Re: Re: bilateral total knee replacement.

April 1, 2011

Thank you both for the positive remarks.Â I am contemplating having both knees

done together, and your stories really help.

Anne

From: pensypat <rainbowsendminis@...>

Subject: Re: bilateral total knee replacement.

Joint Replacement

Date: Friday, April 1, 2011, 3:01 PM

Â

Hi ,

My name is Pat and I just joined this group but I am replying right away because

I am truly happy that I had bilateral TKR done on Aug. 16, 2010. For me, it was

the best thing I could have ever done. My personal feeling is that your own

outlook and state of mind has a lot to do with the success you will or will not

have with this surgery. (of course having a great surgeon, good therapists and

helpful caregivers makes a big difference too) I am in my mid 60's and suffered

from a lot of pain due to osteoarthritis. We have horses and I was active

before the surgery and needed to be active afterwards. The pain was not only

hurting me physically but also hurting my quality of life. I exercised before

surgery to help strengthen my muscles. The surgery I had was minimally invasive

and I was in the hospital for 5 days and then went directly home. At first I

had therapy at home and once I could get in and out of our pickup, I went out of

the home to

continue. You asked for any advice and mine would be to keep a positive

outlook...and keep telling yourself that you can be as successful getting back

on your feet as you want to be. In 4 months, I stopped using even a cane and

was back to going up and down steps and even started to take care of my horses

once again. I now can hardly remember all the pain I had before and my knees

are as good as new. The best thing of all, is that I never had to go back and

do everything all over a second time for the second knee. It took a little bit

more work and a little bit longer but I would not have done it any other way.

It was hard the first few days, but after that, the daily progress was easily

seen by my family and friends. I wish you a successful surgery and recovery and

perhaps tell yourself over and over what I told myself. " I can do this! " Pat

>

> I am having both knees replacement on 4/5.

> Am I making a mistake doing both of them at the same time?

> I have all ways been good about getting up and moving after surgery, I can

handle pain if I know there is an end in sight, it's the pain that goes on and

on with no end that I can't handle.

>

> Any advice would be welcome.

>

April 11, 2011

I nearly died last November when I had my hip re-done, I was bathed by a

male orderly, but he was going around to every one and most of us were women

so I relaxed a bit.

-- Re: bilateral total knee replacement.

after dealing with low blood pressure,a sore throat, fever,low oxygen level,

extreme pain, and several other problem, if my blood work is ok in the

morning I will get to go home tomorrow.

I walked 125 feet today and pain for it with a very high pain level. But I

want out of this place so bad, haven't hardly slept since I have been here,

food is always cold, coffee and tea are awful, they never get the meals

right. been here 4 days seen the doctor twice and for some reason all he

wanted to talk about was my family history today (not medical history

either) CNA are rough as hell and I just don't feel safe with them. tonight

I saw the cna once on 2nd shift to check blood pressure, temp ect after

taken it the male CNA told me that because of the low b/p I won't be able to

go home and despite asking for water twice in the last hour I haven't

gotten it. oh and the last time I was in the hospital they didn't have males

taking care of females personal hygiene.

ok I am done bitching. and hopefully mt next update will be a little more

upbeat.

>

> ,

> I was like you prior to my bilateral TKR. I had on-going, intense pain,

with no end in sight. Both of my knees were so bad that I had both done in

one hospitalization, but not on the same day. My surgeon said both could be

done in one day, but he preferred two single surgeries. He believes it's

easier for the patient, when both need to be done. I went in on a Thursday

morning, had the left knee done, then had the right knee done on Monday. On

Thursday, when I was discharged, I went to in-patient rehab for 9 days. I

had my TKRs done in July, 2009, so I am approaching my two year anniversary.

Some people thought it was weird, strange or crazy that I was excited about

getting surgery done, but they had no idea how severe the pain was that I

dealt with day in and day out. I was scared of the post-op rehab, etc. I'd

go through (that was a big unknown to me). I was never afraid of post-op

pain.....couldn't be worse than the pain I dealt with prion to surgery, and

the post-op pain would go away at some point.

> Make sure when you get your surgery done, to take your pain meds as

scheduled, do your exercises and don't compare your healing process with ROM

scores etc. with anybody else. Everyone doesn't get to 120 or 0 or whatever

at the same pace, so you work on you and foohy on comparing yourself to

others.

> Good luck!

>

> LTKR 7/19/09

> RTKR 7/22/09

> Teeny, MD, Lakewood, WA

>

------------------------------------

April 11, 2011

I did not get bathed.....she brought the water, soap, and cloths

and left.........BARB in Florida

Re: bilateral total knee replacement.