It was hard, but now I don't have to go through another knee replacement. Plus you can't cheat on rehab. There literally isn't a good leg to stand on, lol. So every step you take contributes to recovery. I did have a good talk with my surgeon about pain relief prior to having it done. And I'd say my pain relief was for the most part adequate. You can't expect zero pain, but it was usually tolerable and mainly when a pain med was wearing off. That said, I wouldn't want to go through the first week again. Partly because it was so hard to do anything, knees won't bend easily, all your thigh muscle strength is gone. And partly from pain. One thing I was not prepared for was that when I needed my first refill of pain meds, my insurance company required a prior authorization! It was a Friday afternoon at 4 pm when I was told by the pharmacy. No PA can possibly be done in an hour and I would have no more left before Monday. I said to the pharmacist, "But I just had a double knee replacement 5 days ago!!" The pharmacist, bless his heart, told me I could pay for them myself if I wanted to. Fortunately they only cost $30. So that's what I did. Check your insurance requirements for opiate pain meds before you have any surgery these days!!
It is sad how much control the insurance company has now a days!
