Total Knee Replacement

I am interested to read of all these happy results. I had my left knee replaced four years ago and the only thing I would say has been successful is the fact that I have no pain any more. The knee still swells up with almost any exercise and it is as if I have a big lump of wood in my knee. I do not have proper feeling in the skin on the outside of the knee as I was told that they cut the nerve and it obviously hasn't regenerated.

We have just come back from holiday; whilst we were in the States I had a long conversation with another holidaymaker who also had the same problems as me. She said I was the first person she had come across, too, who wasn't happy with the result. I need to have the other one done, but quite frankly I am resisting as I feel it would completely disable me.

Good luck with yours, Pompa; it sounds as if it has been completely successful.

Glad to hear all is well Pompa. Keep up the exercises and you'll soon be skipping around !

You are a positive example to us all pompa. It's good to know that you have improved so much. Keep us posted on your continuing progress.

Onwards and upwards pompa well done!!

Stitches/staples out, they were not concerned about the bleeding. Physio happy with progress.

I suspect convalescent hospitals are now a thing of the past. At one time a long convalescence with lots of rest seemed to be recommended.

My MIL told me that when she had children in the 1940s they were supposed to stay in bed for over a week before putting foot to floor.

In general with almost any surgery now they try to get you up and moving as much as possible ASAP because of the risks of immobility such as thrombosis and general weakening of unused muscles.

It's easier to keep any muscles strong rather than trying to restore good strength. It can be B painful though, doing lots of Physiotherapy, but there is no alternative.

Due to have stitches out this morning. All looked fine until this morning, woke to find that the wound had been (and still is) bleeding a lot over night.
Blood coming through dressing for most of it's length, rather disappointing, not aware that I had knocked it or done anything to trigger it. Lucky that I will see the hospital in a couple of hours.
Apart from that everything was progressing, bruising starting to fade and pain subsiding. Gradually getting more mobile.

Honestly pompa this time next year you won't know yourself! Apart from trying to sit on the floor or get up from the floor which is still quite difficult I never think of mine as anything but normal knees now.

Ginny, you give me heart that my recovery is on track, was concerned that my leg was still firmly stuck to the bed. It is however getting easier to do stuff around the house. Clips out next Tueasday, hope I can bend the knee easier then.

Glad you are feeling more positive now * Pompa *. I had a knee replacement in June and am very pleased with the result. I had my op on a Tuesday and was home on the Thursday. I am now waiting to have the other one done. I found the first two weeks quite hard and it was essential to do the exercises given by the physios' even though it was very painful. It took me three weeks to be able to lift my leg up from the bed. Ice packs certainly helped.

Improving slowly, notice that I do things just that bit easier each day, just simple things like putting my own slippers on, getting to the loo in time !!!

Had a bad night, first time the pain has kept me from sleeping, maybe it's a sign that things are healing. Might try to reduce the pain killers during the day so I have some available at night if I need them.

Even managed to stand at my building board to do a little to the glider wing I am building - this is my favourite hobby and being able to work at it is great,

Pompa - I think you are doing brilliantly - keep looking for those small improvements each day.
I had one knee replaced at the beginning of 2013 and the second was done last January. Haven't looked back! Its worth working hard with the physio. I can now walk about 4-5 miles (which is about all I want to do really!) and am off to Myanmar on an adventure holiday at the end of November. Bear in mind I could scarcely walk a coupleof hundred yards before - It will be worth it in the end. Annie

Your sounding brighterpompa good for you and your wife's devoted nursing

Felice, makes sense why you needed so much aftercare, as my physio pointed out before the op, "you are not ill" recovery is down to your own efforts, I was lucky the the knee was my only problem and had not deteriorated too much before replacement. I had my hip replaced and left it far too long, better to get it fixed while muscles are still strong.

I've not heard of convalescence hospitals for many years, and as far as maternity goes, I could not believe my daughter was in hospital just 12 hours with her recent baby. I guess we use care at home now, but as I have never needed it I can't comment.

Mishap. yes I have tempered my expectations to more realistic targets, I can see small improvements each day. Not much I can do to speed up the healing of the general trauma, the strains and bruising will heal in their own time. (ice helps)

One of the reasons for my long stay was as i said in my OP my other knee is very bad, also have compressed discs in my spine and both shoulders calcified and arhtritic, couldn't use crutches at the beginning, needed to use a frame, not possible living on the 2nd floor with a circular staircase.
Cannot say i minded it too much it is designed for long term care, and so is the village, I went out to lunch with visiting friends a couple of times, and sometimes the 'walking wounded' went into the village for coffee in the mornings.
I had 2 options of care, the one I went to, or one on the cosat near Knokke, as it was over christmas and new year I chose the inland one for ease of visitors, I have a friend who had a lung replacement and she went to the coast one last summer and said it waslovely.
I don't know what the system wil be for the next knee as i am back living in Brussels now, I was living in Flanders region last time.
he Hospital system is the same but don't know about the aftercare yet.

It is such good news to hear that things are progressing well now - you sounded very despondent in your first post! Keep up the good work!

My treatment was at a private Hospital but paid for by the NHS, this is the norm in our area for Hips/Knees which are likely to be straight forward.

I guess the recovery is influenced by the skill of the surgeon and his recovery team along with the age / fitness of the patient. My physio started 2 weeks before the surgery to strengthen the muscles.
Even though I was home on day 4, I could bend my knee 90 degrees (an essential way point), walk probably 200 yds and climb up/down stairs on the third day. (with crutches).

The Physios worked non stop to get the knee moving, it would have been a waste of everyone's time for me to remain after the fourth day, after that it was down to my own perseverance to improve further.

My staples come out next week and I would hope that I will be down to sticks when I see the Physio after they come out.

I would hate to have been in hospital any longer, I had (ridiculous) plans that I would be able to drive myself to next weeks appointment.

Getting on well atm, been walking each day for about 10 min, (even dead headed some roses this morning) can wash myself if my wife gets things ready for me. I can manage the stairs to get to/form bed, however I would struggle without my wife's help, but that was part of my pre assessment. My home has been modified to help, extra stair and grab rails, raised toilets and chairs etc.

Convalescence hospitals. That rings a bell. Didn't we have them here, once, a long time ago? Back in the days when we had maternity hospitals?

Actually, I don't think I could stand being cooped up six weeks. I suppose it's a good incentive to do the exercises and get out!

I had a back OP privately twenty years ago at Bupa paid for by private insurance. I was in and out in four days and was told it would have been three under the NHS. I don't think we'd ever get six weeks convalescence here.

It sounds like heaven felice, but did you really need 6wks convalescence? I was climbing the walls (not literally lol!) after a few days..

health care here is very good, we pay health insurance as well as Social fund contributions, but my health insurance is 18€ for 3 months.
The convalescant hospital is a bit different to the general Hospitals but they are of a high standard too.

One of the reasons you are kept a bit longer is that if you have a relapse the health Insurance companies have to pay out again, when I had my Heart Valve replacement 2 weeks after i was discharged I caught a chest infection and was back in for another 2 weeks, there was a big enquiry to check if i had been sent home too early. I knew nothing about it until my GP told me later.

Not sure what OH's reaction would be if I said "oh by the way when I have my other hip done I'll be away 6/7wks while I recover",.. haha I'd might just say that to him and see what the reaction is..
Maybe we should all move to Belgium sounds like a real holiday in hospital.

I was out after two days, thank goodness, having proved I could climb stairs etc.

Good heavens felice - that really is 5 * treatment. Over here, your bum does not touch the bed before they are sending you home!!

No, state Hospital, my other knee is pretty knackered so i know i took a bit longer but the shortest stay i know off here is 4 weeks.
A friend had a hip op recently he was out in 8 days, and back referreeing football matches in a month.
Each person is asessed seperately, and the home physio i had chosen in advance had been to my apartment and told the doctor what he thought i would need to be able to do.
The convalescent hospital was really nice, in the country, nice rooms with TV,WIFI, ensuite etc. you could either eat in the dining room on your floor or if you had friends visiting eat in the restaurant/cafe with them, they paid for theirs but yours was free. The cafe closed at 10pm and a few of us would go down in the evenings, have a beer or a glass of wine and play dominos. You could have a glass of beer or wine with your meals depending on you health issues. The food is different in belgian hospitals, everyone has the same food, no menu as such, but the quality is really good, steak on saturday, cooked as you like it.
I have been in 5 different hospitals here so it is a National system.
less cost but better quality, and no waste, if you have allergies or religious needs they are catered for of course.The lunchtime main meal in the cafe was the same as the patients.

The small town the convalescent hospital is in had all the pavements lowered ramps to cafes and shops and the little supermarket near the hospital had extra wide aisles so patients could shop, the hospital also dealt with stroke and brain injury. So occupational therapy was important, and as i am sure it was a large employer for the area there was alot of help around.
This is also a State hospital.

Meant to add I did fine and was back at work in 6wks and driving.