"Pain following Total Knee Replacement"

I was quite scared to have this operation because I had been made aware that knee ops were more painful and also I had an acute genuine knock knee, which meant that the ligaments and muscles would be under a lot more stress and that there was even a possibility of me ending up with a drop-foot scenario, thankfully none of this happened and my operation was a complete success.  

The one blot on an otherwise perfect experience was the intense pain I suffered immediately after the operation. I have osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and as a result of the daily pain I experience I take painkillers regularly and what I was being offered post-op was negligible for me and no one was prepared to listen to me.   I think I cried for about four hours before I was seen by the Registrar on his rounds who immediately put me on morphine which I took regularly for three days reducing it to twice a day immediately before I carried out a strenuous exercise regime. This lasted for another week and then I stopped it altogether, I still have a third of a bottle left.  

As a result of the exercises I did my knee is completely mobile now and I am very happy. Now I need to have my right knee done but the memory of that excruciating pain experience puts me off considering it. I have been Mr Yaqoob's patient for many years now he has replaced both my hip joints and given me several steroid injections for my back and ankles thus keeping me mobile. I have every faith in Mr Yaqoob and his skills and also Mr Rostan.

Generally speaking the nursing staff were attentive and helpful but seemingly unable to appreciate extreme pain levels. I feel that ones aftercare is a lottery depending on time of day and the understanding and empathy of the staff and this is what makes me so fearful for the second knee op.

I do not think the bathrooms are cleaned often enough but otherwise, the food and the nursing was adequate.