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Update, I’m 85% human again (except the knee). Opioid problems are mostly gone, appetite is coming back. I had went from Sunday dinner to Thursday dinner without much to eat, I’m back on solids now.
2nd PT was Friday and went well, she really pushed my range. I didn’t improve last week as I had hardly moved, but I didn’t decrease either. She put me on the bike and I thought she was crazy….but injured leg forward and good leg doing the up/down work. Think 1/3 pedal strokes forward/backward, a great way to stretch the muscles and gain range of motion. I need to get my trainer from the garage to the house for ease of access.
Sleeping positions continue to be a problem, I’ve heard that from others. I’m good for 2-3hrs, then wake from pain or lack of movement and it takes another 10min to find the next position. That means a solid 1+hr nap each midday, which is ok.
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Adding that I had been using a walker for the first 12 days, it was very useful for stability. However, I just grabbed my crutches and discovered that they certainly help with walking more naturally, placing more weight on the leg and stretching the muscles. Recommend trying to convert as early as possible during recovery. I’ll probably keep the walker around for midnight trips to the bathroom.
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So many similarities after doing any major surgery no matter the kind. So many related to the drugs.
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Well, almost there. I saw the doc this week for my preop CT scan, and he also went over the entire procedure with me, step by step. I have to say I have been impressed with the thoroughness and attention to detail. I am having the Mako Robotic Total Knee with a Stryker Triathlon (cementless) implant. Doc said there are many implants and some are better than others for certain attributes, but there is no perfect implant. I like him, he is very straighforward. Confident but not cocky.
Timeline for the procedure: Doc said it should be 30 min from the time they give me the two nerve blocks, then 90 minutes for surgery, then 40 minutes to close. So a little over two hours in the OR. Then recovery room, on my feet as soon as possible, then I get to go home once I can urinate.
With PT, he seems to advocate a slow recovery at first. He doesn't want me to start my outside PT, in fact, until two weeks have passed. He stressed that the most important thing the first two weeks is keeping swelling to a minimum and allowing the tendons and everything to firm up. KEEP THE SWELLING DOWN. He gave me some exercises to do at home, along with walking a bit every hour. After that, he said I can ramp up quickly, and once I hit 6 weeks go hog wild.
They will call me on Monday with the exact time, but I am second on the schedule. I like that. Let him get one under his belt for the morning, a little warm up. Just enough!
Hope you continue to improve each day, Iowa. See you all on the other side.
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Thanks for the updates fellas, Griz sounds like you're off and running so to speak. All is relative right? I'm looking at 5/28 unless something comes up sooner on the cancellation list.</p>
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I had been planning for a walker so Griz confirms that to be a dependable ride in the beginning, I'm shopping ice machines now and leaning towards the DonJoy. Good luck tomorrow IH</p>
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ticketchecker: As far as ice machines, when I had my ACL done last year I bought the Breg Polar Care Wave Cold Compression Therapy System. Although the compression is not recommended for the first 10 days or so, after that I found it to be really helpful.
I knew I would get a lot of use out of the machine (my son, who is a baseball player, also uses it for his arm), I just didn't know I would be using it on the same knee so soon!
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We got lucky, and the neighbor went us and ice machine. But for comparison purposes, I could have rented one for $180 a month.
If you can buy for $250 or less, they seem like a good investment.
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Somewhere I have an old Cryo cuff that's been passed around between so many of my friends I'm not really sure who has it now.
If I buy a new one I can sell it in gear swap or trade for firearms on Craigslist
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My PT is a great guy, super smart, but he says: “Age is just a number.”
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I did just take delivery of some skis from Marshal to go with my aftermarket knee next season, so I'll be back in my prime then!
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Leaving the hospital now. Took longer than anticipated. But Doc said everything went very well, and because they did not give me general anesthesia (spinal with two nerve blocks instead) I actually feel pretty good. Except for the obvious knee pain, I woul not even know I just had surgery. More like the feeling after a colonoscopy or endoscopy.
Once the nerve blocks wear off, I am sure it will be a different story.
Anesthesiologist said everything is geared toward getting me up and running asap. They find it works better. He was awesome. Surgeon was awesome. Nurses were awesome.
Hardest part was having to wait to pee in order to be released. How do you pee when you cannot feel your Jimmy Johnson or your backside?
Oh, and driving 90 minutes home in the backseat of a Jeep Wrangler? Not recommended.
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I take it back. Hardest part is trying to post something on this Hellscape of a site.
Ha! I have several new HL to motivate me during PT!
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Hold the Wrangler and squeeze the Johnson, got it
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Yesterday morning I was walking around without aid, doing some of the home exercises. This morning every inch of my body hurts.
In truth, my back is the worst because of my spondylolysis/lythesis. It does not like me laying on my back, and that is the only real option with the knee. My back is cramping up pretty good.
Lots of quad soreness today, as well. I have been on top of the meds, but put a call into the doc to see about changing the script to something with a bit more kick.
Changed the dressings this morning, took some nice pics. Happy to share if someone's morbid curiosity is dying to see. And if I can get them to upload.
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walking around that soon sounds impressive.
Just found out my Doc doesn't do the CT scan pre-op thing. As luck would have it the resort I work at is hosting an Ortho conference this weekend and he's going to be here as well as my buddy's kid who is the sales guy for Stryker implants. Imm gonna go over to the conference, pick out something nice and have a convo about the CT scan piece.
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My wife helped me get to a position on my side, and holy hell I am 6 trillion times happier. My back has been silenced.
Yeah, heck, I went to my son's baseball scrimmage yesterday and sat in the bleachers. The sun was shining so it was a nice change of scenery.
The CT scan I received was to get the info for the Mako Robotic units, I believe. In fact, that's why I have two incisions: one over the knee and one lower down where they anchored an array to my shin bone. I believe the robots use it for triangulation.
It would be cool to speak to someone from Stryker. Hear their angle.
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I did 2 positions and rotisseried. I switched between on my back, and on my non-surgery side with a pillow between my legs.
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That is my new approach, as well. Try to distribute the bed sores evenly. Ha!
My quad is so sore today, which is making it hard to move. I had started isometric quad contractions yesterday, and may have gone overboard. That's my m.o. Tell me to do 12 reps, I do 50. Marine mentality.
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I'll probably have the opportunity to talk to a couple different vendors, the Stryker guy for sure. Curious about the scan and my Doc since his website says he does the Mako thing, we didn't get that into detail at the first appointment.
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It is pretty fascinating. The precision is greater with robot-assisted. Whether that makes a difference at the end of the day, I do not know. My doc seemed to think so.
I do believe that the cementless implants are better because when they wear out, it is a simpler procedure. Open the knee up, pop out the plastic and pop in a new one. Not something to laugh about, it is surgery, but easier. And that is kind of important since having this done at 53 y.o., I will wear this one out.
Hope you can snap some photos of the implants. Doc told me the Stryker Triahlon was good. Checked all the boxes. No implant is perfect, but the Tri was a solid and well-tested device.
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Last night (Thursday, Surgery +2) sucked. Ran a mild fever all night, just felt terrible. Knee was screaming, and my doc changed my prescription from Vicadin (which are like tic-tacs for me) to oxycodone. Took two, and the knee was still burning. But I have always had a too high tolerance for drugs.
Woke up today feeling better, had my first PT session. We took it easy and things were going good... Until they weren't! Nearly passed out in the transition between working on straight vs. working on bent. Kind of wrecked me for the rest of the day, but now I feel pretty decent.
Seems many have the same story: 10 to 14 miserable days followed by a eureka moment. Yesterday things were pretty dark, but at this moment I can see a flicker of light. But it's also only been three days!
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I have the Stryker, and I could not be more pleased with it (five years later).
So much that I enquired what it would take to start a career repping them…the really great sales dudes have very strong backgrounds in physiology, Orthopedic Nurse Assistants, PT doctorates, etc.
Way out of my league!
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Day 19 update: Probably 90% weight bearing, can hobble along without aids but single crutch promotes decent form. PT on Friday got me to 15° extension and 90° flexion, but it wiped me out and I was asleep on the couch 3hrs later. Pain is low, but steady. Hamstring is as tight as a guitar string, I scheduled a massage for Monday to move the fluids and try to open up the leg muscles. Pretty amazing improvement overall from week 2 on. Still a long ways to go, but definitely a big corner has been turned.
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Way to go, Iowa! Keep plugging away.
