Yup, Saw Bones said that I needed a total left knee replacement.
This all began with a dirt bike wreck in 1974, and that ole knee has never been 100% since. I had much damaged cartilage then and had to have more removed in 1994 after my knee locked up. Of course removing cartilage means that there is less there to do it's job, so it has been cracking, creaking, popping, and doing weird stuff. I have been wearing a knee brace since mid-August to keep it from going wacko.
Sooo, November 18th is the scheduled day. :o
Sorry to hear it but I have known several people who who did the knee replacement and I have never known one who regretted having the procedure done. Good luck and keep us posted.
shear will can take you a long ways. sound like time. good luck!!
All the best. My late father had one of his knees replaced years back.
He said after a couple of weeks, his replaced knee was now his "good" one, and he realised how stuffed his other old original also was. :D
We just came home yesterday after spending the weekend with a cousin who had a full knee replacement last week. He is a hurting unit still, but getting better. I got him out for a ride in the truck and some visiting. He was hurting more after that but the next day he felt it had helped him keep moving and getting over another hump. It's do-able and I am sure he is gonna be in better shape very soon.
I am sure you will have it nailed just fine and come out better on the other end. Best wishes.
Lynn, good luck with the surgery and rehab. I hope you're back the saddle ride-along soon. Everyone I know that good a knee replacement is better off with the after-market than they were with the oem.
You will do good having it done.
after 75 years, you have got lots of miles from the oem, no marathon running after. oh well, you could of started coasting years ago. get er done. :) :)
Best of luck sir! Sometimes stuff just needs replacing if rebuilding doesn't work or gives out.
My wife had her left knee replaced about 5 years ago and is doing wonderful, never had an issue with it!
My next-to-youngest brother (14 years my Junior) had both knees replace about 1½ years ago and is doing fine with both of them, now he's dealing with a recent back surgery!
Here's hoping you do well with the surgery and the healing, Lynn!
Well, as you might remember, I got my hip replaced in 2014, and its been doing pretty well. As with any major surgery, especially where implants are concerned, there are certain restrictions that will be new to you, certain things you won't be able to do, but lots more things you will be able to do, that you may not have been able to do for a long time.
I would highly recommend a 6 week course of pre operational physical therapy, not only will it help the knee joint instability, but will greatly strengthen and lengthen the muscles and tendons that will be subjected to some serious trauma during the surgery, as well as to get them more flexible and used to fuller articulation during recovery. I did it, and my recovery was amazing, much faster than the ones who didn't, and I noticed in the recovery therapy sessions that much of the other patient's pain was due to them not being able to do the exercises, not from the artificial joint, but from their own systemic inflexibility. The PT exercises are very targeted to improve recovery. My mother has had two knees replaced, the first without pre operative PT, and it was tough. The second time she did pre operative PT, and it was tremendously better, with less pain, and a much faster recovery. Some doctors here require it, some only prescribe it on a voluntary basis. It was covered under my insurance.
Anyway, its a process, and the good news, it a positive one. As trite as it sounds, all the medical staff just told me to take it "One step at a time."
YellowHammer gives good advice. The best outcomes are a result of faithfully following the physical therapy regimen the doctors layout. It's painful at first but you will be rewarded with a better knee later.
The "fly in the ointment" is that somehow I guess that I have blown my rotator cuff in my right shoulder. It is giving me much more misery than the knee, but the knee has to be fixed first because the arm is needed during the knee recovery. ::)
I got no time for any of this crap!! :-X
Lynn,
Looks like we better get you on the bi-annual service loop to align, repair and replace whatever needs it every couple of years. ;)
Welcome to my world..
Left knee is shot and needs repair. torn meniscus and acl. Right needs replacement. I tore my right rotator cuff about 6 months ago and now somehow have torn at least 1 possibly 2 tendons in the same arm helping to lift a bike into the back of a pickup truck.
Right hip needs replacement.
Tore my left rotator a couple years ago. Got a few shots and that one seems to be ok somewhat.
Figure to get everything done in 2020.
My Dad had both his knees replaced back in the 80's then had to have the replacements replaced in 99 because he wore the new ones out.
I have been told by many that it feels so good when it's healed up.
Good luck Mr Lynn your are tough you will be back at it before you know it.
Best of luck with the surgery. You've got good health and low weight on your side. Hoping you have a successful and speedy recovery!
Alan
Quote from: Bruno of NH on October 16, 2019, 09:01:35 AMI have been told by many that it feels so good when it's healed up.
Good luck Mr Lynn your are tough you will be back at it before you know it.
Bruno,
I had a good buddy in Albany Ga when stationed there who had his replaced when he was 70+ and he said a few weeks/months later he walked out of his house and said it felt so good he just took off running to his mailbox.
Quote from: Raider Bill on October 16, 2019, 08:33:35 AMMy Dad had both his knees replaced back in the 80's then had to have the replacements replaced in 99 because he wore the new ones out.
Bill,
Are you suggesting Lynn needs to get the ones with the extended warranty? :D We'd hate for them to give out when he is 95 on an elk hunt and 70-75 y/o Marty has to tote him out to the nearest machine shop to get him patched up.
Sorry to hear about the knee. I like the idea of the pre-surgery PT, had never heard of that but it makes a lot of sense.
I didn't do PT after my last back surgery 4 years ago because I "didn't have time for that crap", but looking back on it I really should have. Had a pretty bad flare up two two years ago and went to PT thinking I was heading back into surgery, did something like 30 sessions and the results were very impressive. Find the time to get it fixed up right, you have more than earned every single penny the insurance will pay out.
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on October 16, 2019, 09:27:33 AMWe'd hate for them to give out when he is 95 on an elk hunt and 70-75 y/o Marty has to tote him out to the nearest machine shop to get him patched up.
I get the feeling he will still be sawing in "The sandbox" job at 95, given how that project seems to be suffering from military sized mission creep. :D
With the new procedures and processes these days, the hospital staff will have you up walking the next day. Unlimited walking is the best therapy, and it's all about tissue regeneration and keeping the joint active, as that increases blood flow, reduces swelling and properly influences scar tissue regrowth. Other than falling issues, they want patients to be walking upright and human as fast as possible to regain proper posture and joint loading. So they try to wean patients as fast as possible from walkers and crutches. Having a very positive attitude once the decision has been made to have joint replacement surgery is very important. It's the difference between "My leg hurts, I'll sit here awhile longer" and "My leg hurts, it's time to get up and walk". BTW walking in the woods with a rifle is very good therapy. I have no doubt you will do great.
YH,
Are you saying the MM is going to have to trade in his fancy ride along seat and join us peons walking for a change? :D War Eagle!
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on October 16, 2019, 09:27:33 AM
Bill,
Are you suggesting Lynn needs to get the ones with the extended warranty? :D We'd hate for them to give out when he is 95 on an elk hunt and 70-75 y/o Marty has to tote him out to the nearest machine shop to get him patched up.
Because of Dad's age at the time they used "cheaper'" budget knees. At 340 lbs they didn't last.
Second time around he went to the hospital at Colgate university, had them both done at the same time and used the good ones.
Quote from: Magicman on October 16, 2019, 07:29:08 AM
The "fly in the ointment" is that somehow I guess that I have blown my rotator cuff in my right shoulder. It is giving me much more misery than the knee, but the knee has to be fixed first because the arm is needed during the knee recovery. ::)
I got no time for any of this crap!! :-X
Shoulder replacement is not bad had the left one done 3 year ago and this Dec will have the right one. As many has said therapy is the key to quick recover and relief from pain, I can say my left one is great and only hope the right one is the same after rehab too good luck and the best to you
Dr. said that I would walk that day and be discharged the next. If I waited until next year it would be outpatient, no overnight stay. :o
The fastest option to fix both the knee and the shoulder was to do the knee first. Crazy thing is that the knee doesn't hurt....but the shoulder does. ::)
Think of it this way - after the surgery for a bit your knee will hurt and you will forget about the shoulder. :D
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on October 16, 2019, 10:39:06 AM
YH,
Are you saying the MM is going to have to trade in his fancy ride along seat and join us peons walking for a change? :D War Eagle!
Maybe he will mount a LazYBoy on it instead of a WM seat. It might be covered by insurance. :D :D
then you get a cute little lazy boy racoon!!! god speed!
Saw a blerb on tv last night where they showed a robot for doing the surgery's. Impressive the why they do these replacements now. I pray that you are up and huntin quickly ;).
Quote from: Magicman on October 16, 2019, 07:24:15 PM
Dr. said that I would walk that day and be discharged the next. If I waited until next year it would be outpatient, no overnight stay. :o
They consider the operation more of an injury, not an illness. So there's really no reason to hang around. They are getting away from blood drains and even general anesthesia, specially since they can do a spinal block for a knee. I walked an eighth mile the second day around the nurses station, with a walker because I was bored. I'm not sure I'd want to be discharged the same day, but I could have been discharged the second.
My surgeon did 13 total hips in one day, and did about the same number on "knee" day.
Oddly enough, when I woke up from general anesthesia, my scalp hurt. The next day it was worse. I was taking pain meds and asked the PA why in the world the top of my head would hurt. He laughed and said when they were articulating my hip through its full range of motion, I almost fell off the operating table so they caught me and pulled me back on the table by grabbing anything they get ahold of, including a couple big handfuls of my hair. Ouch. :D
Well at least you had hair to grab!! With my luck I would have made a sickening "thunk" as my head bounced off the floor!! :D
Wecome (soon) to the replacement club.
I am the orthopedic surgeons benefactor.
Slipped the cartilage cap off of my left femur at age 15 in 1953, was pinned in place and removed in 57.
This caused the head of the femur to develop elliptically instead of round.
torn meniscus in 94, blown acl in 95, rotator cuffs in 99 and 2001, total hip replacement in 99, revision in 06, 2 popeye muscles 2010 and 2012, partial (makoplasty) both knees 2013.
couple of foot surgeries. dont have many joints left to work on, so Hope I am done now.
As YH says doing your PT is a must.
I am in pretty good fettle altho arthritis is taking a small toll.
Even tho I was very diligent with my pt my twice done hip bothers and walking long distances is very bothersome.
Lynn you should be fine as you are much younger than I.
BTW both rotator cuffs are gone again, snap crackle and pop when I move but little or no pain.
Yeah, but this old crap is for old folks. :-X Skin cancer removed, first tooth pulled, and now this knee thing and a shoulder in waiting. When do they pass out balloons and Popsicles??
Sorry to hear about your knee problems Mr. Lynn
I will lift you up in prayer 🙏 for a successful procedure and a speedy recovery 😎😎
Thanks, I remember when I was a little boy I always wanted to be older, but this is not what I was expecting. Worn out body parts ain't fun. :-X
Been thinking/rethinking this knee replacement thing.
When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like
a goat chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery?
Quote from: Magicman on October 22, 2019, 09:24:07 AM
Been thinking/rethinking this knee replacement thing.
When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like
a goat chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery?
Look at the bright side Lynn. At least your hearing is still good! :D May you have a speedy recovery.
Quote from: Magicman on October 22, 2019, 09:24:07 AM
Been thinking/rethinking this knee replacement thing.
Knees pop, and it doesn't necessarily mean you need a joint replacement. Issues with uneven cartilage, tendons, a little bone bone on bone, or especially patella alignment can cause all kinds of noise. The patella floats and is supposed to stay in a groove, and if the muscles and tendons are weak and the groove wears down, it can bounce around like a bumper car.
Quality of life level pain means you need to have a knee replacement after other options have been tried. Ultimately it's your decision, because, ultimately you are the one who has to live with, good or bad.
Almost three and a half years ago, I was having quality of life level pain in my left knee, bone on bone, and X-rays showed what I was feeling. So I went to my orthopedic surgeon who said I need a knee, and I didn't want a knee replacement so close to having a hip replacement. So we came up with a plan. First was a steroid injection to reduce the swelling and loosen my joint up. Next was 6 weeks of physical therapy by real PhD therapists, with the intent of stabilizing my patella and strengthening my quadriceps and other stabilization muscles so that they would be strong enough to shift my posture slightly so I would shift some load bearing in my knee to the remaining cartilage I had. So I followed the plan, and also found a work boot (Red Wings) that stabilized my feet better and got away from the too flexible and soft boots I was wearing (New Balance). So after a few months, my knee stopped hurting almost totally, as long as I didn't do anything stupid. A year later I had my checkup, and as I walked into his office, the Dr. had my folder out and started saying how after a year of bone on bone, was I ready to get surgery, because I must be in a lot of pain. I said "Doc, I just walked up your two flights of steps instead of using the elevator to get here and I feel great." He smiled and said that sometime the plan works, and took some more Xrays and saw that my knee had no more wear than it had a year ago. So he sent me on my way, and said when you start having pain, we'll look at it again. Its been two and a half years since that follow up appointment and I'm still doing well.
So I still do my 5 minutes of knee exercises every morning, and on a pain scale of 1 to 10, my knee is at a 1 or less, even with me sawing every day. Some days it doesn't hurt at all. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm hoping a while longer.
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Cartilage had to be removed from my knee after my motorcycle wreck so that I could walk. 20 years later more cartilage had to be removed to unlock my knee so that I could straighten my knee back out. Now it is 25 years later and I'm walking like Chester Good. If I am even slightly off balance the knee will give way on me. The last time it was 3-4 days before I could put any weight on it. For the past 2 months I am putting a knee brace on first thing in the morning and removing it before bedtime. Nighttime "trips" are nightstand to bed to dresser to wardrobe to door facing to lavatory. Then back again. Dr. said "yes there was a brace better than the one that I am using that would probably serve me well". My decision is whether I want to be resigned to a knee brace for the rest of my life.
Two total knees done here, and darn glad I did it. Life is much much better. Right shoulder done a few years ago, not as happy with those results, but it's a lot better than it was.
Dec. 11 the other shoulder git's done, I'm hoping for better results.
The lady next to us has been having knee pain for the last three yrs. Kept saying I need to keep going. She retired from 30 yrs of teaching 3rd grade and has had numerous side jobs these last three yrs fighting the pain. She fell down couple weeks ago. At the emergency room her dr. say's "well you wore the knee out" it broke and down she went. Now she's in a big cast to heal it up and in 6 more months will have the knee replacement.
It's a hard decision to have these operations.
I found out last night that to replacement was months not weeks. We had to visit with the lady at 9:30 pm last night as her husband had an ambulance ride to er for balance issues couldn't stand up. i think it's worry about his wife not being able to get around,an wore him out.
I'm not sure the decision is a now or never one, the technology is making tremendous advances, every year. Joint replacements are becoming more and more common, and huge money is being dumped into it. Here in Huntsville, there are two huge joint replacement facilities, (Sports Med and TOC) and thats pretty much all they do.
I waited about three years between when I knew I needed and hip, and when I got my hip, and in the three years the technology moved completely away from ceramics, slightly back to metal/metal, but fully toward the multi piece cross linked polyethelyne design, which has a significant increase in service life and has shown to reduce ossification. So I went from a predicted 10 year hip to a predicted 20 year hip by waiting for the technology to advance in three years. In addition, the surgical techniques shifted to a much less invasive approach, so the recovery was very rapid.
When I talked to my surgeon about knees, we discussed the advances in those, and it was equally rapid, from full anesthesia to now just a block, to knee prosthetics that more accurately move like a real knee, to longer life and more stable installations. Now, robotic assisted surgery is becoming more the norm, and the infection rate is dropping significantly, due to better sterilization techniques. No blood bags, better closure techniques also contribute to increased success. Lots of times, the decision to get an artificial joint isn't a one time thing, they wear out and the body also undergoes processes that cause them to fail. So revisions are fairly common, and its also part of the decision making process. For example, Bo Jackson is on his third hip.
The capability of the surgeon is also important, as some have a knack for the procedures and produce wonderful results, some others, not so much, like Hawkeye and Frank Burns on MASH.
Bo Knows.
Did my pre-op today at the hospital. Weight, BP, chest x-ray, blood draw, pee in the bottle, electrocardiogram, and an hour of "training". 'Bout had me talked out of the whole thing. :-X
Still set up for the 18th, but I don't know what time yet. Lots to do between now and then.
Wishing you good luck Lynn
I have a regiment of exercises to do twice a day until D-Day. smiley_whip
That's a good thing.
Best of luck. Harder to rehab knees than total hips, but you'll do fine.
You are very active and pretty healthy by what I perceive from reading of your posts. I will say prayer for you and keep you in my mind. I work with a gentleman who is on his second or third year post knee replacement he does 90 % large animal work and it didnt slow him much at all, in fact post surgery we had to keep chasing him out of the office he felt so much better. He has no limp, the leg is straigh, t he just wore the joint out same as you have. He is in his seventies too. You will have a good result as well.
Quote from: Nebraska on November 01, 2019, 03:10:59 PMhe just wore the joint out same as you have
Actually mine didn't wear out, it is due to an old motorcycle wreck. The other knee and half of this knee still has plenty of cartilage. This one had to have cartilage removed after the wreck and also after more broken cartilage locked my knee and I couldn't straighten it out. I am just paying for past sins.
smiley_thumbsup D-Day was Doctor Day, but I like yours. What I ain't liking is this whole replacement deal. I ain't liking it at all. :-X
It is not hurting, just jumping out or whack when I walk or get out of balance. I have been wearing a knee brace for several months, but sometime it gets out of whack even with the brace. I can't trust it. ::)
Think of it like maintenance on the mill. You can do it before or after complete failure. You got this Lynn.
The good news is that after "knee day" your knee will be working great, no brace needed, and will last a long time. And you won't even have to grease it.
Quote from: Magicman on November 01, 2019, 08:59:53 AM
I have a regiment of exercises to do twice a day until D-Day. smiley_whip
I kneed to read slower, read that as "I have a whole regretment of exercises to do :D"
I've never gotten back to 20 years old after a repair but sure better than broke. Just about everyone I know who's had that done has been much happier after, we're just too handsome to hide on the couch.
Quote from: Don P on November 02, 2019, 09:20:38 AMwe're just too handsome to hide on the couch.
No couch (or stool) for me because they also have me taking a "stool" softener. :o :D
I have a nurse friend who tells everyone she is "too pretty to work nights!"
Quote from: Magicman on November 02, 2019, 09:32:48 AM
Quote from: Don P on November 02, 2019, 09:20:38 AMwe're just too handsome to hide on the couch.
No couch (or stool) for me because they also have me taking a "stool" softener. :o :D
TMI :D
Quote from: Magicman on November 02, 2019, 09:32:48 AM
No couch (or stool) for me because they also have me taking a "stool" softener. :o :D
I think your doctor has been watching too many "Lethal Weapon" movies. He doesn't call you "Leo" by chance does he? :D
ok ok ok. I was gonna add a clip but the bleep :o took it out. ::)
Quote from: Magicman on November 01, 2019, 08:45:07 PM
Quote from: Nebraska on November 01, 2019, 03:10:59 PMhe just wore the joint out same as you have
Actually mine didn't wear out, it is due to an old motorcycle wreck I am just paying for past sins.
I feel your pain.
My Father had his done. His was bone to bone,wore out. He felt A LOT better.
I got my Mom's walker and my Dad's cane dusted off today.
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And ready for their duty starting next Monday. ::) I have been doing the prescribed exercises each day but I ain't looking forward to this. :-\
Well at least you had that stuff on hand, and don't have to chase it down. I think you ought to go fishing, nothing like a nest of crappies, or a few bass to ease your mind a little. I doubt you have stiff water down there yet. Hang in there.
There are two more items to be retrieved from upstairs; a shower/bath stool, and the riser thingy that sits on the commode. :-\
Me having to do what I helped my parents do ain't sitting well with my thoughts. :-X
Good luck my friend. We are all pulling for you (and your surgeon)
I pray that you will have a quick and successful recovery!
Stan
I just went downstairs and didn't find it, one of Dad's inventions is a foot longish length of pvc pipe with a Velcro strap attached. It lashes to a walker, wheelchair or dining room chair as a caneholder so your cane is handy and not slid down on the dang floor. Expecting to see you dressed up for dancing soon :).
Quote from: Magicman on November 12, 2019, 01:14:57 PM
and the riser thingy that sits on the commode. :-\
You know, I did my best thinking on one of those. :D :D
My insurance would pay for a cane or a walker, but not both. So I opted for a walker, and the nurses got me one with blue racing stripes. It was cool, and I was the fastest on the 3rd floor with it.
The best thing to think about all the "stuff" is to use it as a goal, realizing that the sooner you don't need them, the happier you will be. It's good self motivation to graduate from them.
Remember that immediately after surgery, your joint will be at 100% strength, with a full range of motion, and the Dr. makes sure of that on the operating table. Thats his job. The healing part is your job. I'm sure you'll do very well.
Quote from: Magicman on November 12, 2019, 01:14:57 PMMe having to do what I helped my parents do ain't sitting well with my thoughts.
Well, for what it's worth your walker is fancier than either of the two I have had - doctor loaned me one the first time and we ended up buying one the last time, and I have a "walking stick" made of Hawthorne, it's not a cane!! :D Keep records of what you can do each week then look back at them to realize how much progress you are making. It's easy to get discouraged when you want or expect to be at a certain point but seem to be short of the goal - then look back and realize how much you have actually progressed.
Years back when I was doing PT multiple times a week I was talking to my therapist on a Friday afternoon and she was doing the weekly paperwork, measuring stuff, etc and I was wining about how I needed to use a wheelbarrow to move two small square bales of hay to feed calves, before getting hurt I was used to grabbing two in each hand and just walking down the feed row, so she looked at me and asked how many bales I was able to move with the wheel barrow the previous week and my answer was "none, could not lift it", without missing a beat she said "well that is progress". It took a while for that to sink into my thick noggin, but she was right. Sometimes we need to look behind us to see how far we have come.
Getting close, Lynn. Being the tough young bird you are, I feel confident you'll be back at your mill in no time. :)
Of course I sawed yesterday and then "Winterized" the sawmill until I get ready for her. :'(
The RN from the hospital called and then sent me an email with all of my instructions. The knee popped out twice yesterday and that was with the brace on, so I know that it is time. Bad thing is that given a choice, I would have my shoulder fixed. It constantly hurts, but the knee doesn't, but "Sawbones" said that I needed the shoulder for the knee recovery. It doesn't give me any problem pushing down, just lifting outward.
I'll have plenty of firewood brought up and I can handle it one stick at the time. fire_smiley
Quote from: Southside on November 13, 2019, 10:45:03 PM
Sometimes we need to look behind us to see how far we have come.
That is very true. My back recovery has two yardsticks. One is how I felt 24 months ago (pre-injury) and the other is how I felt beginning 18 months ago when I injured my back. Compared to how I felt 24 months ago I feel terrible. Compared to how I felt the previous 18 months to now I feel great! The 18 month yardstick makes me feel good about how far I've progressed and the 24 month yardstick gives me something to reach for.
Alan
Lynn all the best from the frozen north
Do your therapy religiously
Thanks Pete, I am (kinda) doing my pre-op exercises as I was instructed.
The Dr.'s office just called and confirmed that I am to be at the hospital (60+ miles away) at 5:30 AM on Monday the 18th. Crap, that means that I must get up before breakfast, but of course I won't be able to eat anything anyway. :-X
Of course I would not be complaining if I was going to a sawing job. ;D
Lynn-
You are stepping into the unknown, so hesitancy and fear are normal. Most people love their total joint replacements. You will too.
Good luck. I would make a joke about "Break a leg" but it seems out of "joint." Anyway, you'll do great!
not to have a "leg up" on @YellowHammer (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=11488) , and I doubt I could ever "cap" his comments. I do not mean to "la (ga) ment" but would like to join the "joint" expression of our "tendon (sy)" to wish you nothing but the best. I don't want to "bursa" your bubble, but it will be good to get it over with. :)
Just look at it this way, the doctor said you "kneed" to do this.... ;D
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It so happens that one of our Granddaughters is a Surgical RN and will be in the operating room with me.
She Lynn, is also my namesake. :)
So much for the idea of flirting with the nurses.... :D
Good Luck, to you.
Good luck you will be back at it in no time.
Oh how the puns proliferate.
Well you have been much in my thoughts lately MM. Tomorrow is the big day. I understand your apprehension and appreciate how heavy this rests on you. Modern medicine is a wonderful thing and I have little doubt you will come through this much better than you expect. Life should also improve for you greatly on the other side of this hill.
I am wishing you well and will be very anxious to hear how you are feeling when it is over.
Try to get a little rest tonight. Tomorrow is a new beginning. :)
Good luck tomorrow, Lynn. Going into surgery is unsettling but the results will be good. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a quick return to your ride-along.
You will like your new knee.
Thanks to all of you Guys for your support and encouragement. I watched a YouTube video of the replacement procedure yesterday. :o Yikes!!! No real surprises, but Yikes!!! :-X
I made a dozen+ calls last night to customers that are on my sawing list. I had already communicated with most of them but maybe I was just trying to make myself feel better. Anyway, they all understood and most of them will still be waiting when I am able to resume sawing. I never saw everyone that gets "penciled in" on the list and then there are those with questionable logs anyway. For example one has SYP logs that have been on the ground since October 2018 and he didn't call until September. A full 3"-4" would have to be slabbed off to get below the pencil sized worm holes and get to solid wood.
Anyway, I made one last pass on getting the fallen leaves mulched yesterday and will restock the firewood stash today. I know that this surgery is the right thing to do, but I still ain't looking forward to it. :-X
Yeah, those videos are pretty cool. I watched a bunch myself. Kind of puts it all in perspective.
I was chatting with the Dr. after the surgery and I told him I was feeling pretty good after he cut a large part of my body out with a medical grade chainsaw. He laughed and said, "No, it wasn't a chainsaw, it was a medical grade Sawzall!" :D :D
Look at all the perks you'll get when you get into the "titanium club." You'll be able to park right at the front door of every Wal Mart in the country for a few months with the little handicap card you get as a bonus gift from the hospital. You'll also get to stroll through the medical detector at the airport and have it start beeping and laugh about it, when you hand them your cool little joint replacement card.
You'll even be able to get out of emptying the dishwasher, taking out the garbage and other stuff just by saying it might hurt you. :D
Good luck to you. Things will turn out fine.
Best of luck Lynn, not that you 'kneed it'. I am sure the staff is very capable.
My thoughts are with you tomorrow my friend. Be well.
I'm assuming one of the fine hospitals in Jackson,which one ? How long a stay ? You will definitely be doing some pt for a few weeks, hope locally. Neighbor lady (might weigh 140 lbs) had a knee done a few months back. She is now wrestling bales of hay and sacks of feed and climbing on and off her tractor. Keeping you in our prayers.
working tonight, and will be thinking about you in the am! You are active and in good shape. all should go fine!
River Oaks in Flowood Wayne, kinda close to where your son lives. My PT will be here in Brookhaven. Twice a day at home for ~2 weeks and then at Kings Daughters.
Yes Doc, that is what I keep telling myself. I have finally reconciled myself to the inevitable and know that this is the right thing to do. ::) Just got a call wanting sawing done next week from a many times repeat customer. :-X
My clock is set for 3:45AM, so even though I won't be allowed to eat anything, it will still be before breakfast. :-\
After having been thru four major surgeries including two open heart surgeries, I can tell you this much. You will have the easy part tomorrow as they will turn your lights out and you get to sleep thru the whole thing. I know the anticipation is the hard part but sleeping is better than sitting in the waiting room the whole time. No need to focus on the procedure and when you are awake, you will be on the mend.
You will do fine as I see you are well prepared.
I am thinking of ya!!
Wishing you the very best, Lynn!
Thinking about you, my friend! ;)
Apparently a LOT of us are thinking about you on this day. Good luck. You've got this.
Yep, hope all is well.
MM is out of surgery and doing fine.
Great news !
that is wonderful
Happy news! 8) 8)
Thanks Marty a great sigh of relief from all of us I'm sure.
After no breakfast he will need a fix of a large helping of grits ASAP
Glad to hear
Thank you for the report
The surgery went well but I am still goofy and a bit nauseous from the pain medication
so glad to hear!!!
I was just getting on here to tell everyone that Magicman is out well and goofy, but it was better seeing it come from the Morse's houth. :)
The goofiness will probably never completely wear off. ;D
Glad to hear all is going well!
Quote from: Magicman on November 18, 2019, 04:05:45 PM
The surgery went well but I am still goofy and a bit nauseous from the pain medication
Good on ya. Well the scary part is over and the tough part begins. But you are as tough as they come so I think you will get through. Glad to hear you making noise. Be well, get some rest. Laying on a table unconscious somehow seems to take a lot out of a man... for a bit. :D 8)
Just got back in to the office glad to see they gave you your phone back, now listen to your caregivers and try to do what they say. 8)
Glad to hear from you.
You will be back sawing before you know it.
MM, we appreciate you going boldly down a path many of us will follow in the future. I wish you a speedy recovery (with the help of a cute physical therapist of course). 8)
Listen to the docs, let it heal, and keep us posted on your progress.
Good news for sure. Don't forget to button up the back of the gown. :D
YH,
More TMI. :D
Now when Lynn comes walking up instead of creaking and popping we will hear clanking and dinging. Keep us posted on the recovery.
Must have been a busy day for doctors. My Aunt wrote last night and again today. She went in to Atlanta and had a pacemaker put in for her bladder. I never heard of pacemakers except for heart regulating but I guess she knew what she was talking about.
Good to hear!!!
½Thanks guys. Probably well put OG about the tough part, but I am looking forward to it. The nerve block is gradually wearing off because I can now move my toes about 2". I will soon be relying on the pain medication. Gotta walk 300 plus feet tomorrow.
Good to hear. Don't forget to take the bunker busters with the pain meds.
Quote from: YellowHammer on November 18, 2019, 06:55:05 PM
Good news for sure. Don't forget to button up the back of the gown. :D
Not necessary if you are an Alabama fan. They never button the back of their gowns :D :D :D.
Sorry, Robert, you left that door wide open ;D.
OK Lynn, knuckle down and pay attention to your PT and your recovery or I will come over and make sure that all you get to eat is pickled baloney. No grits. Behave yourself or else.
Quote from: Magicman on November 18, 2019, 08:06:37 PM
½Thanks guys. Probably well put OG about the tough part, but I am looking forward to it. The nerve block is gradually wearing off because I can now move my toes about 2". I will soon be relying on the pain medication. Gotta walk 300 plus feet tomorrow.
Welcome back to our side, Lynn.
300 feet is only 100 yards. Sounds a lot shorter. 8)
Mr. Davis,
I am glad you came through this well and you should be kicking high in no time.
Glad to hear things are going well. How can you tell you were goofy?
I just completed my first PT and made the 300' loop. I know now that this ain't gonna be a mind over knee thing. The knee is the boss no matter what the mind thinks.
I'll have a few pictures when I get back home to the laptop.
By far the most important thing when walking the halls going by the nursing station is to straighten up, put on your best "This ain't nothing" face, and strut on by, as much as you can strut, with a walker. Then when you get out of eyeshot, take a deep breath, wipe the sweat, and go plop in in the chair and have them send up some ice cream.
Keep it up, it gets better from here.
Well done!
You are on a roll, or maybe a positive hobble!
Will the seat from your mill fit on the walker? :D
Oh great now he's gonna have a knee scar that will be as scary as his toe pictures. :D :D :D
Glad you are up and around. 300 feet is good.
Quote from: Southside on November 19, 2019, 01:53:51 PM
Will the seat from your mill fit on the walker? :D
more important, will the walker fit on your mill. :) . remember admin will edit your posts even if you just had surgery, so lets keep the picture from the front while you are in a hospital gown. add that to the list of things we do not need to see, like your feet and knee scar.! :D :D :D like a rat tail haircut, "business in the front, ......." :o :o :o 8) @Southside (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=24297) @YellowHammer (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=11488)
Good news MM. Glad your surgery went well.
I'm in no hurry for the PICTURES. I'm going to open this thread on a small screen and keep one eye closed hurt_smiley yikes_smiley
Lynn are they making you bend it farther than you want to?
Did that with me after my bi lateral knee surgery and it brought tear to my eyes the size of horse poops
Mine were only partial makoplastys tho
Lynn,
If this is like the other pictures you have posted about other medical cases you were involved in just do us a favor - don't. :D And we sure don't need the anterior view/shot of the open hospital robe with you hobbling 300' down the hall while the other patients spill their lime green jello as they see you pass. :D :D
Stay strong on the PT. Did you make sure they have therapy simulating you stepping up and down off your sawmill seat?
Keep at it!! Keep on the meds. You will need them.
I tried to get some dirt on him while he was still goofy. No luck. Then I tried to swap my 8n for his Kabota. I thought I was making some headway there, but I dont think I can manage the I gotta drive it to Mississippi from Michigan stipulation.
Too funny Jeff! Good on you for trying to 'leverage the situation'. It would have given you some interesting ammo in future 'discussions'. I am really happy that young fella is coming along and look forward to hearing from him very soon. Is he still in incarceration? Or did they spring him?
He's sprung. His block has warn off so the Honeymoon is over. Im sure he will be posting more in a day or three when things start to simmer down in the pain management department.
You could have drove it down there, and the experience would be priceless. Then, you could write a book about the experience. With the screenplay that would ensue from the book, you could retire on the movie rights.
I like it. It is a good plan.
If I feel good enough tomorrow, maybe ill go out and check the oil and the tire pressure
I am only half kidding. Can you imagine how rich an experience that would be if you survived it?
I have this picture in my head of you sitting in you 8N outside the discharge door at the hospital to give him a ride home. He would say 'what's this?', and you would say "I came to give you a ride home and make the swap" he'd say "what swap?" and you could 'remind' him of the conversation. :D
Shoot guys long distance tractor riding is almost a sport here. I have clients with special old tractors fixed up to go on "tractor rides". You'll see a whole line of dolled up parade ready old tractors putting along in the summer. They have multi day rides. I bet you could make 50 miles a day on that 8N pretty easy.
That would give them 21.5 days to loose the kaboda. :D
Bundle up! ;)
Quote from: Jeff on November 21, 2019, 09:30:51 PM
That would give them 21.5 days to loose the kaboda. :D
Warning - he may have sobered up by then. :D
do you not have the canvas cab for the 8N. tank-smiley
As you came South, you would need to bundle down.
Just a thinking of you.
My wife went through this.
I expect that he is hobbling around.
OK I am coming up for air. @doctorb (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=10176) The Total Knee Replacement Surgery was done a week ago tomorrow. How do I feel or how do supposed to feel? Don't know because I have never done this before. It doesn't hurt when I am lying or sitting down but it does sorta hurt when I stand up. I don't know what it is supposed to do. ::) I started with two pain pills every 4 hours, but I have reduced that to one every 4 hours. Should I have? I don't know because they say whatever is necessary to control my pain. Well it doesn't hurt when I am sitting, so do I need it? I don't know. Ice is supposed to keep the swelling down and I have done and am doing the ice thing. I was supposed to reach 90° bending by the end of the first week, but I was hitting 107° to 112° last week. Maybe not easily but doing it. Would keeping the pain medication prevent pain and allow me to more easily bend the knee? Don't know but will ask tomorrow.
Constipation? Yup da crap word. Pain meds slow everything down, so one reason for reducing from two to one was to try to jump start my digestive system back into working order. "Manual intervention" did not sound like a pleasant solution. :-X
My hospital stay was pleasant (I guess) but my apprehension about this entire replacement deal was still there. I kept telling the family that I still could back out (which I could have) but I knew that I wasn't.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6882.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574634032)
Yes, I did get my "split tail" gown, but you will have to use your imagination regarding the split tail. :o
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6883.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574634771)
My Nurse Granddaughter getting her Pop ready for the trip to the OR. No, she could not be with me during the surgery.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6879.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574634929)
I came back to the room with this zipper looking bandage on my knee. (The scar on my shin is from the chainsaw accident back in August.)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6881.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574635156)
The next morning I was served a very good Breakfast of Scrambled Eggs, Grits, Pancakes, Bacon, Peaches, OJ, & Coffee.
IMG 6885 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QFjp5bi13I)
I was feeling good because the pain block had not worn off. ( and would not for a couple more days) I thought that I was gonna have a high-ho time with this recovery and pain thing. Maybe that added to my confusion that I discussed in the opening paragraph above. What is normal and what should I feel?
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6888.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574635584)
So now I am wearing these support stocking to prevent blood clots.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6889.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574635664)
And keeping this ice filled saddle bag draped across the knee to prevent swelling.
Soooo, now what? I find out that da Boss and Marty have decided that my "new to me" Kubota needs upgrading to a Ford 8N. It seems that the Ford is in so much better condition than the Kubota that now the Ford must be driven from Michigan to Mississippi to add hours to it and devalue it so that the trade will be much more even. Maybe I understand the reasoning, but I am getting the sneaky feeling that I am gonna be stuck with a labor or fuel bill. Maybe if we could get Howdy to do the driving he could also make some additional deliveries along the way and I could get a new coffee mug out of the deal. Anyway for now Marty and Ben have da Kubota loaded up and will spend the next couple of days at the Cabin doing clean-up work that is needed after the last windstorms.
As for me, I think that I have much more of the same-o, same-o ahead of me. At lest my head is not as Goofy. ::)
See? I told you that he was hobbling :D.
At least you have a good attitude, my hobbled friend. Just wait for that 8N to show up. That will cheer you up for sure.
Glad you are starting to be your old self MM. I dont think Jeff will make that trip is he studies how dangerous it is to road a tractor in Miss. I turned over two while I was at MDOT and it seems there is a fatality fairly regularly here in this flat state. At least one in 2019. Do your therarpy. Thats the way they say it on channel 9 out of Tupelo. Get well theres is folks that need lumber sawed. Banjo
There he is! Glad to see you back at it! Loved the video. You keep at it young feller!
Magic-
Let's see that the glass is more than half full, versus mostly empty. Surgery, including TKR, is hard. There is a lot of tissue that needs to slide to bend your knee, and the operation disrupts it. The fact that you have over 100 degrees of flexion within a week of surgery is AWESOME! If your wound is healing well, and your pain at rest is tolerable, you are doing really, really well. Nobody is walking normally without pain or an assistive aid (walker or cane) one week out from a TKR.
The reality is that your pain will improve, but your sleep cycle will be off for six weeks or so. Just keep plugging, take a stool softener, and see the slow, steady and constant improvement. Then smile. PM me with any questions if necessary.
I think, in your position, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. From my viewpoint, it's easy to see....
Ohhhh, Thank You doctorb for that encouragement. I just want to do what is best regardless of what that is. I just don't want to be doing one thing and should be doing another. Medicine and it should me no medicine or no medicine and it should be medicine. I have no resting pain, only standing and bending.
Gotta drink plenty of fluid which means that my 2:00AM wakeup med call is also a pee call. :-\
Glad to see your doing well and on the mend! I hadn't seen this for the last week while I was in hunting mode but so far not shooting mode. Keep up the work so you can get back to work.
Glad to see you in such good spirits there MM!!
Glad to hear you are doing well. Meeting or exceeding the flexion goals is very important as it is critical in the process of developing proper scar tissue and continued full range of movement.
Pain serves no purpose in this situation other than to encourage swelling, so it should be avoided. I had the same issues you had with the pain pills and surprisingly, started switching to over the counter pain meds with very little drop off in effectiveness.
Feeing weak and restless is normal, but every day you will feel better, although it may not be by much. Just keep doing what you are doing and it sounds like you are doing great.
You got this my friend.
Glad to see that you're doing so well, Lynn!
Mr Lynn
Glad you are doing well
Sorry about the pain
I know how you feel with that.
I saw/see a good pain improvement this morning. My pain concern is that I don't want to be taking something which is covering up the pain and allowing me to do stuff that I should not do. The fact is that I do not have nor have I ever had any resting/throbbing pain.
My PT will be here at 9:30 so I will have a benchmark from this past Friday.
I do now realize that my recovery is gonna take much longer that I thought, but of course it has only been one week since my surgery. That pain block that I was given before the surgery sorta gave me a false impression that I was better than I actually was. It took a couple of days to wear off, but I was bullet proof that next day.
Quote from: WDH on November 24, 2019, 06:14:26 PM
See? I told you that he was hobbling :D.
Hobbling or babbling? ;D
Glad you are on the road to recovery and the surgery was good.
The PT just left and I finally got the pain med question answered. The pain meds need to be taken far enough ahead of time so that they are in my system and working before the PT gets here. That way I can tolerate the necessary stretching that has to take place.
I have never minded playing the game, I just need to know and understand the rules.
Quote from: Magicman on November 25, 2019, 08:45:55 AMMy pain concern is that I don't want to be taking something which is covering up the pain and allowing me to do stuff that I should not do.
That was always my concern too. But they told me to stay on the pain regimen for at least two weeks after my back surgery (a couple pills every 4 hours, even through the night). They specifically told me not to stop taking them even if I felt good because it was a lot easier to keep the pain away than to make it stop once it started. They told me the things I wasn't allowed to do (bend or twist) but they wanted me to walk a lot and keeping the pain well within check made that easier and made recovery faster. So I was just careful not to do the things on the "no allowed" list and to stay as active as possible.
I've since learned that for me reducing the pain is almost always a good thing and rather than causing me to do more damage it helps to reduce damage. Now it's just an occasional Ibuprofen but it reduces the swelling and inflammation, which is the root cause of my nerve problems. With less swelling and inflammation I can do more without as much pain. Trying to "work through the pain" results in more swelling and inflammation, which results in more damage and pain.
Sounds like you're doing great. I hope you continue on the fast track of recovery!
Alan
pain meds should take the edge off, so you can function and participate effectively with pt. Most guys do not like the way it feels to be on the meds. with my carpal tunnel and meniscus surgeries, I took one Lortab 5 and I was done. Ibuprofen is fine. so do not make yourself suffer, but do not try to eliminate all the pain. keeps us honest! you are doing great!
smiley_thumbsup smiley_thumbsup
Pain after injury and/or surgery can linger, especially when you are trying to regain your function. But I will tell you what I tell my patients to simplify their understanding when they have a disconnect between worrying about pain meds, overusing pain meds, or just over-analyzing their usage.
I ask them..."If I put your hand on the desk and hit it with a hammer, it's gonna hurt. If I give you 10 mg OxyCodone and wait an hour (so the meds are working), and do the same thing, will it hurt less, more, or the same as when I hit your hand when you did not have the narcotics on board?"
Many, many patients say it would hurt less, because they have pain meds in their system. I disagree. It would hurt the same, and here's why. Pain meds are great for continuous background pain, like after surgery or fracture. They don't take that pain away, but, like doc Henderson said, they should make it tolerable. But, and here's where patient's misconceptions come in, they DO NOT shield you from acute pain that wasn't part of the background pain. If you stepped on a bee, or had blood drawn, you're gonna feel that stick just like it feels normally. There is no protective shroud provided against all pain, present and future, by narcotics, so don't expect one.
So, as rehab of a TKR requires stretching tissues that have been operated on and repaired, the PT is going to hurt. Take the pain meds so that the residual constant pain after PT is tolerable. Don't take them thinking they make PT itself that much easier. Just work through the discomfort with the therapist and then ice your knee, with your pain meds already on board taking the edge off.
MM, there's really nothing you can do, short of a fall, to your knee. Don't worry about causing damage and don't be timid. Understand that to get where you want to go will take effort and some pain, and the latter will improve over time.
Very good explanations, and it's great that we have two Physicians on the Forum who like to help us all, and participate freely. Thank you very much!
And MM, get on keeping on. Sounds like you are ahead of the curve.
remember, 100 years ago, men died in their 40s so they did not wear most things out. you are dong great! 8) :) ;) (and they did not have dirt bikes!)
Write down how it feels now stiffness, swelling, pain at standing, sitting,walking, where your bend angle is, any thing else you can think of. Then put that away and don't look at it for a week or ten days, repeat a couple times it will give you benchmarks and you will see progress. I understand your distress at your decreased GI motility it affects me that way terribly as well. Just really don't like opiods. Glad you are doing well keep up the good work.
Someone mentioned stool softeners and I agree. After my surgery they gave me stool softener along with my pain pills and told me to vary the dosage (of the softener) as required. Can't imagine what it would have been like without them because even though I felt like I was taking a lot of them I never took too many.
I'm thankful I couldn't feel any effect (other than reduced pain) at the level of the opioids I was on (Tramadol). I know some people don't react well. Hope they're not messing with you much.
I got a kick out of your picture of breakfast in the hospital. I actually enjoyed my two day stay and meal time was one of the highlights. Pretty extensive menu, it was all free, and was actually pretty good. Such a novelty to pick up the phone and have hot food delivered to me in bed any time I wanted. Kind of like a fancy hotel.
Alan
Mr Lynn
For your blockage
Try 5 prunes a day
It works for me
And they taste good to
I KNEW grits would be part of that breakfast as they re a non glaciated cure all, AKA far south of the Mason Dixon line
Glad it is going well my good friend
Thank you my FF friends. The PT left me with a bicycle peddle thingy that I think is helping because I have been regularly bumping past 90° this afternoon. Of course my old "instant gratification" self wants this whole thing to go away. Guess that I am realizing more about what it's gonna take to bend this wacko knee as much as the other one.
He wants me to take a few steps with only the walking stick tomorrow. I immediately said NO, and he just smiled. :-X
Ever notice they look a lot like a gator when they grin :D.
I can't take opiods, well I can take one and then I remember I can't take opiods. The brick stuck in my belly is way worse than doc hitting me with a hammer. If you aren't backing up take the meds.
On that nerve block, when they did the last one my arm was out, I looked down at some point and I had bent my fingers basswards on something. There is certainly a disconnected out of body kind of thing going on. "Man that's really gonna suck when this nerve block wears off :D.
I tell the pt's they better be able to move when I get better ;D
The PT made his visit this morning. Actually I was a bit apprehensive because after this past weekend, I was only able to bend the knee 90° yesterday. Guess that I did not do my homework well enough but it's kinda tough to do stuff that hurts.
Anyway, he put me through the paces and had me at 100° when the session was over. He said that I was OK, but he did lay out a bunch of homework exercises for me to do. I was also able to take a few steps without any support from the walker which I could not do yesterday.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_2125.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1489450271)
This is not me and I am not making fun of the guy, but it does go to show what some folks go through just to get around.
Could be that he picked it up for someone too and it's his only transportation. Many years back I used to bring home two bales of hay at a time for a heifer on the back of a motorcycle just like that.
I hated and loved PT. I disliked the pain but liked the results.
It's always a celebration when the walker gets retired and put away. It means good things are happening.
Actually SS, the guy and walker are both real. His nickname is "shaky" and he has some kinda progressive degenerative muscular disease. When I took the picture I thought that it was funny, but a Grandson clued me in. The guy is just making the best of what he has. smiley_thumbsup
Lynn,
So glad to hear you are doing well and making the best of it. Keep up the good progress. With a little luck you will have weaned off the pain meds before Jeff arrives there (approximately mid February) with the 8N and wants to negotiate terms! :D :D :D
My PT will be here at 8:30 so I will see if I made any progress yesterday. I realize that this will be a journey and I should not be counting steps, but what else to do when I'm just sitting here?
Marty and Ben tried to get all of the good stuff out of the Kubota yesterday so we are trying to keep the upgrade trade more even. Da Boss's weaken state after driving through that much glaciated and uncharted territory should give me a negotiating advantage. ;D
Keep those gains going!!! That is what helped out Brenda. Those degrees are important to you!! You should be gaining daily and less pain daily. :)
Quote from: Magicman on November 27, 2019, 08:34:21 AM
Marty and Ben tried to get all of the good stuff out of the Kubota yesterday so we are trying to keep the upgrade trade more even. Da Boss's weaken state after driving through that much glaciated and uncharted territory should give me a negotiating advantage. ;D
Not if I get this Hemi in and running.
Quote from: Jeff on November 27, 2019, 10:16:58 AMNot if I get this Hemi in and running.
Well that paints quite the picture in my head! :o
Jeff, this will get you there a little quicker.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/39962/8n_v8.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1574871744)
A Chevy engine in a Ford? That would only blow your lug nuts off!!! ::)
The PT made his visit this morning. Some gain and some (much) pain because he is pushing stuff that don't want to get pushed. :-\ My assignment is to really concentrate on on my homework stretches.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6899.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574872495)
He also took the original bandage off and re-dressed the incision. No staples nor stitches so I guess that it was glued.
I am now allowed to use a walking stick some each day.
I guess if walking is going to be part of your therapy you will have to take that old boo-ray seat off the mill and start trekking.
Glad to see the progress you are making. Happy Turkey Day. My customer from yesterday is going with his wife and BIL today to pick up her sister who just had a new knee installed up at WVU hospital in Morgantown so I have to finish his order alone. I see the sun peeping out so I better get back too it. Be careful and don't have a relapse. Now about that shoulder....
Your track record of posting photos of food and body parts is relentless!
😆
Looking good Mr. Magic, it's not plastic surgery to make you lookin' any more sexy, but your dance floor moves next month will wow the Missus.
Quote from: Andries on November 27, 2019, 12:45:17 PM
Your track record of posting photos of food and body parts is relentless!
😆
When I was actively working in EMS I used to tell my male trauma patients that 'chicks dig scars'. If that actually is true then MM must need a stick to beat all the women off. Probably why he is practicing with that walking stick. ;D ;D :D
Peddling this upside down bicycle that doesn't go anywhere reminded me of this long ago song that didn't go much of anywhere either. Just a fun ditty.
Melanie : Brand New Key (HQ) Live - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJVUqzU7B-Q)
Always loved that gals voice, she had a good range. BTW, MM, do you know what a metaphor is? Yeah, I like that tune too, brings back some good memories.
Keep on keepin' on man.
sounds like you are making excellent progress.
Take it slow lynn
I tried sawing with no carrying of slabs and lumber after 3 weeks which was a mistake.
Another hard lesson learned.
Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on November 28, 2019, 08:01:51 AM
I tried sawing with no carrying of slabs and lumber after 3 weeks which was a mistake.
Another hard lesson learned.
Mr. Zumba:
Sounds like your patience and mine are about the same.
VERY LOW.
Gerald
Boy, ain't that the truth. I carried a 5 gallon bucket full of water about the same time and that was a mistake.
Good to hear your progressing. Best wishes from Saskatchewan, canada. Robert woelk.
That song brought back old memories, she is better looking than I envisioned. Lol
Sounding good! Pain begins when the PT's get ahold of you. ;)
best wishes for a full recovery Lynn,
do your homework and
keep us posted,
D
Wow that incision looks great. I wonder if your surgeon is a wood worker too? Maybe he used some of his Titebond II on it. ;D
He should have used titebond III. It is waterproof ;D.
I have been sorta quiet on my knee situation but I am still kicking along. No, I am not pleased with the amount of flexion that I am able to reach. I had good numbers shortly after the surgery but I have not been able to go much beyond 90° since then. I know that I am impatient and want to see "instant gratification" but this ain't happening with the knee stretching. I really worked hard this weekend and the PT will be here ~8:30 this morning so we will see.
110% effort is about all we can expect from... you know... someone your age! :) :) :)
I'm excited! I hit 108° flexion this morning which is very close to my maximum that was reached while the knee was still under the effects of the surgical pain block. My work this weekend paid off. I haven't been told but I suspect that the goal will be closer to 115° - 120°?
My job now is to keep on keeping on with the PT "homework" bends and stretches. 8)
Quote from: doc henderson on December 02, 2019, 08:50:43 AM
110% effort is about all we can expect from... you know... someone your age! :) :) :)
Hey Doc, all that effort is paying off for him. 😥
As they say, it's not the years, it's the miles that count.
However, gotta say, I'm concerned that if he keeps this up, all of us will be subjected to photos of MM in Lululemon yoga tights. 😲😝😨
If that does happen we will all be thinking about those good old days and the foot photos. ;D
Seriously, it is great news to hear the progress after how you were feeling this morning Lynn. Just hang in there and think about the long haul. It might be easier for you if you were surrounded by a 2 foot snowfall and no hope of getting outside, but lacking that, you are probably chomping at the bit. I am sure one of us could host you in the great frozen north for a while so that you would loose your desire to get outside for a while. ;D :D
Keep your chin up and keep on truckin' (gently).
Quote from: doc henderson on December 02, 2019, 08:50:43 AM
110% effort is about all we can expect from... you know... someone your age! :) :) :)
It should go without saying, but we should note that 110% from MM is about the equivalency of 190% from someone in their teen's. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
Quote from: doc henderson on December 02, 2019, 08:50:43 AM
110% effort is about all we can expect from... you know... someone your age! :) :) :)
Better watch it Doc, MM has not taken advantage of your youth and inexperience yet.
When he does you may be reminded that he has a very good mastery of the english language.
GAB
I Love you guys. Brotherly that is......
Quote from: Magicman on December 02, 2019, 03:03:01 PM
I Love you guys. Brotherly that is......
Have you been drinking MM? The last time somebody said that to me, they were, heavily. ;D Oh, maybe it's the meds, yeah that's it!
108° is pretty impressive, congradulations I think thats pretty fast to hit that milestone. . Those Lululemon tights are kinda spendy, I think the young lady's in the house got them for Christmas presents last year. I think you are better off with sweatpants. ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6888.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1574635584)
This is the best that I could do. I haven't seen the hospital bill yet but they were probably ~$300. ::)
I have continued to push hard today. No in-home PT tomorrow but he will return Wednesday and discharge me. I will see the Surgeon Thursday and be enrolled in my outpatient PT starting after that.
Oh, those are purty, but they don't look like Carhartts. :D :D :D
He had to one up the yoga pants- "hey, look y'all! These ones are see through!" 😂😂
I'm a thinking of ya!! I know what you are going through. :( Sounds like the degrees are going good.
Glad to see the progress you are making MM.
Lynn,
Do they make them in Christmas colors? Maybe you can audition for a role as an elf in the Brookhaven Christmas play. :D :D :D
Take care and keep us posted on your recovery.
I overdid my PT "homework" yesterday morning and paid for it yesterday afternoon/evening with some pain and swelling but my PT visit this morning went very well and my flexion reached 111°.
I am now discharged from home PT, will see the Surgeon for a follow-up visit tomorrow and begin outpatient PT Friday morning.
Lynn-
The #1 predictor of how much knee flexion a patient gets after a TKR is how much flexion the patient had preoperatively. People inherently just presume that you "get a new knee". While that's structurally true, it's the soft-tissues that determine postop flexion, not the metal and plastic components. And it's difficult to get tissues that haven't been bending or sliding to an absolute, young adult, full knee flexion to do so after years of some restricted motion. If you're getting 110 degrees of flexion at this juncture, you're doing great. But don't expect your knee to bend like it did when you were 20. Those days are long gone. I think you're headed to a fine result, which won't be complete until you stop cerebrating over it! The good news about the amount of flexion (111 deg) you've attained is that you won't have trouble walking up or down stairs. While 90 degrees of flexion is considered acceptable after a TKR, you need more than that to walk reciprocally (one after the other) on steps.
Thanks doctorb. Maybe I am trying too hard but I don't want "what I can't do" after this surgery to be because of something "that I did not do" after the surgery. I don't intend to be disappointed.
Rolls of pennies.
Quote from: doctorb on December 04, 2019, 12:50:17 PMI think you're headed to a fine result, which won't be complete until you stop cerebrating over it!
He cerebrates a lot. At least he can. I won't call out any names, but there are a few here that cerebrate poorly :D.
"cerebrating" not to be confused with "celebrating". ;D
I believe that the good doctorb was telling me that my healing/recovery process will not be complete until I can use the knee during my normal day without "thinking about it". I am still a loong way away from that. Reaching 111° of flexion with two Tylenols and a pain reliever in my belly and still in agonizing pain is a long way from "normal".
I still have a very long way to go before I reach that level. My attitude is that I don't want my future to be defined by what I failed to do during this healing/recovery process.
Quote from: Magicman on December 05, 2019, 08:37:35 AM
Reaching 111° of flexion with two Tylenols and a pain reliever in my belly
If the doctor allows have you tried pain relievers that reduce inflammation like Ibuprofen or Aleve (NSAID)?
I was probably the last person in the world to realize it but they don't all work the same. When my back was killing me Tylenol made virtually no difference. Ibuprofen, by reducing the inflammation which was pinching the nerves, allowed me to walk like a 75 year old instead of a 95 year old. The worst week of my life was the week before surgery when they told me I had to stop taking ibuprofen.
Alan
Thanks Alan. Fact is I don't normally take anything, maybe a couple dozen Tylenol a year. I'll see the Surgeon this afternoon and it will be interesting to see what he says.
I had the same success with the over the counter Ibuprofen and Tylenol in a Dr. recommended regimen. It really took the edge off, and wasn't habit forming or caused other issues.
Since you don't normally take them, they should be quite effective since you haven't built up a tolerance.
As my Dr told me, pain serves no positive purpose in this case, as it triggers undesired mental and physical reactions, including joint swelling, increased inflammation, and general physical inactivity. He told me "Motion is Lotion" and the more active I was, the more it would positively decrease swelling and surprisingly, pain.
If you are taking a blood thinner after your surgery then NSAID's like Ibuprofen, Aleve and especially aspirin are a no-no. Tylenol is about the only over the counter allowed with blood thinners.
Wow what a long day. I left at 9:00am and just plopped into my chair. The NP that was with me in the pre-op saw me and seemed pleased. Of course she was not interested in my "forced" motion but what amount of straightening and bending I was able to do unassisted. I start my three day a week outpatient PT tomorrow and will see the NP again in one month.
I was prescribed a "step down" pain med "Norco" and the twice a day 81 grain aspirin was reduced to one in the evening. I take no other blood thinners. I can take Ibuprofen/Aleve during the day if needed but not at night. The stocking stays on the "operated on" leg for another two weeks so I guess that "pole dancing" is allowed. ::)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6911.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1575598712)
I also got me a brand new genuine artificial aluminum highly valuable Walnut walking stick. ;D
Sounds like things are going pretty good hopefully you will be back sawing by spring. Randy
I had a good first visit with the outpatient PT. The bending reached 110° but she was not really interested in the bending. She was interested in the straightening. I am at 10° and we have to reach 0°, so that will be my goal for the next couple of weeks.
Back a few years when my wife had a TKR, I think the only issue she had was the "straightening" part!
PT suggested she lay on the bed, on her belly, and hang a small bag of sand or marbles from her ankle for about 30 minutes!
Next visit, PT was pleased with the results!
That would not work for me because I lost all of my marbles long ago. ::)
well we know you have plenty of sand. check the pockets of your clothes you wore on that big job this past year! :D
:D And I was trying to forget about the sand box. I did talk with that customer just before my surgery and he was wanting to know when I would be able to saw again. My understanding is that it will be in a different location.
Future sawing, traveling, hunting, etc. is what is giving me the motivation to push harder. This inactivity sorta "cramps my style". (old saying)
You will be your old self in no time. Good luck.
It can be harder to get the last 10 degrees of straightening (extension) than to get the last 20 degrees of bending (flexion). Really focus on getting full extension, as it is required to walk well.
Thanks doctorb. My strength and stability has really improved this past week. I will get "measured up" this morning by the PT, and I am looking for some improvement. I know that I am impatient but you gotta remember, I didn't want this mess to begin with so now I want it to go away. ;D The PT session is scheduled for 30 minutes this morning and 45 minutes for Wed. & Fri. Maybe she has some surprises in store for me. :o
Give it hell MM. ;)
Apparently I am and did Peter. My flexion improved from 110° Friday to 115° this morning and my extension went from 10° to 3°. I'll keep on busting my chops with my PT homework.
Magic-
I gotta admit, you make me smile. You've taken this on like you're in a heavyweight bout. You took a few shots early, but you're comin' back! Those ROM (Range of Motion) numbers are quite good.
DoctorB
Great job MM
The knee is still making progress. Wednesday the extension had lost from 3° to 6°, but it was back to 4° this morning. The flexion had improved from 115° to 117° Wednesday and to 120° this morning. The soreness/pain during the PT has reduced significantly and the main focus is now toward strengthening and extension.
I do realize that I am an impatient patient. ::)
the new knee will be so much better, you may just walk in circles. like the 6 million dollar magic man. :D
I had my hip replaced 8 weeks ago and I just want to be able to put my socks on....... :D
Yup, even the small things mean a lot when you can't do them. :)
Yep like a right shoulder replacement when you are right hand dominant things just don't wipe easy with the left ;D
4 weeks ago today I had my surgery. I drove to Wal-Mart alone in my standard shift RAV4, did my shopping, (had to buy a new printer) got home and got it all hooked up and working, and then discovered that I had lost my walking stick. No it wasn't really lost, just hiding under my shirt, but I thought that it was comical. :) I have a PT appointment at 2:30, so I'll get stretched some more.
Quote from: Magicman on December 16, 2019, 03:07:50 PM
then discovered that I had lost my walking stick. No it wasn't really lost, just hiding under my shirt
You must have really baggy clothes. Now I can't stop picturing you wearing MC Hammer clothes. Kind of fitting because you are Too Legit to Quit.
Alan
Well that was a mixed up reply. The walking stick was hanging on the chair back with the shirt over it. Now that does sound better? ;)
My PT visit went very well. My Flexion improved from 120° to 127°, and my Extension improved from 4° to 2°. I am pulling both of them as hard as I can physically pull with no regard given to pain. I did kinda get fussed at for not using ice more following my workouts.
Good to hear :)
Good to hear that the progress is good MM
I have noticed that as we forumites age there a a lot more posts having to do health issues.
Just a fact of living and ageing I guess.
Good to hear. If you lose that stick I bet I can find some folks to make you a new one. :D
Sounds really good, making great progress, I probably shouldn't suggest this.... but sounds to me like you could about go do your pt workout in a deer blind if your seasons still going. ;) Especially if you can drive a stick and shop at walmart.
I have plenty of time if/when I decide to go because our deer season extends until the end of January.
There are some scheduling issues so I will have another PT session this morning at 11:00, and then not have another until Friday afternoon. I believe that most of my progress goes to my PT homework and then the test comes when I go to the PT gym.
I don't want my knee's future to be determined by what I fail to do now. I want success.
Quote from: Magicman on October 16, 2019, 07:24:15 PM
Dr. said that I would walk that day and be discharged the next. If I waited until next year it would be outpatient, no overnight stay. :o
The fastest option to fix both the knee and the shoulder was to do the knee first. Crazy thing is that the knee doesn't hurt....but the shoulder does. ::)
I am just picking up on your "medical thread". I see your knee is coming along well. Per your shoulder- Of course we are each unique but my 76 year old left shoulder had a full tear from a number of sources-age, osteo, and years as an athlete then much labor of various sorts. I do strongly think that mine had several "self-heals as they are called and actually quite common too. probably the 1st time was in 1959 as a HS wrestler, 2nd as a college football player. My doc tried the cortisone shot but no result. In 11/2014 he sewed the rotator cuff back together along with 4 titanium screws in a SQ pattern, think of a SQ box with a titanium cable strung to each corner and with an "X" in the center too. It took much PT and months of hard effort to get to full overhead reach. I don't say that lightly either, I really had to work hard! I did experience the difference in the hands on provided by certain physical therapists vs. some others who seemed crude and of little help. Reminded me of an old time chiropractor I once knew who had the same "magic hands".
I also had two, anterior hip replacements via a different doc (who does anterior & posterior hips) and now seeing that doc as he does knees as well. With THR's my doc has you walk & climb steps,, same day, then if an early surgery your home that same day.
Knee, I've had 3 cortisone shots which do help ( been living regular lifestyle, bicycles, sawmill, shop and farm work) but wanting another sooner, not later! but my next appt.is 1/13/20 and with the doc, not the PA who gives the shots. Osteo made medicare not able to do a cleanup surgery as they 1st had hoped. I now have meniscus tears on both sides of that knee and pains tolerable but it lacks the strength I've had in my active lifestyle up to now. I wear an elastic sleeve which makes it feel more stable.
It is generally said that the shoulder and the knees are the tougher joints to PT- I will say that I saw partial tear people recover much faster than my full tear, like several months overall.
Knees I've heard everything from horrible joint replacement experience to glad I finally got it done. Keep up the hard work and play come spring...
I thought that my PT session this morning went well. My flexion improved from 127° to 129°, and the extension from 2° to 1°. Not much but I think that these final numbers will be slow to attain. She is now adding weights to the various exercises which I told her was cheating. She has also added some different exercises and I expect that there will be even more. I will be on my own with homework for the next two days.
Too DanG cold to do anything but add another stick on wood on the fire anyway. fire_smiley
Quote from: Magicman on December 17, 2019, 01:33:03 PMthe extension from 2° to 1°. Not much
It's not much in terms of degrees but it's substantial if you think of it as percentage gained. Same percentage as going from 10* to 5*.
Alan
That plus loosing that last 1° puts me at 0° which is what the other leg measures and is a completely straight leg.
You are really lucky to have a great PT. My neighbor had a hip replacement last summer the PT came and when he complained of the pain she told him to sit in the recliner and it would be ok >:(. He can barely walk and can't stand straight up. I feel sorry for him but it was his choice.
With my first hip replacement I did PT in a large room in a nearby town. It was interesting to observe how various people of all ages and physical conditions dealt with PT. The HS kids, of course were not there long and gone before you know it. Those people carry lots of weight (I'm trying to be kind here) stumbled through even the most mundane PT, I felt sorry for them just watching.
Living rural, there are no PT people who come to the homes. It's drive to PT or nothing.
My 95 yr old MIL, a home stay, alzheimers person, gets meager at home PT in her area via Medicare as the rules don't allow enough PT to do her any good, sad but true.
The out patient PT medicare cap has been removed in 2019 from what I just googled.
Today was PT day again. My flexion (bending) improved from 129° to 134°. She said that 125° is considered OK after knee replacement so I am good to go in that category. My extension (straightening) improved from 1° to less than 1° but it is not 0° so I have to continue with the misery of straightening and stretching that knee back. Of course my PT homework also includes flexion so everything gets a workout at least twice daily. She did fuss at me a bit about walking without the stick. ::)
Due to Christmas, I will only get two PT sessions next week; Tuesday & Friday.
Glad to hear your progressing well . I used to call PT the Torture Chamber but they do a great job making broke things work again .
Magic-
Once again I'm chuckling at your recovery, which is truly going great. There's an adage in orthopaedics that "you can't see 5 degrees." Let me explain.
Of course you can "see" 5 degrees difference in angulation from one thing to another. But when you are measuring a person's range of motion (ROM), you place a goniometer (kind of a clockface device with hands/arms like two identical minute hands) that can measure angles at joints. You place these "hands" parallel to the bones on each side of a joint, and the angle is easily measured. The problem is accuracy. Placing the goniometer arms exactLy parallel to the bone, which you can't see because of skin and muscle, is really an educated estimate, a SWAG! So measuring down to 2 degrees one day and then 1 degree the next, sounds like a slight improvement, and it may be, but we can't be sure.
The important and overwhelming good news is the trend over days and weeks. You obviously have gained back much of your extension and now you'll work for the very last bit. Your flexion is great and will improve as well. So don't focus on the day to day number, just look at your knee and say "it's better than last week and will be even better the next".
That is exactly what this non doctor told him yesterday! That the one% was probably wrinkles!
I certainly agree because I watch them align their goniometer gizzmometer each time and realize that they are only doing their best to align it with my bones. I can certainly tell that I have made good flexion progress because I can bend my knee back further, and extension progress because I can now feel the bed beneath my knee at night. There is still some swelling which is also affecting my ROM. I am doing two home PT sessions each day that take about an hour, so I have had no mercy on the knee. I am pulling back (flexion) as hard as I can physically pull with no regard to pain, and the extension exercise is pure misery.
Wrinkles or no wrinkles, I am expecting to be discharged from my in-office PT this week.
Just like the Doctor told Brenda,you can't harm the knee,work it!!! Sounds good. There was a certain degree that they was looking for. Good enough to do stairs they said. You must be way past that now.
I had a different PT this morning who read 135° on my flexion and still less than 1° on my extension but he pushed down on my knee and got 0°. I still have a ways to go yet with the extension. He looked and saw where the Surgeon ordered 20 PT visits, so I still have a couple more weeks to go. Still gotta strengthen those thigh muscles and stretch whatever it is behind the knee which is the hurting part. :-\ Also, I have been sorta lax about icing the knee after my homework PT. ::)
I can walk fine without the walking stick but they still want me to use it, saying that it forces me to straighten my knee when walking.
Magic-
Between PT efforts, when you're lust lazin' around, put your leg up straight in front of you. like sitting on a couch and putting your leg up on a coffee table. Keep your toes pointed straight toward the ceiling. Place a pillow under the ankle and a few inches of the calf (Achilles tendon area) only, so the rest of the calf, the back of the knee, and the distal thigh are unsupported. Let gravity work for you while you're reading or watching TV. Just let the leg sag into extension. You can periodically do quad sets in this position as an isometric exercise to strengthen them as well. Using your quad in this position also straightens the knee. Further, use a device (like a PT loop, an Ace bandage, or even a towel) to dorsiflex your ankle while in this position (pull the toes toward your nose). The Gastrocnemius muscle also crosses the knee joint and needs to also be stretched.
If all else fails, have someone sit on the knee. Just kidding! That's a joke ;D,......but placing a little pressure onto the anterior knee is just fine. Some patients use the weight of the ice bag to help gain knee extension in this position.
Merry Christmas.
Doctorb
Doc you musta been a terrapist in an earlier life. ;D
doctorb, every item that you listed is exactly what I am doing, all except the "sitting" thing. :snowball:
Quote from: doctorb on December 24, 2019, 03:14:14 PM
Magic-
[clipped]
If all else fails, have someone sit on the knee. Just kidding! That's a joke ;D,......but placing a little pressure onto the anterior knee is just fine. Some patients use the weight of the ice bag to help gain knee extension in this position.
Merry Christmas.
Doctorb
I have been following right along with MM's progress and watching his growth daily, but when I read that sentence above my butt and my abdomen both tensed into a knot instantaneously. I stopped reading and read the sentence again... twice. Only then did I read on a little further ;D. You had me going for just a long second there Doc, you got me good. Holy cow, if you could have seen what was going through my head in that split second. Yeah, you got me good.
As long as Magic didn't take it literally, I'm good with that. Glad I could increase your pulse rate for a few seconds. Have a great Christmas!
Some of the exercises that doctorb described above:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6934.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1577234182)
Extended leg supported by a folded pillow under my foot.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6935.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1577234274)
Then add a couple of pounds of weights.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6939.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1577234380)
And then to add additional misery, hang the "ice bag" containing 4 frozen 20oz water bottles over the unsupported knee. After 15 minutes of this something has to have some relief. :-X
I am doing this plus the belt stretches plus the thigh tension and leg lifts several times each day. My hope is that all of this pain is paid back with no pain after this thing heals.
Boy am I glad you posted that second picture with a clearer picture of your foot and sock. From the first one I was afraid you had leprosy or something in your foot. :o :D :D
Mr. Davis SIR:
You have my permission to back off on therapy today and enjoy the day.
Wishing you and every one else the bestest Christmas ever.
Gerald
I am continuing to improve but very slowly now. My flexion improved today from 135° to 137° and my extension is still below 1° but not to 0° yet. The PT lady is still telling me that I ain't normal. That most knee replacement patients struggle to get to 125° flexion.
All of my PT is now geared toward building and strengthening muscle not toward Range of Motion.
Quote from: Magicman on December 27, 2019, 06:37:19 PM
I am continuing to improve but very slowly now. My flexion improved today from 135° to 137° and my extension is still below 1° but not to 0° yet. The PT lady is still telling me that I ain't normal. That most knee replacement patients struggle to get to 125° flexion.
All of my PT is now geared toward building and strengthening muscle not toward Range of Motion.
Hmm, did they check to see that your bones are straight, that they didn't crook when you weren't stickered correctly? Maybe you only have 125° flexion and go way past 0° if you adjust for your crook. ;)
I think that the surgeon found dote and had to make an executive uneducated decision whether to open the hump or horn face. He could not open the sweep faces because of possible crook which may not edge out. The claw turner worked well whereas a chain turner would have caused excess screaming and would have caused possible trauma in the incubation ward. There is a video showing the two plane clamp firmly holding the new titanium joints in place while the JBWeld cured. I suppose that the new knee will quit hurting as soon as the pain goes away.
Quote from: Magicman on December 27, 2019, 09:44:29 PM
I think that the surgeon found dote and had to make an executive uneducated decision whether to open the hump or horn face. He could not open the sweep faces because of possible crook which may not edge out. The claw turner worked well whereas a chain turner would have caused excess screaming and would have caused possible trauma in the incubation ward. There is a video showing the two plane clamp firmly holding the new titanium joints in place while the JBWeld cured. I suppose that the new knee will quit hurting as soon as the pain goes away.
OK, I think this pretty much signals that you need to get out and about a little more or start stamp collecting to keep your mind busy.
Quote from: gasman1075 on December 13, 2019, 03:14:05 PM
I had my hip replaced 8 weeks ago and I just want to be able to put my socks on....... :D
Since my wife must travel two days a week to help provide in home Alzheimers care for her 95 yr old Mother, I bought a frame you thread you socks on which greatly aids solo socks. Tying yer shoes is another thing though! Bending over very far is one of the bugs of a THR.
I attached a clothespin to a cedar stick to assist with picking stuff up.
I said THR is a piece of cake next to my full tear rotator cuff and a guy on a motorcycle forum got all ruffled as his was a painful recovery, etc.. Sure not my experience! Both mine were anterior approach which makes a huge difference in PT time.
Knee replacement is my next senior moment of medical repair in the scheme of aging.
My next knee apt is 1/13 and PA suggested the doc be there as maybe a knee replacements coming. We leave for FL and much outdoor activity such as bicycles and out on the rivers so I'm thinking a 4th cortisone shot then see what happens after a couple more months?
It "works" but gets painfull not long after standing in shop, etc..
What I read on knee replacements magic is doing great!
Whats the full story on crossing ones legs after a knee replacement? WebMD tells me it's not to be done, ever! My concern would be activities like carpentry/building work where one must not only climb around but sometimes get in unusual positions?
What have you been told on leg positioning after PT's over?
Nothing along those lines regarding my future activities.
I am still working to improve the extension which is still below 1° but I have not reached 0° yet. My unaided flexion is 130° and 140° with me applying pressure, so I only need to maintain what I have with flexion. My "test" score was 68 when I began PT and has now improved to 84. I have 8 more PT sessions scheduled before I am discharged and I have a Surgeon followup appointment on the 10th.
My homework PT plus the reduced swelling seems to be gradually but steadily paying off. My forced flexion improved from 140° to 143° and the unaided flexion improved from 130° to 134°. I am still slightly above 0° with my extension but there was an improvement there too. Of course it has been years since that leg/knee was at 0° so I am stretching stuff that is not related to the surgery. I am confident that I will have a straight but bendable leg when da fat lady sings.
@kantuckid (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=7283)
I don't know about knee replacement restrictions, but I was also told not to ever cross my legs again, but the reality of it is that I do it as needed and the joints aren't going to just pop out, they are very stable. I know when I'm doing something wrong, I'll start to feel some pain and stress, but as MM is seeing, he is actually getting an increased range of motion, possibly ending with more so than presurgery.
One of my KS cousins had both knees done, same time, as did a son's MIL.She is ~ 75, and not a real active person but is mobile now, but in a limpy way. She has R. arthritis so hampered in many ways joint wise. He had such a bad back combined with putting off the knees, he literally had to learn how to walk again, meaning in an upright, erect human manner. He was a lifetime FT farmer and much hard work to get to where he was.
Talking joint movements, I sometimes feel my hip joint catch when sitting a certain way such as on a tractor seat then moving to use the brake while turned backwards to see behind. I find that if I stand erect it gets that kink out.
My hip doc told me I was cleared to do anything I had previously done without restrictions, other than common sense, which I may be short on sometimes when it comes to lifting. Aging is a great teacher to not overdo stuff given the muscle mass loss. I am long past (lets say 50 years back) being one of the strongest, fastest guys in town.
My local, general practitioner doc is a lady, ~ 45+ years old, who, coincidentally, had her hip replaced by the same Lexington, KY doc as mine. I asked if she ever gets that same kink riding horses as she does and she said yes but it's minor as I described.
MM is my role model for knees. ;D
Keep it up old boy, cause I want reassurance I wont be slowed down too long!
Yellowhammer, my AL DIL is from near you. Her moms a nursing home PT up there and dads got a landscaping business-not the grass mowing version. I forget the small towns name but it's near you.
We stopped before Christmas near Talledega & Munford, AL to buy pecans from a CL ad lady. I gotta say that if it wasn't a " meth house", I'll eat my hat. She seemed OK, well sort of, but the place was creepy and I happen to be one who's been around the block with criminals, done them for a living a long time.
I sure would like to find a regular pecan seller for the future!
I had no intention of updating this topic today but..... there are two significant (to me at least) improvements.
For the past many years, with stairs, hills, etc., I led with the right leg which did the actual climbing, and descended with the left leg which again shifted my weight (work) to the right leg. In so doing, my right thigh muscles were much larger than the left.
1) Yesterday I ascended and descended stairs without any regard as to which leg/foot led or lagged. I did this without any thought as to which leg was doing the work. No pain, weakness, nor hesitation. smiley_thumbsup
2) This morning my extension exceeded the 0° mark and I am now into the + range. smiley_thumbsup
I am 6½ weeks past my surgery, have met my flexion and extension goals, and am very pleased. ;D
Good for you MM, well done.
I applaud you for all of the obvious determination and the work you approached and followed your TKR with.
I read along without commenting regarding you preoperative jitters and through your post operative worries and frets about pain and stiffness and lack of range of motion, mainly because I have suffered many of the same frustrations and lack of hitting successful goals along the way with my own TKR, and didn't wish to discourage you in any way or form.
I only wish I could have ended up with the same type of success you have managed through all of it - but in the end, even after 18 weeks of PT, I never achieved anywhere near the range of motion nor the amount of pain free operation you apparently now already enjoy..
It took me almost 3 days before I even got any feeling back in my toes after surgery and that alone had the doctor(s) looking puzzled as they poked me often while standing at the foot of my bed waiting for me to flinch.
I did end up after 6 days leaving the hospital for home, but the only way the pain ever subsided in the least despite meds, was when I was standing - as sitting or lying was near impossible for most of the first month or so.
I mostly after 2 weeks of being home, spent most of my waking hours with a wheeled walker (thankfully it was Fall and not Winter when I had this done) out walking around the streets trying to wear off the pain, which never seemed to stop. My painful nights turned often into painful days - where I would replace sleeping with being upright and often walking with my walker well into the night or off very very early in the morning as soon as I could manage to get upright and out of bed.
My therapist had me frustrated when I tried my best by even going in the hospital often early for appointments, so I could stretch or cycle as best as I could for 45 minutes to an hour early, trying to limber up sufficiently so I could impress her with my new goals in my range of motion when she got a hold of me - but for the most part the best I ever achieved was barely over 100 degrees bending and after 8 years now of pain, swelling of my knee and lower leg, and painful - often days of not being able to walk any measurable distance - I seemed to have settled at what appears to be approximately 90 degrees of bending angle to live with.
Stairs - HA.. I look immediately for a hand rail and hop or shuffle up or down - freestyle - not a chance. Lost a great amount of my balance and to this day need to lean up against something for support to put on pants and/or socks..
After my one and only visitation with the surgeon who did the job - I have had no luck trying to get answers from him about what my options are except (a) getting put to sleep and getting the knee physically bent to some degree mechanically which apparently can result in bone breakage while trying to free up whatever binds it (nothing shows on dozens of X-rays) past a point and restart PT all over again or (b) having another TKR done (which I'm honestly now told has about a 50% rate of success on second tries)..
I'm not happy with it to say the least - I can't trust my knee to be steady under me on stairs or be pain-free in most circumstances, nor can I feel good about what confuses dozens of doctors by now when it comes tp why it will swell up every so often and basically make it unusable for a week or so before it all returns to my somewhat 'normal'..
But it is what it is.. I guess.
So I can't begin to imagine how good it must feel to be in your position - and honestly wish you the best for all of your hard work and success with this.
Not to be a 'downer' but despite hard efforts and a lot of time some of these just don't work out as planned - as I've been told often by now.
Just be very thankful yours did and enjoy every minute you get pain free and mobile.
I am now in need of a new hip (opposite side) and I truthfully am scared to death about getting it done as you might expect from my past history of ortho-tinkering.
One doctor told me he would only do replacements for people if they came crawling into his office begging him to fix their hips and knees because he figures the expectations these days are just too high in many cases and many actually believe they will have to give up nothing when having replacements done.. which obviously is wrong, as you can never feel 18 again nor can you do at 70+ years what you could do 'back when' but that doesn't register with many until reality faces them squarely.
I truly enjoyed your saga - keep on truck'in..
Randy
Realzed
I know you've settled into your marginally acceptable total knee result, as it's now 8 years old. I'm sorry it has not turned out as everybody would wish.
But I must encourage you to get a second opinion from someone who only does total joint replacements and who received a fellowship year of extra training in that subspecialty.
If you can live with what you have, then do so. Some patients are prone to excessive scarring and struggle for adequate motion. Some patients have pain, swelling, and stiffness for no apparent reason. One of my partners who does just total joints tells his patients that 85-90% do well, but a small group do not. If you are unhappy with your result, listening to an expert about your options cannot hurt you one bit.
Oh Randy, your reply brought tears to my eyes. First, for the pain, suffering, and anguish that you have suffered and then second, gratitude and thankfulness for the success that I have realized. I have a good friend that was not able to reach past ~90° flexion so he had to have MUA (https://www.orthomedctr.com/manipulation-under-anesthesia.php) which is a procedure that you alluded to. After reading your reply maybe I more fully realize how fortunate I was by having an "event free" TKR. I walked over 300' the afternoon of the surgery, was discharged the next day, and have never experienced any pain in the knee. Yes, I took the prescribed pain med, but I always took the minimum dosage, not the maximum. The second week I was breaking the pills in half and only taking them on PT days.
My purpose and hope for posting this knee replacement was that it would help someone that was facing a similar situation. There were times when I needed someone to lean on, and each time I got the needed encouragement for which I am grateful. doctorb and doc henderson provided the "expert" advice that helped me to understand and give me some answers to questions that I had.
I wish that after the knee heals I would be ready to saw, but sadly I have a shoulder situation that has to be addressed. It looks like Marty is gonna have to put his "sawing britches" on.
Realzed,
For what it's worth, I'd strongly recommend seeing a specialist from a different medical group, in the nearest big city for a second opinion. I personally know a lady who had a very painful and disappointing TKR and who struggled with it for years. She never saw another surgeon, said they were all the same, and was told she would have to live with it. Only after her surgeon died of a sudden illness did she see another surgeon, one who was a specialist in knee revisions. He said he could help, and after surgery, she is virtually pain free.
BTW, my own mother has had two TKRs done, one in each knee, with different surgeons. Very different results. The first one was not entirely successful, required weeks of rehab, and also required a MUR, which was not a pleasant experience. A year or so ago, with hesitation, she had the second knee done by a "superstar" specialist, and it was an amazing recovery. Two different surgeons, two much different results.
Anyway, I'm sorry to hear of your pain, I wish you all the best.
I suspect that limbs are also a bit like logs.
You can be the world's best sawyer, with a perfectly running mill, and then you open a log and things aren't exactly as you expected. The world's best sawyer (or surgeon) will have the experience to recognise the problems, and make the best they can from the situation. But it won't always come out 100%.
With a sawmill we find tension / shake / rot / embedded metal etc. I'm sure surgeons come across comparable complications.
Quote from: Ianab on January 04, 2020, 02:32:47 AM
I suspect that limbs are also a bit like logs.
With a sawmill we find tension / shake / rot / embedded metal etc. I'm sure surgeons come across comparable complications.
I think my Doc found all of the above when he just tried ta repair my shoulder. ::)
Randy, that was a saddening tale. You explained it well enough but I'm in that camp of keep trying and hope you don't preclude talking with another provider.
I've seen dramatic differences in simple procedures such as my own trigger finger injections, as done by different providers.
Others here who've had joints repaired/replaced and re-gained our lifestyle need to provide encouragement from our own experiences.
I have a neighbor/friend who needs a knee but will not talk about any surgical procedure, period.
I have a BIL who needed both knees, opted for one, then told the world he'd never do the other one cause it hurt too much during PT, etc. It's his body.
One of our sons had a sports injury, then a botched elbow surgery and got his fix from another doc who showed us the issue that was done wrong as a means of avoiding pointing fingers at another ortho doc.
I hope you find a path to a better result.
As a non-medical person, but former athlete and coach, I still am well aware of the profound differences in all of us and know that must greatly affect any results we can hope for.
I certainly do appreciate the feedback to my own tale - but make no mistake I meant it all in the hope that some who may yet intend to undergo or have to, such procedures as TKR's - as some words of warning strictly with the intent of letting them know that not all of these procedures work out perfectly every time and not all instances will pan out as well as Magic Man's.
Additionally, I wasn't in any form, trolling for sympathy - it was just a realistic tale of the polar opposites that can and sometimes do unfortunately occur, despite even with I'm sure even the best of doctor's efforts sometimes.
I have the good fortune of now being riddled with somewhat severe Osteoarthritis (palindromic in nature) and it's really slowly starting to disable me over the past 3 years or so. Many of my own symptoms as I described earlier, may be somewhat rooted in that bigger issue - but so far visits to experts as far away as 5 hours driving from home have produced no solid or valid answers or even good guesses to this point as the number of causes or results from this seem as varied as the numbers of 'experts' one can seemingly find..
I have had 2 shoulder surgeries additionally prior to the TKR that worked out well for me - so maybe the luck of the draw and/or odds just finally caught up and worked against me with this knee deal..
But again I wasn't looking for sympathy and truly meant and intended the congratulations to MM for his diligence and hard work because as I stated - felt I really could relate to all of it.
Its just so hard to take when it doesn't pan out and you can feel a fair amount of your independence starting to slip somewhat as one realizes vulnerability and 'feeling their real age' rather than always acting somewhat more like 40 years younger and far too often sometimes foolish!
The big question for me at this point isn't whether to try and do something about my (or as I often refer to it as 'the' knee - as it tend to feel as if it is foreign matter in my body that belongs elsewhere) joint - but more how do I deal with the upcoming and impending hip and possibly other issues I know will have to be dealt with eventually.
Its pretty hard to come to grips with taking on another one of these deals - when you seemingly can't get past what still lies right in front (or in this case under) you - in this case.
I loved to take walks, and fire up my basically new 261CM and work on cutting up wood, and I guess somewhat foolishly thought I needed something to distract me and possibly help exercise myself free of pain and aggravation when I ordered a semi loaded with hard maple going on a couple of years ago - and some of it still lies partially untouched due to my inability to tackle it in the regular and productive manner I optimistically thought it would push me to - and that I think has proven to me just how 'mind over matter' just doesn't work the way the phrase or I intended.
I really do appreciate the kind words of encouragement - if it was easy to access even more expert help than I have already seen from here to try to get a better handle on this over the past 8 or so years I would have done it, but at this point I almost consider that I should turn the page and try to address what I have coming, instead of dwelling on what it appears I can't and must live with going forward, if that makes any sense.
I had a neighbor who also underwent a TKR and watched me struggle often times in doing some outside chores (and I'm sure noted me with my 'walker' days and nights) only to occasionally pop over and do some deep knee bends displaying just how well she had made out (which you may imagine - I really didn't need to witness) but even for her I felt mostly happy that it brought her some relief, despite the urge often to throttle her at the those very times.. :D.
It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway.
You are a GOOD person, @realzed (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=38403)
I'd like to meet you.
Yellowhammer
Ha - I'd like to meet all of you characters as well - great bunch of guys and we all think somewhat different as I can tell which is good - but mostly all somewhat alike at the same time.. which is even better!
I have or had - relatives on my mother's side of the family in Atmore Alabama that I had contact with at a point years back - but I'm sure they have passed on years ago now..
Thanks for your very kind words!
Randy
Hey Randy, "Like they say", there's always someone worse off than myself.
A childhood friend of mine died shortly before our 50th HS reunion in 2011. He was Fred K., a never married guy, who'd been a superb athlete in HS but focused on following his Dad into becoming a pharmacist. He lost his Mom before I even knew her and worked in his Dad's pharmacy often so not much time to be social back then aside from athletics. He was a center on a VG HS football team and a 6' 5" forward on a VG HS basketball team. He owned and operated his pharmacy in Carbondale, CO (coal mining town) for his whole career, then retired to work as a fly fishing guide out there. He went into the Steamboat Springs, CO, hospital for a routine knee scoping, cleanup operation and never left there, dying from a hospital infection.
In a somewhat related story line, occupation wise, our left tackle on the same team was also a small town pharmacist in Alma, KS and died back when AIDS was an unknown story.
Today was a kinda big day for me. I figured what the Dr. would say, but I wanted to hear it.
Discharged with no restriction/limitation nor further prescribed PT. I will continue to do my PT homework to maintain/increase the knee joint flexion and extension, but it is exercises that everyone should be doing anyway.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6971.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1578686371)
The frontal X Ray showing the replacement hardware. Also note the good bone separation on my right knee (on left). Dr. said that the right knee should never have to be replaced.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6972.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1578686649)
The side view showing the hardware and also showing the patella (knee cap) that got a composite "veneer" where it contacts the hardware.
So now what? Weather permitting, I am ready to start contacting sawing customers. I am thinking maybe one job per week until I feel comfortable. Dr. said that too much activity could/would cause some swelling so I'll take it easy and continue to use my ice pack.
Sounds great! Way to go! 8)
Quote from: Magicman on January 10, 2020, 03:18:06 PMDr. said that too much activity could/would cause some swelling so I'll take it easy and continue to use my ice pack.
But, how much activity do you see sitting in your ride-along chair? ;)
Congratulations, with some tenacity and determination, you got your reward!
Also, thank you for using excellent judgement on posting X-ray images, rather than the anatomical parade of pictures that you've been throwing up in the past.
Like the gals say, leave some room for the imagination. smiley_gorgeous smiley_gorgeous smiley_gorgeous
Those pictures are detailed enough to see the Gorilla Glue!
Quote from: Andries on January 10, 2020, 05:53:59 PMposting X-ray images, rather than the anatomical parade of pictures that you've been throwing up in the past.
Actually there was a third X Ray that I withheld from tender eyes. There are some things that inquiring minds really do not need to know. :o :D
Good eye on the glue Jeff. smiley_thumbsup
The forecast is for rain all of next week so no scheduled sawing. :-\
that knee may come in handy. predicting the weather in the south, like a cold front coming through with the temp dropping to 60° :D :D :D
You will be sawing up a storm 8)
A+ A+ A+ great job getting back to going 8).
Well if it's gonna be a weather predictor it had better get busy because we have a "red line" bearing down on us this morning.
About that "other" X Ray; it was of the knee pre-surgery. Regrettably I failed to get a copy of it showing how crooked that knee was. It was a pitiful sight and looked as bad as the new one looks good.
If only Doc Adams had had the technology available now he could have fixed Chester Good's bum knee for him in between the times he was out delivering babies on the prairie and digging bullets out of Marshal Dillon...
Actually I referred to myself as "walking like Chester" many times. I wasn't stiff legged, but I had a limp in my git-a-long. :-X
I have what I suppose to be my 6 month and final visit with the surgeon in May.
I thought it was supposed to be "a hitch in my git-along." :D I always wondered what a hitch was now I know.
Oh there is a difference between a limp and a hitch. Limps don't hurt. ;D
Technically, that is an excellent TKR. The surgeon maintained the 5-7 degrees of normal valgus (we are normally a little knock-kneed) and the position on the lateral view is perfect. Well done by everyone! You can do whatever you want to do and feel you can do at this point. I would avoid contact sports and activities that require a lot of cutting back and forth (and I'm not talking about logs! ;D) . Looks like an excellent result!
Thank You doctorb and also for your continued comments as I was involved with my post-op PT. Yes, I did notice that I am now a bit knock-kneed but I have no idea whether I was or was not pre-op. Both of my feet are also now pointed toward which way I am going.
As knees get arthritic, the majority lose their normal knock knee alignment. The inside of the joint is most often the worst area of arthritic disease, and some loss of articular cartilage leads to varus,or bow legged-ness. The TKR restored normal alignment.
I am a user/abuser not a Doctor, so now the shoulder situation will have to be addressed. Ain't gonna fix itself so I will see Dr. Sawbones on January 23rd.
Some of you may recall that the shoulder was giving me fits before the TKR surgery, but the knee took priority because the shoulder was necessary during my knee rehab and PT.
I'll just have to muddle through with my sawing obligations as I can. :-\
You keep up with all these parts replacements Magicman and you'll be the next bionic man. You won't even need a sawmill to saw up the logs. :D
I got no time for slackers. If this body is going my way, it's gotta keep it's end of the bargain. boxingsmiley
Mr. MM glad your knee replacement is doing well. I know about the shoulder had the left one replace 4 years ago now going Thursday to have the right one replaced. Just as you have done with your knee PT is the key to good movment. I have very little restriction with my left one just hope the right one does as well.
Glad u are good To go MM
No total knee replacement here, but bi lateral makoplasty in 2013
Best result I have had and I have had a lot of ortho surgeries, total hip and revision and both rotator cuffs as well as an ACL replacement
I seem to be the orthopedic surgeons benefactor.
Now if only I could reverse the ageing process.
Knee talk, Sounds good MM, your a great e.g. for us all.
So, yesterday I'm sitting in the knee docs office waiting for my 4th cortisone injection and lady next to me asks if I've had mine replace and I reply no, I'm on the "someday soon list" and getting a cortisone shot. She asks if they help and I tell her the first two were like a miracle cure, the 3rd time left me ready for another by two months out of the 3 month window. She says shes a tennis player and all he friends at her club tell her to get a new knee which she's already been told she needs yet never had even a shot! I encourage her to try the shot if her doc says so and tell her if they tell me I'm ready I'll ask for the first date available, early in the a.m. while my doc is fresh! . I also tell her about my neighbor who needs both knees but will not even consider the procedure.
Then this little gal about the same age of 65-70 as the 1st gal, asks me if I think I need one. I say maybe but not my call and ask her if shes' getting one. She tells me she's in for her 2 months check on her new knee. She walks well in the waiting room but obviously has a friend/probable driver with her and I ask if she has driven yet, to which she answers that she's never driven a car nor owned one! This in a city of ~ 1/3 million people, so most people drive there. I told her about my KS farm neighbor who never drove either and used a riding mower to "drive" to her main fishing hole on the river there.
My doc manipulated both my knees and the bad knee moves several inches sideways at the foot compared to the far tighter good knee. He says I'm closer but lets see how the shot performs this time since the 3rd bought me some active time. I tell him I'll be on a bicycle everyday in FL soon so may help it do better.
He mentions nothing about PT ever with my knee so my thinking is there's not a whole lot of tissue around either side of my knee to PT with. It stays swollen some and swells much more if I work all day. I can also feel the bone on bone contact at times but not a pain that I can't get by with.
Limping, My sciatica has come back on my right leg so honestly it hurts far more than the bad knee leg as it's nerve pain... such is life...
My afternoon was spent at the U of KY Dental College hearing about how I can further enrich the medical profession as I've lived long enough to need two crowns replaced as the tooth stubs underneath have decayed. I ask if I'll live long enough to care and my student dentist, a positive kid at that, says sure! I then ask if the void next to my one crown is still not a candidate for a mini-implant and he says it is. I tell him that only a few years back they'd told me their school protocol didn't allow mini-implants, but he says they do know. The cost there is less than half of street price and I prefer the school direct vs. the VA dentist visits done by the same group of students who provide service behind the building I'm in.
Three crowns, unknown number of implants depending on the tooth stubs when uncovered. I'm bionic from head to toe.
For you folks above with replaced joints: there are red flags waved r.e. getting your teeth cleaned or invasive dental work done. My dental school visits vary as to who the faculty person is on duty and they all have their own notion of whats best. Some want to send me home to take antibiotics first while others say if my dental health is OK it's not needed. I told my ortho doc and he provided me with a letter stating that his practice goes by the professional standards in place and unless my dental health is suspect there's not any need for antibiotics.
Another advantage to using a dental college for my work is that I have a pre-cancerous tissue are that's on a self watch and an annual visit to the top floor of the dental college where Maxillofacial surgery dept is located-I go there to get a look see and a photo of one area of my gum done by MD residents up there. I also get consults in orthodontics on another floor at times. State of the art dentistry always! I often see people leaving with part of their face missing in case your a tobacco chewer, a word to the wise , as they say...
Just got back from the new Doc. Nice guy I might add.
What I had hoped for was orthoscope on my left knee has turned out into I'll be getting a new one. Meniscus and cartilage is destroyed and due to past operations on it I'll be getting a new one.
Right shoulder MRI I had is too old so he ordered another. Rotater cuff is torn plus a few other issues. His hope is that that it is not atrophied past the point of no return. I may have waited too long. We'll see.
Gave me a shot in the shoulder and sent me on my way.
I just got a list of charges from my insurance company; $108,430. Said that it was not a bill. ::)
I need to get this shoulder done before they come and repossess the knee. :o
Quote from: Magicman on January 14, 2020, 04:28:36 PM
I just got a list of charges from my insurance company; $108,430. Said that it was not a bill. ::)
I need to get this shoulder done before they come and repossess the knee. :o
Ridiculous.
But then my feelings about healthcare costs will get me in the woodshed or under it.
Quote from: Magicman on January 14, 2020, 04:28:36 PMI just got a list of charges from my insurance company; $108,430. Said that it was not a bill. I need to get this shoulder done before they come and repossess the knee.
You would think they make those knee sockets out of gold. I hate to think how much the shoulder surgery will cost.
However, I when I went in for stitches on my finger, they charged almost $1,500. The doctor admitted I was paying for 5 people who didn't pay.
When my dad had heart surgery in his 80's he kept the doctors and collectors at bay by paying them $10 a month until he died.
My wife has found the same works for her and often times they will settle for pennies on the dollar instead of taking the $10 bucks a month payment for years.
Talking with my doctor when getting my bp checked she suggested I talk to a sleep doctor. went today for the appointment. The dr completely ignored any causes like restless legs and other possible reasons. He insisted on a sleep test at the hospital and then fitted for a mask. It was like dealing with a used car salesman on commission for selling the sleep test and mask. I will refuse the appointment if one is made. This hospital just paid a 10 million fine for doctors to refer people to them. My regular dr is great.
I wish you guys would stop bragging about your new body parts.... when I went looking for a New Liver and Kidney, I found they don't make them in my size, so I had to go look on the used market...
Oh, and costs... simultaneous liver and kidney about $1,600.000. Throw in some dialysis, paracentesis, and drugs and the total exceeded $2,200,000.00. Now I detest payiong the monthly premiums at around $1600/ mo, and the $6400 out of pocket, but it's the first time I think I've won on an insurance scheme...
Quote from: trapper on January 14, 2020, 11:32:19 PM
Talking with my doctor when getting my bp checked she suggested I talk to a sleep doctor. went today for the appointment. The dr completely ignored any causes like restless legs and other possible reasons. He insisted on a sleep test at the hospital and then fitted for a mask. It was like dealing with a used car salesman on commission for selling the sleep test and mask. I will refuse the appointment if one is made. This hospital just paid a 10 million fine for doctors to refer people to them. My regular dr is great.
Buy a CPAP machine off amazon or craigs list. They are pretty simple. Skip the Doctor. Sleep studies are another rip off. Just charged my friend $8k for one. He didn't have insurance.
Quote from: trapper on January 14, 2020, 11:32:19 PM
Talking with my doctor when getting my bp checked she suggested I talk to a sleep doctor. went today for the appointment. The dr completely ignored any causes like restless legs and other possible reasons. He insisted on a sleep test at the hospital and then fitted for a mask. It was like dealing with a used car salesman on commission for selling the sleep test and mask. I will refuse the appointment if one is made. This hospital just paid a 10 million fine for doctors to refer people to them. My regular dr is great.
There are recent findings, r.e. Sleep Apnea that say it has other factors aside from the two types previously always mentioned. I've had two sleep studies done and all the regular tests for breathing, oxygen you name it. I tried a mask twice and found it was made illogical for me based on seasonal and chronic allergies affecting my breathing and stopped mask use. I get far more relief by choosing a new allergy doc and regular use of a netty pot and various nasal sprays that free up my breathing. All said, I am NOT! a medical person, just from my point of view. Were it not for back pain and joint pain my sleep would be fairly normal so my wife says.
When I was being stabilized from my heart attack in 2005, an ER doc began lecturing me as to needing a sleep apnea test. This from a doc who knew basically zero about me except the here and now! My wife who was nearby told him to spare the lectures for a better time. It must be beat into some of them?
My cardiologist shared $6 million dollars with another heart doc for turning in some other heart docs who were doing unnecessary heart related surgeries, like by-passes, etc. BTW, he's still working at age 71. By personal observation I think he likes the vibes from the cute nurses around him...
We are on medicare with a free supplemental from KY teacher retirement and pay very little out of pocket for any joints, beyond smallish minimums. I also have my choice of docs and use one of the best in the country IMO. Honestly dental care cost me more than all the rest as it's never covered by insurance. Even when I worked Delta Dental costs more overall than going to local providers out of pocket as they had lower prices to begin with when Ins cost was added in.
Things like the $7-800 shoulder sling you'll get for a shoulder surgery, your paying for development costs, so they say. I ran into a guy who saw mine and said he threw his away the next day as he didn't like it. Well, I didn't like mine either but was hoping for my shoulder to stay together until it healed! I asked a women next to me in PT how she liked shoulder surgery and her sling, she replied "they are free" so whats not to like?
Preliminary tests and X Ray indicates a torn rotator cuff. Insurance approval and MRI is next.
My great uncle bill called them his rotator cups! he also had his Cadillac's fixed as well. :D
Quote from: Stuart Caruk on January 15, 2020, 02:23:44 AM
I wish you guys would stop bragging about your new body parts.... when I went looking for a New Liver and Kidney, I found they don't make them in my size, so I had to go look on the used market...
Oh, and costs... simultaneous liver and kidney about $1,600.000. Throw in some dialysis, paracentesis, and drugs and the total exceeded $2,200,000.00. Now I detest payiong the monthly premiums at around $1600/ mo, and the $6400 out of pocket, but it's the first time I think I've won on an insurance scheme...
Stuart,
If you are still looking for new or slightly used body parts I can refer you to some folks for a new brain - anybody who knew the previous owners can verify they were never used. :D
My shoulder MRI is scheduled for Thursday and then I meet with the shoulder Dr./Surgeon Monday to find out what is next.
In the mean time, I am trying to knock out a few sawing jobs. ::)
My shoulder MRI is tomorrow.
Tree Farmer how are you doing?
Quote from: Raider Bill on January 28, 2020, 07:54:17 AMMy shoulder MRI is tomorrow.
? Thought it was Thursday? Is this the reverse of "memory loss"? Thursday seems like tomorrow...
edit (My bad... I was remembering MM knee appointment.)
I'm lucky I got the right week sometimes so a day early is a win.
Apt. is the 29th at 12:30
I had my shoulder MRI done this afternoon. I now have an appointment with the Surgeon on the 3rd to find out what is wrong and what the next step is. ::)
Rotator Cuff, probably cut/torn by a bone spur. Surgery on the 21st and then ~3 month recovery/rehab. ::)
Quote from: Magicman on February 03, 2020, 07:34:44 PM
Rotator Cuff, probably cut/torn by a bone spur. Surgery on the 21st and then ~3 month recovery/rehab. ::)
Have 'em put in some of those bionic parts so you can lift logs with one arm. :D :D :D
I hope the down time won't cause you to go stir crazy.
you are such a good pt. it will prob. only take you "90 days" to get better/recover/get back to work! :D seriously you will prob. exceed their expectations.
Thanks doc, 90 days makes me feel so much better. ;)
Maybe this was the "event" that took place when the rotator cuff tore?? ???
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6629.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1566264166)
Not, but I do enjoy having fun while I am sawing. :) :D
I think she could take you! :D
Well actually because she was a lady I kinda let her win.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_6627.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1566263948)
But with her husband, well he didn't go down without a fight. He said that he couldn't loose, even when joking. He is a "cage fighter" when not carpentering.
"Maybe this was the "event" that took place when the rotator cuff tore?? "
Lynn, between milling for months in a sandbox, then taking on fighting playing with cage fighters, you may be onto something.
Wishing you great success with your shoulder operation Mr Magic!
I from a personal standpoint would seriously try and avoid any conflict with that fella. ;)
I've never met, "that I remember", anyone who would list cage fighter on their resume.
Good luck on your surgery we'll be watching. I need to get my wife to do something about her shoulder I think she's got a bone spur wearing on things but won't go get it checked. O h yeah maybe cut back a little on the arm wrestling. :D
Quote from: Magicman on February 03, 2020, 07:34:44 PM
Rotator Cuff, probably cut/torn by a bone spur. Surgery on the 21st and then ~3 month recovery/rehab. ::)
Well that puts the middle of April about mid-way of your recovery, so a trip to Georgia could be considered part of your PT. :D
4 weeks post op, with pt the shoulder is improving. Hard not to over use it. Only allowed 1 lb (can of beans) to exercise with. Trying my best to let it heal. At 6 wweks I get to loose the sling. Thankfully we had had no major snow yet, hard to shovel with one arm.
Still cannot drive truck, straight drive, so its getting a rest.
Looking forward to spring.
Thanks for the update and honesty, but it doesn't make me feel any better. My primary vehicle is straight shift, and doing nothing doesn't fit my lifestyle at all. :-\
I am a week and a half away from surgery and if this stinking rain will let up I need to saw two more customers before then. One is a several times repeat customer who is taking chemo and needs his sawing done between treatments.
Quote from: Magicman on February 04, 2020, 09:22:34 AM
Well actually because she was a lady I kinda let her win.
Yeah right! Of course with a husband that looks like that it was a wise decision.
Good luck and mend quickly Lynn,
D
Thank you, right now I am in a holding pattern and doing nothing but watching it rain. The nurse will call me Thursday AM and tell me what time to arrive Friday AM for the surgery. I am beyond ready.
Mr Lynn I am in week 4 from total reversal replacement on my right shoulder and almost no pain now just when over do it on the PT have 90% range. I have had the left one done 4 years ago and it is great and thinking the right one will be the same, but with 4 years more age just a little bit slower in recovery. Good luck on your surgery.
Best of luck with the surgery and recovery Lynn
I'm hoping to put off the reverse replacement, hopefully forever :D. Mom had hers done and it worked fine, till she fell. It shattered the arm bone very badly where the titanium is stuck into it. It took months of them being afraid to try anything before a doc at Duke went in and pinned and wired everything back together, the x-ray looks like Frankenstein. Anyway just saying if you fall, take the faceplant! She is back to playing piano, which we never expected again.
Yes sir that is my biggest fear of falling but pain free kinda overrides the fear :)
You and I went through your expected rehab of your knee, so it's time to discuss your shoulder. I would opine that you agonized more mentally than physically getting over your total knee. I know it's tough watching the progress, but the improvement is continually there, and it's rewarding. You did great.
But a shoulder ain't a knee, and the two are as different as night and day in recovery. After repair or reconstruction of a rotator cuff, dependent upon the damage and what the surgeon had to do to repair it, your shoulder is often held pretty still for a period of time. Gentle motion naturally occurs in the post op sling, and, dependent upon your individual tear and repair, motion can be started pretty early.
But Large tears or those that are pulled off the bone must heal (reattach) to the humeral head before you start doing a lot with your shoulder. So stiffness can be a REAL issue, once you are given the green light to push ahead. That stiffness is painful. No other word for it. Recovery from a rotator cuff surgery can be much tougher than a total knee.
So I'm not trying to be Dr. Downer here, but I wanted you to have a realistic outlook for your recovery. Remember, all of this lies on a spectrum, and it really matters what damage is in your shoulder and how much the surgeon has to do to repair it. Best of luck.
I pray everything goes well for you Lynn.
Thanks doctorb. The surgeon said that he would shave the bone spur and bursitis off and that the rotator cuff damage was "small".
True to form, I will obey the advice given regarding the healing, recovery, and later PT. Whatever it takes is exactly what I will do.
As a followup on the knee, it is changing as the swelling gradually goes down. I rarely ever even think about it while I am walking but I was on it a good bit Monday and I could feel it Tuesday. No pain, but there was some flexion tightness. Aleve seems to help.
I gave Lynn a sermon on shoulder recovery awhile back as I have a lot of experience in that. :)
i remember the sermon on the mount, do not recall one on the rotator cuff, or as my my late great uncle Bill called them rotator cups.
Good luck and prayers Mr. Lynn.
This is one of those times when its good to be small ;D
Good luck! Oh, and pay attention to where your fingers are while that nerve block is on.
Thanks everyone. I have to be there at 8:00 in the morning and I'm ready.
Raider Bill was scheduled for his surgery on the 13th and I haven't read anything from him. Also I would love to hear an update from tree-farmer who is taking PT. I keep checking the "Rotator cuff" topic.
Mr. Lynn,
Good luck to you. With your work ethic and tenaciousness, I expect that you will recover well and completely. I look forward to finally meeting you at Jake's in April. Thank you for your contributions of wisdom and experience to this forum. I hope that your recovery is swift and allows you to get back in the saddle (seat) soon. Your SMV emblem on the Kubota is upside down but the top looks good. I do not anxiously await pictures of your feet but please let us know about your shoulder's convalescence.
Good Luck Lynn, I expect you will deal with this is the same manner as the knee! You've got this!
Quote from: caveman on February 20, 2020, 09:35:22 PMYour SMV emblem on the Kubota is upside down but the top looks good.
I was wondering when/if someone would notice or comment about the SMV sign. There was no convenient place to properly put it on the back so I just flipped it and went to the ROPS. Up high it is easier to see which is it's purpose anyway. Anyway if the SMV sign police don't catch me it will probably stay flipped.
Thanks to all for the well wishes and kind words. A couple of items still must fall into place before I can commit on Jake's in April.
It"s almost time Good luck to ya.
God speed!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7115.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1582326868)
We got home a little past noon after having the rotator cuff repaired, the detached bicep reattached, and the bone spur and bursitis shaved off. The pain block has not worn off yet, but I have already taken a pain pill as instructed to stay ahead of the pain.
Here is a video of me waking up and being visited by Donna (daughter) and Marty (son).
https://youtu.be/hnV5vHH5bwg (https://youtu.be/hnV5vHH5bwg)
How in the heck are you going to be able to flip boards looking like that ? Get better , best wishes. Healing is slower at our age.... ;D
You will probably start a new style with that t shirt. Get well ole buddy, people down there needs logs sawed. Tim
I put it on one leg at the time. ::)
Looking good MM. I had total shoulder replacement last Thurs. Enjoy that nerve block as long as you can and stay up on pain pills. It's a lot easier to stay ahead rather than catch up. You know that by now. Amazing how you take things for granted till that function is not there. I never was any good blowing my nose with one hand. All the best.
Very glad to see you are upright and taking nourishment young man. You are looking pretty good considering the shape you are in. ;D We might start calling you the left handed sawyer.
Be well, get rest and heal up well. There are a lot of folks that want to see you kicking up dust again.
Quote from: MikeZ on February 21, 2020, 09:35:58 PMAmazing how you take things for granted till that function is not there.
I've wizzed but I ain't wiped yet!! :o
Quote from: Magicman on February 20, 2020, 08:23:16 PMRaider Bill was scheduled for his surgery on the 13th and I haven't read anything from him. Also I would love to hear an update from tree-farmer who is taking PT.
I offer my deepest and most sincere apology and sympathy to Raider Bill and tree-farmer.
My Dad had a favorite quote; "It's good to know, but it's better to understand".
No sleep last night, and right now I would gladly trade this shoulder for three knee surgeries!! :o :-\ :-X
Wishing you the best and speedy recovery. Randy
Wishing you a speedy recovery Sir
Not been on since last weekend so a bit slow on the well wishes. I hope the pain eases soon and the drugs are good!
x2 from here Lynn
Quote from: Magicman on February 21, 2020, 10:27:54 PM
Quote from: MikeZ on February 21, 2020, 09:35:58 PMAmazing how you take things for granted till that function is not there.
I've wizzed but I ain't wiped yet!! :o
I surely can relate... amazing just how hard some of the simplest things can suddenly turn out to be when the other not normally used appendages have to get called into action.. Actually even getting 'positioned' properly can be quite challenging in and of itself.. ask me how I know ;D :o..
Given enough time and practice - you may be able to refer to yourself as ambidextrous - but possibly just not able to share your stories in mixed company!
Get well and heal fast..
Randy
TMI. Banjo
Wishing you well, Lynn!
I'm kinda thinking I'll be doing the shoulder thing in the not to distant future!
Don't quite understand though, I'm right handed and the shoulder that's always given me troubles is the left!
I had a deep "image guided" injection done for the Bursitis on Jan 8th, so it's better for now!
When I saw the pictures the first thing that came to my mind was the old adage about a one armed man in a paper hanging contest. (Sorry - but true). When I watched the video I concluded you were still full of happy juice. I had my gall bladder and a cyst taken off my kidney in Dubai and called home and the family concluded I was still whacky at the time. I hope it all heals up soon and you make a 120% recovery.,
My wife was attacked by our "pet" bottle raised billy goat many years ago and he dislocated her shoulder to the point she finally had to have screws put in. She survived better than the goat ultimately did. Get well soon. I hope you drive an automatic.
Had a Ram do that to me once, next time he got a pail of water in the face, solved that problem. :D
Happy recovery MM.
I suspect today would be a tough day.
Actually I am having a good day but I hadta catch up on my sleep this afternoon. I believe that the pain med was keeping me awake. I have no pain so I haven't taken anything other than Aleve since 10:00 last night. Removed the bandage and put Band-aids on 4 places. Gonna be boring for the next week cause the sling hasta stay and I can't do anything.
Quote from: Chuck White on February 22, 2020, 03:31:39 PM
Wishing you well, Lynn!
I'm kinda thinking I'll be doing the shoulder thing in the not to distant future!
Don't quite understand though, I'm right handed and the shoulder that's always given me troubles is the left!
I had a deep "image guided" injection done for the Bursitis on Jan 8th, so it's better for now!
Notice which arm is holdin da beam up while you're pecking away at it :).
Grab Z's whenever you can MM, there will be a few of "those" nights.
Quote from: Magicman on February 23, 2020, 05:01:36 PM
Actually I am having a good day but I hadta catch up on my sleep this afternoon. I believe that the pain med was keeping me awake. I have no pain so I haven't taken anything other than Aleve since 10:00 last night. Removed the bandage and put Band-aids on 4 places. Gonna be boring for the next week cause the sling hasta stay and I can't do anything.
MM, the pain med is for boredom, not actually for pain. :D :D
All I know is, that in those first few days you don't want to find yourself on the wrong side of the pain meds. You may feel fine. Wait until you flinch, or bump your arm. Stay on the pain meds unless the side effects are worse than pain.
Yessiree Jeff. I am amazed at the finesse it takes to move with out shoulder wanting to SCREAM :o. Today I am 10 days out after replacement, no pills today other than couple Ibuprofen but still experience pulling and burning when I forget arm STAYS IN THE SLING. Gotta suck it up buttercup! :)
Wishing you a speedy recovery Lynn. Just don't get hook on those TV soap operas! :D
glad everything went well for you I can understand about the left not knowing what the right does ;D hardest thing I had to learn was trying to shave and brush my teeth after 6 weeks the right can now shave and brush but no wiping. whishing you a speed recovery
That's a mighty fine sling. Mine is not much better than a triangle bandage.
Started all the bikes up yesterday except the kick starts. Just couldn't seem to get the right drip.
MM, I hope you are a lefty. Learning to do things with the opposite hand is challenging. I am a lefty and broke my wrist slipping in the shower about 15 years ago. I had to learn to do everything with my right hand. Either way, heal quick and smile at life.
Hmm, well the pre-op PT you did for you knee sure helped out. Maybe the doc should have recommended pre-op PT for your left arm to practice wiping! :D
Magic, just have your family or your friendly plumber install this device and it will solve your "wiping" issue.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/50090/heated_bidet_28229.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1582565313)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkygRaqJLek (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkygRaqJLek)
That looks like it would be a good replacement for the seat on the sawmill too. :D :D
Quite the contraption there. A lot easier than installing a separate bidet. No need to hook up to the hot water line either. A blast of good cold water could be quite stimulating. So I hear. :o
My GF bought one of those for me. I laughed told her I don't need it as I've been practicing.
It went back to Amazon.
Take the opiods enough and all you'd need was a brick masons trowel.
Or as the constipated mathematician did work it out with a pencil
Those opiods can really stop u up.
I probably went through a 50 pound bag of metimucil and 2 bottles of Magnesium citrate pills.
I suppose that my limiting/stopping the pain meds has paid off because the "train has left the station". ;D
amen brother! yes I heard the math guy used a slide ruler to work it out, now it is prob. a smart phone... better get the warranty! :D 8)
Hey! This is a loggin forum. We use logrite hookaroons here!
Luckily I understand MM has one of those!
yup! save the peavey and cant hooks for the really big problems!!! 8) :D :)
MM has a whack of them.
Quote from: Magicman on February 23, 2020, 05:01:36 PMGonna be boring for the next week cause the sling hasta stay and I can't do anything.
Wow! They wouldn't let me ditch da sling till after 6 weeks. And
no movement of the arm other than to "dangle " for 5 minutes twice a day during that initial 6 weeks.
Until I go to the Doctor Monday, I have no idea how long my sling will have to stay. I do know that this is the most restraining thing that I have ever had to do. Doing nothing is tougher than I had imagined. :-X
Quote from: Magicman on February 26, 2020, 08:36:36 AM
Until I go to the Doctor Monday, I have no idea how long my sling will have to stay. I do know that this is the most restraining thing that I have ever had to do. Doing nothing is tougher than I had imagined. :-X
Time to design a new shed or barn or house extension MM. That will help pass the time. :)
Quote from: Magicman on February 26, 2020, 08:36:36 AM
Doing nothing is tougher than I had imagined. :-X
The problem with doing nothing is you do not know when you are done!
Hope you get well soon.
GAB
You picked a good time to have that done Lynn. All this rain has all but shut me down. I haven't even unhooked my truck from the trailer since I delivered the last load. I have at least 4 loads of logs to go pickup ,but it's so wet I don't think I can turn around in the mans lay down yard without making a big mess. I got wood down in my own woods I need to bring to the mill, but my ground is too steep & muddy for that too. I agree doing nothing is a pain. Tim
Yup, my customers are all wet which is a good thing. I have talked to a couple this week and everything is on hold. Got some "firewood weather" coming for the rest of the week.
I am sitting here watching the fire burn as I type. I have only built 3 or 4 fires all winter. The old Kodak stove is so airtight, that if we get a real warm spell and don't need any heat you can shut it all the way down and it will hold enough coals to start back two days later easily. I will have to replace the gasket this spring....I do that about every 3 years. We paid I think 600 dollars for it when we built the house, an I thought that was outrageous....didn't know it was going to last so long. Company is probably out of business....no repeat sales when something don't wear out.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18028/stove_29_years_old.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1414887854)
That's an old picture....but it could have been made 5 minutes ago. Don't over do it typing.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN1281.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1294796921)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN1278.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1294796920)
We bought this Craft fireplace insert over 40 years ago for about that same $$. It does it's job quite well. I have it loaded and ready for tomorrow morning. fire_smiley
Hopefully it won't be long before I can relax in front of a good fire. Hope everything heals well for you.
Patience! give it time to knit back proper. Then keep it close from here on out. I was doing soffit overhang framing yesterday solo, feeling it this morning but its too cold and windy to interest me anyway. Stuff I used to be able to reach out with the gun and nail off at arms length now requires a ladder reset to get close enough to reach. When the arms get out there with any weight stuff starts camming around in a bad way. Sure beats the alternative, I remember some of the old guys when I was a kid, they stayed on the ground and worked the sawbench, couldn't lift overhead at all.
Hang in there Lynn
I feel your pain regarding doing nothing.
I am 3-1/2 weeks into my recovery from foot surgery and am using a wheel chair and a walker.
My balance and lack of strength prohibit my using crutches.
I see the doc on the 4th and the cast should come off and hopefully get a walking boot.
Only positive is that I have been doing some genealogy on my Father's eastern European ancestry with some results.
Records are poor to non existent for the area of eastern Poland/western Ukraine.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10007/a1~2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1582813656)
Lynn,
You are a one handed firewood loader.
I did today and used the Timber Tongs (https://woodmizer.com/Store/Product/Index?id=47)
Good News today. I am 5½ weeks past my shoulder surgery and had my NP visit today. The first thing that he said was "raise your arm as high as you can". What? That arm has not been out of the sling except to shower and do my rope/pulley exercise 3 times per day, and he said to raise it. I jokingly raised the left arm, but he was too sly for that. Quite frankly, I was sorta hesitant to try to raise the arm because I did not know that I could. I began raising it and just kept on lifting it higher and higher and got it to about 165°. He said that ~90° would have been normal for that first visit.
He told me to ditch the sling unless I was doing something and felt more comfortable with it on. Also since I was ahead of the curve he did not recommend formal PT unless I really wanted it. At that point, I was issued a rubber strap and given instructions on what to do during my home PT sessions and I will also continue the pulley exercises.
On the way home I talked with my next sawing customer and I will be at his place tomorrow morning. The rain should be gone after ~9:00AM.
Congratulations. Keep up the good progress. Did he recommend fly fishing as therapy? Maybe I should change careers and get into the medical advising. :D
Good deal!
I went to pt today. They just keep scheduling more apt$$$$
I was glad that he gave me the home PT option. My co-pay is $55 per session beginning the first of this year. :o Last year with my knee it was $35. Obviously I have reached the expendable age.
I go back to the NP in one month and have an appointment with the surgeon in May.
Mine is $174. Another money grab.
So between the knee replacement and the rotator cuff which was easier?
For me da knee was hands down easier, no pun intended. Just ta be sure I had both knees and both shoulders done, yup knee wins. :D Raider, hows it lookin' for dat bike ride?
Pain was never really an issue with either, but this '6 weeks in a sling' was a pain in the butt log. Of course now I am finally having to start doing stretches and getting my shoulder back. With the knee, I was discharged after 6 weeks with no restrictions nor limitations. Don't misunderstand, the knee ain't well yet, but right now it is better than what I had before the knee surgery.
No question, I would do-over with the knee before another shoulder.
I agree Lynn
Magic, have you been doing the "lay on the floor on yer back and extend a broomstick behind your head with both arms PT?"
I'm not trying to become a PT person here but that plus the rest is what got me to full overhead arm extension and it sure didn't come easy!
I did face to face PT twice a week and do feel the the manipulation as done by the better PT people was very helpful as they move that arm in a very theraputic way so as to stretch the surgery related tissues toward that full extension goal.
My $700+ sling had two modes and switched to something similar to an oldtime done at home sling toward the end.
Mine was done in 11/2014 and been used for whatever comes along since then. My doc reminded me that putting it back together doesn't make arthritis go away and he was sure right. Ran chainsaw several hours yesterday and shoulder hurts... such is life.
No, not the broomstick yet but I did see the shoulder guys doing it when I was doing my knee PT. For the next month I am doing the pulley which warms things up and rubber strap exercises. Two days sawing this week has loosened me up quite a bit, and with two more to go.
Magic. You are doing really well. PT for me seemed like a long time with very slow adding elements of movement. I was expecting to git r dun and push myself through to full strength faster than PT wanted. After six weeks I completed phase three ROM objectives and was released to phase 4 - strength building on my own. That was I realized why the slow PT pace.
Keep up the good work. You'll get there! :)
I believe that the sawing (with good help doing the lifting) is helping me to loosen up. I know that I am steadily going higher with the rope/pulley.
Personally I never found the mechanical pulley-deals or elastic/bungee cords much good or use - I did find that walking the hand of whichever shoulder I had done (both actually now) up the wall of the shower each day once everything got warmed up, worked better for me than anything else.
Started off being fairly far off of the enclosure wall either in front of me or at my side, and gradually worked up closer and closer and higher and higher - as the warm water loosened everything up.
Warm shower water worked real good for trying to increase my range of motion behind and up my back as well - but everyone's results, situations, and benefits will differ obviously!
As opposed to my TKR - the shoulder deals were both a breeze and pretty much back to some 'normal' for someone at my age then (60's) within a fairly short time.. compared to my knee which I long ago realized, won't ever be good again.
Trouble is - I can't throw anything overhand or even sidearm well at all.. must be humorous to watch me get frustrated at something sufficiently enough so I try to fire off the offending piece of whatever I'm worked up about, because I now know I have the throwing motion, accuracy, distance, and probably power, of someone of the fairer gender now.
After years of pitching fastballs and bombing long football passes around (much of which I'm sure helped to create my problems originally) as well as undoubtedly lifting far too much weight by myself always, I should have known it all would come back at some time to haunt me.
Tried to fire a rock off at a bunch of geese that were crapping all over my nice green lawn at camp last Spring and darn near killed myself..
What made the pain, lack of accuracy, and distance, most embarrassing and troubling though - was.. I never knew Geese could laugh!!
I went to the knee surgeon today for my six month X-Ray & visit. He was well pleased and told me to continue to use it. Simple instructions, if it hurts avoid it, if not continue on. Just treat it like it was mine. He did answer some questions that I had which was nice/informative. He said that I could have some swelling after I did something strenuous but not to worry about it. Heck, everything that I do is strenuous. I go back in six months, I guess so that he can get another check.
The shoulder is doing well but I know that I am big time overdoing it.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7541.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1589242796)
I handled the other end of these slabs yesterday and they are stacked high!! :o The top two are over 30" off of the ground. The Red Toolbox shows that they weigh 130lbs. each. I ain't 'spose to be doing that. :-X
I wish you a speedy recovery Lynn !