Knee replacement

[LarryHoward]

I have to agree with the crowd at a teaching hospital. I've had two surgical clinic orthoscopies and 5 surgeries at the local community hospital. One of those (ureteroscopy for a kidney stone) didn't go well so I was referred to Georgetown to see the head of their Urology Dept. Crazy busy place. Chaotic check in and preop activity - until I got to the department where everything changed. Great quality of care. Lots of communication but I lost track of the introductions of the surgical team and the "observers" who wold be watching. Must have been 10 folks in the operating room. I guess when the "boss" is operating, all the students want to watch.

[BeauV]

In 1984 my oldest daughter was born at Stanford Hostpital. Yes, it wasn't the "birth experience" my x-wife wanted. Yes, it was nutty, even though my daughter was unremarkable in this effort (but became more remarkable later).

But, she had the tube 'round her neck when she came out and was a bit blue. The Doctors said she needed some blood and we asked about AIDS. "Not a problem." says the Doc, "The head of our blood bank has been throwing out piles of perfectly good blood because he uses a test that has a lot of false positives." Years later I got to meet that Doc, I thanked him. The T-Cell anomaly test, if I'm remembering the name correctly, had a terrible number of false positives and tossing a lot of "good" blood to get to the bad blood was probably not entirely justified. But our daughter didn't catch AIDS at a time when the blood supply in the SF Bay was making some folks very sick. I've often felt that being a "teaching hospital" the Blood Bank guy was on the bleeding edge (I just had to use that), some of the other hospitals weren't as far along and did infect a lot of folks in that time period.

[Bull City]

A little over a month to go before the knee replacement. The "gel" injections did nothing. I'm going sailing tomorrow. June 13-20 we will be at Pawleys Island, SC for our 34th family get together.

[Pipe Dream]

My mum is going in for a new knee in a few weeks. I have very little concern over the dr as he had already patched my mother in law up a few times with her very bad bones.

The thing I'm worried about is that Dad has to go away for five nights about a fortnight after the surgery. I think that I will be leaving the wife and kids for those nights and moving in with Mum to help her. There is no way I want her alone trying to feed the wood fire for heating and doing other stuff.

[LarryHoward]

My mum is going in for a new knee in a few weeks. I have very little concern over the dr as he had already patched my mother in law up a few times with her very bad bones.

The thing I'm worried about is that Dad has to go away for five nights about a fortnight after the surgery. I think that I will be leaving the wife and kids for those nights and moving in with Mum to help her. There is no way I want her alone trying to feed the wood fire for heating and doing other stuff.

I would think that's a very good idea. Whether a full or partial replacement, at 2 weeks she will still have very restricted range of motion and the potential for considerable pain, perhaps enough to still require significant medication (oxy, Vicodin,etc.). Not a full on invalid but some instability and enough pain that some help would be appreciated.

[Bull City]

Pipe, how is your mum doing?

I am a week from surgery. I attended a Joint Replacement several days ago. It was informative which is not always a good thing for the nerves (ignorance is bliss) but I was encouraged to hear from a physical therapist that compared to my 1988 ACL reconstruction, pain management is way better now, and the recovery should be much faster. I'm still dreading it, but I'm I've been getting in some sailing, which helps keep my mind off it.

Yes, I am a sissy.

[Pipe Dream]

Pipe, how is your mum doing?

I am a week from surgery. I attended a Joint Replacement several days ago. It was informative which is not always a good thing for the nerves (ignorance is bliss) but I was encouraged to hear from a physical therapist that compared to my 1988 ACL reconstruction, pain management is way better now, and the recovery should be much faster. I'm still dreading it, but I'm I've been getting in some sailing, which helps keep my mind off it.

Yes, I am a sissy.

Mum had hers done on the 17th June. I went in the next day and she was terrible however I think she was still getting over the anaesthesia. From there on it has been great progress and smooth sailing. She had her knee bent to 95° two days afterwards and went home after four nights in the hospital. She is only 64 and pretty fit so that helps to be on the younger end of replacement things.

Mum and Dad's bedroom is up a flight of steps (eighteen steps I think) and she was able to go up and down them from the first day home. Very slowly of course but improving every day. I'm sure they have told you but get a good pair of elbow crutches and an over toilet seat to help at home.

Her physio starts next week at three weeks after the operation so I am waiting to see how that goes. Everyone is saying to use it as much as possible (within reason) straight away to get the maximum benefit in the future.

[Lin]

Bulll City, good luck with your knee surgery. I am sure things will go well for you.
Take care.

[Orestes Munn]

Bull, you are anything but a sissy and I hope it's easier than expected. I think the rehab folks try to lower expectations so people don't feel too overwhelmed in the aftermath. Keep is informed; many of us or our loved ones have this in their futures. MY wife's doc just spent five minutes on the phone with her, reaching for adjectives to describe the utter devastation seen on her recent MRI.

[LarryHoward]

Bull,

I've had a partial replacement with full in the future. I know at least 10 folks well who have had dual replacements (2 had them had both done at the same time). Not one has said they were sorry and all have used the words "If I knew how much better I was going to feel, I would have done this much sooner. Some short term pain (and recoveries are getting better all the time as techniques improve) for great mid to long term improvement.

[Ish]

Bull,

I've had a partial replacement with full in the future. I know at least 10 folks well who have had dual replacements (2 had them had both done at the same time). Not one has said they were sorry and all have used the words "If I knew how much better I was going to feel, I would have done this much sooner. Some short term pain (and recoveries are getting better all the time as techniques improve) for great mid to long term improvement.

I can hardly wait for mine. Getting my right knee going this morning was an unusually painful event.

[Bull City]

Thanks for all the encouragement and good wishes. This afternoon, we're going to my my niece's engagement party. As it happens, she is about to start her nursing career at Duke Hospital. I have to report at the hospital tomorrow at 5:15 AM with photo ID and toothbrush. I'm first on the list tomorrow morning, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned - first in, first out - I hope I'm home on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I've been out for three daysails this pat week in TONIC, once with my oldest son and his 3 year-old boy - his first sail, once with my two sailing/soccer buddies, and yesterday with my daughter who is visiting. We've had beautiful conditions. I have been really happy with the boat and will miss her, although it is consoling to know that sailing in the middle of the summer around here can be gruesome.

Orestes, was the MRI of your wife's knee?

Ish, let us know when you get a date.

[JoeP]

Good luck Bull!

[Orestes Munn]

Orestes, was the MRI of your wife's knee?

Yes! Wouldn't want that kind of devastation somewhere more essential.

The boat will wait patiently for you.

[LarryHoward]

Best wishes Bull.

[BeauV]

Good luck with the new knee, Bull!

[Bull City]

The new knee has been installed. I am comfortably ensconced in my hospital bed, with an assortment of meds swirling about inside me. Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

The PT session went well. I may be able to go home tomorrow. Yippee!

[Orestes Munn]

Excellent!

[Pipe Dream]

Good to hear. Modern medicine is great thing most of the time.

[Ish]

It's all good while the morphine lasts. I want a 3, a 7, and a 10-day in report.

[LarryHoward]

Good news!

Don't be a hero. Follow doctor's orders and stay a bit ahead of the pain. The first week of PT is the critical part and they want you to keep pain controlled so that you can get the most from the PT.

[Bull City]

I had a very good evening. I have a drip going into the knee, which is a nerve block. It is going home with me. Thus far the pain has been minimal - "Better living through chemistry!"

[BeauV]

Bull,

#2 son is a technician who assists doctors when they do knee replacements. His advice, delivered last weekend, is DO THE PT. Of course, you already know that. He said that you'll be feeling fine in a few weeks except that the PT will be a bit uncomfortable; so you have to really focus on keeping it up. (Full disclosure, this is free advice and worth what you paid for it.)

Glad you're feeling good now!

Beau

[Bull City]

Bull,

#2 son is a technician who assists doctors when they do knee replacements. His advice, delivered last weekend, is DO THE PT. Of course, you already know that. He said that you'll be feeling fine in a few weeks except that the PT will be a bit uncomfortable; so you have to really focus on keeping it up. (Full disclosure, this is free advice and worth what you paid for it.)

Glad you're feeling good now!

Beau

That lines up with what other folks have said, and it is good advice. The PT has begun.

Thanks to all for the good wishes. I hope to get out sailing in about a month - some of the best medicine.

[LarryHoward]

OK Bull. Time for an update.

How are you doing?

[Bull City]

Update:
I am 2 weeks and 4 days from the surgery, and the recovery is going really, really well, infinitely better than I thought it would. I went home the day after surgery, and Nurse Margie took over. She is no-nonsense, so I have had to be a model patient.

I've been able to taper the pain meds down considerably, and the PA says that what I'm taking is fine. Most people take something for 8 weeks or so post-op, particularly at night. The oxy does cause constipation, another incentive to get off it, and I think it suppresses appetite, which is probably good, considering all of the couch time I'm doing.

The staples came out Tuesday. It's nice not to have look at them. Next week I can frolic to my heart's content in pools, bath tubs, lakes or oceans. I am doing a small amount of walking without crutches, otherwise with one crutch. I'm also using "the" leg for climbing a few steps. Marissa, the physical therapist, is very happy with my progress: my flexion is 108 degrees and extension is 1 degree short of full.

The worst part is that I have to wear these white, full-length compression stockings for 8 hours per day (not while in bed) to help prevent blood clots. I'm all in favor of that, but they make a pretty bizarre fashion statement with shorts, especially Madras. Maybe I'm wrong. Margie saw a fellow in the neighborhood wearing some while walking his dog. Perhaps he was worried about sun exposure.

It's good that I was still in fairly good shape when I had the surgery. I had been playing soccer until March, and had been going to yoga and rowing and paddling/surfing until just before the surgery. Had I postponed it for as long as possible, as I was tempted to do, I would have just slid downhill from a fitness standpoint.

I'm not able to drive yet, but Nurse Margie is going to drive us to visit TONIC tomorrow. I don't think we'll sail (the wind is going to be very light), but it will be nice to check on her and sit in the cockpit for a while.

[LarryHoward]

Update:
I am 2 weeks and 4 days from the surgery, and the recovery is going really, really well, infinitely better than I thought it would. I went home the day after surgery, and Nurse Margie took over. She is no-nonsense, so I have had to be a model patient.

I've been able to taper the pain meds down considerably, and the PA says that what I'm taking is fine. Most people take something for 8 weeks or so post-op, particularly at night. The oxy does cause constipation, another incentive to get off it, and I think it suppresses appetite, which is probably good, considering all of the couch time I'm doing.

The staples came out Tuesday. It's nice not to have look at them. Next week I can frolic to my heart's content in pools, bath tubs, lakes or oceans. I am doing a small amount of walking without crutches, otherwise with one crutch. I'm also using "the" leg for climbing a few steps. Marissa, the physical therapist, is very happy with my progress: my flexion is 108 degrees and extension is 1 degree short of full.

The worst part is that I have to wear these white, full-length compression stockings for 8 hours per day (not while in bed) to help prevent blood clots. I'm all in favor of that, but they make a pretty bizarre fashion statement with shorts, especially Madras. Maybe I'm wrong. Margie saw a fellow in the neighborhood wearing some while walking his dog. Perhaps he was worried about sun exposure.

It's good that I was still in fairly good shape when I had the surgery. I had been playing soccer until March, and had been going to yoga and rowing and paddling/surfing until just before the surgery. Had I postponed it for as long as possible, as I was tempted to do, I would have just slid downhill from a fitness standpoint.

I'm not able to drive yet, but Nurse Margie is going to drive us to visit TONIC tomorrow. I don't think we'll sail (the wind is going to be very light), but it will be nice to check on her and sit in the cockpit for a while.

Glad to hear the good report.

[Orestes Munn]

Great to hear! Sounds good, but tough enough.

Wife was told today she's too young for a new knee, but got a shot of lube into the joint. We'll see what that does. The data look like crap, but I wouldn't tell her that and spoil the placebo effect.

[LarryHoward]

Great to hear! Sounds good, but tough enough.

Wife was told today she's too young for a new knee, but got a shot of lube into the joint. We'll see what that does. The data look like crap, but I wouldn't tell her that and spoil the placebo effect.

I had that discussion with my ortho. Some folks have good results. Many don't. IN my case, it was going to be less than 50% chance of helping and he estimated I'd be back in for the partial replacement within 6 months. I guess the data show that 6 months is pretty average for the amount of relief obtained with outliers each direction. In my case, a mid December replacement with the boat in the yard meant I was pretty much a full up round by summer sailing season so I elected to have the surgery rather than the shots.

But the left knee he wanted to scope 4 weeks before M-B is doing just fine without the cut. I might get that meniscus repaired this winter if it acts up again.

[Bull City]

Great to hear! Sounds good, but tough enough.

Wife was told today she's too young for a new knee, but got a shot of lube into the joint. We'll see what that does. The data look like crap, but I wouldn't tell her that and spoil the placebo effect.

I had that discussion with my ortho. Some folks have good results. Many don't. IN my case, it was going to be less than 50% chance of helping and he estimated I'd be back in for the partial replacement within 6 months. I guess the data show that 6 months is pretty average for the amount of relief obtained with outliers each direction. In my case, a mid December replacement with the boat in the yard meant I was pretty much a full up round by summer sailing season so I elected to have the surgery rather than the shots.

But the left knee he wanted to scope 4 weeks before M-B is doing just fine without the cut. I might get that meniscus repaired this winter if it acts up again.

As mentioned earlier, I had the lube shot, in fact 3, one week apart, and did not have any relief. My knee was probably pretty far gone compared to your wife's. Let us know how she does.

Nurse Margie drove us up to the boat today. It was hot, not much wind, the May flies were out, but it was nice to sit in the cockpit, pump out the rain water from the bilge, start up the Honda 2, and know that everything is in readiness.