Was it worth it?

Posted by irishtrish @irishtrish, Sep 16 12:54pm

Honestly considering if my TKR was worth it. I had arthritis issues beforehand, but now I'm in constant pain and may be for a year or more. Was it worth it? I honestly don't know.

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Profile picture for aileenredding @aileenredding

I had a partial knee replacement in March. I did a partial because I was afraid of pain , weakness and immobility. I have bad arthritis in the other knee and was is natural in my left knee. My replacement is fine now and I am still afraid to proceed with the other knee. July 1995 you have given me a glimpse into a realistic success story.

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Sir...had FKR on both...awesome & HAPPY!
( Nov 2024 / Apr 2025 )

Doing gym free weights 3 - 4 X weekly, plus 60 minutes cardio walking sessions outside 3X / week!

Life altering experience... at
0 meds!

>Eat all fresh
>little to no processed sugars >Mediterranean diet mostly
>Lots vegetables/ fruits
> No fast food
> No alcohol
>Little red meat
> Lots fish, seafood, chicken
> Salad daily / sensible carbs

The inflammation with the bad knees was doing additional damage... but remediated with the surgeries!

It's a new World...

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Stay positive... Had both knees fully replaced within the last 9 months...And I will tell you it's been a new life for me and I think it can be a new life for you if you get past some of the hurdles and challenges.

> Physical Therapy was critical for me...but I did their exercises at home 4X per day for 5 days of 7 day week. Only saw PT for 2X weekly.
Their exercises helped with RANGE OF MOTION VIA MASSAGES & with circulation. Being a gym rat...of many years, my gym routine was stopped about 5 days before surgery...lol.

> When you train upper body at the gym, you keep your body in a state of growth and healing so it is much better if you go to the gym and combine doing some machines with free weights

> Make sure you eat real clean, mostly fresh foods

> Get plenty of rest / sleep...as critical a factor as any!

> ICING...I will tell you is also critical...because icing keeps the swelling down after doing your physical therapy Sessions and even your walks during the day. And if you keep the swelling down you keep the pain down and keeping the swelling down also automatically increases your range of motion!

> When you're on track and achieving the above you will feel a lot more successful and a lot more positive!

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If only I could remember life in the 60s. I am 80 but I do look forward to my replacement later this week!

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Profile picture for gymratca @gymratca

Hi there. ...

Just a few words from my experience of have both knees FKR Nov 2024 / April 2025.

Like you I did some due diligence ... getting 4 Orthopedic opinions, having
severe bone on bone in both and excessive amount of pain for more than a 6 year period.

One leg was bowed, and the other seemed to be heading in the same direction. I was also informed that I had a Immuno Thrombocytopenia (Which delayed the surgery until the cause of it and remedy could be implemented )

KEY PREPARATIONS

> Stretching 3X daily
> Strength Training
> Dietary Corrections
> Home Ergonomics
>Bedroom Logistics
> Physical Therapy
> Schedule

I ve always been a gym rat... with 40+ years at my hobby. Knees that are so bad that you are almost crippled. Definitely put a dent in your activity level, especially for doing legs, but I will tell you that any and all training that you can do upper body as well as the lower body will enhance your body's ability to heal... as well as make you stronger so that you can support yourself through the difficult work that must be done.

The areas above identified were key to me. Crushed ice in quart & gallon zip bags in the Bedroom freezer / frig kept the swelling DOWN.. hence pain down. Get off the narcotics by 4 - 5 days to avoid addiction... 800 MG ibuprofen was my ORTHO prescription.

Official PT was 2X/ week... but I did 4 sessions/ day at home with their exercises...and a few of my own... for 5 days/ week.

●Very important to get up and walk with walker within 2 - 4 hours of surgery to AVOID blood clots

● Very important to take ice cooler to hospital room as theirs may be insufficient

● A large bath sheet to wrap around ice packs great to keep isolated and control swelling days 2 - 15

● Walker that fits through bathroom & Bedroom doorways critical.. and an attached cup holder & carry pouch on walker best!

● Sooner you schedule & begin PT ( 7 days ) from surgery best

● Stock up pantry & refrigerator with some pre-fixed items / get arranged help for coffee / meals / ice

● Walk limited to 3 - 4 minutes first week / session! DON'T OVERDUE IT! Walk each week to add 20 - 40 more steps than prior week.

● IN bed ankle flexes, knee flexes, leg raises all aid CIRCULATION & STRENGTH... do both legs... one first 8 - 10 reps... then the other

● Consume all fresh foods, low carbs, high lean protein, lots of vegetables, minimum processed sugars, good amount of fruits, lots of colored vegetables & fruits, salads, multi- vitamin, magnesium supplement if allowed medically. ( Sugars feed inflammation so avoid them mostly )

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Just one note. My surgeon includes an ice machine in his fee. It gets delivered to my home two days before the operation. The ice machine comes with a wrap making it much easier to use than ice in baggies. It is included for two weeks. After that I either return it or pay a rental fee myself.

If your surgeon doesn't include one, consider renting one yourself. My surgeon currently uses the "Game Ready" ice machine.

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Profile picture for steveinarizona @steveinarizona

Just one note. My surgeon includes an ice machine in his fee. It gets delivered to my home two days before the operation. The ice machine comes with a wrap making it much easier to use than ice in baggies. It is included for two weeks. After that I either return it or pay a rental fee myself.

If your surgeon doesn't include one, consider renting one yourself. My surgeon currently uses the "Game Ready" ice machine.

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I'm done Sir...only 2 knees. .lol

renn
designer
909.549.9518
https://rennbrandt.com
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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There are a lot of dark, hopeless days in the eternity that passes so slowly after knee replacement surgery. I did learn some valuable lessons. Choosing the right surgeon and the right therapist is critical. My team let me down badly on a number of occasions. Having a really patient and kind coach is the only thing that got me through the whole nightmare. I did learn to keep seeking additional help from medical pros in different fields. No one person has all the answers we need in the midst of setbacks and complications. Keep searching is the best advice. The other saving grace for me was this portal, which I wish I had found before I ever decided about the surgery. You cannot learn too much ahead of time. The medical profession hides vital information from patients. I also learned that specialists see only what they practice. They can look right at evidence of illness or injury that should be obvious to the medically trained, but never notice that it's staring them in the face. They get in a rut or routine and don't keep their eyes open. I should have been directed to different specialists and had the surgery delayed because what they overlooked made all the difference between a good recovery and a seemingly endless nightmare that left me on the edge of suicide. Ortho surgery is so hard on the body that any underlying illness can derail the whole process. Doctors don't adequately screen older patients for underlying conditions. It's a real disservice to senior patients because it leads to much unnecessary suffering. When a recovery goes sideways it's so much harder to get the body back on track, and the whole experience is so rough that setbacks can lead to years of suffering. I would not do it again. I am very grateful to be able to take walks now. I am relieved over the things that did not go wrong (yet). I am very grateful to the specialist and my family doctor who stepped up to help me when the first team failed me--but the very thought of facing a joint replacement again is terrifying. I would rather die first. I would say to those who are considering doing it to get your whole body thoroughly checked out for signs of other medical conditions before you ever agree to the joint surgery. Then get in the best physical condition you can before the surgery. It's too late once you roll through those surgical suite doors. What happens before the surgery is the best determiner of success. Good luck to anyone reading this who is thinking of getting joint surgery. There are many kind, helpful people on this website who share good ideas and the wisdom of experience. I learned several things here that made a real positive difference in my outcome, and I am SO grateful to those who contributed on this site.

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Wow, what genie15 says might scare anyone away! I've had a good outcome, and most of us do, but it's had its ups and downs. Someone, somewhere on this forum, made the point that you should choose a specialist for this surgery -- someone who does nothing else. I agree. My surgeon only does knees and hips, and he's been doing this for years, is up on the latest technology, but isn't over-eager to be the first onboard. I looked him up online and read reviews. Nevertheless, I also agree with genie15, that a doctor will often only see what he is looking for, and I've had that experience. I was fortunate that I had no complications following my TKR. In response to irishtrish, it isn't an easy road, but if your arthritis had you going downhill and was slowly lessening your quality of life, it's worth it. Get past all the pain and stiffness, and you will start to see improvement. You will be going uphill instead of downhill, regardless of how slowly you feel you are going. At 16-months out from surgery, I finally feel like I am almost back to my pre-decline self -- NOT my pre-surgery self, but my pre-decline self! That's amazing! Surgery doesn't just halt the decline arthritis puts you in, it can set you back to start! That is worth a year of recovery.

REPLY
Profile picture for gymratca @gymratca

Hi there. ...

Just a few words from my experience of have both knees FKR Nov 2024 / April 2025.

Like you I did some due diligence ... getting 4 Orthopedic opinions, having
severe bone on bone in both and excessive amount of pain for more than a 6 year period.

One leg was bowed, and the other seemed to be heading in the same direction. I was also informed that I had a Immuno Thrombocytopenia (Which delayed the surgery until the cause of it and remedy could be implemented )

KEY PREPARATIONS

> Stretching 3X daily
> Strength Training
> Dietary Corrections
> Home Ergonomics
>Bedroom Logistics
> Physical Therapy
> Schedule

I ve always been a gym rat... with 40+ years at my hobby. Knees that are so bad that you are almost crippled. Definitely put a dent in your activity level, especially for doing legs, but I will tell you that any and all training that you can do upper body as well as the lower body will enhance your body's ability to heal... as well as make you stronger so that you can support yourself through the difficult work that must be done.

The areas above identified were key to me. Crushed ice in quart & gallon zip bags in the Bedroom freezer / frig kept the swelling DOWN.. hence pain down. Get off the narcotics by 4 - 5 days to avoid addiction... 800 MG ibuprofen was my ORTHO prescription.

Official PT was 2X/ week... but I did 4 sessions/ day at home with their exercises...and a few of my own... for 5 days/ week.

●Very important to get up and walk with walker within 2 - 4 hours of surgery to AVOID blood clots

● Very important to take ice cooler to hospital room as theirs may be insufficient

● A large bath sheet to wrap around ice packs great to keep isolated and control swelling days 2 - 15

● Walker that fits through bathroom & Bedroom doorways critical.. and an attached cup holder & carry pouch on walker best!

● Sooner you schedule & begin PT ( 7 days ) from surgery best

● Stock up pantry & refrigerator with some pre-fixed items / get arranged help for coffee / meals / ice

● Walk limited to 3 - 4 minutes first week / session! DON'T OVERDUE IT! Walk each week to add 20 - 40 more steps than prior week.

● IN bed ankle flexes, knee flexes, leg raises all aid CIRCULATION & STRENGTH... do both legs... one first 8 - 10 reps... then the other

● Consume all fresh foods, low carbs, high lean protein, lots of vegetables, minimum processed sugars, good amount of fruits, lots of colored vegetables & fruits, salads, multi- vitamin, magnesium supplement if allowed medically. ( Sugars feed inflammation so avoid them mostly )

Jump to this post

@gymratca

I like your post but have one comment. I would recommend using an ice machine, not just ice. My surgeon includes a two week rental of an ice machine. You put ice and water in the compartment and there is a wrap that one plugs into the ice machine and you use it to wrap around your leg.

My surgeon recommends using the machine 6-8 times a day. I had an ice machine for my hip replacement and it was a god send. But it was a very expensive ice machine (it didn't use ice but made cold water like a refrigerator on the fly) and my surgeon now uses a less expensive machine but still a good one:
https://www.recoveryforathletes.com/products/game-ready-ice-machine-with-knee-wrap-package?
I am sure there are others out there as well. I don't know the rental cost but it should be a doable amount if one is not included in your package.

REPLY
Profile picture for steveinarizona @steveinarizona

@gymratca

I like your post but have one comment. I would recommend using an ice machine, not just ice. My surgeon includes a two week rental of an ice machine. You put ice and water in the compartment and there is a wrap that one plugs into the ice machine and you use it to wrap around your leg.

My surgeon recommends using the machine 6-8 times a day. I had an ice machine for my hip replacement and it was a god send. But it was a very expensive ice machine (it didn't use ice but made cold water like a refrigerator on the fly) and my surgeon now uses a less expensive machine but still a good one:
https://www.recoveryforathletes.com/products/game-ready-ice-machine-with-knee-wrap-package?
I am sure there are others out there as well. I don't know the rental cost but it should be a doable amount if one is not included in your package.

Jump to this post

My ice machine sounds like yours, but was sent home as mine, not a rental. It's great in that it stays cold for a long time. One of the PT's suggested freezing water in small bottles instead of putting ice into the machine, as people have been known to run out of ice! I did use the bottles, and it worked well, also saving on water use.

REPLY
Profile picture for steveinarizona @steveinarizona

If only I could remember life in the 60s. I am 80 but I do look forward to my replacement later this week!

Jump to this post

@steveinarizona
I am 85 and just had surgery on both knees on July 1st. I am now 3 months out and am doing really well. I have full flexion of 120 now in both legs and I am walking without a cane. I am still in PT and will be for 3 more weeks. There are still days that the numbness and stiffness shows their ugly head but it seems to part of the process for up to a year. Do I get tired of doing PT exercises? Yes! But it's necessary for my long term recovery. The first 2 weeks are the hardest, but keep a good attitude and take one thing at a time and you will come through this successfully. Good luck!

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