Poll for those who have had knee replacement surgery
Lora, (Sorry this is long)
I had both of my knees replaced in 2009, one 12 weeks after the first. I had bad OA, bone on bone, multiple scopes, steroid and synvisc injections without relief. Synvisc did absolutely nothing and I mean NOTHING! I was working as an ICU/ER nurse using a cane........not fun or easy at all! I was off work for 12 weeks with each knee for a total of 24 weeks. I will not lie to you, the pain the first couple of weeks was terrible at times. I thought I was emotionally prepared for the pain but it was worse than expected. I came home with percocet and valium. It worked pretty well. The valium was not for anxiety, but for the muscle spasms in and around my knee. In spite of the pain, I got up and drove myself...yes, you read that right...I drove myself to rehab 3 times a week beginning 3 days after I got home from the hospital. I packed up my walker and managed to get to the therapy center without problems. The rehab is what you make it. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. The second day, I was put on a recumbent bike and pedaled as far as I could in either direction, early on it was only a few degrees and after a few days I was able to actually bike. I have a recumbent bike now because of the ease of exercise and that it puts little strain on my knees.
I felt healed within the time the docs gave me off for the surgery. They gave me more than usual, being a nurse and knowing that I might possibly be on my feet for long periods of time. There are some things that are still changing...for the better. One of the weirdest things that happens to me is in the winter time, I can feel the coolness of the titanium through my skin, so I wear leg or knee warmers to help. You need to move your legs alot and change positions, do mild ROM as often as possible as your leg(s) will stiffen up. My surgeon told me that healing will occur for up to 2 years post op, which means your flexion and extension will improve. I am now 3 years out and have noticed more improvement as my weight has dropped. I had the RNY in April of this year. I did have a problem with Pes Tendonitis, you may need to look it up. My case was a little more involved, I was very bow legged and they straightened out my legs when they put the prosthetics in. They had to cut some lateral muscles to replace my knee cap in the right position and it caused some muscular pain which I still have to a much lesser degree. It is getting better with the biking that I do almost daily for 3 or more hours.
I am extremely glad to have had the surgery, even with the post op pain, rehab, etc. My quality of life is so much better. I know I the lifespan of the knee joints and realize that I will probably need to have them replaced at least once more. I am 54 now, had the replacements at age 51. I figure by that time, knee replacements will have advanced to the point that the components used will be much better and I have also been told that the older you are, the easier the rehab is. Reason being that you have less muscle to rehab due to atrophy as we age.
I had the surgery when I was near my highest weight, somewhere around 220 pounds. I am now 144 and loving the new life in more ways than one.
I wish you the best. When you have the surgery, please consider me one of your friends...you will need a big support group to lean on during the early and sometimes discouraging days. It makes such a huge difference in your life.
julie
Like I said, I feel like I am just being a big baby about it, I have had a lot of surgeries in the last 6 years, though, and the memories of my meniscus surgery more than10 years ago are still very vivid,
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
