I am thinking about knee replacement and want to talk to people who have had it done. I want to know the goods and the bads of having it done. Please tell me very straight forword about the ups and downs.
I am 50 years old, slightly overweight, active before knee pain and limited mobility for 3 months. I just had right knee total replacement on 3/13/07. The same day as the surgery they had me up walking and moving the knee as much as possible. I had a 4 inch cut to the left side of the knee cap (minimal invasive). I actually wanted to walk more than they would let me since my muscles were spasming while I laid in bed for so long. I had a polar unit that would send cold icy water around the knee area to help with the swelling - I still use it occasionally. A machine was attached to my leg which would bend the knee for me - very slowly, and I could control to what degree the bend would go. I loved that machine and I wish they would have put it on my leg more often and let me take it home. The more my knee sits while I sleep, the stiffer it would get. The doctor was going to send me home the day after surgery, but I requested an extra day so I would have more access to the machine and I wanted to be more sure of my mobility. In order to get up and around I would have to use my left foot to lift my right leg - it was like my muscles in that leg were paralyzed for about 4 days. It was a great feeling when the muscles started working again but I still needed to use my left foot to lift and lower my right foot to the floor. Definitely get a tall toilet seat so you don't have to bend your knee too far to sit down. When you are wobbly and can't control how fast you sit down, it is easy to hurt your knee sitting down by bending it too fast. I would love to have had a toilet seat nearer to my bed than the bathroom. While in the hospital and on a ******** machine,the pain was not very noticeable. After returning home and with only ****** and baby ******* for pain, the pain was extreme and the swelling was one of my biggest problems. I requested and received an anti-inflammatory from my surgeon which helped about 25%. I had in-home physical therapy 3 times a week for 2 weeks and I really dreaded her visits but she helped me so much. When I couldn't lift my right leg, she had me do some exercises that hurt within my knee a lot but had me able to do straight leg lifts with 7 days of the surgery - but only about 2 while she was there. The pain within the knee was the worst I've ever felt and I've had some bad pain from neck and back injuries and surgeries. She helped me push myself through the pain and it was worth it in the end but I really wish I had had a stronger pain medicine - I think my recovery would have been faster. Now I find the more I walk on my knee the better it feels (8 weeks later). I still attend therapy 2 times a week to ride a reclined bicycle that I ride for 5 minutes with my leg as straight as possible and them every 2 minutes after, I slide the seat further forward until I'm riding with my knee as bent as possible. I put the bike in my living room next to the recliner and it simply looks like another chair for watching tv. I lift 4 pounds of weight using the straight leg lifts from front, back, and side - these I did before the surgery and it helped a lot when my muscles started working again and I had to use the restroom. I still have periods of extreme pain but that is usually when I am sleeping and my leg has been sitting in one position for a long time. I still can't find a comfortable position for my knee to get a good night's sleep since I can't lay on my back due to back injuries. Each day the pain lessens, icing helps a lot, and actually the more I move it the better it feels. I start going for 20-30 minute walks next week. I hope this helps somewhat and if you have any more questions feel free to email me at *******************, but make sure you address the subject as knee replacment so I know it's not an advertisement. I strongly recommend these medical items prior to surgery so you have them afterwards: Walker (2 weeks), Crutches (4 days), Cane (2 weeks), Bedside toilet with elevated toilet seat (1-2 weeks), Elevated toilet seat for bathroom toilet, Shower chair, Stretchable shower head, Polar unit (if the hospital doesn't give you one), leg weights with removable weight bags to change weight amount, and pain meds. With the polar unit, you simply fill it with ice and water and plug it in. It circulates cold water around your swollen knee and helps tremendously. I found that if I froze the water in small containers that were about 4x4x2, and then added ice cubes and water, the water would stay colder for almost 4 hours longer than with ice cubes and water. I am glad that I got the knee - after just 2 months, I can feel the stability, I only have the pain occasionally, and the more I use it, the better I feel instead of the opposite. Each day I feel better. I was disappointed in the recovery time - I guess I thought that it would be like recovering from arthroscopy since I would be walking on it right away. It takes hard work, but it is worth it and they now tell me that the norm for recovery back to normal and without pain and swelling is about 6 months. That's not so bad considering it took me 3 months of pain and mobility problems to finally get my surgery. I think it is worthwhile and since I don't run, jump, or kick things - my new knee should last me longer than the estimated 10 years that my surgeon gave me. Good luck and if your in pain now, it won't be much better right after the surgery, but will get better as the knee heals. I don't know how people can do both knees at the same time though - since it was so hard to get my muscles to start "firing" up and working after. Amazing what the human body and spirit can overcome!!
Thanks for your very thoughtful post. The message board terms of use do state that they cannot be used for actual medical or healthcare advice. We also do not allow the exchange of email addresses on the boards--this would allow anyone on the site (member or not) to see your email address. Eventually we will enable members of the site to email each other privately, but posting the full email address on the boards is not allowed.
I just wanted to let you know why some parts of your message were "starred" out. Thanks so much for coming to the site and sharing all your thoughts!
Hi, I just wanted to let you know a little how it feels from a caregivers perspective. My mother has severe OA in her left knee. She is bone-on-bone and her doctor recommended she have knee replacement surgery 10 years ago. She did not want to have surgery because she did not want to be a burden to anyone.
My mother is now 84 and her muscle strength has deteriorated to where she cannot have the surgery. Because of the OA she is house bound and I am now her main caregiver. Other than her mobility issues because of her knee, she is in fairly good health for her age. Her choice not to have knee surgery now means that I have to do all her cleaning, errand running, and take care of her transportation needs. I am a full-time working professional and, even though I don't want to think of it this way, her decision has decreased my quality of life greatly.
Because of the risk of her falling, my husband and I cannot go on trips overnight without having someone who can stay with her or monitor her. I love her deeply but am stuck. I cannot take overnight trips or vacations with my husband. Hiring caregivers for her is too expensive and I have no relatives who will help out. If she would have had knee replacement when her doctor recommended it, I would not be in this situation. It is hard not to feel resentful as I did not choose this.
When making your decision about knee replacement, you should definitely consider all the facts. Best wishes with your decision and your surgery should decide to move forward.
-
+
