having canvassed opinion far and wide I have decided to go for the op and its booked in for July 15. Yes, it's a long way off but I want to get rid of another 10 lbs at least - doing well on that front. Did anyone do anything else to get themselves ready for self- inflicted brutality?
I too tried to lose weight before the op. I also made the big mistake of googling the op and that made me really scared so would suggest don't do that!! I tried to prepare myself for the fact it will be painful afterwards and had a great nurse who put a pain plan together for me, which really helped as the pain is controlled before it comes on. Also just try not to think about it too much because every op is different.
Hi Gail I am 20 days post op. Prior to the op I did pre op exercises and plenty of Aqua aerobics, swimming and walking. I found if I had not had this level of fitness I would have struggled more than I have. the exercises are on line for all to see. I am struggling with my bends and straight ness because I had very little before the op so without the pre op exercises I would not have managed at all. Good luck with your op. I must say my sleep pattern is ok I have got pain killers of to fine art and take last ones between 11 -12 at night so get 5 - 6 hours a night. I only had one night awake nearly all night and was determined to have no more like it. Keeping pain levels under control are paramount.
I didn't. and that was almost certainly a mistake! I was not ready for the impact it would make. . I should have prepared the house, removing mats and small carpets, getting a higher toilet seat in place, buying plastic plates etc. to avoid having to fill the dishwasher (how lazy can we get!), and getting in a store of decent painkillers so I would have them immediately after discharge from hospital, instead of having to wait two weeks for a doctor's appointment! I did try to fill the freezer with some ready made soups and things, and that was much appreciated by my husband, although for the first couple of weeks appetite disappeared altogether! Oh, you may want to have some sleeping tablets handy too, as sleep is almost impossible for most of us, and a couple of those little freezer bag things for icing the knee when it gets a bit hot and swollen! You may even invest in a goniometer . .a little device for measuring the bend, and only about 7 pounds on amazon! It can become a bit of an obsession believe! It's still a long way off . . but you should have some nice weather for your first walks, and not have to contend with so much rain or snow! Keep in touch with the forum, don 't let our occasional ranting worry you . . it is a bit tough at the beginning, but if you are in a lot of pain with the knee now, then it will be an improvement in the end. OH, and if you are on hyour own, try to arrange some help in the home for the first few weeks. . . . . .
I was given an excercise dvd by the consultant to help strengthen the muscles, my op is just a few days away and I have been doing the excercises about a month.I guess I wont know if it has been of any benefit till after the event, but I am pretty sure it must have. I think anything you can do to prepare your body has to be helpful so go for it!
I was due to have my TKR today,but it was cancelled because of a kidney infection,but i had been doing my exercises,walking as far as i am able and sorting my home out..so i think its good to do some prep,and i hope your op goes well in july ..
that's really bad luck, but obviously unavoidable in the circumstances! Hope they don't keep you waiting too long once the infection is cleared up!
I worked out and rode on the bicycle a lot... it really did help and the surgeon said as much... keep after it and best of luck!
Hi gail . .One other thing I thought of which is really useful . .a fairly large open bag, with a strap you can put across the one shoulder. . sometimes you will want to carry soemthing from one place to another. . a book, an ice pack, whatever . . and with two crutches believe me it is NOT easy! with a large bag you can pop things inside and still have both hands free. I found it so frustrating not to be able to just 'tidy up' . . The two crutches may not be for long, but it seems like ages!!!
along the lines of the open bag....my sister in law has bought me a tool belt it goes around the waist and has lots of pockets, when she brought it me I thought she had gone a bit potty! however I can now see that after my op(next week) it is going to be very useful
Hi Gail, I've already written about my pre-op preparation on another feed, but here goes. A neighbour told me that pre-op physiotherapy was just as important as post-op. I tried it, and that led to our local hospital's hydrotherapy pool. I went twice a week for nearly 3 months prior to my op (6 weeks ago). The physio there worked out a plan for me and it was so much easier than on dry land! And it worked! I didn't suffer anywhere near the pain that I was expecting, had a 90 degree bend 2 days after the op., was home 3 days after that, and after another 7 days I was told to throw away the crutches (no sticks either). I'm lucky to be fairly slim, and I know that was a great help, so good for you for working on that. I think I had a pretty positive attitude, because every time someone started telling me how terrible it was going to be, I truly thought that I was going to be different. Sometimes it pays to be delusional.
I honestly didn't have one bad night's sleep, and because I can't take codeine, I just controlled the pain with paracetamol. (Make sure you take them before the pain starts - there's no sense in trying to tough it out. But you've already got that side of things covered.) I also have a water-bed (bliss), and I used a roll-style cushion to protect my knee from being kicked by the other one. When I came home, I think my husband was expecting to carry me around in a fireman's lift, but once I got up the stairs (which they teach you to do while in hospital) I was able to get in and out of bed (and chairs) without help and could manage the washing up by propping myself against the sink. I never did figure out how to carry a cup of tea while using the crutches, but I'm sure someone out there will tell us.
I had my 6 week consult today, and the surgeon was very pleased. I don't even walk with a limp now. I'm slow, but as he said, 'It's only 6 weeks!'
Best of luck, Gail, and whatever preparation you do, it's going to be of benefit.
I'm pretty sure that carrying the cup of tea had us all stumped until we could throw away at least one crutch!