Surfsister's surfing TKR

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Surfsister

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Re: Sport in the TKR afterlife

afarm5.static.flickr.com_4110_4956353706_7d9d946b22.jpg

My TKR and I have been doing this since three and a half months after my surgery. These knees can withstand almost anything once you strengthen your muscles and your resolve.

afarm3.static.flickr.com_2686_4043166292_a3dd910385.jpg
(Note: both photos were taken after my TKR!)
 
Re: Sport in the TKR afterlife

Surfsister, do you paddle out on your knees or belly? Then when you catch a wave are you on your knees or go straight from your belly to standing? I live in Socal but I race MX and haven't surfed in about 40 years just no extra time raising the family.

When you say you run, how far or how long do you run?

Cool pics.

I paddle out on my belly. I've had limited motion in my TKR knee since the massive knee injury, at 17, that led to my TKR almost 30 years later. When I pop-up, I go from my belly to standing. I've worked hard to develop the upper body strength to needed to surf without struggling. When I was recovering from my TKR surgery, I stayed in the pool (with a pull buoy) as a way to maintain my fitness and strength. I also lifted weights on my upper body only until I could start using my lower body again.

Prior to the TKR, I hadn't run in about seven years. Since the surgery, I've done a few runs in the soft sand at the beach. They were runs of about 30 minutes. I would prefer not to run on hard pavement. There are people out there who do run seriously with knee replacements. I've also done a little running with the dog (on pavement). Running makes the knee a bit uncomfortable later in the day, but it's nothing serious. Cycling, which I used to do competitively, does the same thing.

Seriously, the knee does not hold me back. If I want to do something, I do it. There is a tall hill in my neighborhood that the city put stairs up. It's a great workout, but it is nasty. Some of the stairs are just too steep for me and my short legs. Nevertheless, there are days when I walk up those stairs going up that hill and then run back down on the hiking trails. That is a tough workout. My knee handles it well. I only do this workout every once in awhile because, frankly, it's boring. I'd do it more often if I didn't have surfing.
a2.bp.blogspot.com__Ts49y5IpPXA_TIovC_XG2iI_AAAAAAAAB24_CYonfT9UJ00_s1600_Woot.jpg


The reason I posted this picture is to show my limitations. I cannot get much lower, when crouching, than I am in this shot because my knee won't allow me to. I just don't have the range of motion for it. So while this was a tiny little barrel I could have potentially tucked into with complete range of motion, all I could do was look at it. Nevertheless, it's rare that I need to bend myself into a tight little ball when I'm surfing and I just work around my limitations. My knee does not hold me back.
 
Re: Sport in the TKR afterlife

I am on a mission, both on BoneSmart and through my surf blog, to show other athletes and athletic people that a knee replacement is not the end of the world. While a prosthetic knee is not as good as a human knee, it's a hell of a lot better than a human knee riddled with osteoarthritis. Without the surgery, I wouldn't be surfing. I wouldn't be doing much of anything, would I? I'd be in a lot of pain, unable to do much more than . . . hurt. That's not a life I want to live. So, I had my TKR a month after the orthopedist told me the knee was done. I was scared, yes. Still, I was more afraid of losing my identity and the things that gave me, and continue to give me, joy. All I wanted was to surf again. I didn't want spectacular ROM. I didn't want a beautiful scar. None of that was important. I just wanted to keep living the life I love.

And now, more than a year later, I hardly notice that I have a titanium joint. I'm finally to the point where I don't think about it much anymore. You will get to that point too. In the meantime, go outside and play!! I do.
 
I'm closing in on my two year anniversary of my knee replacement. Last week, I surfed or rode my surf mat (which requires some serious leg strength as I wear fins and kick like my life depends on it) for five straight days at a spot that requires you hike down and hike back up.

I got a new skateboard as one of my Christmas presents. There's also a mini ramp for skateboarding in my backyard . . . which my child doesn't go near so you can guess who uses it.

With a degenerating knee, you have nowhere to go but down. With a replaced knee, you have nowhere to go but up.

I lost my surfboard into the rocks a few days ago. I had to do a 15 minute painful walk across the rocks to get back to the trail to get back to the car. It was not an easy walk. My knee was fine. I mean, it was perfect. My bare feet? Not so much.

My knee doesn't get in the way. I have limited range of motion, but I had that before surgery. I do get a twinge of pain here and there. That's to be expected since I use the knee to its full capacities.

I know of other surfers, whom I met through the internet, with replaced knees. None of us has been held back.

Embrace your bionic future.
 
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