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Night of Surgery & Driving Home After TKR
Staying in the hotel for one night the day of TKR and then I have a five hour drive home. Anything you wish you had in the hotel the night of your surgery or had brought in the car with you? I know about stopping every 75 mins or so to walk but any other tips and tricks on what you had in the hotel room or in the car would be appreciated. Surgery is at Methodist Hosp., Rochester and I was told it would be outpatient.
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An important question!
*The space to lay stretched out in the back seat with something to comfortably prop your straight leg up on so that your knee is the height of your heart or above it for the duration of the trip.
*Ice packs that will last for the duration of the trip as you rotate them on and off (a small cooler packed with ice or something of that kind).
*A gait belt or something that your companion can hold onto while you walk in the event you lose your balance. Think potty stops...
*Easily digestible snacks and water for hydration. Ask your surgeon if fluids with electrolytes are ok/advisable at that point in your recovery.
I hope these suggestions help. I've really been through it with major knee surgeries including several TKAs (MAYO Rochester did the final two... hooray!) so I have lots of experience with road and air trips post surgeries.
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3 ReactionsThank you. I just ordered the gait belt and reusable ice bags since I can fill the cooler with a bag of ice from McDonald's and refill the ice bag as needed.
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1 ReactionMake sure you can get and and off the off the toilet. I could not without a high toilet seat. I stayed overnight at the hospital the day of surgery for that reason. Stayed in the hotel the night before and realized I’d not be able to get off the toilet so I asked to stay in the hospital the day/night of surgery. You really may want to stay overnight in the hospital the day of surgery. You’ll be totally doped up and won’t want to move much, especially to a hotel. Stay over in hospital if your insurance will allow . Medicare allowed it for me and my Dr put in the recommendation. We had a two hour drive home in winter. I was concerned about pit stops but I slept through most of the ride home. Spread out flat in the back seat. Good luck!
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1 Reaction@skakle Thank you. I picked up incontinence items just in case I can’t make it to a bathroom quickly enough on the drive home; I wouldn’t have thought of this without your comment. I’d rather be safe than embarrassed.
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1 ReactionGood idea. You will be going nowhere fast after your surgery. You may want to keep a bed pan in the car if you’re having to travel for 5 hours.
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1 ReactionMake sure you have your pain meds and a walker.
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2 Reactions@momma2lucy
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