👯‍♀️👯‍♀️Hips and Knees part 4 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️

You will need a picker-upper to get your knickers on. You will find it invaluable for reaching out for shoes etc. If you wear laceups can I suggest elastic stretchy laces and a long-handled shoe horn? You may need the latter anyway.

Some folk I know bought 2 picker uppers- one upstairs and one downstairs. You will find they are your new best friend especially if like me you live on your own.

You will not be allowed to wear your mules in the hospital as they do not have the same support as a pair with a back.

Good luck next week susytish. Thanks for the advice Charleygirl. I have bought new nighties but my slippers are mules. Will I be able to get my knickers on? 🤭
The hospital says “at leat 24hrs stay” but I have a meeting with physios and others in a couple of weeks time, so I will ask then.

I had TKR a year ago, and THR in August. I was I thought doing ok. It seems to be taking a while. I don’t use a crutch in the house, use 1 to walk outside. A couple of friends have had hips done around same time as me. They are all over the place. One drove to France last year! Why is it taking so long to get back to some sort of normal. My other, unoperated leg hurts and I am worried it may be my other hip starting up.
I was due to see Consultant for follow-up appointment but that has been changed twice, and is now next week.

Nannytopsy a lot depends on where you live. Some hospitals you are barely an overnight stay whereas in others, like mine in 2018 I was in for 11 days.

I could bend to 90 degrees within hours of my first op and to around 80 degrees after my second.

Take nightdresses and not pyjamas and your slippers must have backs.

I am on my own so when I was at home I needed a strong scarf to get my operated leg in and out of bed.

I was in for so long because of the pain.

Good luck, it may take around 6 weeks before you notice an appreciable difference but I doubt if you will regret the surgery.

Hopalong - later realised that you've had your hip done so your advice not so relevant. Actually with gritted teeth, sorry perseverance, and assistance from DH, I’m improving each day with the success of the exercises.

Hello again! I’ve had the pre-op and was offered a cancellation at 2 days notice before the pre-op! We have a holiday booked shortly, so I expect a date in March. My knee bends well enough but walking and standing cause me pain. I’m hoping that I will be able to bend it after the op.
How long should I expect to be in hospital?
What tips for my bag’s contents?

Thank you for the advice Hopalong. I will try both suggestions. Hope my recovery goes as well as yours is.

Ooh @pixieboots just realised you had a knee done. Maybe ignore my advice!

Thanks all for the welcome. I had my surgery 2 weeks ago today with robot assistance.
@tanith this was self paying at the Nuffield as I had a four year delay to surgery due to two breast cancers. I couldn’t bear to wait for the NHS.
I almost immediately realised the deep gnawing pain I had been wilfully ignoring had gone from my back and hip and knee. I’ve recovered well with no bruising or swelling and the wound is great. I am just about to have my first shower.
I have been doing the very basic exercises the hospital gave me but I am ambitious! I have a Spin bike being delivered shortly from the local indoor cycling centre.
@pixieboots I have exactly the same issue with my hip flexors due to the complex surgery that moved my hip socket. If you can do the leg slide drawing your foot up the bed do that then when the leg is at 45 degrees try lifting the foot. Also when standing with support try lifting the knee up. That proves the muscle is still working. It’s a slow business waking up the flexors!
I am so happy all I need now are a few paracetamol for pain relief.
Sending best wishes to all
Katy

Good morning. Ive been following this post with interest and now on day 11 of my right TKR. Had one physio on day 8 and clips removed on day 10. Consultant is very pleased with progress so all moving in the right direction. But… I just cannot get my right leg to do the leg raises. Its as if there is a block between my brain and my right quad. I’d really appreciate any advice or tips on sorting out a re-connect. Im able to do the other exercises fine.

Thanks Aveline

Apologies to anyone confused by the abbreviation - I’ve heard it so often from physios over the years, it’s automatic these days.

Ileo tibial band. A long ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from hip to knee.

fflur the best I can think of to get you walking is to get a Zimmer frame from the hospital but this is not one to rest your hands, you would use your elbows instead and hold lightly to the frame so it does not roll away. You would lean on the frame. Sorry that is not the best explanation but it is useful for Rheumatoid arthritis patients and also patients in your condition. It would not help you get out of a chair though.

Sorry Siope but I do not recognise ITB and I have an excellent knowledge of anatomy still.

Any infection, no matter how insignificant, may need to be treated with antibiotics so please mention you have a metal implant. Better to be safe than sorry.

Good to hear from you fflur. Glad you are doing well , but it’s still early so take care. It must be very awkward getting up without damaging your wrist. Yes be careful. I have started tai chi which I hope will help my balance which is poor.
Think you were right to delay the dentist. I have said this before on gn but my dd was told to get her teeth checked and dealt with if necessary prior to cancer surgery because of the risk of infection. Hope you deal with the denture but at keast it’s temporary. On the subject of teeth and jaws unfortunately my jaw is still not right and am waiting for a maxillofacial hospital appointment and hope it won’t be too long because I still can’t eat properly and having to be very careful.

Hope you are all over covid now and the locked jaw silver lining. I am nearly 8 weeks post tkr and almost back to my previously active life. I walk everyday now but I pushed myself a little too much this morning as I wanted a longer walk before the storm arrived here. So I am relaxing with ice on my knee. I find stretching after a walk really important and I can do a standing quad stretch now which helps.
The big problem is still my wrist. I had pins and a plate put in 5 weeks ago and regained my dexterity quite quickly but I mustn't put any weight on it for a few more weeks so standing up from a chair etc has to be without a push from my hands. I am not allowed to use a pole or crutch in my broken hand but my balance is not too good because it's broken so I have to be careful.
I had a dental appointment last week as I broke a crown and the bridge attached to it. The dentist wanted to do root extractions but said she needed my surgeons permission and if he agreed he might advise antibiotic cover. I contacted the surgeon in Lithuania and he consented to the extractions but said I would need antibiotics. I didn't want to risk any infection going into the bloodstream and infecting my lovely new knee so I am delaying the extractions for 6 months. They weren't urgent and I shall just have a denture (ugh) next week.
I do hope we can keep this thread going, I feel I have got to know you all and we help each other a lot.

Siope that is good news. I think I just did too much at the start as it seemed so much better, so take it easy as it’s early days.
You may not be able to walk uphill but two miles is good and you can do stairs so it’s not all bad.
I am interested in how things go with you over the next few weeks so do keep in touch. I still have no idea why things went so wrong with mine.

I thought I'd update my experience with the guided cortisone injection, two weeks in: there is a definite improvement. I have more flexibility and a wider range of motion, and much of the time there is considerably less pain. Until I walk. I still can't walk uphill at all without lots of pain (although I can climb stairs, hurray), and can only manage a couple of hundred yards pain free on flat ground, and about two miles before the pain is so bad I give up.

I did tear my quadricep at the end of November, and I'm pretty sure my ITB is practically atrophied, so I'm hoping the pain now is from those, not the arthritis, as those are both fixable with good physio. I'm seeing my physio tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

A lot depends on whether a hospital has an A&E department or not. For obvious reasons, a car accident patient will be given a bed before one on the waiting list which can be very frustrating.

I am fortunate, where I live there is a world-famous orthopaedic hospital where I had both knees replaced at various times.

The food was dreadful but the surgery was superb. I was in for 11 days after my 2nd replacement in 2018.

HopalongKaty welcome and I wish you good luck with your surgery. Can I ask how long you waited?

Welcome hop along Katy. Not long now. don’t know about wonky pelvises, but someone may.
We are here if you have any questions or concerns.
No need for concerns actually, am sure all will go well, keep in touch.

I had a robotic assisted hip replacement. It went really well and I made a very quick recovery. I was very pleased. Good luck with yours.

I’m jumping aboard the thread today as I am having my right THR next Friday. I’ve been doing my research watching videos and reading and am pretty much prepared mentally. I had a car accident 35 years ago and smashed my pelvis which has caused the arthritis in my right hip. I’m having a Mako robotic Assisted operation with an impacted bone graft because of my wonky pelvis. I can’t find any information about this so I must be a bit rare. I’m really looking forward to getting this done and being more mobile and able to get fitter. I’m one of those who has to be held back from overdoing it.

Thanks, I hope you’re right Aveline.

Good luck with it all Tanith. The op might be sooner than you think as they seem to be really trying to get waiting lists down.

Hope it’s not too long a wait Tanith.