Knee replacement March 8 , 2016

Uncle Phil

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George - Now you've done quit preaching and gone to meddling ... :D But some cases like Keith and myself for sure, it's due to accidents or sports (racquetball did mine in - a sport I truly love.) You put it off as long as you can, but then the time comes to pull the trigger. But you are right - the less weight you are toting, the better you tend to do.
 

okckeith

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Well I took my first ride today on my Tiger. I had to sit on part of the back seat to do it. I only went around the block twice. Yes it hurt! But it sure felt good!!! I go see my Doc. Thursday. 6 weeks from surgery tomorrow. I am not close to where I need to be. I'll see what he has to say. They might have to minipulate my knee under Anastasia. Yes that means more pain.
 

wjbertrand

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It's kind of a chicken and egg thing George. I used to run 15-20 miles a week before my knee made me quit. Having a bum knee really restricts your level of activity, simple walking especially. Initially I could go about life normally, but just had to quit running. Took up mountain biking instead but eventually that became too painful on anything but level ground. Progressively the knee gets worse. Weight problems follow and are result of knee problems in many cases, not the cause. I never had weight issues until my knee started acting up, going back to my mid/late 30s.

So Carol and/or you probably should not jump to a conclusion as to what may have caused the knee issue with her PT patients.

-Jeff
 
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rulbe

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Almost two weeks now and each day seems to be getting better slowly. This is definitely one that is not an easy task but I know the outcome will be worth it.

Thanks everyone for the support!
Randy
 
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rulbe

rulbe

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Phil
The therapist said the same thing, she said I was moving along very well. Still struggling with getting a good night sleep, I am sure that will come as I get some of the swelling down. Looks like I will be at Moonshine but on four wheels! Hope to see you there!

Thanks
Randy
 

Mellow

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Keith/Randy, wishing the 2 of you some continued improvement..
 

Papa

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I am a member in this club and I can say it gets better seemingly every day. Now one might ask after three months, if it get better every day, shouldn't it be well? The answer is no, 'ell no, because it is a very violent procedure and bones heal slowly. Randy, Keith, hang in there and keep moving.
 

gmast1100

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That's what my PT told me, I await that morning that the knee is not the first thing on my mind when I awake.:)
I'm with you Papa. Can't wait till I can wake up felling normal once again. Doc appt tomorrow and see what he says. It still feels tight in there and I had mine done last July 30th.
 

Uncle Phil

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That's what my PT told me, I await that morning that the knee is not the first thing on my mind when I awake.:)
In my experience, it was probably about 2 years before 'normal' set in. The pain was gone but the brain just had to get used to the idea that I'm walking around on two metal 'pins' hooked together - more mental than physical. But it is a brutal process and a lot of nerve endings get whacked - some come back, some don't. The first time you see an X-Ray of your 'new' knees it's kind of freaky - the bones terminate, there's a cap on each end, a ball and stick on the lower and a hook and stick on the upper. At 8 weeks, it was bearable (at least for me). I was back at work after my second one in two weeks, but I have a desk job. As I come up on six years, I seldom think about them til I see those lovely Frankenstein scars. ;-) You have to be of the mindset that the 'therapy' never ends - you've got to keep working them as long as you are breathing to keep the muscles strong. That's why I walk 3 miles a day and ride an exercise bike 10 miles a day to keep everything in working order. The main thing that I miss is be able to run as I was always a distance runner. They just don't advise doing that for big guys like me. I did sleep for quite a while in a recliner with my knees above my heart to reduce the swelling and such - learned that after 3 knee scopes. ;-) If they are 'installed' right, you'll get there but it just takes a while. I've noticed that my range of motion as improved over time and I can actually squat now - not for long though!
 
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okckeith

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Maybe you guys are telling the truth. The last two mornings I woke up not feeling like I needed a pain pill and then curl up in a ball waiting for it to help. One small step in the right direction.
After my 3rd week, I have noticed a small improvement every week.
 

Papa

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I'm with you Papa. Can't wait till I can wake up felling normal once again. Doc appt tomorrow and see what he says. It still feels tight in there and I had mine done last July 30th.
I was told 12 to 18 months, then UP pops my bubble!;)
 

Uncle Phil

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Maybe you guys are telling the truth. The last two mornings I woke up not feeling like I needed a pain pill and then curl up in a ball waiting for it to help. One small step in the right direction.
After my 3rd week, I have noticed a small improvement every week.
Yeppers, it's a long journey and you had a lot more 'repair' work done than most. And as you've learned, don't let the pain get ahead of the meds! It was a happy day when I got off the meds for sure. The body just don't like them bones being cut off at all and reminds you for a while until the edges heal up. That's my theory on why early therapy is so painful - you're putting pressure on the edges of freshly cut off bone and your body don't like it! :D
 

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Chris noted the absence of pain right away; but, she had been bone on bone for 20 years...

One thing to note:
Now that you have a new knee you're going to want to get new shoes as the old ones will have worn based on your old gait.
 

Uncle Phil

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Chris noted the absence of pain right away; but, she had been bone on bone for 20 years...

One thing to note:
Now that you have a new knee you're going to want to get new shoes as the old ones will have worn based on your old gait.
Mark - I never much thought about that but now I remember my tennis shoes wear out the heel on the opposite side from where they used to!
 

Mark

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Mark - I never much thought about that but now I remember my tennis shoes wear out the heel on the opposite side from where they used to!
It took Chris a little while to figure it out (I think I remember her saying her 'good' knee was hurting).
The really, Really, REALLY painful part was letting Chris throw out all her shoes and go on a shoe shopping spree... cha-ching. cha-ching, repeat!
Yeah... she has a shoe fetish! :D
 
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Been considering this for a while now. My doctor and my wife have been pushing...but....it bothers me that if the replacement fails, my oem part will be in a dumpster somewhere. Maybe irrational, maybe not.
Aside from the discomfort (outright pain), my left side knee sometimes either locks up, or fails to lock. The surprise just doesn't get any better.
My GL1000's side cover pressed at just the right point on my left knee to unlock it at stops if I wasn't paying close attention. Engine guards kept scuffing to a minimum.
The ST1100 has no protrusions so I became a little complacent...knee folded at a stop and over we went. Only scuffed the left guard cover a bit. This got me considering a replacement again.
This getting old business is sometimes a real joke. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.
 

Uncle Phil

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If your knee is locking, there's probably a good chance some torn cartilage is getting in the 'hinge'. When I first tore mine, it would flap around and then get 'caught' which sometimes could make yellow water run onto the ground ... ;-) It's not trivial by any means, but replacements worked great for me. I tell people to go to a doc that has done a bunch of them, not an occasional one. I asked mine how long it took from open up to sew up. He said usually about an hour and a half. I went fourteen years until I just about couldn't walk - which is way too long because you loose so much muscle mass that makes recovery a lot harder. But I still remember the first time I went down some steps with a natural gait and no pain after the replacements - how sweet it was!
 
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