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44 yrs old... I have 4 weeks until my TKR- I'm scared to death

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Keli_44
Keli_44

I am 44 yrs old, I've had tons of shots etc in the last year, and I am finally scheduled oct 14 for TKR, I had one doc tell me I needed a partial, and one tell me total. I figured do the whole thing, instead of part now and total in 10 yrs. My dad has had both his knees done in the last year. When he went in for his first surgery, I wondered what they did with the ligaments etc, so I made the mistake of youtubing TKR surgery. And now I cant get those images out of my head. But I've been putting it off for so long. I am not participating in life like I usually do. My question is, is there anything I can do to prepare myself? I go to the gym everyday, doing the bike and row machine. Is there anything specific I can be doing to make sure I have the strength? Realisticly, how long will i be on pain meds? They said 6 weeks ! Is that true ?

1 like, 65 replies

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  • Keli_44
    Keli_44

    Posted

    I also have a huge cyst on the outside of my knee, its about the size of a large marble right now, it was golf ball, I am excited to get rid of that too.   Should I prepare the skin in attempt to have less scaring?

     

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 Keli_44

      Posted

      Have they discussed PVNS...you can Google it for an explanation. One form is a tumor in the form of a cyst. Where are you and what type facility are you going to for surgery. I have PVNS but the difussed variety. This is a less than 2 in a million condition and many Dr's have never seen or heard of it. It can be diagnosed by biopsy. Was this something that came on quickly? Nothing to be alarmed about but just to be ruled out..

      I can't think of anything to do to prepare the skin but I can tell you never , never try to do anything with the incision post l.p. until all drainage has stopped, scabs have fallen off on their own and its dry. I use vit E oil massaged in twice daily. It heals all the way to the bone. Others use a variety of other products successfully.

    • Keli_44
      Keli_44 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      the cyst came on quickly, I was coaching my daughters kickball practice, walking off the field and looked down to see a golfball sized knot on the outside of my knee. They play to remove this at the time of surgery. One doc said it was  a gangylion cyst, one said meniscus cyst. It has been stuck with a needle and aspirated. But its still there, just much smaller. I am in  DFW - Texas. Will be staying overnight for the TKR surgery.

      How was your  PVNS diagnosed?

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 Keli_44

      Posted

      It suddenly blew up and bled severely. A biopsy eventually was the determining factor. Many.....or even most Dr's , including if those dontvknow what it is. It was an ortho oncologist that made the final determination. Again....its not cancerous.

    • jackijo
      jackijo Keli_44

      Posted

      NO!!!! Risk of infection increases!! No shaving either!!
    • jackijo
      jackijo

      Posted

      Hope you're doing well. I'm 2 weeks post op.

  • Keli_44
    Keli_44

    Posted

    do most people gain or lose weight after their surgery? I am very active now, I am afraid I will gain weight.
    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 Keli_44

      Posted

      If youbsut around grazing all hours of the day and night....youllgain weight. Otherwise, you probably will lose a bit as most folks find between the pain levels and the general effects of the surgery itself the don't have much of van appetite. Again....just remember to hydrate and eat as healthy as possible. Sleep seems to be a problem for most because of the pain and not finding a position that helps sustain deep sleep. I was always a 2choir on 2 he off sleeper and have always had a thin pillow between my knees. Some us a large full length body pillow. (These too are shown on Amazon.).. My personal downfall was getting up after a couple hours and cuddling up with my best friend , my recliner, and needing some other little aid as a reward for My working so hard on rehab.......so.....around 2 a.m.a bowl of rich, custard type ice cream helped but to make it a little more nutritious I would top it off with fresh bananas, strawberries or peaches (maybe all if on hand) and to make it a little more palatable 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot fudge and a small hand ful of pecans. If I we worked the numbers just right, I could get a lot of my daily nutrition that I missed with chicken, fish and vegetable meals. One thing about tor surgery, it helps make the brain far more active when it comes to getting you over the healing hump. Besides, you should never take pain meds during the night on an empty stomach and this helps .

  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 Keli_44

    Posted

    Hi Kelli!

    Relax! Breathe! 😊

    The best thing you can do to prepare is think about how good you will feel when you have had your surgery and are on your way to recovery.

    I had SEVERE pain for five years prior to my two TKRs done in June and October of last year. It was SO GREAT to not feel that awful pain! Sure it took awhile for recovery, healing, taking meds, physical therapy etc., but I continued to focus on learning to walk properly, achieving good balance and building up my leg muscles at therapy sessions and then working at home on exercises and walking around the house.

    Thinking positive, keeping calm, and paying attention to small gains and improvements made sure does beat worry, complaining, and feeling down all the time. It takes work and commitment, but it surely is worth it!

    You may have a good appetite and not be moving around very fast at first. You may need to rest a lot. These things CAN bring on weight gain. I gained a bit but then lost it after I was able to move more.

    I took blood thinners for two weeks after surgery. I got off of the Oxycodone(first surgery) and Hydrocodone(second surgery) after two weeks. Both medications made me feel really loopy and didn't do a very good job of pain relief or help with swelling. After those two weeks and getting off the opioids I went back to my tried and true Ibuprofen. Two liquigels every four to six hours did the trick. I was later able to go six then eight hours between doses. Now I take Ibuprofen twice a day (morning and night) NOT for my knees but for my other arthritic joints. My knees are good. I am really grateful for that!🙌😁😊🙌

    Remember to be patient with yourself. Six weeks is a good milestone where improvement comes and you feel more human. Twelve weeks was when I FINALLY could sleep on my stomach and got four to five hours of sleep at a time.

    Things will take longer at first. Remember that you will have undergone a big operation and the body will require your help and understanding and PATIENCE to get its rhythm back. It will come.

    Sending prayers of calm, patience, and strength to you tonight!💟

    • dave63380
      dave63380 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Cheryl you really covered that well, I've had both knees replaced June/Sept 2014 and I can relate to everything you said. Takes time, slow but steady improvement, stay with PT as long as you can. Exercise is maintenance for new knees, it never really ends.

    • Mary026
      Mary026 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Good morning Cheryl

      What a lovely positive response.

      I've got my planned TKR next Wednesday

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 Keli_44

    Posted

    1st lesson in knee repair....you are you.....not somebody in a film or text book. You may heal quickly and it may take a little longer. You are about to embark on a journey that is a process. Trying to short circuit that process or overdo. It can cause set backs and problems.

    You will need pain meds......and should learn to take them on schedule, not when the pain hits. Icingvwill be your best friend. I bought a couple of the large blue gel Pac freezer bags. You can look them y2k p on amazon or ehay. They work best ghost or me as they refreeze quickly and can be moulded around the leg.if yuk ou decide to go that route, wrap them in a towel and don't let the Sunil touch base skin. Hydrate.......dehydration can slow the healing. Listen to your therapist. Do exactly as told. If he says 15 reps....thats it no more....no less. Excercise is critical but overdoing is abuse. Never let anyone put you or shame you into o pain. Your body and brain are in charge.....listen. Rest is very, very important. If you feel like sleeping , just Do it. A daytimevnap won't keep you awake at night.

    Recovery will takes lots of strangectwists and turns. Stay with this group and you will get advice from experts.....those that have been through it. Personally, due to a rare tumor,.I've had 11 surgeries and 5 complete rehab plus 30rounds of radiation so things for me are different than the next guy. I've learned so much from others....little tricks......and lots about life during tough times. Don't be embarrassed about being apprehensive or being afraid. You wouldn't be human without out it.

    You will find that protocol varies from country to country so don't think one way is then only way.

    I'm in the middle of The US and things are done somewhat differently here than other parts of the country keeping in mind......insurance rules much of the decision making off Dr's and hospitals. Look ing forward to being part of your new group of international friends that will help you calm down and get through all ofthis successfully. The phrase you will hear over and over.....this is a marathon, not a sprint.

    • Keli_44
      Keli_44 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Thank you very much for your kind words.

      Wow you have been through alot.

      I.look forward to learning from this group.

      😊

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