Just had total knee replacement surgery on my right knee a few hours ago. All went well and I’m feeling pretty good right now.
Anybody have a story to tell or tips to share?
Probably most of the OC’ers are too young to be looking at that!
All I know that's it come a hell of a long way. Same with hip replacement.
Both are outpatient now and the entire procedure and rehab is less complicated than the past.
^^^^^^^^ Yes, I’m going home in a few hours.
From friends that have had it, understand and follow the rehab process religiously.
My brother is 42 and has had both hips replaced. Wear and tear from 4years dI football and genetics, my father also had hip replaced. He is happier than ever and wishes he had done it sooner. I think my hips are ok but I think my right knee will need done at some point
My grandma had both of her knees replaced 15 or so years ago, so in her early 70s. She's still going strong, but I remember it being a lot of rehab. I remember driving her to some of her appointments during the summer when I was home from college.
Good luck BRF. With any injury (conservative treatment or post-op), be sure to be committed to PT.
Rough. Good luck man. My family is well acquainted with knee replacements. My mom, dad, aunt, and grandma have all had double knee replacements. I've quit running and gone to biking to try and save mine. So far so good, in my mid 30s.
The surgery and recovery time has improved so much just in the last 3 years.
But, as others said, gotta stick with the PT. Also, make sure you keep moving and do not allow scar tissue/ arthritis to build up as they will only make it way more painful and difficult to extend your leg. My dad had one knee totally screwed up because he let some tissue build up. He had to get it redone basically a few years later.
Oh, and it is going to hurt for a while, especially when they really flex your knee back for PT.
Hoping for a speedy recovery. Be committed to the physical therapy.
I am a physical therapist and I will tell you what I tell all my patients, wait three months to see how you feel. There will be many ups and downs and you will wonder if your knee is doing well. After three months with most patients their body accepts the trauma it went through with the surgery. Swelling will go down and if you have any pain it should be minimal. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.
Good luck with your recovery, BRF, hopefully you'll come back better than Colonel Steve Austin-lol...fwiw, a close friend of mine opted for stem cell therapy in lieu of a transplant, and it's working well for him. Didn't know much about it until he went through it, but he seems to feel it was worth the investment--and since it's not yet covered by medical insurance, it was an investment!
Thank you everyone for your kind words, advice and stories!
BRF....how long before you'll be able to drive? I've been told I'll need a double knee replacement, at some point, and I'm putting it off due to the down time from work. I can work from home but it just isn't as effective as being in the office regularly. Speedy recovery !
BR: I’m being told 4 weeks for driving. When I tore my Achilles, I was 40 years old and drove left footed just a couple weeks after. Not sure I could do that now. With how I feel right now, I can’t imagine having both done at the same time, like Justin’s grandma in her early 70’s.