Kim's new knee!

[KimD]

Hi everyone! I am one week post-op after my ACLR with opposite patellar tendon, by Dr. Mark in Houston. It's been a long week but doing really great and it seems to get a bit better everyday. I just came home from my first PT appt and I have 140 in my donor knee and 135 in the ACL knee, which is pretty much what trainer Ed measured the day after my surgery.

Everyone in Houston was really great. Dr. Mark made me feel really good about things before we went in. He fixed the ACL and scoped my right knee as well, and fixed something in there too (he told me what in recovery but I barely remember our conversation, Ill have to ask him again).

And oh yeah-- Doc said there was no arthritis in my knees. So stuff it, Alberta surgeon!

The first couple days were rough but I made sure to keep up with all the prescribed exercises and commandments, and it really paid off five days later when I was able to bike for a half hour. Trainer Ed is awesome and everyone at the clinic was so helpful.

So now it's just keeping at the exercises and trying to get a good nights sleep which has been hard. Overall, surgery sucks but in some ways it's not as bad as I imagined, and it was/is harder than I thought in others.

I can't wait to lose these compression stockings and get my staples out. And I never want to see another bottle of Gatorade. And I'm convinced that the sun never shines in Houston - it rained and even snowed! the whole week I was there! But everyone I met was so kind and helpful.


I'll try and post some pictures later of my lovely bruises and incisions. It really made me smile to see that Doc used one of my old incision sites rather than make a new one. I didn't know he could do that, but I was glad to see it.

I'll post more later if anyone is interested in my ongoing progress.

[45hill]

Treat PT like a religion and you'll be fine in a few months. The first month or two really sucked for me but got better after that. Sitting around and not being able to ride my bike like I was used to was driving me batty. After three months I was able to do most things just at a slower pace.

I skied to day and the knee felt great. I could carve turns and let the skis run with no wobble.

Keep up the good work and push as far as the therapist will let you. I hope you heal quickly.

[KimD]

Thanks, and I'm glad you had a good ski day and your knee is cooperating! It must feel good to get out there again.

[mac19]

Great too hear you've banged off the surgery now the hard(butrewarding) work begins. Also very good too hear that you have no arthritis in your knee that is the last thing you want. keep us posted on the rehab!

[Tye 1on]

Well heck. You'll have all winter to rehab, so much for kicking your butt on the golf course!

Good to hear tho, good luck with the recovery!

[KimD]

My first little setback? Yesterday I was working on my step box exercises with my donor knee and suddenly had some awful pain. Seems to be at the top of my patella and is worse in extension. It's really sore today and I'm a bit freaked that I wrecked something. I got though all of me rehab exercises today with exeption of step box on that leg. Up until now, that knee has been so great, the one I knew I could trust and had been relatively pain free.

Not sure what to think.

[drmark]

I wouldn't think anything about it. Use the ice, and get right back to it, at a lower level of excursion.
Everyone has some episode of this or something similiar.

[Tye 1on]

Nineteen minutes for a response on a Saturday. Personally, that kind of impresses me.

[although the spelling police might suggest 'exertion' instead of 'excursion' ]

[drmark]

No excursion.
The "step box has 2, 4, 6, and 8 inches of excursion.

[KimD]

I have to say, drmark and his team ARE pretty impressive. I simply cannot believe I am doing this well after only a bit more than a week (my PT here couldn't believe it when I walked into her clinic on Thursday). Every day, I can do something that I couldn't do the day before.

Thanks for the reassurance, I'm off to start my third of three workouts for the day.

[mac19]

Hey Kim Check your PM's, I sent you a few Questions.

[KimD]

So I'm now almost four weeks post-op and feeling good for the most part. I'm hoping I can hit the gym soon and start on some more varied activites and weight training. The staples come out this week and I can't wait to say goodbye to them.

Pain is virtually gone for the most part. My only complaint is a "restless leg" type of ache that starts up at night in both legs and doesn't let up. It's really getting old. Anyone else experience this, and how long did it last?

[drmark]

See if you can get your local doc to perscribe Mirapex, the restless leg medicine, for a couple of weeks, or do as I do. Have three big Labs sleep in the bed with you on top of your feet.

[KimD]

Best I can do is one 11-pound Shih-tzu...!! *shrug*

My doctor prescribed Clonazepam (saw her before I saw your reply). Didn't seem to do much really. In any case, it's a lot better now.

Starting to work on the tons of new exercises from Ed, have -5 to 145 in the graft knee, and 0 (or maybe a bit better) to 140 in the ACL knee, and working on getting more. Seems I spend most of my day working out.

Scars look good (relatively speaking, so much for pretty knees), doctors here are impressed, and PT here, while less aggressive than Ed, is quite amazed at my progress.

So its just... keeping on working hard, keeping my chin up (hard sometimes) and praying for spring until I can swing a golf club again (sorry, skiers, I want winter to be OVER!)

PS... Thanks Doc!

[KimD]

5 weeks post-op: