…..

[tallpines]

…..

[brownrexx]

I think that a lot depends on what kind of shape you are in before surgery.

I had a knee replaced on Oct 31, 2013 and was on horseback on January 1. I did the physical therapy faithfully and this really helped. Some people that I know have skimped on the PT because it hurts but they had a lot more trouble getting back to normal. You need to do the therapy to prevent scar tissue from forming and restricting your movements later.

Good Luck.

[spacecase0]

I do know that some lifestyle changes are required,
for example, you have to get rid of the clutch in the car,
does to much wear to your hip, makes the entire thing worth nothing,
or at least that is what I was told years ago.
I decided not to have it done, and 20 years later I am still in mild pain that never got worse.
from what I was told back then, I would have already have had to go back and get it replaced by now had I had it done.

so, maybe you can recover how fast you would like,
but go check if activities you want to do will ever be worth it to do again.
at least I was told that some are off limits forever afterword

[tallpines]

…..

[september]

tallpines , that sailing cruise trip sounds fabulous! I hope your hip and other aches and pains will stay away so you can relax and enjoy the trip and being with your girls! I think you thought through your decision well. You probably know your body and its limits.

I put off my knee replacement surgery as long as possible, until I fell when it just gave way once without warning, with a burst of intense pain. Luckily I was walking down a grassy hill, so had a soft, if head first landing. The pain was worse than anything I'd had, so I knew it was time to get the surgery done. My other knee has been getting worse, off and on. I hope to get through this gardening season and maybe have it done in the fall if it continues at this same rate. I was pleased at the recovery time on the right knee. I did my exercises faithfully and was able to move around normally in 4-6 weeks, though it takes longer for all the swelling to go down. I did not have much pain from the surgery, it was more of an aching sensation. I suppose because they do destroy some of the nerves during the surgery, I still have some numb spots on one side of the knee.

This is third hand knowledge, but my sister has a friend that had both knees and a hip done, and according to the friend, the hip surgery was easier to recover from. I have no idea if that is the norm, and I have not talked to her myself, so can't say in what respects she thought it was easier. Maybe because it is a larger more stable area with less movement and range of motion??

[carolyn]

Get yourself in the best possible shape before the surgery and afterwards DON'T sit around waiting on it to "feel" better. My sister fell and broke her arm maybe about 5 years ago.(horse accident) and the doctor made a mess of her recovery. long story short she needed an emergency elbow replacement after 6 weeks... she has struggled with the recovery and movement since then. all the therapy in the world wasn't really helping her. it was always aching. she is a school bus driver and the cold weather was torture on her on top of it just aching. this past Fall she bought a new colt (which I was so disgusted after all this originated because of a horse and she wasn't physically fit enough to be on one) BUT she just told me her arm feels so much better. way better than all the PT she was doing . Just because of the natural normal use of her arm. pushing past the tightness and pain of regaining the strength and movement.

Get it done as soon as possible. you will feel so much better. and if they can do this one without full anesthesia (just a spinal block) which I am not sure they do, choose that option. Dont let them put your brain to sleep if at all possible.

[brownrexx]

Feb 21, 2020 7:50:22 GMT -5 carolyn said:

and if they can do this one without full anesthesia (just a spinal block) which I am not sure they do, choose that option. Dont let them put your brain to sleep if at all possible.

I was offered this option when I had my knee replaced and I was really scared that I would feel the surgery but I did it and I was amazed. I didn't feel a thing. They used an ultrasound scan before surgery and inserted a thin wire which I didn't even feel. Somehow that did a nerve block and it really worked. I was very pleased.

I hesitate to say that you should be fine because everyone is different but 15-16 weeks before the trip sounds like more than enough time to heal. Most people say 6-8 weeks and they say that they feel so much better than before that they don't know why they waited so long.

I only say this because you asked for opinions. You need to make the decision that works best for you and not worry what "everyone else" thinks. Before I had my knee replacement it caused severe pain all of the time and was unstable. I never knew when it would buckle and I wore an elastic brace to help with stability. I probably would have fallen overboard on your trip!