Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Bilateral Knee surgery week two
After 30 days I will be able to stop the Warfarin and start Aleve. That will help. I am still stiff and sore. Yesterday was a bad day. I am so tired all the time. I can't wait to have this all behind me. My surgeon says he has had patients tell him that they did not feel normal for up to a year. I hope it will not be a year.
Bilateral knee surgery Day 10
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Bilateral knee replacement Day 3
I left the hospital that morning. I made sure I had an appointment to start Physical Therapy on the third day after I was released. I was given a prescription for Percocet and Warfarin to take home.
When I got home I slept on my couch as the stairs in my two story house deterred me even tho the doctor said I could go up and down minimally. Also my dog sleeps in our bed and likes to lay on my legs.
My right leg was still swollen twice the size of my left and the bruises were bad.
Elevate and ice your legs. This is important. And listen to your body and control the pain. I had a stationary bike at home so I started using it immediately. I rode the bike three times a day five min each. I can't emphasize enough how much that bike helped me. The PT gave me exercises which I did faithfully three times a day.
There will be good days and bad but it does get better each day.
I went to my Physical therapist for the first time on the third day and was told I did not need my walker anymore and they were amazed at how well I was doing. Again I believe it was the prayers.
Everyone is different and the results will vary. My right knee hurts bad when I try to bend it. I was told one knee is always worse and it was true in my case. My left leg hardly bothered me.
Also I made sure I was stocked up on Milk of Magnesia as I was constipated due to pain meds. It worked well.
When I got home I slept on my couch as the stairs in my two story house deterred me even tho the doctor said I could go up and down minimally. Also my dog sleeps in our bed and likes to lay on my legs.
My right leg was still swollen twice the size of my left and the bruises were bad.
Elevate and ice your legs. This is important. And listen to your body and control the pain. I had a stationary bike at home so I started using it immediately. I rode the bike three times a day five min each. I can't emphasize enough how much that bike helped me. The PT gave me exercises which I did faithfully three times a day.
There will be good days and bad but it does get better each day.
I went to my Physical therapist for the first time on the third day and was told I did not need my walker anymore and they were amazed at how well I was doing. Again I believe it was the prayers.
Everyone is different and the results will vary. My right knee hurts bad when I try to bend it. I was told one knee is always worse and it was true in my case. My left leg hardly bothered me.
Also I made sure I was stocked up on Milk of Magnesia as I was constipated due to pain meds. It worked well.
Day two Bilateral Knee Replacement
Day two went well. I was amazed at how big my right leg was. The swelling was horrible. I was allowed out of bed. When the nurses stood me up for the first time it hurt terribly till I straightened out my legs. I had the catheter removed and by the afternoon I was doing so well they took me to PT and OT where I was able to skip it because i was doing so well. That is where the prayers came in. The nurses called me wonder woman and was told I could be released if they could get a hold of the doctor. It was his birthday and they couldn't get a hold of him so I stayed another night.
Day 1 of Bilateral knee replacement
I arrived at the hospital in the morning with my husband. I had prepared a bag with some essentials I would recommend. Chap stick, moisturizer, lysol wipes, pajamas and warm socks.
I was prepped for surgery and then the anesthetist came in to talk to me. He reviewed my medical chart and asked questions. He then explained the anesthesia he would use. In my case he was going to use a spinal. I sat up while I was given the spinal. That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in the recovery room. I remember telling my husband my knees were up and I couldn't get them down. I asked him to push them down. I was told they were flat but because the last thing I saw before I was sedated was my knees in a sitting position that is what I saw. We laughed about it later.
Before my surgery I had asked all of my church friends and Facebook friends to pray for me and it proved to be a godsend as I will explain in day two. The first night was not too bad. I was given pain pills and milk of magnesia for constipation. I had a catheter in and compression stockings. I slept most of the first day and night.
I was prepped for surgery and then the anesthetist came in to talk to me. He reviewed my medical chart and asked questions. He then explained the anesthesia he would use. In my case he was going to use a spinal. I sat up while I was given the spinal. That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in the recovery room. I remember telling my husband my knees were up and I couldn't get them down. I asked him to push them down. I was told they were flat but because the last thing I saw before I was sedated was my knees in a sitting position that is what I saw. We laughed about it later.
Before my surgery I had asked all of my church friends and Facebook friends to pray for me and it proved to be a godsend as I will explain in day two. The first night was not too bad. I was given pain pills and milk of magnesia for constipation. I had a catheter in and compression stockings. I slept most of the first day and night.
Before bilateral knee replacements
Bilateral knee replacement surgery means that both knees are replaced at the same time. It’s relatively uncommon to have the arthritis in both knees reach the same degree at the same time where a bilateral would be a consideration. I had a torn ACL and miniscus and it couldn't be repaired so I was contemplating that knee replacement. I tried physical therapy first because I was told that it might help me with my knees as they kept giving out on me. I got a second opinion after the physical therapy did not fix the problem. My next doctor took a Arthritis profile and it showed my other knee was shot. It had no cartilage in it. That is when we decided I would get new knees.
Since bilateral knee replacement is a longer surgery there are health risks. One knee takes about 1½ to 2 hrs therefore a bilateral will take 3-4 hours. Such a long time on the table and a long anesthetic might not be well tolerated by physically compromised patients (such as those with cardiovascular problems, pulmonary disease or are a frail 80+).
I was very lucky to not need home health care. But normally it is a good idea to have a home support team to help when you get home.
In the weeks before you enter the hospital, your orthopaedic surgeon will order tests to make sure you are healthy enough for surgery. These include: blood tests, EKG to check your heart, urine tests to check for infection or pregnancy and xrays to check your lungs. You will also have had both knees x-rayed before you decide to do the surgery.
I researched doctors and found an amazing surgeon. In fact my insurance company looked him up for me and assured me he was a premium doctor who had an excellent record.My doctor was in Colorado and I made several trips to prepare for the surgery.
I prepared a months worth of meals in the fridge for my husband. I also stocked up on groceries and the essentials. I bought lysol disinfecting wipes to take to the hospital to wipe down the rails before and after visits. My insurance company nurse gave me this advice.
I looked up the procedure so I would know what to expect.
Since bilateral knee replacement is a longer surgery there are health risks. One knee takes about 1½ to 2 hrs therefore a bilateral will take 3-4 hours. Such a long time on the table and a long anesthetic might not be well tolerated by physically compromised patients (such as those with cardiovascular problems, pulmonary disease or are a frail 80+).
I was very lucky to not need home health care. But normally it is a good idea to have a home support team to help when you get home.
In the weeks before you enter the hospital, your orthopaedic surgeon will order tests to make sure you are healthy enough for surgery. These include: blood tests, EKG to check your heart, urine tests to check for infection or pregnancy and xrays to check your lungs. You will also have had both knees x-rayed before you decide to do the surgery.
I researched doctors and found an amazing surgeon. In fact my insurance company looked him up for me and assured me he was a premium doctor who had an excellent record.My doctor was in Colorado and I made several trips to prepare for the surgery.
I prepared a months worth of meals in the fridge for my husband. I also stocked up on groceries and the essentials. I bought lysol disinfecting wipes to take to the hospital to wipe down the rails before and after visits. My insurance company nurse gave me this advice.
I looked up the procedure so I would know what to expect.
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