Knee replacement 3 weeks in

Wow Jenny 9 weeks and feeling great you have done brill! If i am anywhere near that i will be so pleased.

Take care.

I'm ten weeks now and it all seems a very long time ago when the first knee was done.  I wouldn't say the knee feels normal - it feels much BETTER than normal!  It feels strong and reliable!   I was only thinking as I was walking along my hall just now that this is how I expected to be at a year after the op.  It's been a remarkable journey right from the start.  I went into hospital feeling positive - well why wouldn't I - it was the beginning of the end of pain in that knee?!!!  And I've been positive ever since.  That knee kept me awake with discomfort for just one night and the other nights that I didn't sleep through were because of the other knee!  My journey for the other knee starts Monday, for pre-op and I'd run all the way there if I could LOL!  The strange thing that I haven't fathomed out, is that before the first knee was done I was always tired.  All day, every day, but when I came home, maybe because I was resting all day, I wasn't tired!  I never slept during the day at all and felt better than I had before the op.  I wonder if it was just the rest.  I still don't do a lot.  I do exercise on the bike and treadmill every day and go shopping and sometimes we go for a walk, but because of the other knee husband is still doing vacuuming through every day, so maybe when the other knee is done and I can take over that I might get more tired!  I just want to encourage those going for a knee op that it can be a very positive time in your life! 

My knee doesn't feel normal, but I do! I meant in myself...but yes, indeed, as you say, the new knee

Is better than normal. !

I am still needing to rest a lot...And tired easily too. But I feel happier in myself than I have done for years.

Such a relief to have had knee treated. I think the time before getting it

Done is stressful. Anxious and depressing. I wonder if after surgery

As well as the recovery from operation, if there is also a great relief

And letting go of stress? For myself, I think this is true.

Yes for me it was waking up the next morning WITHOUT the awful pain!

To be able to get up from a chair without pain! (in one knee anyway!)

To not hear the grinding of bone on bone! (In one knee!)

I wouldn't think twice if offered the other operation tomorrow! (Wishful thinking)

Marilyn

XX

Yes, I knew what you meant:-))))

It's funny - I was VERY stressed before the op.  Not worried about the op itself but was stressing out about all sorts of things, such as how would I wash my hair in hospital and so much trivia, but I wonder if that was my way of dealing with it.  I think you're right - afterwards you can let go of that stress.  I felt SO good when I came out of hospital and continued to feel good, so I reckon you were spot on - it was that relief of having had it done!  My spirits were SO high and that possibly helped me not notice pain too!  You've explained so much there!  It absolutely makes sense!!!!

I thought it was just the morphine at first, but I stopped taking that when I got home

And carried on feeling elated for about five weeks! I wrote my "very patient knee

Replacement story" on my blog and it was a great way to channel the energy. It wasn't physical energy

But mental energy! I've calmed down now, but feel a contented glow

Inside when I think about it! Shame the physical energy hasn't been quite so profuse!

I hope your physical energy catches up soon Jenny:-)))))

😁

Hi Chris, i think your right attitudes are changing my physio said if you push to the point of agony you are setting yourself back by aggravating the knee which causes swelling and pain just do little and often and i think this is really good advice.

Good luck with your pre-op on Monday i hope all goes well and will be interested to hear about your progress.

Take care.

Thanks Lisa:-)  I'm not expecting a problem at the pre-op - it's the same team I saw in January for the first knee that was done 1st March, so I'll be saying 'hi' to the surgeon, and they'll take the usual swabs that they do here (for MRSA) and take bloods and I don't know if they'll repeat ECG checks like last time, or send me to the physio for all the info like last time and the aneasthetist like last time to discuss spinal etc.    It's a wonderful set up where you go from person to person for the whole team to cover everything in one day.  But since I've already done most of it fairly recently it might cut it shorter:-))))  But then within a week or two I should get my date for the op:-)))))

Good luck for Monday Chris!

I'm sure they will do ALL the things they did last time, I had 2 operations (not ortho) within 2 months & the pre op & everything else, swabs, bloods & ECG were all done again. I think it is repeated for insurance purposes!!

In case of any legal claims, dot the Is & cross the Ts!! They always do the MRSA swabs!

I think the NHS is really very diligent!!

Marilyn

XX

Thanks Marilyn, and thanks for the info about everything being repeated:-)))  I know what to expect then LOL!  My lot even swipe your arm to see if you're allergic to two products they use to disinfect the areas, so they do their best:-)))  I'm actually looking forward to going back to the hospital to see it again - it feels like an old friend!  And of course, it's one step closer to the op!

Mine didn't swan the arm though, everything else! Just lucky I'm not allergic I guess!!

XX

I wonder if many get swabbed to see if they're allergic to any of the 'stuff' used????????

I wonder how many are, after there are an awful lot who have differing metal allergies!!

Marilyn

XX

I was asked if I was allergic to anything.  Was everyone else?

They asked about Iodine before they inserted the IV. They asked about latex before the nurse put on her gloves to do the IV.

In pre-op they asked about any allergies to medications.

Nobody asked me about any allergies to METAL!

I wonder how anyone would even KNOW if they were allergic to a metal IMPLANT...

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

That went through my mind Cheryl - some people are allergic to some metal jewellery, and I wasn't even told what the implant was made of before the op - that bit was after LOL!

I STILL don't know what mine is made from. I guess my body is liking it OK! I DID take my temperature every few hours for the first couple months or so to check if I MIGHT have any infection or reaction!

LOL!  I never even thought of that LOL!

I did A LOT of reading when I was awake at night recovering -- particularly with my first TKR.

On this site there were a number of people who had experienced infection with the operation. It sounded just AWFUL, so I checked my temperature OFTEN for a long time. Fortunately I did not get an infection!😄

I'm sure if I'd read about it like that then I'd have been neurotic about it too!!!!  I did read something the other day to help surgeons reduce the risk of infection and that was interesting - it included keeping movement in theatre as minimal as possible so air wasn't stirred about!  I must admit though, infection was my worry because some years back I met a man in hospital who said he had to get back to his wife because she was bed bound after she'd lost a leg after a knee replacement got infected.  He said she'd then had the choice of having it straight for a while or amputated and she'd gone for amputation!  That frightened the life out of me, but years later I realised she'd had it done at just about the worst hospital in our area - known for problems, and also having it left straight wouldn't have been permanent.  And, the fact that she was bed bound - there had to be serious other problems there, so I stopped worrying.  I did check my hospital for revision numbers and stuff like that and it all seemed very successful:-))))   But I might just find the thermometer before the next one is done LOL!

I spoke to several of our patients who'd had TKR & out of I think there were 10 of them, 2 had bilaterals, & only 1 had problems & was complaining about the procedure!! Not a proper survey I know but by straw poll, good odds!

Who knows, I checked my surgeon & the hospital on the NHS website & reports were all good, you can do no more! In fact it seems my guy only does knees, as there was no record for hips etc. Also he has no record for operations at any other hospital. He always looks, in my opinion, like a professor!! Apart from when in theatre wearing scrubs!! Lol

Marilyn

XX

Mine is a knee specialist too.  His record was excellent, so very encouraging.  But I'd already been recommended to use this hospital by loads of people over the years, so that was a good start too. 

I hope no-one has been affected by the hacking into computer problem that's going on at the moment?  There is a list of hospitals affected online somewhere.

Yeah our hospital is affected!

The nearest Orthopaedic hospital to us is the Royal Orthopaedic in Stanmore but it never came up on Choose & Book. So went for the nearest & soonest appt!

Marilyn

XX

I wondered if it was Marilyn!  I hope it doesn't delay anything!  It's just an awful, dreadful situation affecting those in despair needing operations etc.  I don't know how much money this is going to cost the NHS too, to try and get records of everyone where they've been blocked.  I just can't imagine how they're going to put this right.