For the last two years or so, you have become aware that replacement is an option that unfortunately, you may have to face: Few things hold you back in deciding when and what is the best time to go under.
Let me tell you what you can expect, generally speaking:
After surgery, in the hospital recovery room, you are being tried to test to make sure that you can perform some tasks, nothing major, however, some of us are anxiously wanted to come back home, understandably so.
At this point, you are only trying to buy your ticket to discharge, nothing else or more, when you can perform their assessment, I can guarantee you will be discharged.
When home, you should have an aid to assist you with your everyday tasks and bathroom breaks, commode is a device that you will become remarkably familiar with, it will be your beloved bathroom for day and nights breaks.
An elevated toilette sit also will be part of your daily needs, for when you are able to bend your knee more comfortably. (By comfortably I mean less painfully, with less medication),
Dressing and undressing will be sitting down in your bed, no hopping around to dress the pants legs, sucks (if or when you can bend)
In the bathroom if there is a bath tube you will not be climbing over the wall any time soon, showers stalls will also have to have grab-bars and shower benches.
Do not ever expect that after the surgery you will not be needing any assistance, post-surgery at home means an aid, commode, transportation chair, elevated bathroom seat, can, walker, shower bench, grab-bars. Do not tell others about being disabled, you are not, replacements are quite common, no fun at all, often time necessary to improve your quality of life. If you have a clear picture in your mind. Many others had infections, others not so much pain, however complications are bound to happen when you keep crunching the numbers and think you are missing life. The only thing you are missing is discomfort and pain from the unattended injury.
Two or three days after surgery a register nurse should evaluate your scar, healing and pain management, physical therapy should also start within the same time frame.
What you should not do is expedited hospital discharge. Your aide, home exercises, and register nurse should all be kept for you to have a successful recovery.
