Are you anticipating knee surgery? 

This Summer I have spent a good deal of my time healing from an orthopedic full knee replacement surgery.  I had been having some difficulties with my right knee for a quite a while from an old skiing injury and just wear and tear, so when my doctor had an opening on his surgical schedule, I took it.

Recovering from any surgery, especially dealing with bones, is quite a task but I am happy to say that at 6 weeks out from my surgery, I am about to graduate from physical therapy!   However, this experience has helped me reflect on healing and continued good health.  From this, I want to share some suggestions that I think will help you or those you love who are recovering from something like this.

1. Be a good patient.  What does that mean?   Well it means that you need to follow your doctor ‘s orders.  You are likely to go home from the hospital with a list of meds and things that you need to do.  Read that information thoroughly and do what is needed.

2. You may have the opportunity to have home healthcare assistance and initial physical therapy.

This is a good idea.  I had thought that home healthcare services were just for the aged but it is not and a great source of education to transition from hospital to home to start your recovery. Home health professionals can give you great advice because they see you in your home and what you may need.  They were really helpful for me and my family.   If you don’t have someone with you at home, check out staying at a rehab services center for a few days. These places now are really nice and some even look like small boutique hotels!

3. Do the exercises at home and then keep all of your outpatient physical therapy appointments!  It is not easy in the beginning, but the PT is essential to achieving a full recovery.

4. Get plenty of rest. Since your body is trying to heal, you are going to really be tired at times so make sure you get 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

5. Eat healthy meals. In the beginning for me, small meals were best and I found that 4 or 5 worked well. It is important to have good protein sources, foods rich in calcium (dairy and green leafy vegetables) and fiber.

6. Drink plenty of water. Normally a good rule of thumb is at least 50% of your weight in ounces so for me that was about 70 ounces per day.

7. Be patient with yourself. Yes, there will be pain, but it gets better.  Use your time to catch up on reading some great books that you have been wanting to read or watch some good movies. It makes the process go better.

8. Lastly, continue your “self-care” to stay healthy.  You may even find that you are developing some better habits from this experience.

I want to give special thanks to Dr. Michael Kody, Northwest Orthopedic Specialists, Lena, Kar and Derrick from Sunshine Home Health Services, and Paula and Kendra from Caribou Physical Therapy.  Your professionalism and care is appreciated and in my book, you are all the very best.

I hope this information has been helpful.  If you would like to ask me questions, please feel free to contact me or leave a message here with this blog post. 

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