Knee replacement, how was it for you?

Fionabee

Happy New Year!
I am due to have my knee replaced in the next week or so at ROH Birmingham, Marcus Green is my surgeon.
I am 53 with a 4 yr history of knee pain, both knees, but left is worse. Have been x rayed several times (no MRI) have had 5 or 6 steroid injections which were terrific to start with, but gradually didn't make any difference. I take Tramadol & Gabapentin for a back problem with associated leg pain (same side as the bad knee) my knee gets the benefit of those, take naproxen and if I'm at the end of my rope strong co-codomol.
I also have a uncorrected thoracic scoliosis, I do get rib pain, but it's not too much of a prob, but the curve has given me a lot of low back problems. Had a lumbar fusion & decompression 9 yrs ago, felt like a new woman for a couple of yrs but the last 6 or so have seen me with increasing pain again.
Over this yr I have been able to do less and less (mainly cos of knee pain), potter round at home and work (library, part time, I can sit a bit, stand a bit, walk a bit, I just manage although the effort of getting home feels too much some days) drive everywhere, not much social life or going places & doing things, go to bed early (often on all 4s up the stairs)pillow between knees.
ANYWAY....! I am wondering what to expect immediately post op,(advised it will be a 3-5 day stay),analgesics, how quickly I will be up, exercise routine etc. I'm anxious about being flat and still for prolonged time, (I move around quite a lot at night for my back) at the moment when I get up from bed or chair, I can't stand up easily cos of stiff back, pain in leg (similar to but not sciatica) and knees won't straighten and hurt!
Mr Green has said surgery is only 20%, 80% is up to me and the effort I put in post op. I feel very motivated just now, but am worried, because my knees are not my only problem, but maybe that is not unusual??
Sorry to have said so much, thought I needed to include the background!
I am so sorry for some of you who seem to be in a worse state and still being told to put it off for 3 or 4 yrs.
Thanks for reading :0)

bertyboy

Hi they will look after you i am sure , and will help you mobilise , physio is usually started pretty soon , 2 day , but dont be pushed to do more than you can rest and ice plus elevation is just as important , i started movement with a frame and then went on to the crutches , or i should say back on those , then learnt how to do the stairs , you might read my posts on here and even though i have had problem after problem i still do and alway have classed my self as one of the unlucky few , good luck xx

dreamdaisy

Oh how I envy you - I need both knees done and still have to wait for another year. I have bone-on-bone throughout both joints plus duff ankles, toes and a creaky right hip. I have an arthritic foot in both arthritis camps, an auto-immune kind and the joint damage from that has led to OA.

Your surgeon has told you the right thing, he can only do so much and the outcome will depend on you and in what you do, how you do it and when you do it. Recovery is not a rapid process but the benefits should outweigh the temporary inconveniences. It should lead to greatly reduced pain and greatly enhanced mobility - I wish you the very best with it all, please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on. DD

Helenbothknees

I had a bilateral TKR (ie both knees replaced in same operation) in July 2012, so 18 months ago. I'll start by saying it's absolutely the best thing I ever did. I went from taking loads of painkillers which hardly did any good, and finding it hard to even walk round the house or to the car, to being almost free of any pain, very active, and going for country walks of 5-6 miles. My knees still ache a bit at times, but I'm 65 and many other bits of me ache from time to time! I don't think of myself as having arthritis any more, and it's becoming a distant memory. I only drop in here now and then, mainly to give the benefit of my experience, to...well, people like you, Fionabee!

So, to the beginning... After the op I was in a lot of pain, and taking morphine every hour. Some people are given a means of administering it themselves every few minutes; for some reason I wasn't. But as for being immobile, I started bending and straightening my legs almost straight after the op, partly because the exercise sheet the hospital gave me said to do that, and also because it hurt to keep them still and I kept wanting to move them! That doesn't happen for everyone, and some people find it hard to bend them for a day or two or until the physios come along. With this and everything else, we're all different, so don't take what I say as anything but my experiences.

From the first - or maybe the second - day after the op I was up with a walking frame, and it wasn't nearly as hard to walk as I'd feared. With help from the physios I gradually walked more, learned to do stairs etc. They sent me home after four days - but I insisted on taking some morphine with me as I can't take tramadol or any anti-inflammatories, and codeine etc wasn't controlling the pain. In fact, I said I wouldn't go without the morphine!

Back home, my main memory is of being utterly exhausted. For the first few days I slept and did my exercises, and that was about all. You need to keep on with the exercises and to rest, and it's hard to know how much of each to do at times. You really need to listen to your body, not your head. I'd say it's best to err on the side of overdoing it if anything, but many on here wouldn't agree. If your knees get stiff, use ice packs and cut back slightly on the exercise.

As for analgesics, I gave up the morphine after 3 days, even though I had enough for a week, as I was acting crazy, which is OK is in hospital but not at home! I took codeine and paracetamol for a long time, maybe about three months, gradually cutting back. I had a bit of a problem with side effects on cutting back the codeine, but nothing too awful. After about four weeks I wanted to drive, tried it out and felt fine, but wasn't sure about the insurance implications, so I didn't actually do so until I saw my consultant after 8 weeks. About the same time, I went back to a gentle chair yoga class (I'd done yoga for years and years), then a proper yoga class a few weeks later. When physio stopped after about three months, I found a hydrotherapy class at the local swimming pool and went to that, then graduated to swimming, which I still do regularly. It took about a year to really get back to normal.

Around that time there were about 6 of us on here who had TKRs around the same time; it might be worth looking back at our posts. If you do, you'll see we all had different experiences. Most of them aren't here any more; I assume they're getting on with life.

I hope that helps. It's hard, but it's really, really not that bad, and so long as all goes well it's a fantastic operation and will give you your life back - even with other problems, I should think.

Feel free to ask me anything more specific if you want; I'll drop in from time to time in case you do. Or send me a pm if you prefer.

elnafinn

Having a TKR in 2008 and the other in 2010 was the best thing since sliced bread. Post op it was hard work but well worth the extra effort. I had a lot of pain for about 9 months but it did go. As my consultant kept telling me you have had a major operation and it can take 12-18 months before you will reap the benefits in full. He was right.

I wish you well with your op.

Elna x