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PKR Bj Mac's Recovery

I have been sick since Monday morning. Hanging out in bed mostly for the last few days... Gotta be better tomorrow cause it is time to begin the college visit traveling...
 
Moving, can't even imagine having to pack up a household of everything. I am holding confidence that you will land in a place and situation so fantastic you will be astonished at your good fortune! :SUNsmile:

Visiting colleges is fun; seeing it through a young another's eyes, expectation and hope. That is when you are feeling well. So hope all of that bed rest has helped you are wake up ready to go! :dancy:
 
RestAssured said:
Well, I live in the good old west TX! So if it's heat you are looking for, look no farther! :happydance:
Click to expand...
Hoping to get there one day been to florida a few times our daughter is an air stewardess and has been to texas and las vegas and most countries in world we are still trying to catch up with her.I try to go somewhere warm once a year so you might see me soon maybe riding with lance a, still like him and he lives in texas which is probably as big as uk.
 
This conversation tickled me. Skigirl and BJ lamenting the end of winter, Ric ready to swap homes so he can be somewhere warm. Isn't it wonderful you're talking about weather and physical activity? I love how focused so many of you are on the outdoors and physical activity. That's why I had my TKR. I love being outside, especially in California mountains in the summer. But the New Jersey ocean is where I spent my childhood, so I love swimming in the ocean too. I am so ready for my knee to be back to where it was before surgery. Some days, it's almost there. I can walk well: I actually walked quickly down the Middle School hallway to copy some scripts my fifth graders had written. But by the end of the day, my knee was shot. I have an appt. with the surgeon, but don't think there's anything to do but more surgery. I am trying to be positive. Teaching is both my passion and the thing that utterly drains me. Anyway, I love this site, because the people on it are completely generous, and I get to ski vicariously on mountains in Montana and Pennsylvania. You all are the best.
 
Hi hope you get where you want to be i ride swim and walk just back from baths swam 50 leangths of pool but still have bad days but mostly good.For the people who like snow we should have been in our caravan this week end same as last but again it has been cancelled to much SNOW on fields and weather that cold it will not melt.Should i sell caravan and bikes and get a boat or skis because next week forcast is for RAIN to come and this should melt snow emigrating has never been more welcome if not for grandkids we would be on first plane ,thats beauty of not working only family ties.
 
Oh and just found out if i click on peoples location it brings up Google maps so i can at least look at where you all live .
 
Well, today is the one year anniversary of my right partial knee replacement. I still cannot say with exuberance that I am glad that I have had this done. I have taught skiing and snowboarding this winter, but was not really up to par. I couldn't have done it without the Advil and Tylenol, long soaks in the tub and icing my knee and hip afterwards. I had pain, but did it anyway because it beats lying around, and I needed to do it for my sanity.

I have been visiting college campuses with my daughter for the last month and walking about for campus tours leaves me in pain (not as much as before surgery, but way more than I believe I should be in a year after surgery.) On Sunday I rode a mere 6 miles on my bicycle and spent that last day and a half barely able to walk, the swelling and pain were so great. I am tired of hurting. I could ride my bicycle before surgery, and it seems to be something that no matter how much I have backed off and tried to lead in gently I cannot do without great discomfort...

I know in the fall my surgeon was saying that he could go in and do a total knee replacement. Having been through this so recently I have no desire to go there at this point. I really want to be able to ride my bicycle.

FRUSTRATED!!!!
 
Cycling takes a fair amount of ROM compared to many other activities. One thing that might help is to visit a good bike shop and make sure your fit is good. It is sometimes possible to put shorter crank arms on a bike which reduces the ROM needed to cycle by a few degrees...can make a difference in certain cases.
 
Thanks Trailspud, I really do not think that ROM comes into play as I cannot quite touch my behind with my foot, but it is only a few inches off. My ROM is fabulous. Thanks for the thought anyway.
 
Yeah. Looking back at recent pages, I should have realized you had plenty of ROM. Fit could still be an issue. I hope you can get this resolved as biking is such a good activity.
 
Hi could it be your seat height or reach to bars is wrong,i went through all that and found that i needed to alter my position from before tkr .Lucky i have a cycle trainer so spent many hours setting bike up and i do all my own jobs so tried different size stems long and short seat back and forward ,i have a garage full of spares but have found what suits me now and also plain flat pedals so my foot is where ever it is comfortable.Hope you manage to find a soloution.
 
Well, I am still having a great deal of swelling and am quite uncomfortable from that bike riding. I called my surgeon for an appointment to look at my knee. So now I wait... and I was told not to ride the bike untill after I see him.
:gaah:
 
That is a good a plan. Even though you have good ROM, there is obviously something off. Cycling requires around 105 flex and it's a continual high pace (lots of revolutions) movement. How is walking or use of any cardio machines (ellipticals, steppers, etc.)?
 
Trailspud, walking is usually fine just not since it started hurting after biking. I cannot seem to get it to calm back down. I am just sooo frustrated because biking was no problem whatsoever before knee replacement...

Thanks Tessa, I am trying to take it easy, but that is not something that I am any good at...lol
 
Hey there BJ
Do hope that it gets to feeling better! You have quite a bit of fun this winter! Must be hard to put away that snowboard.

Do you think that you may of overdone it with the moving and all? How did the move go; are you settled in to your new place?

If if turns out that it is recommended, do you think you'll be going for the full replacement? Or will you stay with the PKR for awhile?
 
BJ,
Sorry to hear you are having trouble after biking. Biking can cause the TFL to tighten up, you may need to stretch it out, and see if that helps. There are some exercises in the Library for the TFL, it is a common problem after knee replacement.
Hope you have some answers soon,
 
BJ, I hope this is something simple that resolves itself sooner than later and that your doc has wisdom on this issue. I went back and read some of your thread...looked like a successful winter snowboarding. Sending some positive thoughts...will check your future posts.
 
Well, I have seen my surgeon for my one year check up / my knee is hurting too much visit.

My surgeon apologized to me, "I am sorry, I have failed you." He informed me that he overlooked a "bit" of arthritis on the outside part of my knee and under my kneecap in trying to give me the partial so that I could get the ROM and snowboard. He apologized and told me that he should have done the full knee replacement. That being said he told me that my finger is on the trigger (in other words, it is my call if I want to go ahead and do a full replacement) He told me that I will not be happy with a full knee replacement as I will not be able to snowboard or ride my bicycle like I want to. He says that people just cannot go out and rige a bicycle for an hour or more after a TKR.

I told him that I know people that are ski instructors and can ride a bicycle 30 miles. He then told me, "you went to the wrong surgeon then!" I also told him, "I am an athlete." He repeated several times as if trying to 'retrain me', "I WAS an athlete. I WAS an athlete." 'Are you freaking kidding me!!!', I thought. I mean, "Hello, I may have to change up the things that I do, but I AM an athlete.!" That is part of who i am, I can and will monitor and adjust, BUT I AM AN ATHLETE!!!!!

He injected cortisone into the outside of my knee (yes the replaced one) and wants me to come back in 2 months and inject synvisc under the knee cap. He wants to treat it in as minimally invasively as possible until the point at which I can no longer stand it and want to have the TKR.

I told him that I cannot do aerobic exercise without swelling and hurting, and I am putting on weight and fat... He told me to join a gym and work 10 min. on a bike, 10 on an elyptical, 10 on a stair stepper and swim... to get my aerobic. Hello? Who pays for my gym membership?

UBER FRUSTRATED! I do not want to go through that major surgery to as he says, "not be happy with the result still" Between a rock and a hard place.

Still in the middle of a divorce and downsizing and have not sold the house or found a place to move yet.

After touring many of the 10 colleges in the last month to which my dd was accepted, she has made a decision. She will be attending Elmira College in NY in the fall. Thank God that I do not need to tour another college campus.

BTW, it was great meeting you in person, Jane. juniper
 
BJ,

First, the good thing...congrats to your daughter. I hope she has a great undergrad experience at Elmira College.

You need a new surgeon. I'm positive others will echo this (probably with a much stronger tone). You were able to snowboard and had good ROM this winter so I expect that if you get the right ortho surgeon and do this sooner rather than later, your 2013-2014 winter sport will be just as or more successful than this past winter. If you need to, or choose to wait, I hope conservative treatment helps you get moving as much as possible. Don't ever lose the athlete perspective. I sure wish I could offer suggestions on surgeons, but...wrong part of the country. I hope others, on this board, and in your locale can help you.

Good luck with all the "life stuff" you are going through. May the old adage, "that which does not kill you makes you stronger" come true ASAP.
 
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