New Knee

[ATLHawkeye]

I'm 30 and had my knee replaced 2 years ago.

1st day = easy.

2nd day = total *****! but if the docs love ya they'll get you all hopped up on drugs

3rd day forward = smooth sailing

The best news I can give you is that once you're 100% healed the knee will feel just as good or better as it did before

Sucks to hear your horror story, Sparky, but glad it has turned out well for you. And here I thought I was young for a knee replacement. I'm in my second day now and you're right it's worse than yesterday but still not too bad. If this is as bad as it gets I'll be very happy. They have me using one of those machines that keeps your knee moving which is supposed to help recovery quite a bit.

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Glad to hear it is going well thus far. I have to go get mine checked out as well. They crack and pop all the time. They have been doing this for years now, but it has gotten really bad, when they pop now it sends me the rest of the way to the floor and it takes me awhile to get back up.
I have been nervous about getting them looked at due to horror stories I have heard. Keep us updated please.

I heard the same horror stories Olddude, and glad I didn't listen to them. I've been nervous as hell the past few weeks but now that it's done I can honestly say I'm glad I did it... and I'm just starting the hard part.

I was REALLY dreading the actual surgery and I can honestly say it was a piece of cake. I went in, got some really good drugs, and woke up with it finished. If your knee is half as bad as mine was, and it sound like it is, you owe it to yourself to get it checked out. I'm convinced that although they might be true for those who tell them, the horror stories are rare. I've heard way more stories about what a great decision it was.

This is the 2nd day, which is supposed to be one of the worst for pain, and it's not that bad. If it doesn't get any worse than this I'll be very happy.

 

[GoHawks24]

Sucks to hear your horror story, Sparky, but glad it has turned out well for you. And here I thought I was young for a knee replacement. I'm in my second day now and you're right it's worse than yesterday but still not too bad. If this is as bad as it gets I'll be very happy. They have me using one of those machines that keeps your knee moving which is supposed to help recovery quite a bit.

I remember that thing. How is your comfort level with it? I liked it at first, but as the night moved on it kind of started to bother me.

And like some other posters have stated, make sure you do everything that the therapists tell you to do, especially massaging the incision area. I didn't follow closely enough and really regret it so make sure you listen instead of being a dumby like myself. GL!

 

[ATLHawkeye]

I remember that thing. How is your comfort level with it? I liked it at first, but as the night moved on it kind of started to bother me.

And like some other posters have stated, make sure you do everything that the therapists tell you to do, especially massaging the incision area. I didn't follow closely enough and really regret it so make sure you listen instead of being a dumby like myself. GL!

Thanks GH24... So far the machine isn't too bad but I've only been on it a few hours so far and am at 60 degrees. Luckily I'm getting 3 weeks of home therapy so that will make it much more convenient to get it started out right. I've had it drilled into my head so much from everybody I talk to about it how important the therapy is that I'd be a dummy not to do exactly what they say.

 

[GoHawks24]

Thanks GH24... So far the machine isn't too bad but I've only been on it a few hours so far and am at 60 degrees. Luckily I'm getting 3 weeks of home therapy so that will make it much more convenient to get it started out right. I've had it drilled into my head so much from everybody I talk to about it how important the therapy is that I'd be a dummy not to do exactly what they say.

Definitely. That will be very nice. So when are you set to leave the hospital? Just trying to get a gauge on what to be expecting in about 10-15 years, if not sooner.

 

[LutherHawk]

Thanks GH24... So far the machine isn't too bad but I've only been on it a few hours so far and am at 60 degrees. Luckily I'm getting 3 weeks of home therapy so that will make it much more convenient to get it started out right. I've had it drilled into my head so much from everybody I talk to about it how important the therapy is that I'd be a dummy not to do exactly what they say.

Hopefully your orthopedist and anesthesiologist opted for a continuous peripheral nerve block (it would be a catheter coming out of your upper leg connected to a pump delivering an infusion of local anesthetic for first 3 days). This really helps with pain and dramatically reduces the need for opioids (narcotics).

Without a continuous nerve block, the second day can be really tough becuase all of the local anesthetic and other drugs that they inject in and around the knee begin to wear off. And then...BAM!...it hits you.

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Definitely. That will be very nice. So when are you set to leave the hospital? Just trying to get a gauge on what to be expecting in about 10-15 years, if not sooner.

Already home GoHawks... I had the surgery yesterday at 10:30 AM, walking the hallway with a walker at 5:30 and was home today at noon. Pretty quick, huh.

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Hopefully your orthopedist and anesthesiologist opted for a continuous peripheral nerve block (it would be a catheter coming out of your upper leg connected to a pump delivering an infusion of local anesthetic for first 3 days). This really helps with pain and dramatically reduces the need for opioids (narcotics).

Without a continuous nerve block, the second day can be really tough becuase all of the local anesthetic and other drugs that they inject in and around the knee begin to wear off. And then...BAM!...it hits you.

I didn't have the continuous pump, but the initial injection did last until earlier today. Today was a little worse, but still not too bad. Definitely manageable. Ask me again, though, after my first PT session tomorrow and I might have a different answer.

 

[roetbombaaa]

Already home GoHawks... I had the surgery yesterday at 10:30 AM, walking the hallway with a walker at 5:30 and was home today at noon. Pretty quick, huh.

Just out of curiosity, what were your range of motion measurements before you left the hospital?

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Just out of curiosity, what were your range of motion measurements before you left the hospital?

I wish I had some numbers for you but they didn't take any measurements (never thought about it but that is kind of surprising). I was using the CPM just before being discharged this morning at 60 degrees up and 0 down, but I could have gone quite a bit further before it really started hurting. A few hours after surgery the PT came in and had me do some exercises on the bed and she was amazed that I could bend it nearly 90 degrees. However, that was when the initial narcotics were still blocking the pain... I don't think I could get that much today. All in all seems like pretty good range of motion so far, though.

 

[atomicblue224]

awesome

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Just out of curiosity, what were your range of motion measurements before you left the hospital?

The PT was here yesterday and she took the 1st measurement I've had after surgery, but it was the day after I left the hospital. The measured it at 0 degrees straightened and 85 degrees bent. Don't know how that compares to most but she seemed pretty happy with it.

Still not much pain to speak of, except for while doing the exercises. Mostly just really stiff.

For everybody that doesn't really care about this stuff... sorry to keep posting because I know it's not too exciting. Since many on HN probably played a lot of sports when they were younger, there's probably many others with this in their future. Hopefully it will help some who are thinking of going through the same thing. So far, it's better than I expected it to be.