Been advised to have TKR..booked for January
Posted , 18 users are following.
Hello everyone.....I'm not sure that it's a good idea to come here BEFORE my op....it's actually quite scary reading all the experiences...I'm not even sure I can go through with it..how did any of you decide whether go have surgery or not? I've had RA for almost 20years ..my knee has been giving me major problems for 4yrs ..i can't walk up stairs, cycle, stand...normal day to day walking very difficult....I will be looking after myself afterwards...is this manageable?? I know I need this done but it's a really daunting prospect.....anyone waiting for surgery? Anyone regret having it done??
2 likes, 43 replies
Zadok1 linda_50869
Posted
Pain is a primary motivator for doing a lot of things 😬??
kathy3017 linda_50869
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linda_50869
Posted
Thanks to everyone for your great support...while it's hard to read about the tough recovery, it's better than facing into this with eyes closed...i am a little baffled by all the talk of your therapist...it must be some health care system that provides this!!! There is no home visits or physio provided here ,bar the hospital...plus I can't either get to or afford to pay someone privately.....as far as I know, here you just do your own exercises at home...i am planning to see a physio beforehand to see if there is anything more I could do than I already do in the gym..i hope the fact that I exercise/swim regularly now will help in my recovery as soon as I can bend my knee to drive I'll be back in the gym and pool ( I reckon 6 weeks?) ...am I delusional? Has everyone had physio after surgery??
louise_48509 linda_50869
Posted
I was like that too Linda. Everyone has a therapist? Am I missing out on something? But no, here in Scotland we don't get any physio, it's all at home done by yourself. The physio at the hospital seen me the day I left to go home, went through the exercises then I was sent home with a sheet of paper with the exercises on there
linda_50869 louise_48509
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johnny17592 linda_50869
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Chico Marx has some great links to exersise after your op i used some myself and they were a great help i only saw a physio twice i did the rest from this great site.
linda_50869 johnny17592
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linda_50869
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Ive been reading over all the replies and thank you all so much for taking the time to reply. I intend reading Jenny's blog fully and also Chico's exercise tips..and all the other advice,,,I'm going to get a notebook and make a to do beforehand list, ensure I'm prepared, ,,I still have a few big concerns so i hope no one minds if I share them
My surgeon did ask if I tried everything else,,I did try a steroid injection about 4 years ago when my knee " went " first but it didn't help at all,,, are there other things I could try,,,I wonder if I left this damp place would sun help but even when I'm on holidays I can't walk,, I'm wondering is there a point in waiting,,i have waited four years now since the limping and pain started...the pain is not relentless and doesn't keep me awake usually but it aches a lot and walking / standing is very difficult, ,,I think I've just got used to this immobility being my reality, ,,and change is scarey,,,I just need to keep remembering the things I'm missing!,cycling, walking, dancing, travelling ,,,standing without pain!,,, but I wonder too is this just the beginning, ,,,hips, other knee etc,,,
I'm very concerned that with my other health issues,that this will complicate things,, i have both RA and fibromyalgia. .. does anyone else? I'm very concerned 're pain being worse due to having a pain / sensitivity disorder, ,,some days I have pain all over,,,I still manage to work and function cos simply I have to, but I'm often exhausted ..at least 40 mins exercise a day is recommended for fibro and I'm religious about this. ..Will having fibro and RA make my surgery recovery worse?. or will being good at exercising help me?
I'm already stressing about the fact that no one will do my work when I'm out so that might pressure me to get back,,,is 6 weeks unrealistic? I will take the time I need but thought I could do some work in that timeframe ..
I'm very concerned that I'll pretty much be on my own rehabing, there is no home PT here ,until I can drive and go to the gym and work on a rehab program there ,,hopefully get back in the pool,,,how long does the wound take to heal?.
I hope nobody minds my waffling,,it helps me to express my worries because I find I'm waking early and starting to worry once I wake ,,I'm going to start meditating more,,, was anyone else v stressed beforehand, ,it's such a difficult and lifechanging decision to make
Thanks for all of your help
CHICO_MARX linda_50869
Posted
The decision IS life-changing but for the better. After you get past your recovery, your life will be waaaaay better without all that constant pain.
Back to work in six weeks is absolutely unrealistic. Very few are back to work in three months and most of them still have to deal with a lot of pain, stiffness, swelling and more. The knee heals slowly...it cannot be pushed. A tiny minority of people get through this quickly and with little to no pain. We hope you're one of those people...it's just not likely.
The wound will be fine within six weeks. My doc told me not to submerge the knee for that amount of time; others are told differently. You will have the staples out soon and then a 6-week "alignment check" by the surgeon. He'll assess your incision at that time.
Do the home ROM exercises and some stationary biking during the first few weeks before you start PT. All of that exercising should help with your other issues. You just can't lie in bed and recover. Gotta keep moving but not so much as make the knee swell too much. Track your steps with a pedometer.
Please remember that no one can answer any questions regarding "how much time..." or "I should be better by..." With a TKR, there can be no time expectations or schedules. Everyone heals at a different rate, generates scar tissue in different amounts, etc. Plus, no one can tell you in advance when you'll be fully recovered. For the vast majority of us, it takes about a year...back to work in 4-6 months. Yes, some have done it quicker and have gotten away with it; others tried that path and paid a heavy price. You never know how long it's going to take.
If you're going to be on your own for this, PREPARE YOUR HOUSE!!!! There are people on the Forum with great checklists on what you need to do to get ready. Some are no-brainers (prepare meals in advance and freeze them, keep a lot of water and your meds at your bedside, prepare a simple path to the bathroom, etc.), others are easy to forget (remove ANYTHING that you can trip over, especially throw-rugs, etc.). Anything that can potentially make you fall must be removed.
Just remember that all of this is very temporary. You'll be off the drugs and starting to walk well pretty quickly. The regaining all your strength part will take time, effort, discipline and patience. We're always here to help.
mary90 linda_50869
Posted
Hi Linda,
I can really empathise; as my op draws nearer and my pain seems to have eased (thanks to turmeric I'm sure) I too am starting to panic. Am I doing the right thing? Will I be worse off afterwards? Realistically though I know my knee needs replacing, this is probably just a blip in my suffering so what's the point of putting it off? I'm hoping that if I have it done before there is significantly more damage it may speed up my recovery. So it's full steam ahead next month and I'll deal with the consequences if I have to.
Take care and good luck!
Eastie linda_50869
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Hi Linda , have just dropped you a private message , I’m in the same boat and having mine mid December - feeling nervous as the time draws near but we will get through this 😬
joan17325 Eastie
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Mine due 13th dec ive had the other leg done january so know what to expect 😁😁😁