Arthritic Knee

Hello Trevor, I can't tell you what to do or not to do.I only know from my own personal experience that I waited to long to have a TKR. My surgeon told me it was horrible in surgery. All my fought. I endoured the pain day in and day out taking pain pills just to take the edge off. I was afraid of the though going through so much pain.Not excluding the pain I was already enduring. I waited three years too long. Now with a new knee I realize I can do more things without pain. I am in ninth week and am happy I had it done. Please rethink your situation and decide for yourself.osteoarthis is not a pretty word.God bless

Hiya ... Only you know what to do. I'm only 53 and bit the bullet!! At times I wished I hadn't but from what I was told I could carry on, take painkillers, have an injection but ultimately the arthritis was never going to get better. I thought as I was young I'd rather have the replacement and deal with the pain etc but ultimately enjoy a pain free knee while I could still enjoy my life. It's been a rocky road ... I'm only 10 weeks post op and have struggled but I can say that I can walk now without being in pain. This forum is great for advice and I'm sure you will get loads but ultimately the choice is yours!!! Good luck!! 😉😉

It's a decision only you can make.  How bad is the pan?  Your arthritis won't ge better.  A knee replacement hopefully will solve your problems.m it is a painful post op, there is no doubt about it.   However the majority of pain goes after about 6 to 8 weeks.  Recovery is long term, for the majority of people on here.   It depends on the degree of pain you are getting, are you walking bone on bone?  This is extremely painful and I couldn't manage the pain.   If you have to have it done anyway, the sooner you do it the better.   I am 21 weeks post op now and I am reaping the benefits.  

Thanks everyone for your comments and support. I know I'm the only one who knows what's best for me so I suppose I'm simply putting off the inevitable.

Hello I too was given the choice if the op I should have had it done in 2007 but due to personal reasons delayed it. I wanted to gave it done when I retired but gave in and had it done in Feb this year at the ripe old age of 61 years young as it was bone on bone.

Am now free of arthritis and the rest is what it is and can only get better

I don't think anyone on here would try to tell you what to do as that is a very personal thing but many will offer their own experience. I was one who had no choice as a rare tumor ate up my knee and subsequent surgeries and radiation to correct that issue just made things worse. I would estimate over 90% of those having the tkr are very pleased with the results and have never looked back. You will have a rough 3-6 months no matter how the surgery goes and as my therapist told me the 1st time I went through it, his efforts would only amount to 20% of the recovery........my efforts would be the other 80%. It is a lot of work and individual effort and there is no recovery without it. The first thing you find out, surgeon operate but don't really give you all of the information. You need to examine all of the resources you can, then make a decision based on those findings. Its really trading a known quantity.......long term pain for good chance of relief. Good luck and blessings to you

All I can say is that I am 5 weeks post op and due for the other knee in three weeks.  I put mine off for five years and wish now that I had had it done then.  Easier to recover when you are younger.  On the other hand, it depends how debilitating your condition is.  I found that eventually I couldn't go for a walk, and could only just manage shopping with lots of pills.  I am doing very well, I'm told, but still it's no walk in the park, and you need to be prepared for a few months of pain.  I am told by most people that they have never looked back so I am concentrating on that.   Good luck with whatever you decide to do.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing.  

Only you can decide.....I was given two options when I saw the consultant...injection which might or might not work or the op...I chose the op....I am 7 weeks post op on second knee. First done 7 years ago no problems with it. The first weeks you ask yourself what on earth have I done!!! pain, discomfort, but this comes to an end. I have had  no pain for 6 weeks,  aches yes and discomfort when exercising and sleeping but now my knee feels comfortable,  you don't think of it as not yours, it is.   My second knee was bone on bone and had been for a while and it is no use going on living like that, takes all the pleasure out of life.  I am 75.

I put off getting mine done until I was in so much pain I could hardly bear to walk round the shops.  I got it done last February and it's  been a vast improvement. It is a major operation and takes a lot out of you but I've found it was well worth it.  I was back to work after 8 weeks. I have a desk job. I'm 62 and the other knee is fine.

Hi Trevor, even though it was up to me to decide, my surgeon made it clear that the longer I waited, the worse it would get. I, too, was very active, but I found the decision easy - "Let's get it over and done, the sooner, the better." I'm nearly 12 weeks post op and so glad that I didn't wait. I'm also glad that I didn't read any of these forums before the op. I truly believe that the more you think about it, and read some of the not so positive stories, the harder that decision becomes. My surgeon also said that I would heal faster the younger I was (66).

This morning I spent an hour and a half cleaning up damage from a hailstorm we had yesterday. I could have done it before the op, but I would have been in pain. I had none today, and it's only 12 weeks! Go for it, Trevor, and make sure you follow a pre-op fitness routine to make it easier on yourself.

As for the pain post op, I was warned how bad it would be over and over again, and it was nowhere near as bad as my imaginings. Mind you, morphine was my best friend for the first 24 hours. Take your meds, do your excercises and, above all, be positive. It's no picnic, but if you're active as you say, you don't want to lose that quality of life, so there's really only one way to go.

Best of luck with your decision,

Denise from Oz 

Hi Trevor. - I'm 57 and went through similar thoughts to you. I'm now just over 4 weeks post op and have few regrets. Yes, there are times when it hurts even more than it did before, but the pain free times more than make up for this. It does hurt (a lot) but it's worth it. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I am 53 and found out last year I needed a new knee as mine was '80'years old apparently! I was told to come back and see the 'top' consultant in 6 weeks and he basically said when are you having it done it needs doing...when I said I needed to think he told me to leave and come back in 6 weeks. I was so unhappy having never before had an op and knowing this was major decided I would probably never had it done however my late father in law had used the choose and book system we have in UK so I went to GP had a bit of a row and pushed to see a private consultant that I knew of and not have to pay. He was a godsend and I was putty in his hands he made me feel so at ease and said it would improve my life and if I chose not to which of course is my choice I could end up making it so bad the op might be worse to do...but not in a way that I thought he was pushing me. I literally said oh go on then and had a PKR in January. Yes I struggled for 6 weeks...yes everything e erybody says on here happens to most of us and at the time I said never again...would I now...yes I would..my advice would be go for it if I can do it and I'm a bit of a wimp....anyone can....good luck x

Hi trevoro I am a 70 year old lady who had a right TKR 11 weeks ago having been forced to put up with excruciating bone on bone pain for over two years because my MS, cancer and milroys disease kind of got in the way!  My wonderful family convinced me that with  determination between us all I could achieve an excellent outcome and all our hard work has come to fruition and I am walking and driving again and am pain free which is THE most amazing feeling.  With dedication and a lot of damned hard work you will be just fine trevoro so please trust yourself and say a resounding "YES" to your surgeon..  I wish you all the luck in the world and only have positive thoughts in your head.