Hubby needs knee replacement

[iluvdizknee]

I have a quick questioin. My hubby needs a knee replacement and has a hard time standing and walking for long periods of time. He refuses a wheelchair, however his concern is standing on the long lines. Would getting a GSC ( I think that is what they are called) help at all? We are going for 10 days in July.

 

[Hockeymommy]

Do you mean an ECV? It would probably help. If he won't use a wheelchair would he use one of these? It would probably be more comfortable for him than a chair, less restricting. I feel for you, my husband will be going in for a knee replacement sooner rather than later too. Four years ago he was run over by a truck and broke his knee in 6 places . His Dr. keeps mentioning to him and it keeps getting blown off by dh. I guess I can't blame him, he's only 34!

I'm not sure if this would work for him either but how about a locking knee brace? It's great for my dh. If he ever feels like his knee isn't up to par he uses it and feels much more secure. No falling, always a good thing!

P.S. NEVER, NEVER , NEVER SPEED THROUGH WORK ZONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!! IT MAKES THE WIVES VERY MAD!!!!!!!

 

[iluvdizknee]

My hubby is 44 and the doctor is putting off the surgery because he feels he is too young, since the replacements only last about 10-15 years.
I know what a ECV is, I meant the Guest Pass or Guest Assistance Card, something like that. As far as the locking brace, never heard of it. Maybe I will look into for him. Do I need a prescription for that?
I am being selfish, but I can see already with 2 teens in the park, my dh will slow us down alot. I am really tired of seeing him in pain all the time. I want him to have a good time.

 

[vhoffman]

My hubby is 44 and the doctor is putting off the surgery because he feels he is too young, since the replacements only last about 10-15 years.


Oh, Good Grief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Are they still giving that same old advice? I had both knees and one hip replaced when I was 28-30 years old, that was 23 years ago and all are doing great! I have RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and those joints were completely destroyed. The only other alternative was live in a wheelchair, which many doctors found acceptable, however, I would not accept that. Back then ( Geez, am I at that point in life where I have "back thens"?), joint replacements were relatively new and doctors were afraid of them. I went to a major medical center -- Houston--where I found doctors with enough experience with such surgeries that they weren't afraid of doing them. But I would have thought they were more commonplace today and doctors werent' afraid of possible complications. Many surgeons still only want to do them on those over 65, hoping patients will die from old age before complications set in. My advice--its a really major surgery, not to be taken lightly. Only do it as a last resort, however, if its affecting your life to the point where you are making comprimises and the quality of your life is affected, go for it. Go to a major university or teaching hospital where you'll find surgeons with the experience you need. Good luck!

One more thought--joint replacements don't last forever, but they can be redone if and when they wear out, its called revision, and its done routinely.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A few things to understand.

A GAC normally will not be given for stamina or mobility problems; Guest Services will recommend renting a wheelchair or ECV.

I am being selfish, but I can see already with 2 teens in the park, my dh will slow us down alot. I am really tired of seeing him in pain all the time. I want him to have a good time.

Please ask your husband the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are travelling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!

The last one is the most critical, and you are not being selfish. The first time I rented an ECV in Epcot my wife told me how happy that made her as I did not slow her down anymore.

 

[XYSRUS]

Tired of seeing him in pain... and I'm sure he's tired of being in pain. Get the knee replacement. How can living in pain be better than getting a replacement and then maybe a revision? I cannot believe a doctor would give this advice. I would get more opinions. He's young and healthy and have a much easier time recovering too. IMHO. Not really an answer to your question...I would rent an ECV to get around the parks. No use potentially doing more damage to the knee. Have fun.

 

[SueM in MN]

I you haven't already, check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread. One portion of it is about GACs (Guest Assistance Cards). There are also some links in that thread to information like the WDW Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities and some past links that might be helpful.

As was already mentioned, the WDW "response" to requests for GACs for "Endurance Concerns" is to use a wheelchair or ECV. That m ay not be what he wants to hear, but it really does make the most sense. You will be walking between 3 and 9 miles per day in the parks. Only a small portion of that will be in lines, so having a GAC won't do a lot to prevent him from being in pain. Even if he got a GAC that allowed for a place to sit, most attractions don't have anywhere to sit while waiting and in many cases, you are "competing" with other guests for the available seats.
In many attractions, the queue itself involves quite a long walk and having a GAC won't shorten the walk. Some that come to mind with long walks include Pirates of Caribbean, Soarin', Bug's Life and the Safari.
If he doesn't want to stand in long lines, the best thing would be to use Fastpasses - they limit your wait to 10-15 minutes in line. Or, check out the links to TourGuide Mike on the Theme Parks Board. He is a past VIP Tour CM from WDW and has lots of hints/touring plans for how to avoid long waits by knowing when different attractions are busy. For example, if you try to get on Spaceship Earth in Ecpot in the morning, you will find waits of over an hour. If you go later in the afternoon, you will be able to walk right on - even during busy times like Spring break.
But, even with Fastpass or going when it's not busy, some of the walks are still long. All the attractions I mentioned with long walks above are a long walk even if you have no wait at all.

 

[vhoffman]

Please understand that using a wheelchair or ECV is an adjustment. Its not just something one does. For ECV's it takes some time and practice to get the hang of it. Using a wheelchair is not without its drawbacks, either. You're in a different world of sorts. You're not at the level of conversation with others in your group, and its awkward to navigate through crowds. For all those who are so quick to insist that someone use a wheelchair, I suggest they try one for an afternoon. Just get one at a supermarket or mall. You'll quickly find out that using one does have many problems that just aren't apparent from someone else's viewpoint. I've refused a wheelchair many times, not because I was trying to "prove" something, or a desire to hold up my group and get people to feel sorry for me, but because I found the whole wheelchair routine to be so awkward to navigate. I suppose if one routinely uses a wheelchair or ECV its business as usual to do so at Disney or elsewhere. But to expect a person to just become a wheelchair user just like that is a bit unrealistic. Bottom line, its a personal decision that only the individual can make as to whether he prefers walking or wheelchair. Its not something anyone else should pressure him into or out of.

 

[slyjly]

I had my knee replacement 10 years ago - I was 42. I just got back from wdw. I used a cane the entire time and it helped. But, if I ever go again I would diffentally rent a wheelchair or ECV as I have arthritis in my other knee and spine. I also have cfs and I am exhausted!