Knee Replacements

Laura, I've not had a hip replacement, but I did have both my knees replaced on the same day. I don't know that having them done at the same time made it any more difficult or not - I think having one at a time would have left a great deal of strain on an already crumbling knee. I was 50 when it was done, and it's now 20 months later. My aunt has had both and it does seem like the knee was a quicker recovery. But you seem like a fighter and one determined to do the work, which will help. At 6 months I was using a cane and able to manuever stairs. I was in India working and navigated the trains for a 4-hour ride to visit friends in Delhi. There was still considerable swelling, actually, nearly a year later I was still known for putting ice packs on it.

The pain is real and it's constant. Sleep is seriously reduced because of it. Somewhere by the third week, I could feel it decreasing and sleep was getting easier at night, but it was still some time down the road before it was good.

Mo

Sorry to have to tell you but yes it is more painful and recovery is longer. Some of course are better than others and you are young so probably stronger than most.The key thing I think I picked up on is to get things like thighs and upper body strength as strong as you can.hopefully unlike me you are able to have anti inflammatory meds and the spinal meds whilst under.

I wish you well C

Hi. Think you'll get the gist of the way this thread is going!! I had Hip replacement 8 years ago, recovery fairly quick. Apart from 2 dislocations at 4 and 6 month, OMG the pain!! I never even knew I could scream!!!

Had knee replaced ten weeks ago and I'm nowhere near recovered. I cried with pain, frustration and despondency every day for 3 weeks. At night I couldn't get comfortable, couldn't stand even the weight of the duvet on my foot as it would just tip it one side or another and that would pass right up to the knee. But, at 4 weeks I just started to turn the corner. You have to do a huge amount of work to rehab yourself. But, it does get better. I see improvements every single day.

I wish someone had told me the truth about the knee replacement before I'd had it done, not to put me off but to prepare myself, as I immediately equated the intense pain with the fact that something had gone terribly wrong.

Best wishes to you in your journey.

Thanks for all your help still teally scared but l an brave thats one thing with what l jave been through all my life l am used to hospitals but l was in total agony the days after my thr's l just could not imagine anything being worse pain as l was crying in agony and hyperventilating until they gsve me a morphine shot. And l was on morphine tablets. I still take tramadol and codine hust now and 1 oxy if needed. I feel exausted being in pain snd knowing there is worse to come pits the fear of death in me. I need to be there for my mum too which is worrying xx

Tkr is nothing like hip replacement. The pain and the recovery time is a lot longer. But the pain killers,icing, pt,and elevating are a help. Just don't get discouraged and compare it to your hips.it's a whole new ball park. A good year before everything is back to normal.

@lors23. I had a BTKR in October and spent 3 nights in the hospital. They wouldn't let me go home because my house has all the bedrooms and full bathrooms on the second floor. I was sent to a rehab facility for 8 days where I had physical therapy for 4 hours every day. After I got home I went to out patient PT for 2 hours a day 3 days a week for about 6-8 weeks. The PT would have only been 1 hour if it was 1 knee.

I scheduled my pain meds and followed my schedule to keep ahead of the pain so I didn't find the pain to get all that bad. If you let the schedule get away from you, then you'll be really hurting. If the meds say every 4 hours, you need to set your alarm or watch the clock. If the meds don't work, you need to call your surgeon and ask for different meds. My surgeon ended up giving me a fentanyl patch that worked wonders and I even asked him to wean me off 2 weeks early. 

I would advise you to maintain or increase your upper body strength prior to surgery. I wish I had before my surgery just to make it easier to move around. I have a hip replacement coming up in September and I'm doing a lot of circuit training and even some Silver Sneakers (even though it hurts) to build up my muscles.

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