Respect the Recovery.  That’s the message I’ve been getting loud and clear from my pre-surgical research.  TKR is a hard surgery.  Bones are sawed off, ligaments are stretched, legs are realigned, foreign parts are inserted.  Here’s a non-gory video for anyone curious.

I’ve gotten the impression from a few conversations that many people think this is a 1-2 week down kind of surgery.  The idea is that because I’m younger than the average TKR patient and in relatively good health, that I’ll be back to managing my life, my kids and my household in a jiffy.  That taking several months off work may even be a slight exaggeration.

But read this breakdown,  from another patient’s surgeon:

Bonesmart is a great message board for knee and hip replacement patients. With extensive pre and post op info, I could read there for days.   This is their post-TKR activity progression chart.   Note that by week 3,  I can expect to maybe walk around my house for 5-10 mins, several times a day.

My only surgical experience is a gallbladder removal and a Cesarean section.   The gallbladder only had me down for a week.  The c/s was rough,  but recovery from that was wrapped up in caring for a newborn and a 4 yr old, so that is all a blur.  But the idea of being down and barely functional for weeks on end is so hard to grasp.

And lest I think I can get caught up on my crochet and reading during this forced down-time, many BTDT folks warn of post-op brain fog.  Where you just cant concentrate enough to even read a book.   Whaaaa?

Oh and sleep?  Most patients report nighttime sleep being elusive until 6 weeks after surgery. So just when I start sleeping again, it will be time for my second surgery.

Bottom line, y’all?  I’m going to be miserable.  I am going to wish I never did this.  I am going to complain. A lot.  And I am going to need some help.  That help may be in the form of meals, or getting Ben to school.  That help may be in the form of keeping me company on those long days of being stuck in the house, losing my mind.  That help may be in the form of taking my kids to the pool or out for fro-yo this summer or going on a hike with Ben to answer his perpetual question – “What are we going to do fun today?”.   I’m not good at asking, but I’m going to have to start figuring out how to pretty soon.

T-minus one month (and a few days).