Nervous & Scared For This Coming 04/09/2013.

Hi,

I wish you the very best when you have you knee(s) replacement. Wow! Really? How are are you now since you had you heart vavle replaced & your heart bypasses? May I ask? I am trying my best in not dwelling about my upcoming surgery. At times, my nerves get the best of me. I am looking forward to the afterward.

Thank you.

Jason.

Hello

You would not be human if you were not nervous.  Being nervous is part of any surgery.  But I want to assure you that this is the best thing to happen to you!  I love my knee replacements.  I was so happy with my first knee replacement I was asking my doctor when I could get my second one done at my 3 week appointment!  This is a real life changing event.  Yes there will be pain but it is a different type of pain and one that goes away permanently!  Just do your physical therapy and you will be amazed that something artificial will work just like a regular knee!  I assure you that you wont regret this surgery. 

Hello,

True. Got that right. I believe you that this is going to be the best thing that's going to happen to me. I bet you love you knee replacements. I am looking forward to that. Wow! Really? Just after you first knee surgery? You do love your knee replacements! Just made my day! Thank you. I believe that it is a real life changing event. That's what I have been hearing & reading about the pain and how different (type) it is. I will follow the physical therapy & occupational therapy. I hope you're right that I won't regreat this surgery.

Thank you so very much for your input. I really appreciate it.

Always a certain amount of scariness with surgery.  You should be walking much better by the time I have my abdomen reconstructed at the end of the month.

True that, I had that with my weight loss surgery, and with my two panniculetomy surgeries. I can't wait to be able to walk better, I wish you luck with your abdomen reconstruction at the end of the month. Thank you for your post.

My husband had a total left knee replacement 2 years ago at the end of January. For his surgeon and the hospital it was mandatory to go to the pre surgery class. He had a nerve block while in the hospital and was without pain. The pain came after they turned it off just before he came home and he came home the day before the big Febr snow in 2011. His PT started in the hospital the day after surgery and continued in the house with home health nurse and PT coming for 3 weeks. After that we went to PT at the Elk Grove Park district. With his insurance if he was able to go outside of the house for a doctor appointment then they "turn off" the home health care. He also was placed on the passive motion machine while in the hospital and one was ordered for him to use at home. He actually enjoyed it  (motion machine) and felt more range of motion because of it. PT had him ditch the walker about 2 days after he was home, ditch the brace also at about that time, he learned to go up and down stairs as we have them in the house and they inspected our bathrooms for safety. he had to demonstrate the ability of being able to get over the 6" threshhold for the upstairs shower. The PT was really hard for him but he pushed through it because he knew that he had to keep it up or it would freeze up which would mean more surgery. He eventually was cleared to drive (4 weeks out) and could get himself to PT. Before that I drove him and got to enjoy the inside walking track at the club.

oh - he had a lot of healing nerve pain and was told it would probably last for 6 months. The doc said all of a sudden he will realize that it is not there and that is the way it happened. He also made sure that he took his pain meds but that is a double edged sword with the constipation. He is a RNY patient and that really compounded the issue. He would get woke up like clock work every night at 3am with nerve pain.

My surgeon and the hospital had me go to a mandatory class too. I enjoyed the class which there was a nurse, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. They class is interesting, glad I went to it. I was told by a doctor that I will receive two kinds of anesthesia, one that will put me to sleep and some other kind that will numb me from the waist down, the doctor used some work that I'm not familiar with, but it's simalur to an epidural. Really? I remember the February 2011 snow storm. What do you mean by "turn off"? May I ask? Never heard of a passive motion machine until now, but it sounds like its fun to use to help in the recovery with the knee surgery. I bet he enjoyed it and felt more range of motion because of it. Really after two days off from the walker and the brace? I bet the PT had to inspect the bathroom for safety. The PT might have to do that with me with the 6" threshold, but not sure. I'm not sure how the PT is going to be with me at the hospital, rehab center, and at home. The new knee can freeze up? That's cool that he was cleared to drive at 4 weeks out.

What is the healing nerve pain like? This is the first time I have heard of it. I know I'm going to take my pain meds.. I hate pain, like who doesn't? I do have a bottle of stool softener (the OTC kind). I hate constipation (I wonder if I have constipation of the mind? ). I am a VSG patient. Wow! Really?

Thank you for your time to post a comment to my post. I really appreciate it, thank you.

 What do you mean by "turn off"?  = they turned off the pain med that was intravenous. He wore a little fanny pack that had the med in it and it was a constant drip into his IV.

Never heard of a passive motion machine until now, but it sounds like its fun to use to help in the recovery with the knee surgery = No not fun. You are strapped into the machine for an hour at a time. It depends on the doctor if you get it. My mother had one 30 years ago with her replacement.

new knee can freeze up?= Yes it can. It happens mostly to people that do not do their PT.

What is the healing nerve pain like?=the nerves are repairing. It is a sharp needle like pain, Many people have it but not all.

Really after two days off from the walker and the brace?=the brace is mainly for stability when you have the pain block drug in the hospital. You cannot feel anything and it is to give stability. The walker went bye bye due to the PT girl wanting him to walk normal but slowly.

Many times a rehab center is only for a person that is having a double knee replacement.

That's cool that he was cleared to drive at 4 weeks out. =remember this you generally do not use your left leg to drive. As long as you are off of narcotic pain meds you generally can drive.

Thank you for your time to explain to me about on what I have said/asked in the reply to your post. I guess I'm just getting myself prepared on what's ahead of me when I have the knee surgery. I am sorry if i offended in anyway about the passive motion machine. I am new to this knee surgery stuff, I have heard about people going in for knee surgery and I don't know what it's like, each day that get closer to knee surgery the more I am learning about it.

Every doctor is different.  My positive motion was on continuously until it was decided that it was causing more harm than good.  I am 6 ft tall and using it in a hospital bed became a problem as I was too tall for it to fit comfortably.  It is a contraption that your leg rests in from the heel of your foot up to mid thigh.  It continually moves, bending the knee.  The theory is to not let that knee get stiff.  

I had both an epidural and a local anthesetic.  The epidural was great as I could not feel anything.  I woke up twice during surgery!    I have to admit it was a bit unerving to wake up and hear the doctor using a saw on your leg.  I could feel the pressure but it did not hurt.  I must have had the most incredible expression on my face because the doctor saw it and immediately got me put back to sleep.  I did not wake up in the second surgery.  

My doctor had me up walking the afternoon of the surgery.  That was the LAST thing I wanted to do that day but I did it.  It was amazing.  

I had my right leg done first.  I did go home after my surgery and I lived alone and managed to function fine.  Like Chris, I had PT come in 3 days a week for about 3 weeks.  Our hospital has a van service so I used that to get to PT and doctor appointments.  

I did take my pain meds.  I wont say it was not painful.  I especially made sure that I had taken them before any PT session.  Ice therapy is your friend.  It takes about a year for your leg to completely heal.  My knees reacted differently.  The first one barely would swell and the second on would swell for almost a year.  Ice packs became my friend.  Get a good freezer gel type pack or two so that you are prepared.