At Home

At Home

Here are some good, if not essential, items to have at home by the time you arrive: (1) a toilet seat that sits on top of yours to raise it up to a height that allows you to settle down without undue bending of the knee. One that has handles is even better for helping you get up again. (2) an adjustable walker - a plain Jane one is perfectly acceptable, but some have pockets for carrying items, or even have a seat that allows you to "rest" on long journeys (which you hopefully won't be taking for awhile) - just depends on how much you want to spend. If you have Medicare, one will be provided for you. I borrowed one from a friend - my contribution to saving Medicare from bankruptcy. I think some people prefer crutches, but I think a walker is easier; (3) a shower seat, preferably one that also has handles to help you get up and down. Even though showers take a little effort, it is worth it to get that "clean" feeling. Have someone help you in and out of the shower - this is not the time to prove how self-sufficient you are; (4) an ice machine or some apparatus to help you ice your knee on a regular basis. I have the one I used in the hospital, but I think that will depend on your doctor whether you come home with one or not. My husband brought home some suction grip handles that we had on our boat to attach to the shower walls. These work just like the handicap rails, but not nearly as bulky, and can easily be removed.

Remove any rugs that are not permanently affixed to the floor. Your walker will catch on the edges of the rug and you'll end up falling, which could have disastrous results. Rearrange furniture so you can get to the places you'll need to frequent without having to dodge around chairs or tables. You'll be scooting around with your walker in no time, so you don't want anything in your way that slows you down.

Hopefully, you will fill your prescription for pain medication on the way home from the hospital. You need to take it on a regular basis, at least at first. Now is not the time to try to forego the drugs - the doctor gives you the prescription for a reason. Knee replacement hurts - it is major surgery and a lot of muscle and tissue is cut to fit that new knee in place. There is also precedence that if you get behind on your pain medication, it is hard to catch up. If you wait until the pain is too severe, a dose that would have been sufficient if taken on time, will be not be enough to make you comfortable. I'm not sure why this is, but it is true.

In the hospital you were probably given compression stockings - wear them, even though they make indentations in your leg. These are much more preferable than blood clots. Pretend you are on vacation in Bermuda. You also may have been given a sleeve to go over the stocking on your replacement leg. Wear that, too, even though it makes even deeper ridges in your skin. You may have noticed that your leg with the knee replacement is slightly larger than your other leg, like maybe twice as big. The compression stocking and sleeve will help with this. More importantly for swelling is icing your leg - a practice begun in the hospital but one that definitely should be continued at home, a number of times during the day.

The latest in stylish knee replacement attire

If you are scheduled to go home from the hospital and not to a rehab facility, it is because you were asked and replied in the affirmative that you had someone to help you at home. Again, there is a reason you were asked if there would be someone at home to help you. If you are the type of person that I am - one that feels self-sufficient and reluctant to rely on someone else - this is going to be difficult. I know I try to do things for myself that I really shouldn't, and my husband reminds me often that I needn't be so stubborn, so this is a "Do as I say, not as I do, though I know better." I think I've finally realized that my husband wants to help me because he cares about me, and I don't think he feels unduly burdened (though if he does he hides it well most of the time).