Hunting after knee replacement

[Bob-WY]

EKy sounds like you are making progress. The best advice I got from PTs (my wife worked in the office) was DO THE PT, and as long as you are making progrss, you're good. They did say, very bluntly "you bend it, or I'll bend it, and you don't want me to bend it"

 

[EKY Hunter]

I hear you bob.

 

[Otto Matic]

I hear you bob.

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but post surgery, a good physical therapist is a blessing.
I joked with my physical therapist that he was actually a "physical terrorist".
By the time he got through with me, I was ready to cry.
Thirty minutes later, I felt like a new man. Unbelievable!

 

[EKY Hunter]

Otto what exactly did they do to you. My pt isn’t pushing me that hard I feel like, however I’ve only been to 4 visits and I’m making great progress with flexion. I just wonder if I wasn’t making great progress with flex would he push me harder. I’m in no pain during pt visit or after. Everything I’ve been reading on the net says they are tough on them during their visits. I don’t want my therapist to cut corners but I don’t want to insult him either by bringing it up.

 

[shrapnel]

Before and after. What you can't see is the pain index. It was definitely worse in the second picture, but time did make it better...

 

[EKY Hunter]

Holy hell shrapnel. That looks rough. Hope your doing better.

 

[EKY Hunter]

Here’s what mine looks like.

 

[Islander]

TKR July 2. 55 pound backpack hunt September 11. Couple miles in and out. Was a bit tough because I'd gone through 4 years of limping and atrophe. Trekking poles were a must. 40 pounds on the way out was pretty easy.

I'm carrying 65 pounds for my workout load now, hiking around the neighborhood like a crazy man. Mainly get stiff if I go without walking for a few days.

Note: I continued rehab 3 times a week for three full months after surgery. Worked as hard as I could. Results totally worth the effort. I'm 59 years old but ride dirt bikes, surf, etc. Not ready to give any of it up.

My first reconstruction in 2016. Disaster.


TKR July 2, 2020. Fantastic.

 

[EKY Hunter]

Dang tough islander

 

[Otto Matic]

Otto what exactly did they do to you. My pt isn’t pushing me that hard I feel like, however I’ve only been to 4 visits and I’m making great progress with flexion. I just wonder if I wasn’t making great progress with flex would he push me harder. I’m in no pain during pt visit or after. Everything I’ve been reading on the net says they are tough on them during their visits. I don’t want my therapist to cut corners but I don’t want to insult him either by bringing it up.

Well EKY, shoulder replacement, in and of itself, wasn't THAT bad.
PT, on the other hand, was a nightmare.
I use the term "nightmare" loosely.
Attempting to regain as much flexibility as possible was excruciating. Every session was a push to go further than I did last time.
It was not "fun"! I KNEW it wasn't going to be fun! Without PT, I don't know that I would have regained as much flexibility on my own as I did with the therapist.
Did it hurt?
YES!
Was it worth the pain?
YES!
Would I do it again?
In a heart beat!
Nothing good was/is easy.
I'm right handed and was unable to feed myself right handed.
I couldn't wash, dry or comb my hair, well, what there is left.
I couldn't sleep at night because of the pain.
Shooting my semi auto shotgun was a new experience in blinding pain.

Naturally, your arm will go to 12 o'clock. Out to your side, it will go to about 11 o'clock.
My arm would NOT rotate above 4 o'clock!
NOW... I'm back to about 11 o'clock straight up and about 1030 o^r so out to the side.
I couldn't scratch my butt. My wife had to put my belt on me! Now, I can reach behind me almost to my shoulder blades.
I'll never be able to match a Nolan Ryan fastball, but I was able to split firewood with a double bit axe this winter.

So, what did they do to me?
Made me step outside the "ouch" factor to the "OMG!" factor and regain more flexibility than the surgeon anticipated.

 

[EKY Hunter]

Gotcha. You guys make me feel like a wussy lol

 

[Otto Matic]

Gotcha. You guys make me feel like a wussy lol

No sirree, Bob!
Joint replacement surgery ain't for the faint of heart.
The older you get, the harder you have to work and the longer it takes to recover!
That's why I always tell people, "DON'T wait! It just gets harder!"

 

[Otto Matic]

Show & Tell

Sure, why not.


It started as a kid playing high school football.
I grabbed an opposing running back's jersey and had my feet cut out from under me. Determination said, "Hang on to the jersey!".
The pain ripping through my shoulder said, "OH NO!"
When the whistle blew, I jumped up off the ground, popped my own shoulder back into joint and returned to the defensive huddle. (I was NOT credited with a tackle! LOL!)
Through the years, I probably "re" dislocated the shoulder 6 to 8 times. (or more!)
I could NOT throw a baseball very far or with any force without throwing my shoulder out. I was always able to pop it back into socket. I never saw a physician for the problem..... until I could not sleep at night because no matter HOW I positioned the arm, i was in pain.
Yes sir. After surgery i was still a bit groggy, but that was the first night in nearly a year i was able to sleep all night without pain waking me up.

 

[EKY Hunter]

Had ortho app today. Everything is healing good. Wants 115 flex in three weeks.

 

[Otto Matic]

Had ortho app today. Everything is healing good. Wants 115 flex in three weeks.

Just do it. Work through the pain.

 

[Dave N]

When my ACL got replaced I was bound and determined to be able to walk around like normal and not have any issues because we had an Alaska cruise booked for the next spring. I wanted to do anything I wanted to because it was a lifelong dream. Pretty much was a 5 month recovery period to make it happen. When my PT said do 3 sets of exercises a day at home I did 4. I attacked the machines at therapy when I went there. Pain will let you know if you pushed too hard. Turns out I made it back to work with no restrictions a month and a half before our cruise. Had to be a bit careful for a while about exactly what I did since I work repair on bulldozers but I felt great and the cruise was AWESOME! Talk up your therapist and see if they are good with anything "extra" to move you along.

 

[EKY Hunter]

10/4 Dave. I’m with you I’m hitting therapy as hard as I can. He told me 5 degrees a week flex is normal. I’ve been getting close to 10. All my strength exercises are 5/5. I played college football and I’m goal oriented. My therapist wanted 90 degree flex by today and I got it yesterday

 

[Otto Matic]

When my ACL got replaced I was bound and determined to be able to walk around like normal and not have any issues because we had an Alaska cruise booked for the next spring. I wanted to do anything I wanted to because it was a lifelong dream. Pretty much was a 5 month recovery period to make it happen. When my PT said do 3 sets of exercises a day at home I did 4. I attacked the machines at therapy when I went there. Pain will let you know if you pushed too hard. Turns out I made it back to work with no restrictions a month and a half before our cruise. Had to be a bit careful for a while about exactly what I did since I work repair on bulldozers but I felt great and the cruise was AWESOME! Talk up your therapist and see if they are good with anything "extra" to move you along.

Dave N.

Insurance only allowed for "X" PT sessions, regardless of my progress. With the help of the therapist, I was able to acquire equipment at Academy that allowed me to "PT" at home, even after I quit seeing the therapist.
We remain friends today. He told me he wished more of his clients could progress as far as I did.

 

[EKY Hunter]

Making progress with knee flexion. Got past 90 degrees tonight.

 

[MarvB]

Making progress with knee flexion. Got past 90 degrees tonight.

When was your surgery?