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Post by september on Jan 11, 2018 11:25:45 GMT -5
I had x-rays and evaluation done a few years ago when I was having a lot of left knee pain after what I thought was a sprain. They concluded that I was a candidate for knee replacement on both knees whenever I was ready for it. I am in no rush to do it, as long as I have no pain while walking normally on flat ground. But once in a while when I have pain after some twist or bit of concussion, I wonder if I should do my worst leg now. If I do, I would like to schedule it so it would interfere least with gardening, of course!
My mom, my sister and my brother-in-law all have had one knee done, and each of their experience and healing was different. If you have had a knee replacement done, I'd love to hear your thoughts - are you happy with it, how long until you stabilized and were pain free, what would you do different if you had to do it over again? How has it affected the way your garden, if at all?
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Post by daylilydude on Jan 11, 2018 14:07:02 GMT -5
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Post by Gianna on Jan 11, 2018 14:28:36 GMT -5
Ack!!! Please warn us a bit above before posting pictures like that.....
I've not had any joint replacements yet, but know several people who have knees done. I don't know any that 'went bad', and people have resumed playing tennis.
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Post by september on Jan 11, 2018 15:13:54 GMT -5
Richard -- it looks like a rattlesnake bit your leg!  From my brother-in-laws experience, it seems like constant motion and taking your physical therapy seriously is the way to go. When he was in the hospital with his leg in the machine thing that automatically moves it around periodically, he figured out how to turn it on himself, and ran it much more often than the nurses did. He was back to normal quite quickly, but I can't go by him, because he must have a high pain tolerance threshold, rarely complains of any. I, on the other hand, am extremely sensitive and wimpy. |
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 11, 2018 20:04:57 GMT -5
I had a total knee replacement 3 years ago and I dreaded it so much that I put it off until I could barely walk. It hurt 24 hours a day.
I had a big incision, not just little ones like in Richard's picture but I didn't have any bruising like that. Pain was bad the first day but they gave me morphine in the hospital and I came home with oxycontin which took care of the pain. I was off of those by the end of the first week and just took Tylenol after that.
For the first 2 weeks I had in-home therapy and I faithfully did the exercises and then I went out to physical therapy about 3 times a week. I think that I was able to walk without the cane in about 4 weeks and I was back to riding a horse in 8 weeks.
I have absolutely no pain in that knee anymore and I have total range of motion back but if you don't do the therapy even if it hurts, scar tissue can form which will cause stiffness or restrict your movement forever.
I am very happy that I had it done and now I can do so much more than I could do when my knee was hurting. The only thing that I can not do well is kneel on a hard surface but that's a small price to pay for having a pain free knee.
I would do it again in a minute.
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Post by september on Jan 11, 2018 23:34:56 GMT -5
brownrexx, can you kneel on the knee if you have padding under it for comfort, or are you just not supposed to put pressure on it because it might damage the artificial part?
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Post by daylilydude on Jan 12, 2018 4:10:21 GMT -5
Now I guess I should have said that the knee-cap itself wasn't replaced just everything behind it was... it freaked out my kids when they found out what cadaver parts are... lol.
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Post by september on Jan 12, 2018 9:48:50 GMT -5
Now I guess I should have said that the knee-cap itself wasn't replaced just everything behind it was... it freaked out my kids when they found out what cadaver parts are... lol. Oh no, we have a zombie in our midst!  I was shocked when I read in the other thread that you said they sent you home 5 hours later! Were you not under general anesthesia? I'm pretty sure that the other people I knew had to at least stay overnight. |
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 12, 2018 9:58:12 GMT -5
daylilydude, did you have a total knee replacement? I have never seen one done with such small incisions. september, the artificial parts are mainly made of titanium but there is a plastic button behind my patella. They are not real prone to damage although certain things like intense sports or being very overweight are said to wear them out sooner but this type of activity wears out regular joints sooner too. It hurts to kneel on a hard surface and I always assumed that it was this plastic button pushing against something but I just Googled "kneeling after knee replacement" and it seems that lots of people are able to kneel just fine. I can kneel on the soil in the garden or on a padded surface but I usually avoid it anyway. When I am in the garden I usually have a 5 gallon bucket with me and I usually either lean on it to protect my back or I sit on it. I never did do a lot of kneeling on the ground. Don't let this scare you. I am very happy with my new knee. If I hadn't had it replaced, I wouldn't even be able to walk out to my garden by now. I have no regrets. In fact it feels so normal that I walked right through the metal detector at the airport and set it off because I forgot to tell them about my knee. I forgot that I even had an artificial knee!
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Post by september on Jan 12, 2018 10:14:36 GMT -5
I'm glad to hear that some kneeling is still possible with the surgery. I need knee padding now due to discomfort, and have a couple of sets of gel knee pads that construction workers use. The ones with elastic and velcro lose their stretch, and the ones with stretchy rubber with holes for adjustment are really hard to get on. I usually have a square boat safety cushion that I can sit or kneel on, along with a couple of garden stools. My backbone is starting to wear out too, so I like to vary my position a lot to keep pressure off the spine. Sometimes I need bring a yoga mat out to the garden and lay flat on it to stretch my spine. Wouldn't mind getting old if it didn't mean falling apart!  |
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 12, 2018 10:53:50 GMT -5
september,I think that you will find that you have less discomfort after knee replacement than you do now. Another unexpected improvement was that my left knee quit hurting after my right knee was replaced. The poor left knee was taking a pounding from all of my limping due to the seriously painful right knee. I was getting injections of Synvisc in both knees every 6 months just to keep me walking and after the right knee was replaced, I have not had a Synvisc injection in the left knee in 3 years. If I seriously over exert myself then my left knee might hurt a bit but ibuprofen takes care of it and by the next day it is fine. Before surgery I wore one of those black knee braces with the hole in the front and the Velcro in the back on my right knee almost full time. After surgery I put that thing away and it has not been seen since. I do not need anything on my left knee.
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Post by september on Jan 12, 2018 11:13:38 GMT -5
My knees are not as bad as yours were, which is why I am vacillating on having them done. I had the Synvisc twice, the first time it helped, the 2nd time (I think in the other knee) it really didn't do much. I would have the left knee done first, but as I mentioned, most of the time on level ground I can walk without any pain. When they looked at my xrays they were surprised I didn't have more pain on the right side, since all the cartilage was gone. If I was in constant misery I would for sure have it done.
It does seem strange that your other knee is not bothering you, but my brother-in-law has no plans to do his other knee either, so maybe the "fixed" knee is compensating and taking pressure off the other side. He is about 77 and still plays ping pong in a league and tournaments. You'd think both knees would age and deteriorate at the same rate.
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 12, 2018 11:26:09 GMT -5
My right knee was definitely worse than the left one although the cartilage has definitely deteriorated on the left as well.
I was taking Celebrex for the last several years but lately I did a few other things to improve my knee situation. I joined a gym and I work our 2-3x/wk. I turned 65 this year so I am retired and have time for this. I also get a free gym membership and I am taking advantage of it.
Joining the gym has really strengthened my legs and I also lost 10 lbs. I was able to quit taking Celebrex 2 months ago and seem to be OK without it too.
I continue to ride horseback once a week so being really active is very good to keep leg muscles strong which stabilizes the knees.
I know people who have had knee replacement and are not so active and they say that their knees still hurt. I really think that keeping the leg muscles strong really helps. I also want to lose another few pounds.
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Post by ahntjudy on Jan 15, 2018 15:12:15 GMT -5
My only addition to this for post surgical care is when you are to be elevating your leg, really elevate it...so that its level is 'above the heart'...
It can make a huge difference and improvement with any swelling...
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Post by september on Sept 19, 2018 22:24:47 GMT -5
Well, it's done! Had my right total knee replacement yesterday around noon, overnight in the hospital and home by 3PM today! Everything went smoothly, they let me come home because I have good flexibility and muscle tone and passed their "tests" of getting in and out of bed, going to the bathroom, and various PT exercises and walking down a long hall and up and down stairs holding a walker. Came home with prescriptions for Oxicodone and Tramidol and 2 other pills for various possible problems, but I get nauseous, dizzy and sleepy from the opioids, so will likely only take them at night if I really need them. My pain level is not that different than before surgery, but of course the knee is swollen and not very flexible. I made the mistake of laying down on the carpet instead of my bed for my first home session of exercises, and had a heck of a time figuring out how to get up off the floor again! It was my third session of the day, so my muscles were already in pain. My husband had already gone to bed, so I didn't want to wake him. Glad the surgery is over and hope I can be back in the garden in a week or so, even if I have to use a walker. I have PT three times a week for as many weeks as they think I need it, and of course home exercises a least twice a day. Hope I can sleep tonight, I don't think I slept for more than 5 minutes at a time last night, with the discomfort and hospital staff talking at their desk across the hall all night. Taking an ice pack to bed with me as long as it lasts. They gave me a really nice big flexible pack with lots of little pockets that bend well over the leg in a removable soft case.
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Post by Gianna on Sept 19, 2018 23:56:09 GMT -5
A tennis friend had total knee replacement about 4 months ago (?) and she is absolutely tickled with her results. She can almost run again. She literally had been dragging her leg along for many months and delayed having her surgery for a very long time. Because she had waited for so long, she had to work extra hard at getting more flexibility back.
I know 3 other tennis players who have had knee replacements and resumed playing.
As for kneeling in the garden - I bend/crouch more than kneel. As in when I kneel, I don't like it because the ground is rough, and it's too much of a pain to have to bring out something soft. I've developed a very comfortable crouching stance which seems to cause no body stressors, and it allows me to move more easily when weeding/planting. (This would make a good question of the day... do you kneel when gardening?)
Congratulations on having had your surgery. It's only going to get better as time passes.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 20, 2018 7:41:02 GMT -5
Congratulations. It sounds like your surgery went really well. I can't believe how quickly they discharge patients after knee replacement now. I was in the hospital for 3 nights. They had me on a morphine drip for 2 days. I wonder if they have made improvements on how they do the surgery? One night in the hospital seems to be the norm now.
I hope that you are doing well today and not having too much pain. My second day was my worst day but it got better every day after that. I just realized that it will be 5 years since my knee replacement in 10/13. Unless I have an injury, I never even think about my knee anymore.
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Post by pondgardener on Sept 20, 2018 8:18:00 GMT -5
Gianna, september, I haven't had knee surgery but I have had back issues which limited bending over and/or getting up from kneeling in the garden. What I found that was quite helpful was using the product below. Depending on the firmness of the surface you use it on, it is a big help in getting up and down in the garden as well as providing a seat to do picking, watering or trimming. One leg can be folded if you want to kneel with one knee and its weight is not too heavy. I have had mine for over 15 years and when my daughter became pregnant recently, I bought her one to assist in her daily activities. And you could use it in the house as well. They sell for $40 or more online, but at my local home improvement store they retail for around $20. I wish you a fast recovery with good results. Garden Kneeler
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Post by september on Sept 20, 2018 10:33:15 GMT -5
Gianna , I'm glad to hear about your tennis friends! That's really encouraging. brownrexx , you have provided good advice and support from the beginning, I really appreciate it! They warned me that the first three days home would be the toughest. And I can see why people don't want to do their exercises - it does hurt! I'm sure it will be easier when the swelling goes down, but meanwhile all you can do is grin and bear it. I made my own breakfast, and put on the compression hose by myself this morning (Jim went fishing early and I didn't want to wait around for him to get back.) pondgardener , I do have one of those kneelers like you suggested. I think I might have Jim bring it in from the garden and up to the shower and put it across the edge of the tub so I can sit and swing my bad leg over the edge. Not positive it's high enough, but should be close.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 20, 2018 11:53:01 GMT -5
september, I am glad that my advice was helpful. I am actually in a knee brace for the next 4 weeks myself as of this morning. Grrr. I hurt my knee that was replaced at the gym 2 weeks ago. I slipped on a piece of equipment and the weight of my upper body fell down onto my leg which was bent sideways under me. It was a stupid accident and when the entire back of my leg was turning black, hubby convinced me to go to the orthopedic doctor. I am actually very lucky because he said that I had a partial tear in my median collateral ligament which is the one that runs down the inside of my knee. He said that if it had been a full tear that it could have wrecked my knee replacement. That really scared me so I am listening to him and wearing the stupid brace for the next 4 weeks and no horseback riding. Since he is a knee surgeon I asked him how people are getting out of the hospital so soon after knee replacement when I was in for much longer. He said that the surgery has not changed but the way they manage pain has changed. They do not use morphine drips anymore but they inject several places inside of the knee with something during surgery and then the drugs and steroids that they give you afterwards does the rest. He said that it is much better now than what I had. It sounds like you are doing quite well. Doing what you are supposed to do in the beginning really pays off in the end but listen to your body and don't overdo it. You also need rest.
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Post by september on Sept 20, 2018 14:19:24 GMT -5
brownrexx , Oh my! That is scary to think you might have damaged your replacement! I'm so glad you dodged a bullet! I hope your fall isn't causing you too much pain. I know I have to think to make myself slow down, I just don't have the muscle reaction time that I used to when I was younger. My mind moves faster than my body, and I occasionally end up misjudging distances and dropping things because unconsciously I'm used to being able to work at a faster speed.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 20, 2018 15:43:37 GMT -5
september, it is more frustrating than painful at this point. It hurt really bad the day I did it but got steadily better day by day. However the bruising was extreme and that is why I went to the doctor. I am glad because I certainly don't want to jeopardize the replacement. How are you feeling today?
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Post by september on Sept 20, 2018 17:53:35 GMT -5
brownrexx , I'm ok and think I am about where I should be. It's more painful doing the stretching exercises, but I'm sure that's because there is more swelling. I was given the "leg lifter" stick, so that helps get the elevation I need. Not too much pain when I stay still, I am putting ice on it off and on, and mostly napping in bed with books and TV. I took some of the prescription Naproxen to hopefully help with the swelling. The wife of one of my hubs coffee buddies sent two home cooked meals! So he's taking credit for microwaving our suppers for a couple of days!  Thanks for asking!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Sept 20, 2018 19:09:28 GMT -5
Glad to hear that the surgery went well, september. I hope that the PT goes well for you. Sorry to hear about your accident, brownrexx. I hope that it heals up quickly , to the point that you won't be thinking about it again. |
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Post by daylilydude on Sept 21, 2018 4:10:40 GMT -5
YAY, september, I'm so glad the surgery went well and prayers are being sent for a speedy recovery... just you take it one step at a time and get better. brownrexx, please be careful and it is a smart thing to have a Dr. check out anything like that as I had the hernia surgery,and well a couple days ago I noticed a bruise down around the surgery area and had it check... everything was ok but I felt better knowing... lol! |
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 21, 2018 7:48:34 GMT -5
Thanks guys. I am being compliant and wearing the brace like I was told. I hate wearing it but I definitely want that ligament to heal properly. The brace goes from the middle of my thigh to the middle of my calf and has metal hinges on both sides. It really keeps my knee from wobbling sideways and stressing the ligament. At least I don't have to sleep in it. One good thing is that at least it's not 90° with 80% humidity anymore. That would really make it hard to wear that thick brace. Oh well, I need to count my blessings. It could have been a whole lot worse. september, I used to use a soft belt from a robe when I did the exercise to pull my bent knee back towards my body. I held it in my hands and put it around my ankle. I also spent a lot of time sitting at my computer which is at a desk and I have a plastic carpet protector on the floor for my chair to roll on. I had a folded dish towel that I placed under my foot while I was sitting and I could slide my foot back and forth on the plastic to bend my knee. I think that this really helped. Yes, it did hurt but I am still amazed that I can now bend my knee and my foot is all of the way under my chair! |
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Sept 21, 2018 10:47:59 GMT -5
september, I am so happy that your knee replacement went smoothly. It sounds like you're doing all the right things during your recovery. Keep up the great work! I am really hopeful that you will have great results once you finish healing and PT.  brownrexx, I'm sorry to hear about your fall, but like the others said, I am really glad that you got it checked out and that you're wearing the brace while you heal. I hope that very soon you can get back to your horse riding and other normal activities without that brace or even thinking about your knee any more.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 23, 2018 10:33:33 GMT -5
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Post by september on Sept 23, 2018 12:44:54 GMT -5
brownrexx , better now, thanks! As you might have experienced, the knee ache is a minor discomfort compared to a constipated colon thanks to the opiate pain killers! (Sorry, to anyone who is grossed out!) I had a slow walk around the yard yesterday morning with the walker, and did quite well on my leg, and the cedar swing does work great for knee flexion, it was so pleasant in the sun I could have stayed longer. But was in misery later during the afternoon and evening with the other problem. I think it was caused by the pharmacy not totally finishing preparing all the meds that the hospital called in upon my release. They didn't have anything ready to pick up when we arrived and were busy with other customers. When I checked the bag against my list when I got home, I noticed there were supposed to be two meds for constipation, and all I had was the big bottle of powder. There were four or five total bottles of various pills, so I'm sure they just forgot it. I should have sent Jim back the next day for it, but I figured maybe one drug alone would help --- nope! At least not until this AM! I quit taking pain killers after Thursday night, so hopefully my system should be clear soon. Exercises are going well, I'm doing 20 reps of 9 kinds of exercises twice a day, but the straight leg lift extensions are the most difficult, I don't feel I have any strength to lift the leg. I do see a very small improvement in the first few inches, so maybe it's coming. I have my first official PT appt tomorrow afternoon, so I'm interested in hearing what he thinks.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 23, 2018 13:12:50 GMT -5
september, I know what you mean about the opiates. They really do work but the side effect is no fun. I never thought that Tylenol was any good for pain but amazingly the Extra Strength one did help. I got off of the opiates as quick as I could. If the drug store is closed today, send your husband out for some over the counter probiotics. That should help.
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Thanks for asking!
