Good day in the casting room before a knee replacement

[Col4570]

Your flexibility is only down to swelling and will improve as the pressure decreases.

[edler7]

Glad to hear you are doing so well. Keep it up and continue your PT.

[Hawks Feather]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Keep up with the exercises and don't be afraid to take a pain killer when it starts to get painful. While you don't want to pop them like candy it is easier to control the pain down as it starts than to get it under control when it is peaking. I used some Tylenol and similar over the counter pain killers unless things really got out of hand. For the first couple of weeks I did use the high strength meds before heading to physical therapy.

[David2011]

Thanks for the encouragement. Had the first professional P.T. today. The President of the local gun club was there getting therapy for kis knee surgery as well so we got to visit for a while. We're both NM Hunter Ed instructors as well. Talked with the therapist about his .25-'06 while working on the leg. He's considering a rebarrel to .30-'06 for better ammo availability. The whole time we're making the knee bend more. Yes, it hurt some but it isn't excruciating. I went in with 45 degree flexion and at the end of the session could bend over 80 degrees. I was pretty well used up at the end of the session but a hour and a half later felt great. A good day like that sure helps the spirit.

David

[David2011]

More professional P.T. today. Some pain as expected but overall it was a good experience. there's a little more flexibility in the knee and it was much easier getting in/out of the SUV compared to 2 days ago.

[David2011]

Wow, already 6 days since my last post and 16 days out of surgery. Time has flown. It's surprising to me, this being my first surgery since my tonsils were removed at the age of 4, how busy recovery keeps me. As many of you have promised, therapy and exercise are enough to make a grown man cry like a little girl. The rest of the time pain is not bad at all until time to sleep. It doesn't take much to interfere with sleep. I had my first follow-up visit with the surgeon yesterday. He wanted me to have more flex in the knee but acknowledged that my surgery took more time than most and caused some extra trauma in the thigh just above the knee. This morning I had a challenging PT session but this afternoon walking to the shop I noticed my leg bending much more than it has been. I'm getting around with just a cane most of the time now. The parking lot at the therapy place is pretty rough so I use a walker there just to avoid tripping and falling. I'm staying on the meds and home exercise and make measurable progress daily. People that have been where I am now say that it should only get better from here. I'm starting to be able to lift my surgery leg off of a horizontal surface. After surgery the muscles needed to lift my leg had no strength at all. Getting in and out of SWMBO's SUV is getting much easier.

[lightman]

Glad you're doing so well. Please keep the progress reports coming. Wishing you the best!

[Boaz]

I'm glad to hear your doing so well ! Going to try and get a replacement soon and looking forward to it . Keep it up !

[opos]

Wow, already 6 days since my last post and 16 days out of surgery. Time has flown. It's surprising to me, this being my first surgery since my tonsils were removed at the age of 4, how busy recovery keeps me. As many of you have promised, therapy and exercise are enough to make a grown man cry like a little girl. The rest of the time pain is not bad at all until time to sleep. It doesn't take much to interfere with sleep. I had my first follow-up visit with the surgeon yesterday. He wanted me to have more flex in the knee but acknowledged that my surgery took more time than most and caused some extra trauma in the thigh just above the knee. This morning I had a challenging PT session but this afternoon walking to the shop I noticed my leg bending much more than it has been. I'm getting around with just a cane most of the time now. The parking lot at the therapy place is pretty rough so I use a walker there just to avoid tripping and falling. I'm staying on the meds and home exercise and make measurable progress daily. People that have been where I am now say that it should only get better from here. I'm starting to be able to lift my surgery leg off of a horizontal surface. After surgery the muscles needed to lift my leg had no strength at all. Getting in and out of SWMBO's SUV is getting much easier.

I had mine done about 11 years ago and I was one of the "quick recovery" cases...I'd had knee surgery back in '72 (before replacements) and the surgery they did required a boat load of PT and follow up exercise..so I was not afraid to push a bit after the replacement...All that said I tossed the walker and cane after a reasonable amount of time and the doc said he wanted me back on the cane.

I couldn't understand using something I didn't need until he told me it was a deterrent to people walking into me or kids running into me in a crowd...he said while I was walking great I was still a bit subject to injury with the "right" hit to the knee...so I carried the cane for about another month or so...my "self protection"...Good luck...best decision I ever made.

[ACrowe25]

Glad to hear things are going well... here's to a speedy recovery!

[mozeppa]

shot 88 at a unknown to me golf course on my 4 month old knee!

on 4-19-2017

[white eagle]

had both done about a year ago 3 mths apart
not sure I would recommend it
more pain now than before
been a year for one and coming up on a year on the other
going up and down stairs serious pain have to rest for days after hunting
or doing any daily outdoor chores
hope you do better they say everyone is different good luck

[David2011]

You that have been there have all been nothing but supportive and encouraging and I greatly appreciate the support. To those contemplating a knee replacement, rehab maybe challenging. Mine certainly is but I see improvement on a daily basis. I'm not far enough along to tell anyone how much better I am yet but I can get in and out of the car (as a passenger), bed and am slowly becoming less dependent on SWMBO for every little thing. The pain gets better every day.

[Randy Bohannon]

Stiffness will last 10-12 months then you will forget how long it was.My Dr. said I was one of his ideal Pt.'s and was walking with nothing at 10 days and 130 deg. extension and flexion,more important to get your leg straight.I worked hard to get there and did P.T exercises 7-10 times a day. I've been accused of being an "overachiever" which has never hurt me.

[David2011]

Progress has been steady buy not stellar. Surgery was 3 weeks ago today. Extension measured zero degrees today for the first time (yea!) and flexion is about 100 degrees. There is still some swelling in the thigh that is restricting more movement. Pain is substantial during and after PT but minor the rest of the time. I'm walking with a cane if going very far but unaided around the house and walking just to be walking about 1/5 mile daily. That will increase a lot in the coming days.

[Col4570]

That's it just keep exercising by increasing your distance walked.It is early days yet,your knee will build up tissue to replace the original.Above all do not follow the Couch Potato rout,it will restrict your recovery.

[David2011]

I have probably made 10 round trips to the shop and casting bench today. Mostly just to be walking. Does that count?

[Handloader109]

Only if it is more than 20feet. Great to see it is working out for you keep chugging away!

[David2011]

From the back door to the reloading room is about 130'. At first it was a hard trip wih a walker. Now I take a cane or walking stick just in case of a stumble. The thought of tripping and bending the surgery knee too far or falling on it is still pretty scary.

Surgery was four weeks ago yesterday. I've been told of knee replacement patients playing golf two weeks after surgery. Unfortunately my recovery is not going that fast. Recovery is a real job. I might be repeating myself on that point. The PT is happy with my progress. He's been a certified physical therapist for 14 years so he at least has a good background for expectations. Certain aspects of my healing are still lagging due to the clamping that was done above my knee. That area is about 8" above the top of the incision. Those muscles are taking a long time to recover from the mashing they received during surgery. Flexibility is returning, between 100-110 degrees and getting a little better every day. Full extension is easy now. Although there is still pain it is different from the pre-op pain. Some of the inflammation related pain called a "Baker's cyst" is completely gone. That was a terrible ache behind the joint in the soft tissue and I'm relieved that it's gone. I also has spontaneous pain that would shoot down the lower leg to the ankle for no obvious reason. That is also gone. Scar tissue is slowly tearing down as I work out. That happens in tiny amounts and is no worse than an ant bite with no lingering pain. It's kind of a relief because every time it happens I know I've gained a tiny bit more flexibility. Although I feel much better I still have to take some pain medication but far less than what I was taking even a week ago. I'm still taking a full dose prior to PT and bedtime. The biggest adjustment right now is for endurance. I'm not nearly as strong as I feel like I am and tire quickly when I try to do anything.

Fortunately, I can sit to cast and size and can quit when the body says to. Rolling around in an office chair gives the knee a good workout. Just got a new batch of RandyRat's TAC X so by the time I feel like having range time there will be a good inventory of boolits to load.

Just taking it day by day!
David

[opos]

From the back door to the reloading room is about 130'. At first it was a hard trip wih a walker. Now I take a cane or walking stick just in case of a stumble. The thought of tripping and bending the surgery knee too far or falling on it is still pretty scary.

Surgery was four weeks ago yesterday. I've been told of knee replacement patients playing golf two weeks after surgery. Unfortunately my recovery is not going that fast. Recovery is a real job. I might be repeating myself on that point. The PT is happy with my progress. He's been a certified physical therapist for 14 years so he at least has a good background for expectations. Certain aspects of my healing are still lagging due to the clamping that was done above my knee. That area is about 8" above the top of the incision. Those muscles are taking a long time to recover from the mashing they received during surgery. Flexibility is returning, between 100-110 degrees and getting a little better every day. Full extension is easy now. Although there is still pain it is different from the pre-op pain. Some of the inflammation related pain called a "Baker's cyst" is completely gone. That was a terrible ache behind the joint in the soft tissue and I'm relieved that it's gone. I also has spontaneous pain that would shoot down the lower leg to the ankle for no obvious reason. That is also gone. Scar tissue is slowly tearing down as I work out. That happens in tiny amounts and is no worse than an ant bite with no lingering pain. It's kind of a relief because every time it happens I know I've gained a tiny bit more flexibility. Although I feel much better I still have to take some pain medication but far less than what I was taking even a week ago. I'm still taking a full dose prior to PT and bedtime. The biggest adjustment right now is for endurance. I'm not nearly as strong as I feel like I am and tire quickly when I try to do anything.

Fortunately, I can sit to cast and size and can quit when the body says to. Rolling around in an office chair gives the knee a good workout. Just got a new batch of RandyRat's TAC X so by the time I feel like having range time there will be a good inventory of boolits to load.

Just taking it day by day!
David

Those "jolts" on occasion are scary but just part of the "waking up" process for nerves and muscles..
One thought...when I had mine done I had decent bending at about a month (it's now way past 90 degrees..but that's a long time ago..11 years) ... .my big "issue" with the doc and the PT were not to push the extension too hard....I got to the point I could "hyper extend" the knee where when laying down I could actually get the knee joint to sort of go past straight. The doc said absolutly not to work the knee in that exercise at all..he said that can be a lot worse than having a little stiffness and keeping a small bend..he said that the knee could become unstable if pushed past straight (0 degrees) so I eased up...today I can't "hyper extend" the leg but it will go straight and it's strong and straight...like I said the bending slowly came past 90 degrees...got no problem with up or down stairs...ps..knock on wood...I've never fallen..they said I probably would and I've sort of tripped a few times early on but never fell...hope I don't...I bang it on the desk and things now and then and it hurts like the devil but little to no "padding".

best of wishes.