Knee Replacement Surgery - Anyone?
- Thread starter mezz
- Start date
jakester23
Member
Mezz, had my replaced 2-28-22. Getting ready to leave for rehab in a few minutes. I should have done my at least 10 yrs ago. My doctor was Dr. John Daniels out of Huntley IL. One of the best. My 1st big knee surgery was in the 70's playing footbal in H.S. Had seven more surgeries on the same knee over the years. I can say that there was 3 days of pretty good pain. Took the pain pills has he suggested. I found sleeping on my back with both legs elevated was the best for comfort, but took awhile cause I normally don't sleep on my back. My knee was bone on bone for along time and the job I had running a good size Heidelberg printing press for over 45yrs took it's toll. Up and down ,Kneeling working on concrete floor all added up, not to mention that I still played sports into my 50's. I have to admit I was a little skeptical with the whole thing ,but it is getting better and stronger everyday. I have played golf twice and took it easy, but I played. I will have left one done in the next year. Good luck, I believe you will be fine. Jake
mezz
Well-known member
Thank you Jake. I can't tell you how much this means to me. My L knee has been bone on bone for some time, it's to the point of being disturbing with the bones clunking together when I walk, as such, that has been limited use. Thank you again for your words of encouragement.
jakester23
Member
Mezz, I had to cut my last post a little short. I've been on John's website since he lived in Lake Linden, with just his dogs. I've seen alot of your post's over the years and I have to believe you will be fine. I just got back from therapy and I can bend my knee to 118 degees without help. A little more with a nudge from my therepy person. I was able to walk around my house without a walker 3 days after surgery. It's a simple raised ranch so I was worried about going up and down the stairs but I mananged it o.k. I didn't drive until my 2nd week, but that was about a 25mile drive to Dr's office to get the staples out. I was alittle uncomfortable because it was the right knee ,but I made it. I had people to help ,but I didn't want to be a bother. All I can say is you are the one in charge and you will have to work your butt off, but everyday gets better and better.I haven't reach the point when I say I should have done it years ago,but I'm very close. You will be fine ,keep everyone posted. I hope the website keeps working!!
mezz
Well-known member
Thank you again, greatly appreciate the shared first hand experience as well as the encouragement from everyone. I will keep updating as I can, hopefully by the time I'm over the surgery the discussion board will be consistently available. Yesterday it was available the longest in over a month, by afternoon it was done & done through the evening. I've been on here a long time as well, it has become a part of my day since. I'm not a book of faces guy, twitter etc.... this is the extent of my social media & it has grown on me as well as it has for many others. I certainly hope a permanent fix is near. Thanks again for the additional input Jake.
I have had both knees replaced, not at the same time tho. I am not a expert, everyone is different. Best advise I got before surgery and proved to be good advise was to get in both legs in shape BEFORE surgery. I asked Dr. what therapy exercises would be after surgery and did as many as I could before surgery, and did excercise for both legs, even though I had only one knee done at time. I have never regretted getting surgery done. i had knee done in late July, riding in December.
(I have avoided the opiate based pain killers as much as I can, side effects were worse than the pain that was supposed to be addressed).
(I have avoided the opiate based pain killers as much as I can, side effects were worse than the pain that was supposed to be addressed).
mezz
Well-known member
Good advise & good information. I am not a fan of the opiate pain killers either, I don't like being in a fog, but, I can't take anything more than Arthritis Strength Tylenol. We'll have to see what the level of pain will be afterward, hopefully I can manage it with minimal pain meds. I was provided information on the excersises & am going to start to with them prior. The surgery is in 9 day's so, what I can get in that time frame can't hurt. I am taking this one at a time as well. Hopefully I can get them both done by summers end, we'll see how it goes. Thank you much.
I'm positive you will do just fine........rehab will be healing pain and gain, instead of pain from years of use and abuse of the knee.
with how dedicated you are to your clients, remember you are the client this time...........have patience with the patient, but not too much....
m8man
with how dedicated you are to your clients, remember you are the client this time...........have patience with the patient, but not too much....
m8man
mezz
Well-known member
Thanks bud. I'm trying my best to be patient, right now, a lot of anxiety, but I know this too shall pass. Pre-op physical today, so, trip #3 to Marquette, at least the weather is decent.
Mezz, I am 68 yrs old and had partial knee replacements 5 yrs ago--both knees 3 weeks apart. With partials they keep your ligaments and you retain slightly more natural knee movement. A good orthopedic will tell you if you qualify for partials. More docs do the full replacements and the partials are not as common. Basically they replace the cartilage with delrin and titanium wear surfaces. They cut pockets in the bones to accommodate the inserts. There is some surgical skill needed to get the alignment correct and now they are doing this robotically but mine were not done this way. My doc in Grand Rapids, Mi only does knees and shoulders and he was outstanding. In the left knee I 1st needed ACL replacement surgery before the knee replacement --same doc did this. I was riding a bicycle in a week after the replacements. Range of motion is better with partials. I had mine done in the summer and was easily snowmobiling the 1st season. I boondock so I am never sitting. Partials are done as outpatient and I never stayed a night in the hospital. I am retired but I still do allot of building and up and down ladders, roofs and all that--no problem. I think I took 3 of the opium based pain pills total for both knee surgeries. just got back from Grand Canyon and did a 14 mile hike one day and many more hikes in the 5-8 mile range.
Before surgery, my knees would give out carrying a chainsaw 100yards into the woods. If I had it all to do over I wouldn't have waited so long. I went through all the cortisone shots, gel injections, anti inflammatory meds and all that before doing the surgery. Maybe in 10 years the stem cell injections will be perfected, not many places do those but I have a cousin who had them in his knee and he says it was successful. I will note--I am 10,000 times as active as he is! Good Luck
Before surgery, my knees would give out carrying a chainsaw 100yards into the woods. If I had it all to do over I wouldn't have waited so long. I went through all the cortisone shots, gel injections, anti inflammatory meds and all that before doing the surgery. Maybe in 10 years the stem cell injections will be perfected, not many places do those but I have a cousin who had them in his knee and he says it was successful. I will note--I am 10,000 times as active as he is! Good Luck
mezz
Well-known member
uperjim, excellent information. Your "partial" replacements sound exactly like the replacement procedure I am having done except this is called a "full" replacement. My surgical consult was exactly the procedure you explained & also done on an outpatient basis. They have you up & walking with assistance after the anesthesia has worn off, then they send you home & onto physical therapy. I am looking forward to gaining the mobility back in my life, it has been hampered for quite a while beginning with back issues which has now been mostly resolved with surgery last year but compounded & extended with the overlapping knee issues. Thank you for your input, it is greatly appreciated.
Mezz--an interesting note to my comment about riding a bike 1 week after replacement. Had a nurse/ PT person coming to the house every couple days after the surgery. When she found out I was riding a bike she had a fit--apparantly I "misunderstood" the docs instructions. The doc had a good laugh over it and said that the reason they tell you NOT to ride a bike is that they don't want you falling assuming you are on the hi strength pain meds, he said as far as the knee goes it was the best thing I could do as it improves the degrees of rotation which is one of the important PT benchmarks.
Again good luck---my cabin is in the Eastern UP and most of the locals go to Marquette for their medical stuff and I have heard nothing but good about the care available there.
Again good luck---my cabin is in the Eastern UP and most of the locals go to Marquette for their medical stuff and I have heard nothing but good about the care available there.
mezz
Well-known member
Surgery went well, I was in at 11:30 a.m & out at 2 p.m. The knee ached for a short time after, but tolerable. The pain medication does help to keep it at a better level. I am able to gingerly walk about the house without the assistance of the walker this morning. I feel better than I expected, but am cautious going forward. Taking it easy with elevation & ice is the plan along with moving a bit more each day. Physical Therapy begins on Tuesday & I plan to follow that the best I can as I am looking forward to full recovery, then perhaps onto the next knee this summer. Thank you again to all for your input & kind words, it has helped me with this process.
Glad to hear that it went well mezz. If you keep it iced you will find P/T a lot more tolerable. When I went through it I got an ice machine wrap and I looked forward to using it several times a day. It helped and I recommend renting one. I think it was a couple of hundred for about 4 weeks. Well worth what insurance would not cover. Good luck on the rehab. You will see results and more mobility and less pain every day. Let me know about your ability to sleep. I hope you dont have the problems that I had.
mezz
Well-known member
I realize that this is very early to say, but, last night I slept better than I have in the last 3 weeks, primarily driven by my anxiety about this. I think now I have passed the procedure portion that has had a lot to do with it. I realize going forward there will be more stiffness & discomfort as the secondary nerve block wears off and as I begin to move about as well as do some of the recommended exercises, in fact as I go through the day today I can feel it. I just hope that I'm not causing further insult by not using the walker or a cane. I know that I don't want to over do it, nor do I want to do too little. It's a learning experience.
jakester23
Member
Mezz, glad it went good. Two days after my surgery I had home therapy for a week. Then started therapy 3 days aweek at a bone and joint clinic. I did my last session friday. Monday will be 11 weeks since my surgery . My knee was terrible and should have done it at least 10 yrs sooner.Pain is pretty much gone I have played golf for three weeks now. Ride a cart but walk around greens and tees. I have cut the grass, not a large yard but big enough to give a work out on the knee. I have gone for mile walks with some hills. All good. They are trying to get more bend. I am at 115 to 118 degrees. They would like to get me to 120. Part of the problem was how long I went before surgery and not bending for many years. I had a machine for two weeks that was covered and two week I paid 75 a week ,but I thought it helped alot. It would bend the knee. You set how far you bend. Now starting next week I will be starting water therapy in a pool. I wasn't to happy about having to do this ,but I will give it my best shot. I see my DR. again on the 24th. Not sure when I will have the left side done but DR. said it would be a much easier recovery. Good luck and do the therapy.
mezz
Well-known member
Today is rough. I believe I may have over done it yesterday. I need the walker today, very sore, & quite swollen. I do recall being told its going to get worse before it gets better but I didn't think it would get like this considering that I was doing so well yesterday. I sure hope it doesn't stay this difficult for real long. I had pretty reasonable movement in it yesterday, now, very limited. A friend & neighbor had this operation done & he was generous enough to let me borrow a ice water circulation unit that you wrap around the knee. I sure hope it takes some of this swelling down. I start PT on Tuesday, that will be interesting.
G
G
Guest
Ice is your friend.
jakester23
Member
First week the roughest. Don't be afraid to take the pain meds the first 3 weeks. Stay on top of that. Make if you take the strong meds to keep some prune juice around ,because it will tie you up. Speaking from experience!! I had my staples out two weeks after surgery and it got alot easier after that. Ice and elevating the leg above the heart helps also. Hang in there, don't get down on yourself. Positive attitude!! I feel your pain, be tough and take care.
mezz
Well-known member
Thank you for that advise. I will try to stay on top of the pain med better. I'm disappointed that I couldn't proceed with the mobility that I was able to do on Saturday. I'm not getting down on myself, more like kicking myself for pushing too much too fast. Lesson learned! I don't have staples, internal sutures & glue with very minimal bleed through which is amazing considering how swelled up it got. I am going to elevate & ice, thanks again.