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To Do List pre and post op? Good idea?

Posted , 11 users are following.

daisymay2
daisymay2

Hi everyone,

Not been on here for a few months as been abroad.

But my TKR is looming, possibly in December.

I cant find the thread where people suggested things we might need - ie ice packs, high chair etc post op and prepartions pre op (like filling freezer etc)

Would it be a good idea if we could start a list and people could add to it?

If not if someone could point me in the right direction!

Just a thought! Thanks!

biggrin

0 likes, 43 replies

43 Replies

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  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 daisymay2

    Posted

    Hi there!

    Some helpful things are:

    1) raised toilet seat

    2) shower stool

    3) a hand-held shower wand

    4) removing throw rugs

    5) a sturdy belt that can be looped to fit around your foot to help hoist your leg onto the bed, couch etc.

    6)gel packs, towels to wrap them in

    7)walker

    8) cane

    9) tray table for by the bed

    10) tray table for by the couch

    11) comfortable LOOSE slacks

    12) pillows, soft but not too weighty blankets

    I found and STILL FIND each of these VERY HELPFUL!

    (19 weeks post op on left knee and 4 weeks post op on right knee)

    • daisymay2
      daisymay2 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Many thanks Cheryl!

      Very useful list biggrin

      I am going to print these off so won't lose them!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda cheryl90571

      Posted

      cheryl i found if you put the gel ice packs in a pillow case its much easier
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 irish_linda

      Posted

      I tried wrapping the gel-packs in these thin Polar fleece throws I had. Still TOO COLD! THEN I doubled towels over my legs and THEN put the gel-packs on. Better. Then I cover myself with one or two more polar fleece throws and drink a cup or two of hot tea!

      Since the addition of titanium to my legs, COLD is really cold to me! I was never like that before. I thought it was the blood thinners I was on, but I've been done with them for several weeks now.

      Winter here in NE Ohio snow belt is going to be INTERESTING in another few weeks for Chilly Girl Cheryl!!!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda cheryl90571

      Posted

      yes cheryl i agree that i find i get alot colder since all these ops. we dont get very much snow but it gets very wet &cold damp air i think 90% of the population here have arthritis .its usualy a very long winter no definate climate sometimes our spring is non existant  ,for instance we had no summer here it just never happened .we had a very cold october its been milder so far in november but its very un predictable id love to live somewhere that the seasons are true
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 irish_linda

      Posted

      It IS nice having the four seasons! It's funny though how at the transition from one season to the next the weather can be SO ERRATIC! Within one 24 hour period we can go from balmy 75° temperatures to FREEZING in just a matter if a few hours! Then the next day cold followed by colder and then back up to 80°! Finally sometime in late November it decides to STAY COLD. Then we know we have WINTER!

      Our leaves have been ESPECIALLY beautiful this year thanks to all the RAIN we got this summer.

      We live in the snow belt here in NE Ohio just about a mile or so from Lake Erie. The cold Canadian winds blow over the warmer Lake and produce SNOW...just like a snow machine on the ski slopes! We can actually stand on shore and WATCH the snow forming! Depending on the winds aloft we can get LOTS of snow dumped on our area, OR it heads off east to Ashtabula , Erie, or Buffalo, New York. It's called LAKE EFFECT snow, and it can bring a couple feet of the white stuff over just a few hours.

      We were in Erie, PA. yesterday shopping. Erie usually gets lots more snow than we do. There were snow shovels, bags and bags of ICE MELT, heavy boots, gloves, coats everywhere! People were looking at snowmobiles instead of cars! Time to batten down the hatches, people! It's COMING!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda cheryl90571

      Posted

      wow sounds magical !! my grandchild who is 4 would love to see that, her favorite film is frozen she is obsessed with elsa .i myself am not a fan of snow and frost ,im sooo scared of a fall ,im such a whimp , i dont think canada would suit me haha !!  my husband loses his cool with me ,but if he had 2 tkr and the ops ive had since he would be the same .thanks for the info cheryl its lovely to hear how other people live
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 irish_linda

      Posted

      FROZEN is a GREAT movie! I enjoyed it, too! Great strong characters and a lovely message! My good friend's granddaughter is four, and she has an Elsa dress. She wears it ALL THE TIME and sings "Let it GO!" throughout the day!

      Yes, I enjoy discovering how people live, too!

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 daisymay2

    Posted

    Pre op

    Get in touch with an occupational therapist and get equipment lilke char raiser, rasied toilet seat and tea trolly in the house before you go into hospital.

    Tea trolly is good because you can carry stuff on it and use trolly as a walking support.

    Stock up fridge and freezer but make sure you do not have a partner who is going to accidentally turn this off!!

    Read post have I done something awful in a previous life?!!

    Order Wiltshire Farm Food for a while particularly if you live on your own. All you need is a microwave and a big enough freezer

    If you do not have transport (family or friend) check out not emergency ambulance service that will take yu to your physiotherapy appointments.

    Red Cross will do shopping for 6 weeks after you come home.

    post op

    Keep doing your exercises and be patient.

    Be aware this may change your sleep pattern

    Allow yourself one or two little treast to cheer yourself up

    Hope this helps someone

    Good luck with the op

    Take care and keep in touch

    Sarah xxx

    • daisymay2
      daisymay2 sarah87162

      Posted

      Many thanks Sarah!

      Are you saying that Occupational Therapy will loan equipment like raised toilet seats or will I need to buy?

      I did read that thread about hubby switching freezer off yesterday - wouldnt like to be in his shoes! redface

      Many thanks for taking the time to reply!

      Daisymay xxxx

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda daisymay2

      Posted

      if you are living in my country you would have to buy everything !!, i wish we had such a fantastic system
    • lfr33
      lfr33 irish_linda

      Posted

      I think it depends on your postcode, I got very little, apart from a pair of TED stockings and a couple of sticks!  Also, the follow up seems to be quite erratic.  My first physio appt was 2 weeks after my op and I can honestly say I felt quite abandoned as so much happens in those 2 weeks, I could really have done with someone to talk to about whether things were going well, if something was normal or should I have done something else.  But then there's the lovely people on this forum who keep us all sain smile
    • irish_linda
      irish_linda lfr33

      Posted

      yes my first physio was at three weeks and your right its a very scary time .im amazed to hear on this forum that the surgeon takes out the clips after the op !! we have to go to our doctor here and pay him to take them out and when i did go to my doctor it was so hard he is up stairs a very steep stairs after 12 days i was pretty scared especialy going down im convinced we must be the worst country for services and from what ive read here the canaries are not far behind !! haha moan moan !! its my only fun
  • lfr33
    lfr33 daisymay2

    Posted

    Hi there

    I'm 7 weeks post op PKR and my hubbie made me a gel pack which was BRILLIANT!  Here is how:

    Take two zip lock bags

    Fill one with bag with 2 x mugs of water and 1 x mug of rubbing alcohol (you don't want the bag to be over full)

    Get as much air out of the bag as possible and zip lock it

    Place the bag, zip lock end first, into the 2nd zip lock bag, and removing as much air as possible, lock it

    Lay flat in freezer

    This has worked so well for me, it's colder than the frozen peas and more flexible, and certainly works very well for the 15 mins on my knee.

    And, as we say in the UK, it's cheap as chips!

    • daisymay2
      daisymay2 lfr33

      Posted

      Thanks Ifr33,

      Will give that a go!

      You can buy the alcohol from pharmacy?

      And same size ziplocks you use for carry on luggage when travelling?

      Thanks! smile

    • lfr33
      lfr33 daisymay2

      Posted

      Actually, in Spain they call in Rubbing Alcohol (not sure if you can get that in the chemist) we used Isopropanol (also called Isopropyl) used for cleaning computer kit, anyhow, it'll cost you £2-3 and that will make you several bags.  The ziplocks I used are slightly bigger than the ones used for the airport, remember it's got to wrap around your knee, although 2 small ones (if that's what you have in the drawer) used together would also be good.  Just remember, the ratio is 2 water :1 alcohol.  I've given mine to a friend who has just broken a bone in her hand, and she's absolutely sold!
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