New boy

Bedgebury
Bedgebury Member Posts: 3
edited 10. Sep 2014, 13:04 in Say Hello Archive
Hello

I am new to this site and finding my way around so if I infringe any of the rules as I make my first posts please forgive me.

I am a 65 year old male and I am having a total knee replacement on Monday. An arthroscopy last year confirmed significant damage to my right knee. I tried to loose some weight but after six months intense physio I had to admit that it was getting no better. So here we go.

I will try to keep a diary of my progress but in the meantime if anyone has any advice I would be very grateful

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Bedgebury. It's nice to meet you and I'm sure you're infringing no rules :)

    I'm a veteran of three TKRs (Total Knee Replacements) but my first one lasted 27 years and its counterpart is still hanging on in there 33 years post-op. However, I do have RA everywhere which means I make fewer demands on my knees that someone with OA in the odd joint.

    Advice? The golden rule is to do your quads at least 4 times daily before the op to get the muscles strong. That helps post-op recovery. After the op. It's again a matter of lots of exercises, lots of rest with the leg elevated and very little else for a while. I always tell people there are two ways to ruin a new TKR – by doing too much in the way of exercise ie believing that walking is as good as doing the exercises. (It's not. It will only strengthen some muscles, not others.) Or, by doing too little. The exercising does hurt at first but, unless the physio thinks there's a problem, it's best to persevere. I was told to repeat the quads about 6 times daily.

    Views vary on pain relief. I take what I need post-op (Morphine! Now :lol: ) but start to reduce asap as it's too easy to become dependent on it especially if, like me, all the other joints are still twanging away anyway.

    If you put 'knee surgery' into the Arthritis Care search engine (near the top on the right) you'll find two downloadable booklets come up on the left side of the page. One is for pre-surgery and the other for post-surgery. I don't think I can add anything to them. They're very comprehensive.

    Good luck and keep asking if you have other questions :)
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Bedgebury
    Bedgebury Member Posts: 3
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Many thanks for your help. All the jobs around the house are now finished and I have found my dressing gown and slippers so off to hospital tomorrow.

    Kind regards
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I am very late to this (last week I lacked my computer) but I wanted to say that I wish you well and I hope that things go as smoothly as possible. I need two knees but I've had to wait for three years because I was too young (aged 52) to qualify - I'm hoping for another referral to the ortho surgeon as things are now much worse. :lol: The recovery may take longer than you have been told, or it may be quicker - it's a bit of a lottery! Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good luck, Bedgebury :D Please let us know how you get on.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Bedgebury and good luck with the new knee..I have had a hip replaced and so glad I did..please let us know how you get on..this forum is brilliant for support..so look forward to hearing more from you..
    Love
    Barbara