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Seeking some advice on knee replacement

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Old Blue Fart

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Mar 23, 2014
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I was going to post this on the board I am on daily but read once things like this should be posted here.
I am about to have a total knee replacement in two weeks.
Anyone has any advice besides what I have heard, "do your therapy"?
I run a maintenance company and trying to figure out how long I will be down. It is my right knee. Been told can't drive for 4 weeks.

Questions I need answers for are:
How long should I expect to be down and able to get back to work.
Was told to buy my own ice machine; one called Kit Cold Rush. Machine is said to keep cold for up to 6hrs.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
At least I don't have to worry about the late games this year in the NCAA.
Thanks everyone
OldBlueFart
 
rick64

rick64

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Make sure you don’t have any allergies to the material the knee is made of. My wife’s sister was allergic and had to wait an entire year to get a second surgery to replace the original one, not to mention all the discomfort.
 
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Rebelfreedomeagle

Rebelfreedomeagle

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The main reason for not driving is because of the pain meds. When you switch to Ibuprofen, you'll be ok. I was at three weeks. You'll be on opiates for a while so get fiber supplement, start it a week before surgery, and keep colace on hand. You don't need anything to make your discomfort worse.

Take the pain meds like they tell you to and it will help the PT.

The ice machine is great. I had one and used frozen water bottles, rotating sets as needed.

There's a reason people keep saying to do the therapy and it's more complicated than you think. People want to tell you that it's going to be fine, etc, but the truth is that you're going to have some bad days. Some days are better than others and it doesn't matter because you have to do it. You'll wake up hurting more than the day before but your PT guy is going to tell you to take a deep breath and you better think of a happy place real quick. The alternative is worse so just suck it up.

Do not get in a big hurry to get back to normal because spending too much time on it will make it swell and it's hard to get it back down.

It's worth it all, keep that in mind at all times. You'll be glad you did it.
 
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gobigblue812_rivals29381

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In the beginning, take the pain meds to stay ahead of the pain. If you don't, you'll regret it. Also, take your pain meds prior to PT/OT.
 
55wildcat

55wildcat

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Oldbluefart said:
I was going to post this on the board I am on daily but read once things like this should be posted here.
I am about to have a total knee replacement in two weeks.
Anyone has any advice besides what I have heard, "do your therapy"?
I run a maintenance company and trying to figure out how long I will be down. It is my right knee. Been told can't drive for 4 weeks.

Questions I need answers for are:
How long should I expect to be down and able to get back to work.
Was told to buy my own ice machine; one called Kit Cold Rush. Machine is said to keep cold for up to 6hrs.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
At least I don't have to worry about the late games this year in the NCAA.
Thanks everyone
OldBlueFart
Click to expand...

I had knee replacement several years back (in my fifties) ..MAIN THING IS DO THE THERAPY.. If you don't do the bends they will for ya and in some cases hook ya up to a machine that will bend it. You don't really want that..If ya can't handle the pain take your pain pill bout 45 minutes prior to therapy. Ice packs will be your best friend for several monthes. My knee bend within the first two weeks was 132 degrees. They expect around 118 so my doctor told me. The more ya move around and do the therapy the faster it goes. If I had it to do over I would do it again in a heartbeat. Good luck!
 
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Ahnan E. Muss

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rick64 said:
Make sure you don’t have any allergies to the material the knee is made of. My wife’s sister was allergic and had to wait an entire year to get a second surgery to replace the original one, not to mention all the discomfort.
Click to expand...

How can a person find out ahead of time if they are going to have a reaction to the materials?
 
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Ahnan E. Muss

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Rebelfreedomeagle said:
The main reason for not driving is because of the pain meds. When you switch to Ibuprofen, you'll be ok. I was at three weeks. You'll be on opiates for a while so get fiber supplement, start it a week before surgery, and keep colace on hand. You don't need anything to make your discomfort worse.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion that is often overlooked - but Miralax can work even better than fiber supplements + colace. Start it a week before surgery. If the full dose is too much, just do 2/3 dose or 1/2 dose each day. It's usually mild and very effective for this type of situation.
 
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Cawood86_rivals

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Good thread. I am looking at knee replacement as well. Good info here.
How long before you can go up and down stairs? Our bedroom is upstairs.
 
parrott

parrott

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A week before you can take a shower and 2-3 weeks before you can climb stairs.

Probably be on a walker for a week or so and then use a cane until you feel comfortable on your balance w/o it.

As stated earlier, do your work and you’ll get back sooner. I was fortunate to have a desk job (IT) and was back to work in 3 weeks but if you’re on your feet for your job, it will be longer.
 
55wildcat

55wildcat

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Cawood86 said:
Good thread. I am looking at knee replacement as well. Good info here.
How long before you can go up and down stairs? Our bedroom is upstairs.
Click to expand...

Therapist walked me up and down stairs the day after surgery, just a two night stay in hospital for me. They get ya up and at em quick and get ya out quick. Most importantly, it hurt like hell after the surgery and during PT. Nothing about this is a breeze, so any of the info I have posted in this thread pertained only to me. Each individual is gonna be different as well as pain tolerance will be different. In the end it will be well worth it.
 
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JDHoss

JDHoss

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Mrs Hoss has had a partial in one (had for 11 years) and a total in the other (3 years). She did great because she was a regular at the gym on the elliptical, even when her knees were terrible. It really help in her recovery time and therapy. Main things (and others have stressed them too)....

* Keep it moving.

* Use the ice machine.

* Take your therapy seriously.

* Do your exercises at home like they tell you and as often as possible.

* DON'T wait until it is killing you to take your meds.
 
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O

Old Blue Fart

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Mar 23, 2014
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Appreciate all the feedback. I should have had this back in November but put it off to get past the holidays and then couldn't get it scheduled till now.
Never seen the kind of pain I am having each day with this. Walking around at the supply house and "bam" the darn knee just gives out.
I usually do not take much medication but I know this is about to change.
Again, I really appreciate you guys taking the time to respond.

I do how ever wonder about my doctor telling me with me being in good shape for my age, all my vitals are great that I will be like a 40 year old after this.
40 again? Damn, I was starting to like these little blue pills. Sort of like steroids for the pecker.
 
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Cawood86_rivals

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55wildcat said:
Therapist walked me up and down stairs the day after surgery, just a two night stay in hospital for me. They get ya up and at em quick and get ya out quick. Most importantly, it hurt like hell after the surgery and during PT. Nothing about this is a breeze, so any of the info I have posted in this thread pertained only to me. Each individual is gonna be different as well as pain tolerance will be different. In the end it will be well worth it.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I need one, just keep putting it off.
 
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Free_Salato_Blue

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Choose your surgeon wisely.
 
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mmack44

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See your PT and get leg exercises before you go in. I started 6 weeks before the operation. Back on the golf course in 7 weeks. DO YOUR PT!
 
Deeeefense

Deeeefense

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I tore a meniscus about 3 years ago playing tennis. Thought I might need a total knee replacement but I opted for extensive PT and took the stem cell procedure from Regenexx. After the initial recovery period of abut 3 months the knee pain subsided over time. I'm 2 years out now and have about a 70% reduction in pain. I play doubles tennis, can walk and run in short bursts without much pain but can't run for any distance at all. The treatment regenerated enough cartridge for me to avoid knee replacement for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if I eventually get one.
 
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BlueRaider22

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1. Everyone has different roads of recovery. Some smooth, some rocky. In general almost everyone ends up great 6-12 months after surgery.

2. Some people have little trouble with swelling, some have swelling up to 6 months after surgery.....it’s ok. Just manage it and move on.

3. Stiffness is the #1 complaint. Long lunch, car ride, etc.....it’ll feel really stiff. Keep it moving. This can last 6-12 months....but doesn’t always have to.

4. PT doesn’t end after they discharge you. You have about a 6 mo window....more or less.....to get back whatever range you can. After which you’re pretty much stuck with what you’ve got. I’ve seen many who quit doing their exercises after they’re released from PT only to lose 10-20 degrees of motion.

5. Pain “should” be the worst the first wk after surgery. Most of my patients get off meds by wk 2. Most don’t complain of a lot of pain after......mostly stiffness.

6. It hurts to do the exercises......but hurts more if you don’t do them. Extension is the most important early. Get it back soon, get walking as perfectly as you can, then shift focus more on flexion.

7. You can’t really rush the body to heal much......but you certainly can delay it. So, be careful about pushing too hard.

8. It’s amazing how quickly you lose strength and muscle mass. But don’t do too much strengthening early. Listen to your PT.....they’ll help you. There’s no time limit on strength recovery so you can always get it back later.
 
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