Knee Replacement Surgery

YAY Cathy!!!!  Surely you knew I would chime in on this one.   I am so happy for you!!!!  Don't sweat it, your pain is going to start going away very soon now.  You will still have to bend, stretch, ice and be very careful but you are going to wonder why you waited in a short period of time.  PROMISE!!!    2 reminders (I know, you didn't ask): every time you walk, pretend you are marching. Lift that surgical leg up to try to kick your butt.  DON'T jerk it, just remember to lift every step.  If you have a "task chair" or office chair on wheels...sit in it as often as you can and as you are sitting, slowly roll forward, forcing your leg to slowly bend (foot towards butt) as far as you can reasonably take it.  These two things will work wonders for you.  Good luck girlie!  I am so happy.

Grim...don't fear this surgery!

Hey sunShine,

Thanks for your reply and support before I had my surgery.  It helped me to not back out of having it. 

Your p.t. tips are exactly what my p.t. has told me to do.  I've marched more in these past two weeks than I ever have before.  I'm glad that I had it done and look forward to taking walks and getting back on my treadmill.  I know it will all be worth it.  I hope when you had yours done that you had your own sunShine supporting you like I have. 

As...Cathy, you are sweet.  No, I had a different deal.  I came home on the third day and started pt a week later, outpatient.  No home therapist, just good ones at the rehab center and a good nurse at the surgeons office. I had to rehab entirely on my own otherwise.  But, I learned a lot and since then, my mother had both hips done and rehabbed at my place as did my best friend for her knee.  I was happy to be the one who knew how to get them thru.

Speedy healing my friend. I hope you are a new woman... bionic woman (showing my age) and you are able to enjoy all that life has to offer.

~Michelle "Shelly"

Thanks for your speedy healing wishes!  I've told family and friends that I'm now the bionic woman so thanks for mentioning it.  One of my son's friends asked me what the bionic woman was and my son told him that it was "some cheesy show."  When I pass him doing a 5k, I'll show him what bionics are LOL.

Are you working with a physical therapist?  When my dad was recovering from his knee replacement he said, "recovery is a full time job."  And it really was!  

I hadn't heard that before but your dad is 100% right!  It is a full-time job! 

Right after I went home from my surgery, I was set up with home physical therapy three times a week for three weeks.  The physical therapy has been wonderful because they work with you to get you up and moving, doing exercises that will maximize the results of the surgery.  After next week, I'll start outpatient physical therapy.

Tell your dad that I appreciate his insight about recovery and it is very true.

That's awesome!  My dad had a home physical therapist as well for the first 3-4 weeks (I forget which now, it was 5 years ago or so - the dude was there a lot!) and then progressed to outpatient PT.  Good luck with it - physical therapy is so hard, but so important!  

I'm having three weeks of home PT three days a week.  The plan is after this coming week that I'll go to outpatient PT.  Thanks for sharing how it went with your dad as that lets me know how it has been done with others. 

Hi Cathy,

I had both knee caps replaced (partial knee replacements), one in March 2014 and the other in October 2014.  I was off work for 6 weeks for each knee.  I needed all of the six weeks for rehab and pain control, and my surgery was no where near as invasive as yours was.  Since you have had a total knee replaced, you will be able to enjoy pain free knees again, but it will take time.  Sounds like you are working hard in rehab and that is key.  My surgeon told me that if I don't do the PT and home exercises, that I will not be happy with the results.  My PT said the same thing.  So I worked as hard as I could and it did pay off.

You do have to keep on top of the pain, as uncontrolled pain will hamper your recovery.  I did not want to take narcotics either, but I did and it really made the difference.  Complete healing of the knee will take months, if not a full year, so please be patient.  I agree with you, my bypass surgery was a a breeze compared to knee surgery.  My second knee is still weak, but I don't have the same pain as before surgery and it has only been 2 months. I still have to build up my leg strength.  

Continue to work hard in PT, rest, ice and elevate your leg.  Take your pain meds, the postoperative pain will eventually become less severe.  Remember that knee replacement surgery is quite traumatic to the knee, so allow the tissues to heal.  Good luck to you.