Bilateral TKR Pams Mar 16, 2020 bilateral TKR

[pamsknees]

Sitting here in surgical waiting area, stomach churning, waiting to go back. See y’all on the other side!

 

[Jockette]

Best wishes!


I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

​

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

​

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

​

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

 

[bikinglynn]

We'll be waiting to hear from you.

 

[sistersinhim]

Prayers are going up for you!

 

[Sara61]

Looking forward to welcoming you to the otherside hoping all goes well sending virtual hugs xx

 

[Tkdbob]

Give us an update as soon as possible.

 

[pamsknees]

I got to my room sometime in the early afternoon. Very little pain - maybe 3 or 4, no nausea, but pretty lightheaded & very dopey feeling.
I have a breg polar once machine to take home. An ice machine , compression socks & a machine that squeezes my calf area on. Legs feel like lead - no way to lift them at all. PT came by & said they’d come back tomorrow since I’m lightheaded. I have wonderfully kind nurses.

 

[Rubyroo]

Been thinking of you today. Glad things went smoothly.

 

[Tkdbob]

Glad to hear everything is good!

 

[Nelly]

Sounds like everything went well

 

[Celle]

Welcome to recovery, @pamsknees .

Jockette posted our Recovery Guidelines for you, back in Post #2.

 

[bikinglynn]

Glad your surgery went well. Let us know how you are doing.

 

[Jockette]

Also keep in mind:


Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[LD of Michigan]

Look at you!! Both knees done!Try to rest and let the trained staff tend to you.

You deserve it. I loved my nurse! And it sound like you have a good set up for take home things!

 

[pamsknees]

Day 2 - very little pain but pretty dopey & light headed probably from the pain meds. I did get up & go to the bathroom- glad that I lifted weights for the past 6 months to build upper body strength. Tomorrow PT said I will walk a little more. Dozed off & on all day today , did ankle pumps but no other exercises.

 

[bikinglynn]

Oh yes, the bathroom tricep dips. I said the best exercises I did prior to surgery were my upper body ones.

 

[Sara61]

Glad to hear all went well for you, get plenty of rest and look after yourself.
Sending virtual get well hugs to you xx

 

[pamsknees]

The upper body exercises have definitely helped a lot. I go home today - my surgeon said they’re trying to get everyone out of here with the corona virus ..,...had mine done just in time as now all are cancelled! I will just do pt at home as they’re closing the pt facility.

 

[sistersinhim]

You'll do fine without PT. Many of us never took formal PT or did exercises. I am one of them. I had 11 knee surgeries, 2 of them kneecap removals and 1 tkr. Even after those I never took formal PT. But, I didn't just sit around and do nothing. I used my knee as it was intended to be used by walking around to take care of my daily needs. As I healed I was able to do more. Icing and elevation was a huge part of my recovery.

Listen to your knee. It will tell you if you're doing too much by increased pain and swelling. When that happened to me, I found that resting, icing and elevating helped. Your knee knows how to rehab itself without being told what to do.

 

[pamsknees]

Had home health pt today. A lovely lady who said to think of her more as a consultant to give me things to do to make it easier. She doesn’t believe in pushing or pulling but in rest elevation icing & gentle stretching. She will also be checking to see that things look normal since Drs offices are not wanting to see unnecessary patients