Knee Surgery

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Next Monday I'm having knee surgery on my left knee the Dr. said it is bone on bone and boy is it painful,he said I needed a total knee replacement but I'm to young for it right now he said all he can do is put a so called bandaid on it for now. Has anybody else had this kind of problem with their knees ?
 
Hey Aaron-- I had knee surgery august 2011 from my knee collapsing doing a parking garage In Hartford CT. My knee seems to never healed completely. It's getting better but right now it's painful. Good days/ bad days.

My wife on the other hand had her knee operated on a half yr before my knee blew out. She was walking around bone on bone for 6 months before she finally went in to get the operation. They injected her knee with some kind of jell. She felt better for a few months but she was told to get another round and she hasn't done it yet so she limps.

Look up on the PC about getting your knee injected with this jell. Bone on bone you can still get around but it's painful and you would be heading in sooner then expected to get an artificial knee.
 
I had 2 different types of shots 3 times each. First time they lasted about 4 months, last time about 2 weeks. January of 2011 I had BOTH of them replaced at the same time. Quite an experience but They work great.
 
John, stay out of Hartford !!! LoL. Knees suck! Knee replacements are lasting longer now. Depending on your job and life style I would get it sooner than later. I've seen friends and family suffer for years until the replacement. Not up to date on the gel but spend time researching . I dont have bone on bone but have had 4 major knee surgeries.

Keeping your muscles above and below your knee in tip top condition(strong) is highly advised and will take the strain and pain off the knee.
 
John, stay out of Hartford !!! LoL. Knees suck! Knee replacements are lasting longer now. Depending on your job and life style I would get it sooner than later. I've seen friends and family suffer for years until the replacement. Not up to date on the gel but spend time researching . I dont have bone on bone but have had 4 major knee surgeries.

Keeping your muscles above and below your knee in tip top condition(strong) is highly advised and will take the strain and pain off the knee.
I remember you telling me that Jim about working out the legs. When I'm walking alot my knee gets strong. Doing these parking garages it's like my knee weekness & pain disappears. I get home I'm sore but my knee feels great. A couple of days later it starts hurting again and it gives out a little at times.

I think back to my two greatest sport heroes in Joe Namath and my fav of Alltime Bobby Orr & your saying rings true---KNEES SUCK!!!!
 
I've had 3 knee surgeries. I feel for you. Jim is right about strengthening your muscles. It makes all the difference. Bike riding is a great way to keep the legs strong and the knee in good shape.

Motion is lotion
 
I destroyed ligaments when I was 16, and "wobbled" til I was 50..
Now, 5 years later, I hike and bike agressively, like a 30 year old..
Here's how I did it..
I exercised through the pain for 2 months before surgery..
..I was out of shape badly because I was having back problems from not walking straight.
I got a stationary stand for my bike, and peddled every evening before and after supper.

When the therapist came in after the surgery, and said "get up.. you need to walk NOW." I believed her..
..and I knew they wouldn't let me have the "good stuff" for very long, so I drove HARD, past the pain,
..determined to get the BEST possible results I could achieve..
All the while knowing they removed the bad stuff, and all that's left, is a totally new knee,
with muscles that were "just going to have to get over it"..
For over 30 years I couldn't bend my knee past about 50 degrees.. Now, I can bend almost to a crouch.

as for healing time.. I gave'em back their crutches (with a plate of brownies) on the 10th day..
No walker, done with crutches on the 10th day.. cane was for the longer walks for about another 3 weeks, that's it.
And I weaned myself off the prescription meds at 4 weeks.
..OK, so I still took some at night to sleep better, 'til the 6th week, but I needed the rest, right ??

Now, about those brownies..
Have yer wife BRING a big plastic tub of 'em when you get to your room, after surgery..
It insures the nurses check on you regularly, and that's going to help a LOT, as they take the epidural away too soon for sure.

One more thing.. the contraption that automatically flexes your knee at night..
make sure they send one home with you.. THAT is how I got SO much flexation back in my knee..
With less pain, and more flexation.. WOW what a difference !
Biggest thing, is tough out the pain, EVERY day, and flex that knee like you NEED the best results
..and you'll give'em back the crutched within the first month too.
Go with atitude bro ! .. it will work for you !

Call me if you want to talk more..
I have LOTS to share on this subject..
I had the worst knee they had ever seen, and the fastest recovery ever too.
 
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OUCH. Good luck with the surgery Aaron. Tell him to go easy on you so you can get back to work...Better yet tell him you have to be ready for Daytona in Feb.
 
Aaron, I tore my acl totally loose. It took me 4 months to realize it wasnt going to heal its self. I also had let my cartilage get bad and was suffering bone on bone like you are experiencing. My minicus was tore loose also. So I had a elected to have a ligament replacement and congioplasi don on my joint. I got a donor ligament replacement and the congioplasti is where they drill the bone and it oozes liquid which forms a sort of cartilage. Its not perfect but its better than the bone on bone. 12 weeks with no weight on it is a long time. I went home with a constant motion machine. I was determined to get full flexation back. Its been 2 years and the ligament is 100% . The cartilage is not a 100% fix but better than the alternative. Your rehab is totally up to you and how hard you work it. The best to you.
 
How'z that knee doin ??
the meds work, but you should be close to target flexation about now.
A stationary bike is the cool tool bro !
Work it big guy ! Work it !
 
Flex the hell out of it, but if you're "working" on it..
watch out for the swelling..
It won't go back down.. you'll have an enlarged knee (like mine,) forever.
.. or worse.. infection sets in.
BE CAREful. Eh?
 
Be sure to ice!

Sometimes alternating heat and ice works too. Depends on what your knee is doing.

Swelling happens all the time. That's what ice is for. Exercise (bike is great) also reduces swelling and keeps the knee in much better shape. You'll be surprised how your knee aches after work but feels better after the bike.

You want to manage the swelling. If it gets bad enough, it can be drained. If you swell and just lay around, it can become pitting adema. This too can be treated but takes a long time.

Kudos to you for being proactive and managing your recovery. It's a challenge!
 
Flex the hell out of it, but if you're "working" on it..
watch out for the swelling..
It won't go back down.. you'll have an enlarged knee (like mine,) forever.
.. or worse.. infection sets in.
BE CAREful. Eh?

Be watchful for infection from now on. Infection will try to attack that knee.
 
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