When is the right time - contd...?
Outside advice varies from "do not at all do it"; "do it at the last minute, when you cannot walk one more step"; to "do it now".
Knee replacement specialist doctors always advice you to do it NOW. In fact one specialist was full of glee when he saw my x-ray and was wanting to take me straight to the scalpel.
There is merit in all arguments, depending on what you want. The fact is there is a long period of getting to be normal again and there is pain but not really unendurable pain - it is a pain and discomfort more like a nagging mother-in-law.
If you do it when you are young - I mean relatively young - when you are unable to walk for more than say a km or less at one time; you are under real pain, which increases with every step taken after the initial length of sustainable walking, then issues are:
1. The recovery being longer and there is always a chance of small complications, you will start doubting whether you did the right thing; you sometimes will wonder whether it was worth the trouble and were you not better off before. The issue is during recovery, you were better off. But it is the long term implication.
You could have sustained for a longer period, say even 10 years more, without the procedure. However, your quality of life would have been reduced. However, remember that even after the procedure, for about one year or so, your quality of life will continue to be poor.
Secondly, if you are a long term patient of arthritis of the joints, your muscles would have withered a little, so even after successful recovery of your limbs, you have a long way to go to strengthen the muscles.
Thirdly, you are never going to be a competitor in a running race. As I see it, running is out. But after sustained effort to build your leg and calf muscles, you will be very much better, you can cycle, swim and walk. I am still to go there, but if my progress is anything to go by, I will reach there.
Lastly, if the recovery is slow and you have aches and pains, see your blood counts. You could have serious imbalance in a few values, particularly Vitamin D and Vitamin B 12.
In summary, you basically trade off between a longer normal life with a quality of life far better - for a small disturbance in your life. Take an outer limit of one year, but most are alright in 3 to 6 months.
2. If you feel you are fine without much out door life, you are fine with upper body exercise, if you are good with regular swimming and you feel healthy and fit, it is your decision to postpone the procedure to a latter time. Here you take a trade off that the older you are, the more number of years you live with the problem and older you are, the coping by your body is that much difficult.
My vote will be to get it done early.
The procedure itself has become routine and with a high success rate. The issues relate to infection mostly and not with the joints itself. However, you must remember that it is a major surgery for your body, it could be standardized and routine for the medical world, but not for you and your body. It is a major procedure and you need to give it your best shot and best attention.
Do not see the videos of the procedure available in YouTube; unnecessary detail, disturbing to the mind. It is better to acknowledge that it is a severe procedure for your body.
Is it painful?
Pain management is the key to this procedure. It is a good idea to go to specialist doctors with good modern facilities tuned to this knee replacement surgery. It is really painful for the first 3 days but here you are protected by epidural continuous flow. After 3 days it is painful but endurable. Pain management is always at hand, so not to worry. They make you walk the next day and they start on motion of leg the next day. Just submit and listen to them.
How long does the procedure take?
The procedure for each leg takes about 2 hours and might be more or less for individual cases.
What are the different parts of exercising?
You have clearly two directions. One is the motion and another is strengthening the muscles of various kinds. Motion is vital and so bear the discomfort and work on it. In the initial days be careful about motion and get maximum motion of the joints. Once in place, it is permanent. Keep at it. Strengthening muscle groups is very important too. This is a gradual process, so do sustained exercising. Listening to the physio therapist is important. Insist on the therapist examining you. Also be aware of the bend of your leg at the knee and bring it to as normal as possible. (Interestingly, even for normal people, if they lie down on the floor, the knee joints do not touch the floor, there is an angle - but you must watch that the angle for you is as normal as possible).
How is the medication?
For normal people not having any complications, the medication is fairly simple and routine. Pain killer dominate and it fries you brain and stomach. You will never realize it, but it has its effect at the end. But nothing to fear, things settle down. Just watch out and discuss with your doctor.
Be aware of any complications in your particular case, out of the ordinary.
How long should I stay in the hospital?
Some of the busy places, send you off the second day. In fact many do both legs same day. This is due to the hospital being busy and not due to the need of your body. I was lucky to have a specialist place, which keeps you for 7 days if it is one leg and if both, they do the second leg after a gap 5 days and after observation; they keep you in the hospital for 19 days total. Some might feel this is too much, but I had a good time, the care during pain was particularly some thing I liked and in hindsight prefer. Once you come home early, you need to manage the pain. You need a good physiotherapist.
Sometimes you cannot help this situation. In such a case, get a full brief on pain management. Also logically recognize the difference between what is normal and what is abnormal. Most of what you feel, sometimes you feel nuts and bolts have become lose inside too, is normal. It is a long process, so do not worry. Infection you need to be careful. There are clear signs and it will be good to read articles by googling for the same.
I am very well experienced in all aspects especially the games your mind plays; I am a slight hypochondriac, so I have gone through all stages of issues, both real and imaginary. So I can help you will any doubts.
Outside advice varies from "do not at all do it"; "do it at the last minute, when you cannot walk one more step"; to "do it now".
Knee replacement specialist doctors always advice you to do it NOW. In fact one specialist was full of glee when he saw my x-ray and was wanting to take me straight to the scalpel.
There is merit in all arguments, depending on what you want. The fact is there is a long period of getting to be normal again and there is pain but not really unendurable pain - it is a pain and discomfort more like a nagging mother-in-law.
If you do it when you are young - I mean relatively young - when you are unable to walk for more than say a km or less at one time; you are under real pain, which increases with every step taken after the initial length of sustainable walking, then issues are:
1. The recovery being longer and there is always a chance of small complications, you will start doubting whether you did the right thing; you sometimes will wonder whether it was worth the trouble and were you not better off before. The issue is during recovery, you were better off. But it is the long term implication.
You could have sustained for a longer period, say even 10 years more, without the procedure. However, your quality of life would have been reduced. However, remember that even after the procedure, for about one year or so, your quality of life will continue to be poor.
Secondly, if you are a long term patient of arthritis of the joints, your muscles would have withered a little, so even after successful recovery of your limbs, you have a long way to go to strengthen the muscles.
Thirdly, you are never going to be a competitor in a running race. As I see it, running is out. But after sustained effort to build your leg and calf muscles, you will be very much better, you can cycle, swim and walk. I am still to go there, but if my progress is anything to go by, I will reach there.
Lastly, if the recovery is slow and you have aches and pains, see your blood counts. You could have serious imbalance in a few values, particularly Vitamin D and Vitamin B 12.
In summary, you basically trade off between a longer normal life with a quality of life far better - for a small disturbance in your life. Take an outer limit of one year, but most are alright in 3 to 6 months.
2. If you feel you are fine without much out door life, you are fine with upper body exercise, if you are good with regular swimming and you feel healthy and fit, it is your decision to postpone the procedure to a latter time. Here you take a trade off that the older you are, the more number of years you live with the problem and older you are, the coping by your body is that much difficult.
My vote will be to get it done early.
The procedure itself has become routine and with a high success rate. The issues relate to infection mostly and not with the joints itself. However, you must remember that it is a major surgery for your body, it could be standardized and routine for the medical world, but not for you and your body. It is a major procedure and you need to give it your best shot and best attention.
Do not see the videos of the procedure available in YouTube; unnecessary detail, disturbing to the mind. It is better to acknowledge that it is a severe procedure for your body.
Is it painful?
Pain management is the key to this procedure. It is a good idea to go to specialist doctors with good modern facilities tuned to this knee replacement surgery. It is really painful for the first 3 days but here you are protected by epidural continuous flow. After 3 days it is painful but endurable. Pain management is always at hand, so not to worry. They make you walk the next day and they start on motion of leg the next day. Just submit and listen to them.
How long does the procedure take?
The procedure for each leg takes about 2 hours and might be more or less for individual cases.
What are the different parts of exercising?
You have clearly two directions. One is the motion and another is strengthening the muscles of various kinds. Motion is vital and so bear the discomfort and work on it. In the initial days be careful about motion and get maximum motion of the joints. Once in place, it is permanent. Keep at it. Strengthening muscle groups is very important too. This is a gradual process, so do sustained exercising. Listening to the physio therapist is important. Insist on the therapist examining you. Also be aware of the bend of your leg at the knee and bring it to as normal as possible. (Interestingly, even for normal people, if they lie down on the floor, the knee joints do not touch the floor, there is an angle - but you must watch that the angle for you is as normal as possible).
How is the medication?
For normal people not having any complications, the medication is fairly simple and routine. Pain killer dominate and it fries you brain and stomach. You will never realize it, but it has its effect at the end. But nothing to fear, things settle down. Just watch out and discuss with your doctor.
Be aware of any complications in your particular case, out of the ordinary.
How long should I stay in the hospital?
Some of the busy places, send you off the second day. In fact many do both legs same day. This is due to the hospital being busy and not due to the need of your body. I was lucky to have a specialist place, which keeps you for 7 days if it is one leg and if both, they do the second leg after a gap 5 days and after observation; they keep you in the hospital for 19 days total. Some might feel this is too much, but I had a good time, the care during pain was particularly some thing I liked and in hindsight prefer. Once you come home early, you need to manage the pain. You need a good physiotherapist.
Sometimes you cannot help this situation. In such a case, get a full brief on pain management. Also logically recognize the difference between what is normal and what is abnormal. Most of what you feel, sometimes you feel nuts and bolts have become lose inside too, is normal. It is a long process, so do not worry. Infection you need to be careful. There are clear signs and it will be good to read articles by googling for the same.
I am very well experienced in all aspects especially the games your mind plays; I am a slight hypochondriac, so I have gone through all stages of issues, both real and imaginary. So I can help you will any doubts.
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