This is Tony Persico, CEO, Home Care One, on Day 2, post op, knee replacement. As you can see, he is enjoying the attention from our in home caregivers!
FYI, they send you home from surgery the next day, however, they give you a great long acting local anesthetic so you have little pain for the first 2-3 days! Check out that incision on the right knee! Ouch!
Anyway, Tony enjoyed his nurses at JFK Medical Center and on day 3, Physical Therapy came to our home to help him with the strength training, balance and flexibility. As you can see, Tony is still smiling! His home health physical therapist is teaching him the proper ways to reduce pain and swelling, improve strength and balance and get that desired full flexion and extension. As a result, she will continue coming to our home daily for the duration of rehab.
Two Week Checkup
Today was the two week checkup. Dr.’s team pronounced Tony doing great and ahead of the game! Therefore, driving can begin in 1-2 weeks since it is his right leg.
Lucky for Tony, I (Coleen, his wife) have had many years of nursing experience. I know all about the ice, the specific exercises to do while seated to fight the pain and even the right questions to ask on check-up day. Additionally, I experienced a total knee replacement several years ago. Without nursing experience, Tony was little help to me. However, we did use wonderful in home Caregivers from Home Care One to come and help me shower every night. And get me ice. And just to talk, as my healing seemed endless, but alas I could eventually walk again!
For me, the rehab was 2 weeks at home and 4 weeks of therapy at the PE clinic, which is where I started feeling like I could gain control of the pain and life again. I remember going to Publix and trying to use one of the electric carts. There was a waiting line for the carts…I never did get to ride one of them! Within a few weeks, I didn’t even need to ride one!
So that is how a knee replacement can go. If you live alone, the surgeon may send you to a rehab facility for a few days, but they don’t keep you long either. It’s all about the antibiotic resistant bacteria that is present in medical facilities, whether a hospital or a rehab center. So the best way to recover is at home, provided the personnel can come to you at home.
If you would like more information about caregivers, companions, or nurses who can come to help you at home after surgery, please call Marvella at our Boca Raton office at Home Care One, 561-272-1025 or register here. We are licensed in Palm Beach, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie Counties.
