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Will I be able to use the stairs after being discharged from hospital after my knee replacement?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Schumacher13
Schumacher13

I am on the waiting list to have my right knee replaced in approximately 2 months time.

Can anyone tell me if I will be able to get up the stairs to go to bed?Luckily  I have a downstairs bathroom, but just wanted to know will I be able to get up the stairs or will I have to sleep on the settee?

 

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • gloria29023
    gloria29023 Schumacher13

    Posted

    Hi there

    i moved to the bedroom downstairs to cater for my knee replacement. They teach u how to do stairs before you leave. You probably could very carefully and slowly but I'm thinking you ay not want to because for the first 2 weeks it is quite painful. I reckon you make up the sofa. With a bit of luck you'll be on enough medication that you won't care where you sleep. I was independently mobile on leaving hospital after the first week so I guessit would have been possible if I was in a situation where I had to but I'm glad I wasn't

  • gloria29023
    gloria29023 Schumacher13

    Posted

    Hi there

    i moved to the bedroom downstairs to cater for my knee replacement. They teach u how to do stairs before you leave. You probably could very carefully and slowly but I'm thinking you ay not want to because for the first 2 weeks it is quite painful. I reckon you make up the sofa. With a bit of luck you'll be on enough medication that you won't care where you sleep. I was independently mobile on leaving hospital after the first week so I guessit would have been possible if I was in a situation where I had to but I'm glad I wasn't

    • Schumacher13
      Schumacher13 gloria29023

      Posted

      Thank you Gloria, if at all possible I would like to sleep in my own bed upstairs! As I said my bathroom is downstairs so I can stay downstairs all day and just go up to bed at night if  I can make it?
  • peter64590
    peter64590 Schumacher13

    Posted

    You will no tbe discharged from hospital until you can walk up and down stairs. I slept upstairs and came down every day from the start. My wife had both knees replaced at the same time a few years ago, and she came down stairs daily. the exercise, though painful, is good for you.
    • Schumacher13
      Schumacher13 peter64590

      Posted

      Thank you Peter, it was so good to hear that you could use the stairs straight away!
  • grace47953
    grace47953 Schumacher13

    Posted

    Hi

    I. Had knee replaced on 14.5.14, back T home since 21.5.14, I can assure you you will have no problem in using stairs.

    Good Luck

    Grace

  • debbie02705
    debbie02705 Schumacher13

    Posted

    you sure will , i worried about that too , had mine done in feb this year and have two lots of stairs to get to my bed one of which has a 180 degree turn , i found them no problem at all just one step at a time and slowly ,
  • kim02048
    kim02048 Schumacher13

    Posted

    Maybe not straight away. I was taught one step after a couple of days but that was only like a step that is as high as the step you use in aerobics. I managed that ok but if you have to go upstairs to your bedroom that maybe a bit different.  I was asked that question when I went to pre-admission clinic by the occupational and physiotherapist. Don't know what is is like in UK, i'm from Sydney but would imagine it would be the same.  Good luck.
    • debbie02705
      debbie02705 kim02048

      Posted

      hi kim , things must be a little different in the uk as were not allowed home till you have done a full set of stairs , im now 12 weeks post op and have two sets of stairs of which ive done every day since up and down , were got up the same day and are expected to walk to the bathroom on day two , find it interesting to see how other places do the same op and how the recovery takes place

       

    • kim02048
      kim02048 debbie02705

      Posted

      Hi Debbie, I must confess now I think about it apart from the little step I did have to go up and down about 4 steps in the physio.  I was  also out of bed next day and walking with a  high frame, again expected to go to the bathroom but I didn't mind that as I'm not one to use a pan so that was ok by me. It also enabled me to get out of the room when I had visitors. i had a set back in hospital as the wound wasn't healing as it should, it was still leaking. I had this dressing called a Pico that had a transmitter attached to it. It was supposed to encourange the healing from the inside ???  I didn't have a drain as such. But with the wound not healing and closing it made my physio a bit behind as I had to keep the leg straight.  I had to go back in for a couple of days to enable it heal. Apart from the tightness and still a bit of swelling and the hot feeling I'm doing ok, still just the nights are uncomfortable but thats manageable. I'm hoping to start hydrotherapy soon. They say ( whoever "they" are) say that is very good. So I will keep doing waht I'm supposed to do and wait and see.  Cheers smile
    • debbie02705
      debbie02705 kim02048

      Posted

      that sounds good to me ,i had crutches the next day , was given a frame and only did about 5 meters with iy then my crutches all the time , i found sleeping on my back was best with a pillow under my knees . as for the hydrotherapy well thats great ,i did 6 weeks before  i had my knee done , was swimming up to 2 miles a day,now ive just got up to a mile a day so just taking time to pick up before the other knee , cant say im pain free but i do think when thats done i will get back to normal as my good knee is now helping the bad one and causing pain in both or so they say , enjoy the water its really nice .x

       

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