Back in March of 2018 I underwent a total left knee replacement. I wasn’t totally new to having joint replacements done and had my right hip replaced 5 years ago. With that said, having my knee replaced was a totally different ball game and let me tell you, it was the most painful surgery that I ever had! Matter of fact, I don’t know if I would ever do it again.
I had an advance notice of about 2 1/2 weeks before my scheduled surgery to get ready for it. I’m glad that I took the time to prepare for it, but there was so much more that I could of done to be ready for it.
If you’re planning on getting your knee joint replaced, here are some tips that I learned along the way. Hopefully they will help you to prepare for your surgery and make your life easier as you recover from it.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. I’m not a doctor and don’t pretend to play one on TV or this blog. I’m just sharing my personal opinion & experience with our readers.
Before Surgery:
* Learn all that you can about the surgery and the recovery process. Talk to your doctors and ask questions. Get online and look up information and if possible, attend any “joint replacement” classes that may be offered through your local hospital or doctor’s office.
* Talk to others who have already went through the surgery and make sure you talk to more than one person. Everyone is different and will have a different experience.
* Plan ahead in regards to your finances! Pre-pay your bills or set them up for auto-payment for at least the next 2 months. Go to the bank and withdraw the amount of cash that you think you’ll need for the next few weeks and pick up a book of stamps to have on hand.
* Prepare your home ahead of time! Get all of your cleaning done and stock up on groceries that you will need once you come home from the hospital. Trust me, you won’t be running out to the grocery store for a few weeks. Pick up a lot of food items that won’t expire right away and meals that can be prepared quickly.
* Go through your medicine cabinet and stock-up on over-the-counter medications that you may need. For example: fever reducer, pain reliever, stool softeners, etc. A lot of people have nausea and constipation for the first 2 weeks after surgery.
* Pick up all of your prescription medications & refills that you will need for the next 30 days before you go into the hospital and have them waiting for you once you return home.
* If family and friends offer to help you during your recovery process, accept the help! Let them come into your home to do laundry, housecleaning, to run errands for you, to prepare meals, etc.
* You will experience knee swelling after surgery. In my case, I experienced a LOT of it. You will want to go through your clothing and look for items that will fit loosely around your knee & leg. You’ll want comfortable clothing to sleep and lounge around in. If you don’t have anything, go out and buy 3-4 items to have on-hand.
After Surgery:
* I personally found that having some medical equipment brought into my home made my recovery process a lot easier. Don’t be afraid to ask for a bedside commode, toilet riser, a walker, Rollator, Tote Bag for a Walker, cane, urinal/bedpan, tub safety bars, grabbers/reachers, and other items that you think you will need. A lot of insurance companies fully cover these items or will rent them for you.
* Nerve pain from my hip to my toes on my left leg after surgery was a complete nightmarish hell for me. Seriously, for 4 solid weeks I was in extreme “nerve pain” and couldn’t get comfortable for anything. One thing that helped ease my pain was investing in 2 microbead-filled pillows. One was a long neckroll style and the other one was in a rectangular shape. We used them to prop up my leg, foot, hip or whatever else was throbbing at the time. Regular microfoam and bed pillows made my nerve pain worse. The microbeads cushioned and cradled my body parts perfectly.
* My narcotic pain medications and other prescription medications were doing nothing to relieve the severe nerve pain that I had. I finally talked to my physical therapist and he recommended a natural, homeopathic topical cream called Topricin Pain Relief Cream. You rub this cream onto the painful areas a few times a day. I didn’t get any relief for a few days, but then it finally kicked in and helped. Just sharing my personal experience with you on the Topricin cream. I’m not a doctor, so please discuss with your doctor or nurse first!
* A few additional items I felt were helpful with my recovery: I used 2 ice packs to help reduce swelling and I found it extremely helpful to use a heating pad on my lower back and hip to help ease pain. I also treated myself to new plush mattress topper before I went into the hospital.
* I knew ahead of time that my recovery process would be around 8 weeks in length. To prepare for it…I stocked up on some of my favorite movies/dvds, books, craft kits, magazines, etc. You’ll want to keep your mind busy while your lounging around in bed or sitting in a chair. Trust me, you’ll get bored really quick if you don’t plan ahead.
* You’ll have doctor’s appointments and physical therapy to do after surgery. For the first few weeks you’ll need to have someone drive you to your appointments. I found it helpful to make up a schedule and left different family/friends volunteers to pick the days & times that they were available to drive me around. All of these appointments can be hard on one person, so if possible, get 2-4 people to help drive you around.
* There will be days that you will be extremely tired and/or in a lot of pain. On those days you need to push yourself to do your physical therapy and/or to-do your exercises at home. Don’t skip them! It is important to stay on track with all of your physical therapy. If you don’t keep your knee joint moving consistently, it can heal incorrectly which leads to new problems.
Well, there you have it! Some of my personal tips that I wanted to share with our readers who may be considering getting a knee replacement or who has a family member who will be undergoing the surgery.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
This article gives a lot of important information and I am glad that you shared it with us.
Shelly this was a wonderful article and I am sure alot of people who are going to have a total Knee replacement will Thank You for your Advice. I too Had a Total Knee replacement 1&1/2 yrs ago. I wish I could have read your article before hand. I agree 100% this surgery is the most painful surgery that I have ever had done. It took me months to heal. I too would never have it done again. But if need be I will be better off with your advice. I did have the toilet riser and grip bars on the wall. Take Care & Thank You
Shelly, I’m so glad you’re finally seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel. I felt so bad for you when your had your surgery and even worse when you developed the post-surgical problems, but I hope you’re feeling better and better with each week that passes. Congrats on making it this far!
My husband’s knees are really bad. The doctor told him last month that they were out of options. He told him that when his quality of life was bad enough, they would do knee replacement. He doesn’t want it, I hope he deal with the issues for a long time. Thank you for your tips. I am sorry you had so many issues, I am glad you are better now.
Hopefully youre well on the recovery process. I have known several people who have had this surgery. It seems so many think that i is a short process when in fact it isnt! I like your tips especially stocking up and prepaying bills. Thanksfully here are so much now you can do online or over the phone.
I thought I would have the energy to get online and/or to do bill-pay online after surgery. But…I was in so much pain & was so stinking tired from the medications that I couldn’t do it for the first 3 weeks. Hence, I recommend prepaying for the first month if you can. Then you won’t have to worry about it.
Knee surgery is no fun, but I’m sure this is encouraging for many. Thanks for sharing.
It was the worse surgery out of the 49 that I’ve had. The pain was a lot worse than I had expected and the complications compounded my misery even worse. I’m almost 3 months post-op and still having some issues related to the surgery. It’s not easy and anyone who tells you that it is…is fibbing. It’s a long, hard and difficult process that can take up to 6 full months to get through.