So, I won't even read the other posts, I'll just give you my experience:
On December 5th of last year I had total bilateral knee replacement done. I had suffered for a very long time with bone on bone arthritic pain in both knees so I wasn't inclined to shilly-shally around with one knee at a time. So, I scheduled the surgery for March, the pandemic hit, we had to postpone, when the "break" came in December I jumped right into the surgery.
When I awoke I had two 6" long, dark red scars covered by a weird, sort of soluble bandage. Within two hours they had me out of bed and walking - carefully and slowly and the physical therapist had a belt around my torso to support me, and I was using a walker. No problem.
Did it hurt? I reckon, but intense discomfort is a better description. Anyway, I walked a few more times that day and the next, and on the third day they sent me home. On the fourth day I pretty much figured out that without anyone living with me I was screwed* so I called the doctor's office and they relented and sent me to a rehabilitation facility.
*I had ice packs on my legs and "massagers" below those to ensure blood flow, prevent clots, etc. I could tell that without assistance I couldn't handle the on and off of those gizmos, which explains my insistence on a rehab facility. Otherwise, physical therapists would have been coming to my home.
Anyway, the facility was great. They did the same things as the hospital PTs, made me walk, made me exercise, etc. The only really significant pain was when they massaged the back of my legs behind my knees and thighs. That hurt like hell. Meanwhile, for almost the entire time I was there they were giving me Lyrica for nerve pain, narcotics for general pain (I quit those on the second day at rehab), aspirin to avoid clotting (which I said was all the pain medication that I needed), and lots of PT.
The key to recovery is walking (I walked freely by day 5), physical therapy that includes all kinds of interesting leg exercises and stretching, and pain relief if you need it, which I did not.
After ten days they discharged me and I had no trouble functioning at home. I stopped using the ice packs and massagers so I gave them back. I wasn't doing the Charleston but I was getting around fine and they sent home PT professionals several times a week for three weeks.
They will teach you some interesting exercises, some of which I still do and some of which I don't. They key is walking walking walking - learning to really walk again, with real steps and not shuffling along like before.
I prepared myself for the surgery by exercising using techniques I learned in martial arts years ago. I held what is known as "horse position" (not as low as when I had good knees!) and got my thighs into reasonable shape. After the surgery I had to get up and down in a chair, always ten times, and now I do it 40 and 50 times.
The out patient physical therapy, which I did for a month, was very valuable. Stationary bicycle, up and down in a chair, stretching (hamstrings were very stiff), and bending (bending the new knees to increase range of motion).
I forget how long I waited to drive but I think I was good to go in January but I had no place to go so I didn't drive until February. One of my vehicles is a standard/5 speed and I have no issues with the clutch pedal.
Are my knees perfect? No, not really, they'll never be "perfect", they'll probably always have numbness, and I'm certainly not running any foot races. But I get around much the same as anyone else, I have some stiffness interfering with getting dressed but that's interfering, not preventing.
Do not try to literally "get on your knees" - they're not the same as before and it's not good for them - so don't get arrested or mugged or you'll have to explain to the police or the robbers why you cannot comply.
Would I do it again? In a heart beat, and I strongly recommend that if you need bilateral then do the bilateral, don't cause yourself to have to go through rehab twice. It's dumb.
I see a post that says they'll perform differently if you do them at separate times. That's a sufficient reason right there to do the bilateral surgery.
For the record, because this is a gun forum, once I could stand on my feet for an hour or more at a time shooting at the range was no problem.
