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Partial knee replacement this week, 3 kids and 3 horses 😢

Posted , 8 users are following.

rhianlewis79
rhianlewis79

Hi, I'm finally having PKR this Friday after 18 months on the waiting list and 8 other surgeries since my teens.

I'm relatively young for this op and have 3 children and 3 horses to run around after. My husband is also working abroad. My question is, realistically, how long am I going to be off my feet? I'm starting to panic as stories from friends have ranged from 3 weeks to 6 months !!

I'm also waiting for the second knee to be done. Thanks

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • april99094
    april99094 rhianlewis79

    Posted

    Hello knee friend the doctors usually have you walking right away, but you will have crutches at first. You will recovering for several months, it is a long rehab and lots of physical therapy
  • debbie72922
    debbie72922 rhianlewis79

    Posted

    Hi ! Had my partial knee done 8 months ago . Went back to work at 4 weeks . Still had swelling and pain issues . Iced as often as I could . I turned corner around 8 weeks . Just have to ice as often as you can and rest if you over do it . It takes time and everyone is different. Some say partial is easier recovery some don't . In my case and based on what I've read here I did well . Also helps if your not overweight, drink lots of water and eat healthy .

    Best thing I did was have it done as I'm like new person. Hope it lasts . All the best !

    Debbie

  • tina63800
    tina63800 rhianlewis79

    Posted

    Hi Rhianlewis, I had mine 8 months ago. I'm still having issues.pain and swelling. You should be up and moving right away. Physical therapy is a key part of your surgery. It's important to do it. If it hurts and your crying in pain then you are over doing it. Physical therapy isn't supposed to hurt too bad. Also keeping it elevated above your heart and icing helps so much with pain. Do your physical therapy even while laying in bed to help with circulation. You might feel like you can't pick that leg up? Use a belt to help pick it up and work on those strengthening exercises. Make sure to stay on top of pain medicine and don't let that get I it of control. Set a alarm clock or make sure someone wakes you up. Do exactly what the Dr's tell you. I hope your kids can help with chores and help you out? You don't need to be catering to everyone. I used a ice machine. Which helped alot and so did the tens unit. It helps with waking them nerves up and keeps swelling down. Swelling makes the leg just worse. Good luck with surgery and keep us updated. Tina.

  • John5006
    John5006 rhianlewis79

    Posted

    Hi Rhian,

    ?I had a partial knee replacement, right knee, medial compartment done on 6 Nov 2015. My surgeon required me to get at least a 90 degree bend in my knee in the three days I was in hospital. Total pain control is the only way to achieve this and indeed for at least 4 weeks after going home too. If you are given crutches - use them to get around. Plan your exercise programme to fill your every waking hour. I was 71 when I had mine done, I was back driving my car and going about life without crutches at 8 weeks (given the christmas of 2015 I might have been back to normal at 6 to 7 weeks but not much earlier than 8 weeks really), and back at work driving a bus at 11 weeks.

    ?Forget about horses .... and kids too (depending on their age) , forget about domestic chores just simply focus on exercises, exercises etc etc and pain control. But remember we are all different in the way we deal with pain and surgery so you maybe lucky and have a miracle recovery .... but remember even with a partial you are going to undergo the nearest thing to butchery - even with youth on your side. If you are in Britain your local NHS will conduct a pre op assessment and you'll be equipped with information on exercises but you can supplement this by going to Youtube and checking out exercises after a partial knee replacement.

    ?My timeline was 6 Nov surgery, start exercise by late afternoon and walking around on crutches by early evening. Home on 9 Nov with a 90 degree bend and a fairly straight leg. 19 Nov dressing removed, 24 Nov a PT review at hospital and 29 Dec surgeons review, off crutches and back to car driving. Back at work 26 January 2016.

    After dressing was removed I got my sports injury massage therapist to work on the incision line and do deep massage - the purpose of this is to prevent scar tissue forming.she did it weekly and showed me what to do at home in between visits. Essential - if scar tissue forms you will have an incredibly difficult job in doing your exercises and getting your bend and flexion.

    ?My stitches were not as such but the incision was stapled together with disolvable staples, so over time the incision mark healed and the staples disolved.

    ?If you are in UK you'll find about 8 weeks is the legal minimum in which your insurers will cover you in the event of an accident. You will need to do an emergency stop without pain. I don't mean tapping the brakes in a parking lot but driving along at 30 mph, imagining a child run out from between a row of parked cars and hitting the brakes and coming to a controlled stop. even with youth on your side I don't reckon you'll do this in less than  6 to 8 weeks. And of course the longer you are on pain meds the worse you'll be as far as driving alertness is concerned. Certainly the critical time will be the first 4 weeks.

    I support all the others have said, and Tina has come up with good stuff.

    Good luck, may the force be with you.

    John

    • rhianlewis79
      rhianlewis79 John5006

      Posted

      Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply. Your advice is very helpful. Unfortunately John, I'm only 37, so my children are still very young and completely dependent upon me. However, I suppose that in these circumstances they will have to do a lot more for themselves than this Welsh mother is used to !

      I also drive as part of my job, so I suppose that my hope of returning to work within a month has probably been somewhat unrealistic.

    • John5006
      John5006 rhianlewis79

      Posted

      Hi Rhian,

      ?Am so sorry that you have this ahead of you with children so young. I just hope your youth will enable you to achieve a more speedy recovery than this old git did.

      ?That said, I am pretty fit and I thought I'd get back on form quicker than I did, even so now I am living in the real world I think I did very well.

      ?On the matter of driving - do discuss this with your surgeon, because if he is like mine he'll be the one that has to sign off that you are fit to drive.Just be careful in this legalistic world we live in.

      ?When I went back to work driving buses my employers had me on a gradual and phased return for a three week probationary period, the first three days driving with another bus driver with me. Then three days on my own for half a day only, then two weeks driving on my own full shifts of 10 hours. It will depend on your contract of employment etc. etc. and whether or not your driving part of your job is in a company vehicle or your own private one. But you may need to disclose your surgery in order that you maintain proper insurance cover. Failure to do so can invalidate your insurance or your employers insurance as the case may be.

      ?when its over you need to focus on your exercises, getting the knee to bend and getting the whole leg straight. Its a gradual process - how do you know you are there - well you should be able to get your operated leg to do whatever your good leg can do - thats the target. Problem is, how one gets there and how quick depends very much on each individual as we all heal differently.

      Good luck,

      John

    • pyesangel
      pyesangel rhianlewis79

      Posted

      Driving after only a month...not likely. Maybe after 6 to 8 weeks. good luck!! You will need help with house works, kids, etc. This is not a fun surgery, NOT a marathon, but a slow steady recovery. Again, good luck. 
  • stinger17
    stinger17 rhianlewis79

    Posted

    Hi there i had mine last week i wasin for about 3 nights and i am home now . It will be painful at first but as with every thing time heals .Generally you will be on crutches for two weeks but full weight bearing ,be able to drive after 4 to 6 weeks

    Avoid any impact on the knees such as running or jumping for 6 months at least ,

    You will know you self when you try to mount the horse if you can do it or not .

    If it is the stiffness that holds you back that maybe one thing because you can push through the pain. I had a hemicap fitted in may of last year and i was in a bad place with the recovery but since i got the pkr last week i can feel a real differance

    Good luck

    everything will go well

    Remember slow and steady

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