All went well with my revision on Tuesday (apart from waking up 35 mins from the end & seeing/hearing things I'd have rather not seen/heard!). It took just over 4 hours. Despite having the spinal, femoral block & sedation, the sick bowl was my best friend for the 72 hours post.op! I needed to drop a few lbs, but not a nice way to do it. By day 1, I had a 60 degree bend, walked well on crutches etc, by day 2, I covered stairs & maintained the 60 degress (with some pushing & shoving!) & by day 3, yesterday at 3.30pm, I was home. It already feels better than last year. I slept for 6 hours on the side of the operated leg, I can cross ankles with either leg when sitting (have to lift the operated leg up with the good leg) - I can't raise it off the ground yet, but working on it! Today I wrapped it in cling film, & had a shower & hair wash, & I felt as stable as I have done for the past 12 months. The surgeon says it was a "combination" of problems. The 6mm misalignment, it was very loose - hence the instability & constant buckling, the ligaments were shot from being trapped in the early days of buckling etc etc. The new prosthesis has false ligaments attached. It had to be drilled in deeped for both posts, but he assures me that at the end of the 12 month proper healing time, I will be able to kneel, run after a naughty dog, & even ski. I asked how much scar tissue - & was told "none" - so even with a new knee that didn't work, all my hard work did do something!
Dressing changed next week, staples out on the 9th Nov, 1st physio torture session is on Nov 10th!
My post op. apointment with him is the 10th December, getting close to Christmas - & we all know that is the time for miracles - so fingers crossed!! - Veronica
Great to hear from you, and glad that it went so well.
A long operation, and scary to wake up before the end.
Sorry that you felt so sick. I always thought that the spinal block was supposed to prevent that. I am always sick after a general, but am not as brave as you.
hi veronica so happy your over it ,its amazing i too woke up during op on my revision i think these ops go on for longer than they expect which is fine take as long as you like just get it right!!!! it sounds so positive for you !! x
Not going to lie - this is home day 2, & I'm in a lot of pain, but only where I SHOULD have pain. The bloody staples feel like daggers! I've changed the dressing, & tried to keep my knee bent, so I can have knee movement whilst bending it (not even tried to get it bent today, & I can't turn the pedals on my small pedal excerciser yet) but I really need those painkillers! I keep dropping asleep too, which is something I am not used to - still it's only day 5 post-revision, so-far - all's well!!
yes your doing fine but make sure when things get going for you that you do not forget to do straightening !!! after my revision i was so obsessed with getting the bend i was nearly afraid to straighten it in case i lost the bend ,after a few months of hard work bending and some straightening i lost some straightening ,as straightening was never a problem with the last one i stupidly thought i didnt need to work as hard boy was i wrong ,even though surgeon told me when i had original knee that its even more important than the bend ,i was still bending bending and bending and not as much straightening !!! when my physio was checking my straightening she noticed i lost quiet abit of straightening so i had to work at it but its very difficult to get it straight i didnt realise it would happen so after that i did bending at different times to straightening i found that easier and less confusing to my knee. just dont let that happen to you i have not been able to fully straighten it i still work on it wishing you the very best with your revision (we revisions have to keep going)
Well it certainly sounds like very good news, Veronica. Well done you! What an ordeal but if it is finally fixed for good this time maybe it was worth it.
Me too Linda ... great bend (now) but the straightening is the hard bit for me ... I am usually somewhere between -6 and -3 (started out at -15) ... but my physio was saying that she didn;t know if i'd ever get it perfectly straight as it's been slightly bent for about 20 years .... it even 'feels' straight to me (my head says it is straight) but when I look down - nope still that bend. All the muscles don't have to work as hard if you can lock the knee but I guess only time will tell and I am (like you) continuing to work on it .... physio signed me out last friday so now working on my own
hi donna straightening is very hard to see your progress at least with the bend you can see it ,but straight leg is different ,as you say in your mnd its straight but in reality its not . its hard work i really try not to limp (its easier to limp)so i work at it its only when im really tired that i limp abit .so keep at it donna and we will get there !!!!!