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I am a complete mess as I near my surgery on 10/9/17 for a left TKR. Perhaps in part because it is on the heels of my right TKR on 12/5/16. I feel a panic I don't recall ever having felt before. I wonder is this really necessary! I am walking and even practicing restorative yoga. My knee sometimes feels okay and then without warning I'm reminded that it really hurts and is prohibitive. Wondering if anyone has any advice to offer.
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Oldfatguy1 tammy11224
Posted
The usual advice is one of 2 things, and those are sort of polar opposites. The 1st is to think about how fantastic you'll feel and all of the wonderful things you'll be able to do and accomplish and the other is, where is the closest bar and what time does it open. The real truth, IMO, is somewhere in between. Do what you can to get ready. Strengthen the quads with exercises a couple times a day, hydrate your body as much as possible and eat as much as you want, whenever you want but just make sure its as nutritious and tasty. You know you're in for a beating but frankly dwelling on it isn't going to make it either better or easier. Try relaxing as much as possible, living in the now and not the future. Music, books, movies, a good meal in a nice restaurant, short visits with friends and family but whatever you do, stay away from conversations and fixating on the surgery. The last series of surgeries for me were sort of a hop, skip and jump thing. Lab results showed a serious staph infection and they wanted to operate the next day but due to being caregiver for my wife who was in advanced Parkinson's disease, I had to make some arrangements for her so they allowed me 72 hours MAX. The entire process is a 3 or 4 step procedure depending on how you look at it. 1st, they removed the prosthesis, flushed the entire area with antibiotics, inserted a plastic spacer filled with antibiotics , closed the wound, put the leg, hip to ankle in a soft cast, inserted a picc line for twice a day, 8 week antibiotic infusion protocol and in 3 days shipped me out to a rehab center. After 3 weeks I was sent home so I could start caring for my wife again and finishing the 8 weeks of infusion . after 4 months, back to the operating room and reinserting the 3rd prosthesis with a 3 week revisit to the rehab center and then home for a couple weeks home health before outpatient PT. The reason to the long drawn out version of this, I had so little time to think about the future because I was continually trying to survive the present. That may have been the best thing possible for me, I had a very limited time to think about the next step because it was already there. If that was today and the situation with my wife, I would have to put her in an assisted living program and then spend all the time focusing on myself which honestly would probably be worse for both of us. I find just living in the moment much easier than doing a lot of over planning. Just an addendum to the story, my wife's condition has deteriorated considerably since then. Depression, anxiety, dementia and muscle weakness have caused her to become much more fearful and frail. In the past 18 months I have had no more than 4 hours away from her at a time and that just being on 3 different occasions. I am now starting the process of preparing to place her in assisted living on a permanent basis with the 1st of the year being the proposed timetable. The weekend after next will be the 1st step and she will go into a respite program a few blocks from our oldest daughter. The thought of this, the planning and the anticipation is so much harder on me mentally and physically than all that other stuff combined. This is a lesson in what can occur when the brain is allowed to wander and become the most active part of the process. You know in your mind that you'll make it and you also know that dwelling on it is going to make it worse but its so d*** hard not to get caught up in it. As I've tried to say universal different ways, take any escape route possible. You're not a coward because you're running from it, you're a very intelligent person because you know how to handle it. Good luck and as always, you're among friends and fellow survivors right here and well all do what we can to make it better.
Now, order up, its getting close to last call.
tammy11224 Oldfatguy1
Posted
cathyhignite tammy11224
Posted
mary96817 tammy11224
Posted
I too got notice today they are to do my other leg TKR BUT I have had longer in between I had mine done in February but had a major fall hurting the leg they are to do 28 stitches and down to the bone it's still not fully healed and they are suggesting plastic surgery However I go for my pre op assessment in 2 weeks with 1st if November for my op Its sent me in a bit of a spin Then I thought yes it's gonna take over my life # again # but the previous experience will help me get to the other side Ice rest exercises don't push myself too much use my Fitbit and forget about sleep proper sleep for 12 weeks Nap when I can summer of 2018 is going to be my year good luck with your operation ????
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