Bilateral TKR and away I go.....

[Legin]

Absolutely pain.restricts recovery. I also wanted to change.meds.but sat down.with gp and discussed. Battered ears later we.comprimised. Also its easy.and.natural to.go OTT but boy.do you find out later. Good luck wth future. Btw who did.you play for as in rugby

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[oldrugbyprop]

I played local here. Just B division with the odd foray into A. Played for the kings county lions, Musquash Maulers, Saint John Vikings, Saint John Molson Canadians. Lots of tournaments around the east coast of Canada but no international stuff. Just a committed loose head prop. Loved every minute of it but knowing what I know now 36 should of been the slide into tournaments only. Might of saved a knee or two for another decade or so. But the stories were worth it.

Cheers,
Harry

 

[Legin]

Often best way I.was hovering county rugby loved back row. Cept a.few matches where I was flanker on our put in and wing on.theirs. I was told age.19 to stop. played last game 39. Guess I.don't listen toooo well

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[oldrugbyprop]

Its a hell of a sport to walk away from. I'd of loved to play in your part of the world. I was born just outside of Belfast in a small town called Carrickfergus. But we immigrated to Canada in 1975. Started playing here when I was 16. Back then there were no junior Rugby leagues around here. That's changed quite a bit. Of course Hockey is the Religion around here. Besides that we have snow shoveling as a sport. Though to be honest Back when I hit 40 and my knees were on there way out I bought a snow blower. Which can be a god send as we get many storms with a usual amount of 1 to 2 feet of snow. Right now the wife is outside clearing the driveway. I feel guilty as hell.

 

[Legin]

Aye good rugby love the7s comps. I know one.of the hardest parts of this thing is.losing the.doer mantle. Then.watching the wife do those jobs is gut wrenching at.times. Believe me.I have called myself useless and wus many times. But my reckoning is they know.we.will.make.up.for it later. Good man.though for having those feelings some wouldn't. I'm just glad we haven't had several feet this year. Good bleathering to ya. Oh on.rugby theme ex.father inlaw played for.scotland b. He was known.as.Cannonball Cunningham alas.though hIs.knees.went too.

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[oldrugbyprop]

Just got back from physio. 3 week anniversary for me. I was able to pedal right around on the recumbent bike. I even moved it up closer. Sore but satisfying is how i'd best describe it. Tomorrow the extra mural people will set me up with a cpm machine hopefully. I know it is not a replacement for exercise but I'm looking at it as a way of constructively filling my ample sitting and watching TV. Anything to make this successful is what I'm aiming for.

Cheers,

Harry.

 

[Maggie94]

hi @oldrugbyprop harry - you are an inspiration and provided with such good sense. Thankyou. I am BTKR on 28 Jan - you will be a good 6 weeks out by then, so I am watching your progress with interest.

agree with the Bilateral TKR tag in the threads.... I look for these cause I figure we have same same but different issues to the Unilateral people.

Great share on the lesson re meds - thanks I'll remember it

Hope you continue on the up and up - take care - Maggie x

 

[oldrugbyprop]

Thanks for the kind compliment Maggie. I'm like everyone else including you, just glad to have found this site and wanting to share my experience so that it might help others in a similar situation. I did forget to mention something my PT showed me today. He brought out one of those foam covered rollers and explained that I should roll out my quads. He mentioned I could buy one like his for $40 bucks or go to the dollar store and buy a rolling pin. He also showed me to start rolling from the top of the quad just down to the top of the knee cap. It does make the quads feel better and both of mine have been screaming at me for the last week.

 

[vinny]

massage the quads as much as you can ...OS often cut the quads and the stitches tighten them which makes going down stairs tougher at first compared to going up until they heal...I subconsciously rub knees and quads all day long....

 

[oldrugbyprop]

Thanks Vinny,

Makes a lot of sense. my quads kill me trying to come down stairs.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

OS often cut the quads and the stitches tighten them

Erm, I don't think they do any more, that's like 20 years old? Open to correction here, of course.

 

[oldrugbyprop]

Discussed it with the folks that did my bilateral and they told me its common place here. Not sure what they do in other places.

 

[vinny]

My OS cut the quad and used internal dissolving sutures at the top and bottom of my incision with glue and steri strips in the middle....he did a good job as I walked unaided at 12 days never took a pain med after leaving the hospital on day 3 and played golf at day 29 post op ....Friday is 8 weeks and I expect him to clear me to walk the course and I played 18 times in the last 4 week....

Vinny

 

[vinny]

My OS went to medical school in London and did his fellowships in various hospitals in and around London and also Royal North Shore Medical in Sydney Australia and North Sydney Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.living in such a small place I know so many of his patients and he has done remarkable work on so many of my golf buddies we support each other.. He has been using the same protocol basically over the last 9 years and has it down pretty cold...I am a lucky guy....

 

[referee54]

OS often cut the quads

The vast majority of OS's today use a "quad-sparing technique." Very few cut the quads.

For my BTKR, my quads were not cut.

 

[referee54]

Its a hell of a sport to walk away from.

Any sport or activity that one loves and that one works hard in is tough to walk away from.

I understand how you feel---I played American Football for eight years---in the HS and at the collegiate level, and I reffed college basketball and football, too. When my knees gave out, I had to leave those two behind. I miss the challenges, the camaraderie between the officials, and I miss working with coaches, athletes, and my officiating partners.

Luckily, HS and college baseball are still on my plate to umpire.

I can understand exactly how you feel.

 

[vinny]

The vast majority of OS's today use a "quad-sparing technique." Very few cut the quads.

For my BTKR, my quads were not cut.

I guess we disagree on the "most" part as I would say some .my understanding is that the minimally invasive quad Sparing method has a much smaller incision of 3-5 inches and when I look at the ones posted I see mostly 8-10 inches..They may not cut the quad tendon but it is apparently very difficult to move the patella without cutting the muscle....whatever method is used the incision is tightest at the top when descending stairs due to the fact that more ROM is required to descend than ascend....my OS has done 900 and none are minimally invasive quad sparing and he seems to have had pretty good results. The difference could be whether the OS is US trained or not...many who are educated in the UK or other non US institutions use different techniques...as long as well all have good results and I am over the moon with mine.....
Vinny

 

[kneeper]

As I recall, Josephine has told us that they often do something to tease? the fibers apart--which would be painful to recover from too. Either way, the quads will be sensitive and need healing time. Massaging the area (after the incision is closed) can feel good.

 

[vinny]

I massaged the area just above the knee around the end of the incision as it felt like a knot below the skin and coupled with ice it helped a great deal......

 

[Celle]

I guess we disagree on the "most" part as I would say some .my understanding is that the minimally invasive quad Sparing method has a much smaller incision of 3-5 inches and when I look at the ones posted I see mostly 8-10 inches..

I don't think that quad sparing has much to do with the length of the incision. Minimally invasive surgery is usually done with a smaller incision, but the two procedures are not the same.