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Patient Expectations:
The following is the words of an actual total knee replacement patient,
and reflects an average progression of activity after total knee replacement.
Recovery after knee replacement depends on many factors, so you may
progress faster or more slowly than this patient did.
The first few days were rough, but improvement came very quickly in
the way of:
-I felt 100% better, and had more energy to do activities.
-Discontinued use of a bedside potty in 2 days; started using my own
bathroom
- When I left the hospital on Friday, you asked me to lift my leg
up as far as I could. Well, that was maybe an inch; but by the following
Thursday, I was able to lift my leg up and swing it over and into
the bathtub and had my first shower at home. That made my day and
felt great!
- The walker was discontinued in the first week' I used it when out,
mainly just to protect myself.
- I went to the cane the second week; I used it when out, again for
protection, and in case I was in a non-handicap bathroom.
- After my physical therapy, we always went out to eat each time and
did some shopping.
- I was driving at 2 ½ weeks [right knee replacement] and started
picking up my grandsons that I had a couple of days a week this summer,
and I usually took them to the pool in the afternoon. [Ages 9 and
11] |
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