Pre-Surgery paperwork, it's there, but for me it wasn't that bad. Meeting with Dr. Tripi's RN to go over and through the paperwork was a breeze, she is knowledgeable, articulate, friendly, helpful and very personable. She provided me with a notebook that had all sorts of helpful information regarding before, during and after surgery. (I hope your health provider does the same where ever you are having this done). We covered paperwork on tests that need to be done, such as MRSA and a pre-surgery physical, no Covid test this round, because we hadn't heard about it yet. Was able to pick a time frame for the surgery, which was January/February 2020.
We went through the different parts of the notebook, and she always asked if I had any questions. We also went through a checklist of what needed to be done, including authorization from the insurance company. She explained how long I would be in the hospital and why (more detailed in future post).
We discussed Physical Therapy options; either at their facility with their health care group, at home therapy option or another health care group that just happened to be less than 1 mile from my home. I opted for the one near my home, mainly due to potential issues with snow and bad weather, since my surgery would be in January.
Even though it had been over 42 years since I had been in a hospital to have surgery, I wasn't nervous or worried about this surgery (with the exception of one minor aspect, the epidural; will talk about that later also). I had full faith and trust in Dr. Tripi and her team, that is why it is so important to make up your own mind, and not always listen to what other's tell you (good or bad, including me). You need to take responsibility for your own health and choices, you need to be proactive.
There is a lot of good information in the notebook I was given, but I am going to now share some thoughts and lessons learned from preparing for the TKR, whether or not you get a notebook like mine.
1) Consider your home. In my case, I live in a 2 story house with a steep staircase and 15 steps. There is no way to manage those stairs right after surgery. I took a small suitcase and put 2 weeks worth of clothes in it. (Clothes, yeah for me it was mostly sweat pants, athletic shorts (for PT), sweatshirts and long sleeve shirts; comfort and warmth, it's January!). I stored it in the bathroom and was able to get dressed after my showers. Did laundry weekly, so it worked out pretty well. If there was something I needed that wasn't in the case, my husband would get it for me. But overall, I was pretty independent after the TKR.
2) Unless you have an ADA commode, get a riser toilet seat, believe me, it helps. Also, depending on where you live, be prepared if your stores or restaurants don't have ADA bathrooms. I almost got stuck in one, but that's a story for a later post!
3) Shower chair! Yes! I used mine for a long time and even though I don't use it because of TKR surgery need anymore, I still use it to sit on, if I need to do something that would otherwise require me to sit on the floor or kneel ( I can't kneel comfortably yet, but my knees are still new, and there is a chance I won't ever be able to kneel comfortably, but here again, that's a post further down the line). It is especially useful when I need to clean out the refrigerator or rearrange stuff.
4) Highly recommend that you have a recliner to sleep in. Sleeping in a bed can be very uncomfortable for the first 1-2 months(at least for me it was). We did purchase one of those inflatable beds, because I hate sleeping on my back or upright. Waste of money for us, could never get comfortable, was painful, couldn't sleep for any length of time, but it is up to you. If you don't want to spend money on a recliner, you may be able to make up a makeshift angled sleeping arrangement on your couch. I didn't have a couch, only a loveseat, and am too tall to make that work. We got a pair of nice recliners (not the big hulking things usually found in spare/TV rooms), for the living room, and that's where I lived!
5) I bought a 16 x 16 x 4 inch foam chair pillow, highly recommend, it helps to get out of the recliner and the dining room chairs. I drug it around from room to room a lot!
6) A walker. YES definitely! You can spend quite a bit of money on the stuff I have listed here. It's up to you. Check thrift stores for some of the stuff. I found a really nice great condition walker at the thrift store for $15, and added a basket on the front. There may be places you can rent one, I'm not sure, but the walker really helps for 2 reasons. 1) Your knee is going to be in a lot of pain in the beginning, so full weight on that leg may make you a bit unstable, and 2) You may be on some heavy pain killers for a week or two, the walker will help you keep your balance. Don't waste your money on the tennis balls they have 'special' for walkers, expensive! Buy a tube of tennis balls from the sporting section in Walmart or wherever and just cut an X into the ball to push onto the walker feet. Even though the fuzz wears off after a bit, the actual ball doesn't wear out that quickly (mine are still in great shape, and that's after 2 TKR's).
7) A cane. Yes, you will need it when you graduate from the walker. Here again, the thrift store is a good option. I used a cane a lot to help me get out of my car, when being driven to PT and doctor appts, and then when I started driving again. Even though I don't use a can anymore, I do keep one in the trunk or behind the seat in my vehicles; you just never know what might happen, and as far as I'm concerned, it is better to have one available and not need it, then need it and not have one!
8) Make sure you really have someone there to help and support you. Don't lie to your doctor or health care team about home support. If something happens, and you need help, you don't want to be calling around to people or family trying to find someone to help you. Make arrangements before surgery with someone if you don't have a spouse, significant other or older children you live with, or in near proximity. Believe me, I can't imagine going through the TKR surgery and recovery without someone, in my case, my husband; he was helpful, supportive and kept my spirits up when I got frustrated or depressed (another post, later).
9) Not a topic I am especially fond of going into, but it is important. Get some kind of incontinence pads or single use underwear. Why? 1) Depending on how far your bathroom is from your TKR living space, you are not going to be able to run to the bathroom. 2) You may have issues with food, drugs, supplements right after surgery. Just better to be safe than sorry. I had an iron deficiency after my first TKR, my primary care physician, put me on iron supplements. Umm, my system was not happy about that for about 2 weeks, so it's just one of those preventative measures, I was thankful I had in place before hand.
10) Got hobbies? Love Reading? I bought some 12 by 12 inch storage cubes and filled them with embroidery, hand sewing stuff, pattern books, my kindle, and anything else I thought would keep me busy. They were stored near my chair, for easy access and kept everything neat and organized.
Below are some pictures of the projects I completed during my first TKR.
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