get in good shape before. at least your arms. it helps to be able to get out of a chair. my hubby had both his done, not at the same time. if he had done that, i don't know what i would have done. i can't lift him!
just do all the Doctor says to do and have therapy. in home if you can but don't stop doing excercises when they stop coming!

be faithful to your exercises & let your family & friends do for you

Follow doc's advice to the T and ask for(if doc doesn't recommend) PT!!! My step father had it and you'd never know he's got a fake knee!!!!! He walks and kneels better than I can!

You also need to keep your feet elevated to keep the swelling down, throughout the day. You can't drive while you are on your pain meds. So at least a month.

I had mine right one done 2.5 years ago and so glad I did. First couple of weeks were painful, but eventually worth it. Need to do left knee now, but doc says it is not ready yet - I think it is!!! Follow all orders and you will do fine. It is so great not living with pain 24/7! Good luck with your surgery.

Thanks I have been on crutches for about three months am looking forward to getting off them soon.Arms should be pretty strong by now. Am trying to do some exercising now to build muscle now. Will be glade to get it over.

Do all the exercise recommended. Follow Dr orders. Take the pain meds if you need them. Please keep us updated with your recovery. Praying you will have a speedy recovery.
Karon

I had both of my knees replaced at the same surgery almost exactly three years ago, my surgery was Oct. 22, 2007.

I had to argue with the surgeon to do both. He said that he only did one at a time because you needed a good leg for rehab. After arguing that I did not have a 'good' one, he relented and did both. The first couple of days, I thought I was so stupid, but it was the best thing I had ever done.

I have had OA and RA for over 20 years due to Lupus. My knees were trashed. Especially after a car wreck on March 3, 2007 when my air-bag failed to go off and I crushed my knees on the dashboard. I broke the top of my lowerleg bones, the bottom of my thigh bone and my knee cap on both legs. That with the arthritis was the last straw, so to speak.

I was in the hospital for 4 days and then transferred to a rehabilitation facility. That was the best move I made. The rehab facility gave you no choice on working the exercises. And they didn't take no for an answer. I worked my butt off. But it was worth ever once of blood, sweat and tears. I was home 2 weeks and 2 days after surgery and was off the walker by 4 weeks and off the cane by 6. Everyone was amazed at how well I did. The surgeon says - even to this day - that the only reason that I have done so great is just to prove him wrong.

Before the surgery, I could only get around - outside of the house - on a motorized scooter. Well, my scooter has now sat in my garage, unused, for over almost 3 years. And it is wonderful.

Good luck with your surgery. There will be times when you will wonder why you did this to yourself. But I guarantee that in the end you will be glad that you did it and will wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Remember - work your butt off with the rehab, it makes all of the difference in the world. Keep us updated on your progress.

just follow the doc's instructions....my bf"s mom just had one knee replacement about 2 weeks ago. She's still in some pain, but she hasn't been doing much for the past couple of years. She became disabled and her knee hurt her so much to do anything. She had a heart by-pass about a month ago. They said she would have felt the heart attacks but she never got her blood pumping enough for her to feel anything. So I hope she's going to do much better now. I wish the best for you....and remember to keep moving!!!

Absolutely do the rehab and the PT. If you are having more pain with the PT, ask the Dr. for pain meds that you can take before the PT to make it easier to do. Take it about 30 minutes before the PT so it will be cruising through your system during the PT sessions. Also ask for exercises you can do at home while you are doing the PT. The more you do during PT the better off you will be later.

While you are in the hospital they will be getting ypu up put of bed and sitting in a chair and also walking you. Ask the PT person and the nurses what time PT will be there and ask for pain meds to coordinate with the PT times. This will allow you to have more beneficial time with the in hospital PT. Take it slow, and if you are pushing yourself too hard, take it slower and ask for time to rest while you are walking. Pt should be designed to benefit you
and not the PT persons schedule. (Sorry, I am a nurse, and so many times the patient gets in the way of schedules. People tend to forget that not all patients are the same and some need more time.)

The PT should also be specifically ordered by the doc with certain things he wants done. A friend of mine who is also a nurse had to have a second run of PT. The PT person did what she thought the doc wanted, and it was not. My friend did not get the angle of extension the doc wanted because of that.

Ok, just remember to drink plenty of fluids, ask for pain meds, (better living through modern chemistry.) Ask for the at home exercises, take it at your own pace, and remember to tell yourself how much better it will be in the end. (Also start stool softeners a few days before the surgery. Trust me. It helps.)