Hi- I am going in for TKR on October 27th- (in UK) pretty anxious reading all the pain stories! I am wondering what is the best type of nightwear to buy ? Pyjamas? Nightdress? How baggy etc. Do they make you get dressed during the day in the ward or stay in jarmies?
Also I am a teaching assistant with 4-5 yr olds and am unsure what to advise my employers regarding length of time off, as they need to employ a temporary replacement. Any suggestions?
I wore loose shorts and a top most of the time, easier to get the attention you need to your knee and a short dressing gown in case you get chilly.
I suggest you have a minimum of 12 weeks off and go back less hours if possible a day as it take at least another 12 weeks before you start to feel yourself again as you get extreamly tired
I found that a night gown was good, but a t-shirt and loose fitting shorts were best for therapy. As far as time off I took 6 weeks and felt physically ready to return to the office at 6 weeks. I am an office manager and am able to be off my feet as needed or be up and about. Good luck and take care.
I took nighties as easier and its been 13wk since my tkr and still struggling to walk without aid and even then can only walk for 10 minutes b4 im in pain and still tired through the day,even after a good nights sleep but everyones diffrent .all i say is take the 12wk and your own body will tell you when your ready to do that little bit extra.jyst make sure you ice and elavate.good luck.xx
Thanks Janice xxx
Hi, cotton t shirt type nightie for hospital and warm baggy pjs for home, you will feel the cold for a couple of weeks after as they give you blood thinners for 14 days so you don't get a clot. Nice snug dressing gown and warm supportive slippers. ( My feet felt cold the first couple of weeks) I would suggest you have at least 12 wks off work and then phased return. You may need even longer, one of my knees took much longer than the other. Good luck 😀
Hi Mandy. I'm almost 5 weeks out from RTKR on Sept. 6, 2016.. I had operation on Tuesday, released from hospital Friday pm. Bring a pair of shorts and shirt for pt. You will be up and walking down hall on day 2, then minor pt day 3 and 4 in hospital. Make sure you have pt lined up after you get out of hospital. I would expect that you would be off work a minimum of 3 months. There is no need to rush this if you don't have to. I work in a paper mill in the US and and going to be out at least 4 months, if not more. The best way to get through surgery is to just resign yourself to it and let the professionals do their thing. You will do just fine. Stay on top of your pain is the main thing. Good luck to you.
Hi Mandy, I had mine done in the UK, the hospital gave me a leaflet at my pre op assessment. I took a tshirt type nightdress and baggy tousers and tops but was only in for three days. Take an mp3 or similar! Its important to have good flat footwear or slippers. Your nurse at the pre op should let you know more. Im an assistant manager and took 13 wks off, just gone back for 2 days at mo but its been very tiring. I told my boss originally to expect me to be off 12 wks min but it all depends on your recovery and if you can drive, Ive got a long walk to the bus stop! Good luck and you will need this forum aftet, everyones so helpful x
Hi Mandy!
Glad to hear that you have your surgical date and that you will be soon on your way to feeling much better!😊
There's a lot of apprehension prior to ANY surgery. After all, the body is being literally opened and repaired! There are unknowns that loom in the distance.
I wanted to encourage you to relax and think about how good it will feel to have your knee REPAIRED! The pain gone and healing beginning means being able to move forward to getting your life back!🙌😁😊🙌
Of course there will be discomfort, but medication helps that to be bearable. Nurses and aides KNOW that those first hours are challenging and will help you weather them.
I wore a hospital gown the whole time. A second hospital gown put on the opposite way (like a robe) was perfect for the MANY trips to the bathroom that seem to be par for the course as nurses encourage the drinking of lots of ice water to hydrate and eliminate toxins from anesthesia. I wore loose clothing TO the hospital and wore that same clothing HOME FROM the hospital.
One thing I would suggest is to bring a nice soft fleece coverlet with you to the hospital. Blood thinners they give you to prevent blood clots cause you to feel chilly, and a cozy blanket is very helpful as well as very comforting!😊💟 Hospital "blankets" are very, very thin. I had SIX on me at first because I just couldn't get warm! I was VERY GLAD when my husband brought my fleece cover to me!😁💟
I'm retired now but was a first grade and second grade teacher for many years. I'd say give yourself at least three months of good rest, PT, eating well, REST, REST, and more REST before you take on those four and five-year-olds! It takes awhile after surgery to have your energy back, and moving quickly and fluidly doesn't come right away. In PT, working on strength in the quad muscles and especially BALANCE practice will give you the confidence needed to work with the energy of your young students.
Wishing you much success in your surgery and lots of positive feelings as you recover!💕💟
Hi Mandy, I am with you all the way, I am going in on Tuesday 11th for a TKR and am also feeling apprehensive about pain etc. I went in on 20th September and was all gowned up ready to go and the Consultant's wife was taken ill and he had to leave so I had to come home. That hasn't helped my nerves any. I am taking a nightdress in as it seems easier. I am also hoping to get going as quickly as possible but I think we will get out of what we put in. At least that is what I am taking from reading everyone's stories. I am also in the UK by the way. Hope everything goes well for you and I will check in to see how things are.
Take all the law allows as far as time off. You already know what kind of beating you take when you are healthy now add some level of pain, some additional temporary weakness of the legs and hips, overall weakness from the side effects of surgery and emotions that are raw and you sort of get the basic idea. There have been a number of folks on here in your same field. They started to go back at 8weeks and threw in the towel. Your laws in the UK are different than ours in the US as far as sick / recovery time so you will have to go thru the proper parties but everyone, as i recall was looking at 12 weeks or so.
As far as sleepwear......in my part of the world they want you in a gown while you are in the hospital. Dr's don't want to be kept waiting when they make their rounds. Its pull back the sheets, flip up the gown, give you a quick assessment and then gone again. At home whatever is comfortable. Something that doesn't rub and irritate. Again, depending on local protocol, you may have Ted hose or the white surgical socks prescribed for 6 weeks. These are to prevent blood clotting. I've always had to wear them 6 weeks.
Mandy wishing you good luck with your surgery! I'm 13 weeks po and I went back to work a couple hours a day after 6 weeks but I'm 69 and I own the company, so I could come and go as I please . I was not ready at 6 weeks tho and I don't have to deal with 4 and 5 yr olds. I would say realistically you should wait for at least 12 weeks before you attempt that (I have grandkids that age)! The pain was very bad the first 2 weeks and I was not prepared for that . Week 3 and 4 were better but I became very depressed and anxious - however at 5 weeks I turned a corner and I didn't have much pain. I was able to get in the pool and do my exercises which I swear helped my range of motion - I am now 130 flex and 0 on straightening . I'm done with pt but still exercise in the pool or gym and sometimes I forget I had this done! I have no pain walking but sitting and standing and stairs is painful at first. I wore nothing but loose sweats during the day and nightgowns to bed. I still ice and elevate - so this is a long process - not for whimps! . I took the med for about 3 weeks but I stopped them because I couldn't eat. Advil is my friend and I still take it twice a day. I'm in Florida so not sure what they do in UK but hang in there and don't be scared of the pain - I was till I found this forum because I didn't expect it. Anyway keep posting and remember it's a marathon not a sprint!!!❤️❤️
when i had my last Total knee i just wore hospital gown., they have to be able to get to your knee. I am now going to have a TKR and it will be a 6 mos recovery, cant drive for 6 weeks and will be physical therapy for awhile. A friend of mine went back to work within 3 mos of surgery. I am retired now so i do not have to worry about work.
Hi Mandy. It's great to be thinking about this ahead of time. I would suggest that you take whatever makes you feel comfortable and comforted. I took shorts and a t shirt because hospital gowns just make me feel like a sick patient. I also had yoga pants with me in case my room was cooler. I always make sure I have warm fuzzy socks and a fuzzy sweater, as those are comfort items for me while in bed. Be sure to take shoes with good traction for your PT sessions. They (PT or OT) will also want to watch to make sure you can get them on and off without difficulty. Those hospital socks with the rubber gripper stuff on the bottom are good for nothing and you should be walking with a good supportive pair of shoes. As other have suggested take an electronic device and headphones - distraction is a great measure for pain relief and it's also nice to drown out hospital noise while trying to rest. Wishing you good luck with your surgery and recovery!
I would take as much time as you can off work Mandy. As you are a teaching assistant in a primary school, especially with four and five year olds,you will find it difficult to go back at twelve weeks. I would forewarn your headteacher that you could be off quite a while.You will only be worrying about school instead of concentrating on getting well.I worked as a teacher in primary schools(in the UK) for forty years and though retired now there is no way I could have gone back in twelve weeks. I'm eleven weeks post op now and improving slowly but still quite painful. Go back when you feel well and able to do your job one hundred per cent.Don't be pressurised to go back too early. I would say aim for getting back next Easter.
I was told to come to the hospital at 5:30 in warm-ups and was in surgery by 7:30. After I practiced the walking and the steps, I was told I could go home late that same day but declined that "opportunity." That night I changed to a cotton, above the knee shirtwaist-style night shirt. The next day, I put on the warm-ups and was on my way home by noon. The doctors do NOT want their patients getting some sort of infection so they are big promoters of getting you out of the hospital. (They also do not seem to recommend rehab centers unless you have no one to help you when you get home.) Fortunately I have a wonderful husband who was a fantastic caregiver. (I had my FKR six months ago and wasn't too happy with my progress but since I found this web site, I must say, I'm feeling much more positive. Thank all of you. Hope we all get to where we want to be soon. (My doctor and a lot of friends now tell me that "it takes a year."
Do they let you lay down during surgery or keep you on your feet for a faster exit. This same day surgery has been used in some areas for a year but my Dr won't hear of it because of potential difficulties controlling pain on an out patient basis. His personal observation regarding a lot of the short cutting that is going on........its a way to reduce costs and has very little to do with patient care. As I've mentioned before, we have a nephew that is an infectious disease Dr at a NW US medical center. His observation regarding staph....we all have enough on our bodies to kill us but most have an immune system that fights it off. Unfortunately I don't. I have picked up epitaph which is something that's on the skin and all the steps to prevent it don't. ........which means it would be there and surface in or out of the hospital. I'm for anything that works but there are some things including post surgery bleeding I don't want to deal with at home, in the middle of the night an hour away from the med center. Then again, I'm a huge cowardand prefer to be babied.
Thankyou for such clear advice 😀. Greatly appreciated xxx
personally i am going to be in the hospital for 3 days, i am not rushing anything, i know for experence that you have to take your time with this, there is not planning ahead of time.