four horses if possible but she won't have it so it's more tough love for her on that.

kenmac · Jan 1, 2023

QRTRHRS said:
Thought that I would update on my progress. Nineteen days out now. I can walk without any support but prefer to use a cane. Still have a little swelling. Pain level mostly about a one or a two. At therapy yesterday, the therapist got me to about a 60 degree bend which was pretty tight but not unbearable. I can do a lot of things on my own or some things to help my wife whom is bearing more of a load than I am going through this. I can also manage to drive my E350 Ford van albeit a bit cramped for my left leg which I had the procedure on.

I have suggested finding homes for our four horses if possible but she won't have it so it's more tough love for her on that.

glad to hear so far so good, and you are coming along. I know several that have had replacement that had to go back in due to infection.
19 days ? I'm glad I was able to take a different route (for now anyway) I'm pretty much back to doing everything I was doing prior to surgery, But mine wasn't as extensive as yours.

I had to have a friend take care of me ,and my livestock for about 2.5-3 weeks

Wishing you the best during your recovery .
hang in there, It'll get better every day !

chevy · Jan 1, 2023

My right knee was replaced 11/19/2022. I was able to walk without any help 2 days later. I was also able to go up and down stairs, one step at a time, without any problem. Things went well until the 4th week of therapy. For over 2 years before the replacement I could only bend my right knee about 90 degrees. I had talked to my therapist about it. I had a different therapist on the second visit in the 4th week. I did not think of telling her about the limited range of motion I had prior. Well, she pushed my leg to far & caused some damage to knee ligaments. For the last 2 weeks I have a lot of pain when sitting in & getting up from a chair & going up & down stairs. Walking is fine.

The worst problem I had was not sleeping for 4 weeks.

I go back to the surgeon for a post op visit next week. I plan on getting my left knee on the schedule.

EdGooding · Jan 2, 2023

Replaced my right knee in 2018 and my left one in January of 2022. I played competitive sports of one kind or another for 60 years. I waited until I just got tired of the pain and had them done. I picked orthopedic surgeons who specialized in joint replacement. I've had excellent outcomes on both knees and am pain-free for the first time in my life (well, at least in my knees). The one thing that I did, based on advice from an ortho nurse my first time around, was to do the rehab exercises for a month BEFORE surgery to increase my flexibility and strength. That helped me regain full extension and 120 degrees of flex very quickly after surgery and I was released from physical therapy a couple of weeks early both times. I'm happy that I did this and will most likely be replacing hips in the near future.

chevy · Jan 2, 2023

I also did exercises & rode a stationary bike before my replacement. It also helped me recover faster.
Before the replacement my extension was 15 degrees & flex was about 90 degrees. I am now at full extension & 129 degrees flex.

QRTRHRS · Jan 2, 2023

Sleeping has been a problem with me also. I am slowly getting back to being able to sleep on my side with a pillow to support my knee/leg. I like to wrap my leg with an Ace bandage during the day but not at night. What i find is that at night my leg wants to tighten up so if i lay flat on my back it becomes uncomfortable. I am starting with a new therapy clinic weds only to cut down on the distance i have to travel so i have lots to discuss. While it would be nice to progress faster, I can accept where i am at.

kenmac · Jan 2, 2023

I slept in a recliner and popped the pain pills on and off for 2 weeks..

I would go to sleep watching tv.
when the pain pills wore off about 4 am. I watched Highway patrol.
When that went off, I took more pain pills and went back to snoozing !

Wishing you the best with that knee !

WM75Guy · Jan 3, 2023

QRTRHRS said:
Sleeping has been a problem with me also. I am slowly getting back to being able to sleep on my side with a pillow to support my knee/leg. I like to wrap my leg with an Ace bandage during the day but not at night. What i find is that at night my leg wants to tighten up so if i lay flat on my back it becomes uncomfortable. I am starting with a new therapy clinic weds only to cut down on the distance i have to travel so i have lots to discuss. While it would be nice to progress faster, I can accept where i am at.

Hang in there. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistently doing the PT exercises on the days off from when you go to the PT clinic will pay off big. Taking oral pain meds 1 hour prior to PT is good. We do that with our total hip and total knee patients that stay in the hospital. It allows you to better participate in PT.