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Originally Posted by ADNA
I had my right knee replaced 2 years ago when I was 67. It was so bad I missed hunting season that year. Doctor told me most important thing was to do exercises that he gave me starting 6 weeks before surgery to make all the muscles in my knee strong. My surgery came out really good. I never used a walker or cane after 3 days. Did physical therapy twice a week for 5 weeks plus all the exercises they told me to do at home every day. I did a lot of walking, since it was November I would go to Home Depot to walk so I did not have to walk in rain. Was driving after 10 days. I was almost totally healed and doing most things after 12 weeks. All stiffness gone after 12 months. I think really important to do lots of exercise before surgery.

Good idea to exercise prior to surgery. I did on my own as much as I could but never got a recommendation from a doc. I got my flexibility back real quick too but my leg was still very weak from favoring it for 2-3 years. I will say I had my knee scoped in September of 16 and it actually went downhill from there. I tried to gut it out bit finally just decided to have it done. My doc was actually offering TKR before I had my knee scoped. I wish I had done it way back then.


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Having strong legs going in is a big factor. In my case I am a spinning instructor, so my legs where pretty rock solid and it made a huge difference in the early recovery, but also made it easier on the surgeon as muscle is easier to go through than fat. they have to cut the muscle just above your knee cap, getting that healed and the stitches to release is a key step in recovery

Last edited by Bob_H_in_NH; 12/17/18.
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Bad car crash in June of 17 almost killed me. Destroying my right leg, having 3 compound fractures, broken hip and pelvis. Dr said a full knee replacement would happen sometime. April 30 had it done, May 14th I killed a spring gobbler and got on with life. Elk hunted Idaho the entire month of Sept. Do not have full range of motion due to tearing all the ligaments in the knee. Can't quit, have to do things a lil different than before. I was 52 when this all happened and lucky to have my leg.


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Originally Posted by Keith1
Originally Posted by curdog4570
One of my good friends is spending Christmas without a knee. Neither the one he was born with or the artificial one that replaced it.

He had one knee done and everything went fine, so they replaced the second one. It became infected and after none of the antibiotics worked, they took the mechanical joint back out a couple weeks ago and stuffed the empty space with something like plaster of Paris. They wont put the new one in until, or unless, they get the infection cleared up. The Doctors said maybe six weeks with no knee.


About 20 years ago that same thing happened to a friend and he killed himself. Hopefully this person doesn't do the same as Bob.


I know 3 people on a first name basis that had to go through that and 1 of them nearly lost his leg. He was on the third and final revision and was told going in that if this time didn't work he would lose his leg.


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Squatting up and down a million times behind the dish on the baseball diamond spelled my doom. Double TKR last Summer and I've never felt better. I have zero pain, but I do get a little stiff when sitting a while, or standing a while, but it's no biggie. I cannot squat all the way down like I used to, but can get close. Getting that knee straight is much more important that how far you can bend it during/post PT. Get that sucker straight!


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42 years in construction just plan wore them out.
Right knee replaced 3.5 years ago.
At 7 weeks for the left knee.
The first 4 weeks are just hell than it starts getting better.
I'm almost at 120 degrees of bend doing well.
Wish the rest of you well.


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It is a great operation these days with the modern ones. My step dad had one done years ago and the thing clicked like a castanet. It was so bad that he had to go up stairs backwards. I got clipped real bad in college and all these years later it caught up with me on a side hill with a big pack when I was out deer hunting. The darn knee went over to the outside five times when I was a mile from the truck. After that I wasn't hunting that day, I was trying to survive. Torn ACL and the doc took out 80% of the meniscus and said I'll see you in a couple of years for a new knee. Not so far, but coming I think. The doc told my father-in-law that you only have so many miles in your knees and you can either spend them on the racquetball court or living normally.


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Had it done on my left knee May 16, 2018. Pre-hab, pre-hab, pr-ehab. Did I mention pre-hab? Getting toned up prior to makes a huge difference.

Plan on a little pain second or third day but nothing too bad, and be sure to take stool softeners starting a day before surgery. Ice will be your friend. Mix rubbing alcohol and H20 60 / 40 and double baggie it. Makes a cheap but effective ice pack - make about 6 and rotate them in the freezer.

After about a week I came off opioids and used only Tylenol and ice.

Then its re-hab, re-hab, re-hab. Yeah it hurts a bit but getting range of motion back is what it is all about. Push yourself.

I waited too long to have it done. Looking back I should not have been such a wus and had it done 5 years ago. Everyone says you will be out of work for 8 weeks, but I was back in about 4.


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I had TNR on both knees on August 14, 2018. Rehab can be tough, but DO IT. I'm 65 years old and age and arthritis had take their toll on my knees. If you need it, just get it done.


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Torn lateral meniscus in both knees. One when I was 15, the other when I was 22. By the time I was 57, I had advanced osteo arthritis in both knees. Had my right one replaced January 2017, and the left one March 2017. Best decision I've made medically. I can do anything I want now except run. I do 30 minutes a day on the elliptical machine with no pain or swelling.

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Somebody mentioned Motrin. Yes Motrin is good stuff.
During my knee surgery ordeal, I had a kindly nurse practitioner in the rehab clinic tell me that 2 extra strength Tylenol and 3 Motrin were just as effective as the Vicodin.
And after a few months I could tell I was getting hooked on that Vicodin. It would make a junkie weep, but I flushed twenty-four, ten mg Vicodin down the toilet one day that stuff was messing me up.

It is surprising how effective the Tylenol Motrin is. In fact I recently read a study where the Tylenol Motrin is just as good as Vicodin.

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Everyone is different and there is no one experience with knees. Some have easy and others hard. Some have easy one knee and hell the other.

However, over 1000 jumps in SOF, 2 major parachute accidents and my body said "Fxxk it" in 2007 at age 55. They replaced my left knee in 2017 and it has been hell. I am allergic it seems to oxcys and percocet. That left me with tramadyl and acetimetiphine. All that did was cut the ragged edge off. Could not sleep for over 1.5 hours at a time until they gave me ambien. I had an ankle go out and fell which did not help. Four days after the surgery my thigh was swollen to 29 inches and calf 25 inches. They use a tournaquit around your leg and it creates all kinds of trauma expecially if the surgery takes 2x as long as supposed to. The knee still has not healed perfectly so I am without some pain and I will never run and walk without a limp. Right knee is getting gel and cortisone shots now. I am going to see a different ortho doctor who seems to have some new techniques to alleviate full replacement in many cases.

Look around and talk to several ortho doctors.

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One recommendation, if you can. Make friends with a local PT, ask them who should and who should not, do the surgery. They deal with the aftermath, the complications and the ones that go smooth. They see the patterns.

The surgeon MATTERS.

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Bob H in NH is 100 percent correct. There are good surgeons, and there are bad surgeons.

Try to make friendly with a physical therapist, or with an RN on the orthopedic ward, and for God's sake get a recommendation!

As I said above my first knee surgery was a failure and I suffered for 17 months. 17 months on crutches.
While going to all the rehab and PT I talked at length with the therapists and RNs and got a good recommendation. My second surgery went great.

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