Total Knee replacement

I have known several people who have had knee replacements, including my Dad. It seems like half had good experiences and half had bad experiences. Dad's first one went great, the second one left him crippled the remainder of his life. A friend's daughter had one of hers replaced three times and ended up having to have surgery on her ankle to help correct the wrong angle of the knee. She has constant discomfort. My sister also had both replaced, one was good the other not so much.

When an orthopedic surgeon told me 15 years ago I needed to have both of mine replaced, I told him no thanks and never returned. Yes, I have pain. Yes, stairs are a hardship. But I can still get down on my knees do work on things (albeit with pads) like electrical wiring or cars, so I'll continue to disregard the Dr.'s suggestion.
 
I’m glad you got taken care of and all seems to have gone well. Also, regarding pain meds, you seem to have that in check. There are a lot of bad misunderstandings about pain medicine that media scare people about. We need to take the stuff that takes care of the CAUSE of the pain, but in the meantime there’s no reason for “sucking it up” and suffering when there are meds to help from suffering in the meantime. The anti inflammatory stuff actually fixes the cause of the pain, but until the cause is resolved, there’s no need to suffer. Sounds like you have it all under control!
My good friend had two new knees at the same time. They had him on his feet that day and less than two months he was riding his bicycle. Words of encouragement I hope! Good luck.
 
I had a total knee replacement on May 1 of this year, so 2 months ago. I had my last post op checkup with my surgeon at 6 weeks, with X-rays, and he seemed pleased. Said I didn't need to return unless I wanted to for any reason. I am 80 YO and had the procedure on an outpatient basis. They would have kept me in if there was any problem. My choice. Under the knife at 07:30 and out by lunch. He put a lot of pain killer in the incision. Probably like Lidocaine, I suspect. It really worked. When I got home, I walked up the stairs to my shop, which is over my garage. I was really feeling no pain. Not the case the following day. Percocet time. Surgeon said I should keep up with my physical therapy for several months.
They said no alcohol for a couple of days but I figured that was lawyer talk and proclaimed it was the cocktail hour. Lunch and Bourbon! Not a recommendation, but I didn't have any problems. I was hungry also! I am walking a half mile a day now and will increase until I can resume my daily 2 mile walks around our small town. Two miles takes me around the whole town! Population 900 last check. They really do make me work at PT, and I told the therapist that she could probably get work doing interrogation, and that I was about to reveal rocket fuel secrets, even tho I didn't know any! There are a lot of You tube videos on the pre and post op therapy, and some good info on how to do things that need doing for the first month or so. Like using the toilet; a riser with handles is very handy, until able to squat a few inches, without needing grab rails.
The procedure went well, and I will be glad to be able to get around again. Someone wondered why some of us used up our knees and some didn't. In my case, not much doubt. Probably, because as a teen, I was stupid enough to jump off of high places, like the eave of a roof. Once, I hit my knee with my chin and put a dent in my lip. A lot of blood in my mouth. Sixty five years ago! Now, I can't get my knee within a foot of my chin.

73,
Rick
 
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I have both knees replaced the same week, not the best decision. Week in the hospital and a week in rehab facility. Two done is more than twice as hard without a good knee to support you. Still, 10 weeks after I was taking mile-long hikes around the neighborhood without pain. Now 3-1/2 years later, the numbness form the nerves being cut is the major gripe.

The numbness will probably eventually disappear. Mine did.
 
I had one knee replaced in 2005 and was back working at the local sheriff's dept. six weeks later. I had the other replaced in 2008 and went back to work five weeks later. It was either replace them or not walk. I didn't have any choice. The warranty has run out on both of them but I'm still not having any problems, just can't jog like I used to. The sock thing can be solved by buying a few pairs of diabetic socks. They are much easier to put on than regular socks and I still use them. Wally World and other stores have plenty of them.
 
I had one knee replaced in 2005 and was back working at the local sheriff's dept. six weeks later. I had the other replaced in 2008 and went back to work five weeks later. It was either replace them or not walk. I didn't have any choice. The warranty has run out on both of them but I'm still not having any problems, just can't jog like I used to. The sock thing can be solved by buying a few pairs of diabetic socks. They are much easier to put on than regular socks and I still use them. Wally World and other stores have plenty of them.

Had my surgery 5 years ago and still have numbness. Asked my primary doc about that and she said get used to it, it probably will not go away. As a diabetic I do have good feelings in my feet.

As far as socks, I prefer to sit on the bed and pull my leg up as far as I can and socks are much easier to slip on.
 
Had my surgery 5 years ago and still have numbness. Asked my primary doc about that and she said get used to it, it probably will not go away. As a diabetic I do have good feelings in my feet.

As far as socks, I prefer to sit on the bed and pull my leg up as far as I can and socks are much easier to slip on.

There are "Sock Tools" to help you get your socks on.
They help a lot, especially if you have strained your back.
 
If you have trouble moving your leg around in bed after surgery, i.e. sometimes after pt my leg muscles were too tired to cooperate.

Grab your cane by the shaft and hook the crook around your instep. Maneuver your leg by moving it via the shaft of your cane.
 
If you have trouble moving your leg around in bed after surgery, i.e. sometimes after pt my leg muscles were too tired to cooperate.

Grab your cane by the shaft and hook the crook around your instep. Maneuver your leg by moving it via the shaft of your cane.
That's a good tip. What I've done is place my good foot/leg under my bad/knee/leg, near the ankle, and lift it that way. Helps me get in and out of bed, etc.

The other thing no one has mentioned yet in this thread is get one of those ice machines with a knee wrap. Beats the heck out of just using ice packs. Freeze two sets of five bottles of water or so and switch when needed.
 
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"Ice the knee" That's terrible! BWAAA HA HA HA HA HA!

You like terrible? Here's what I tell people who ask about my knee replacements:

"New knees is good knees!"

All seriousness aside, I can't believe they're doing total knee replacements as outpatient day surgery these days. In 2011, at age 67, I had both of mine done in the same week, so I was in the hospital for an entire week. It was major surgery. Both incisions were 8 inches long, and were held together by industrial-strength staples, like those used on large cardboard boxes.

When I awakened from the anesthesia, I found myself attached to the following devices: 1) Oxygen tube, 2) EKG electrodes, 3) IV drip (a second IV was added later), 4) Urinary catheter, 5) Knee cooler, wrapped around the knee with a tube going to an Igloo box with a pump that circulated ice water, 6) Pneumatic foot massager to prevent blood clots. I wasn't going anywhere.

At 6:30 the morning after surgery, they unhooked everything but the catheter and the IV, and had me start walking with a walker. Then it was back to my six-device hookups. Had I just had one knee done, I would have been discharged after three days. Looking back, going home the same day seems pretty scary. During the two post-surgery days in the hospital, I had lots of attention from the staff, including the physical therapist. She bent my knee pretty seriously, considering it was full of newly installed staples. I asked her if they ever popped loose, and she said, "Never".

I was doing so well, that I decided to stay and have the second knee done. By the time I was discharged, my first knee was getting really strong, and I'd become an "old pro" at handling the post surgery stuff. They sent me home with an elevated toilet seat, a walker, a brand-new knee cooler (with the ultra-rare dual knee option), and a prescription for all the hydrocodone I would need. I was told to either stand/walk or lie on my back in bed. No sitting in a chair. And no climbing stairs! I had regular visits from a nurse and a physical therapist for six weeks, at which time I'd fully recovered and was off the hydrocodone. I then had three months of physical therapy to maximize my range of motion. I've been pain-free ever since. Total cost: About $125,000. My out-of-pocket: $0, thanks to Medicare and Blue Cross. Getting the replacements was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
 
First knee replacement I was in the hospital for a week. Second, home the same day. I, too, was concerned about going home the same day, but I felt pretty strong and cheerful, little pain, that first day. Went up the stairs to the second floor using the bannister and a crutch. The days after were harder, but the oxycodone worked pretty well.

I decided I liked going home the same day rather than a prolonged hospital stay, and have asked to go home the same day for my upcoming op.
 
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