I found other posts helpful on knee replacement, so i just want to relay my experience.
I did not do any pre exercise plan, heard some patients do. I walk all the time but I cut back a week before surgery so I would not be all puffy.
Im 6 foot 205 pounds, and on good shape near 60. Knee was bad genetics, bow legged, and arthritis from heritage. I was bone on bone for years, and post op, the Doc said my knee was a mess. My wife is a nurse, so I did all steps and was home nursed by her plus visiting nurses.
As far as prep, I did most thing I could like change water filters, and some yard work before my month of couch time. I got a walker, crutches, and an nice air bike for exercise later. I got a toilet seat lift, but I had a higher commode to begin with, so I need to put towels on the floor to get foot contact. I did get a shower seat, but I do pretty good sponge baths in the bathroom/laundry room on the floor I am living on.
I am in my man cave so it is nice. Refrig with food drinks, and a microwave. Piss bottle is great so you don't have to get up often, and you need a lot of fluids. I have a heavy duty step stool that I use to push off the couch. Much easier that pushing on cushions, plus it has height.
I always have an ice pack available, and use it a lot. Ice pack helps a lot.
Had a famous surgeon, that runs a tight program. First class hospital. They run the operation, and somehow get you out in 23 hours. That way, it is out patient, and the Doc makes more money. This is told to the patient. They had zero problem with keeping me longer.
I went in 2 hours before surgery, and had all the prep. They did a spinal shot, and that was nothing. I was sitting up in bed, held a pillow to my chest and leaned forward. They stuck in a needle. They also shot my leg, and gave me a oral narcotic to settle down. I remember being slid onto the surgery table, then lights out.
Woke up could not feel anything. They had leg pump massager on both legs. They had a hot air blanket, and that was comfortable. Talked to surgeon and anesthesia doc. I could move my toes, but not feel the leg messager. Felt groggy but OK. Visited with my wife.
They asked me to raise my leg, and it was like 300 pounds of lead. Zero movement. After 2 hours I could feel the messager punp. 1/2 hour later the pain started. They gave me oxy, and dalude? via a IV push. That felt good. Oxy does not really seem to work for me. I drank a lot and pissed in a bottle a lot. Never got out of bed the first day, because the night nurses were terrible. Slept 1 hour. Pain was so bad it is hard to describe. Felt like a firehose of dull burning pain. I had super low blood pressure, and super low calcium. They kept me an extra 1/2 day, and planned on 2 days, but my wife convinced them to let me go home. She was a knee rehab nurse 15 years ago, so that made it happen.
At home I could not sleep due to pain. I was taking 1000mg tylenol plus two 5 325 oxy every 6 hours. Next AM I slept from 6-8 am, and that was wonderful to get 2 solid hours of sleep. Had a headache for first 5 days or so, I guess due to spinal? Anyway I read that was the reason.
Next 2 days had very little sleep. and insane pain. No way to get comfortable. It might seem silly, but my wife put a heavy rubber carpet on the couch to make it firmer and give support. That was simply a game changer.
I could walk with the walker, but it was painful. By leg was 90% paralyzed. Oxy stuff was bad for me, got me anxious, so I cut back to one pill every 6 hours and 2 at night. My wife wanted double dose at night. I could only sleep 2 hours tops. A miserable week, with first 3 days pretty insane.
On day 8 I quit taking Oxy because it seemed to bring on more pain when it wore off. I would get fidgety, then a bit latter the pain would turn on, and I had to wait an hour or so to have the oxy kick in. So I opted for just tylenol. That was a long night with zero sleep, but the pain stayed at a 6 maybe, and it did not escalate. It was good to get off oxy for a full day.
My wife said to get back on the oxy, but I was taking 2-3 a day, not 8. For me that was good. I could sleep longer, maybe 4 hours on lower dosage. I just got more pills because they will only fill 24 pills a time at walmart, and now it is 4 per day on the jar.
I have home nursing measure blood thickness for clots, and adjust meds. They said I am pretty much the average case, and not to do too much PT before 2 weeks. So I am doing the exercises they suggest, and really the damage just needs time to heal. On day 10, and actually slept 12/24 hours. I may have slept as much today as and 7 day period combined. So I feel I am out of the post op misery. I start PT in 5 days at the hospital. Naturally I am doing as much as possible to keep it loose and less PT pain.
Anyway I made progress everyday, so time heals. Oxy does not take the pain away as well as i hoped, and does not allow me to rest well. So 1/2 dose seems optimum for me. I am keeping the pills in reserve for PT.
Probably a lot of typos and grammar issues, but figured I would write stuff down before I forget.
