general questions

[cindyj]

Ii just got home from the orthopedic surgeon and my excercise is now limited some what. He said the MRI shows the knees of a 90 year old. He said it is a bilateral chondromacia which he explains as the tissue in my knee is like an orange and mine is worn down very badly.

He gave me a brace and a shot and set me up with Physical therapy. He wants me to stay off the threadmill. I can do the elliptical, bike, swim but nothing where I lift my foot and shock my knees. He wants me to avoid stairs and a lot of bending and lifting.

The next month should be interesting since I live in a split level house and do home daycare.

I told my husband and he wants to start looking now for a ranch house but I love my house and my neighborhood so I am sure we will have to look for a long time.

Basically my doctor said I will need to replace both knees but he would like me to get a little older before we do it. I am 36 now.

does any one know if knee surgery will fix the problem or if I would still have to avoid stairs etc. I enjoy back packing, camping, hiking, climbing and I don't want to give that up but I want to walk in the future so I may have to.

After knee replacement surgery can you resume normal activity of are you always limited. Sorry it is so long this is all new to me.

 

[AlaskanTKR]

Cindy -
I have been a mess this year without my treadmill. You are a bit younger than me (I am 42). I started at 35 with knee issues (slid off a snowmachine and tore cartilage). 4 scopes later I am getting ready for a TKR on 7/14. I have a great OS and we tried desperately to get to 45 or 50 but I have run out of options, other than turning into a total couch potato. I have weight issues that are comounded by the knee. After the last scope I lost a ton (well - over 100 pounds) and looked great - like back in HS. Then... 3 different falls and crashed the knee badly. Could no longer treadmill - which was my main source of the weight loss - I love my walks. After school quit I saw him and he had a cow that I waited so long. I put back like half the weight and he and I know well the other half will not e far behind if I can't walk. I never RUN - owie, but he agreed that I need that treadmill. I thought we were going down the synvisc line maybe the partial we had talked about, but I guess things are to far gone so we are doing the TKR. I learned to ski after the last scope and that and the treadmill are my goals, and he said I could do it! Just - no black dimond (no kidding).

Anyway - don't give up - I have also been dx wth the chondromalcia in the same knee, but it is a lot less painful than the actual joint. Not sure how things will play out - but you are tooooo young to not be able to do the things you like. Not sure how all feel about getting second opinions - I was lucky The guy I am with is super highly recommended by everyone I have talked with and he is all about the quality of life. He was honest about the fact I will need a revision at some point but by then I will be old enough to slow down a bit more. I finally felt like I was living and then the knee gave out.


As far as the stairs, they have always been the kicker for me. My OS always laughs when he asks why I have come back to see him - my answer is standard - I can't do the stairs carring the laundry basket without tears. He has always told me not to wait that long... but.. I hate to waste his time. I am 42 and should be able to do stairs. So.... you should too. I might try a second opinion - stairs are a part of everyday life as is walking - you need to be able to do both.

Not sure if I helped - If you like your OS stick with him, but the fact he told you to avoid the treadmill totally and the stairs scares me - now my guy tells me when the treadmill hurts - then you have done too much - do less and do it 2 times a day. He wants me to walk! Me too!

Hang in there - they do TKRs younger - they just worry about the revision issues and how they will work later in life - but the technology is improving.
Marianne

 

[referee54]

Ii just got home from the orthopedic surgeon and my excercise is now limited some what. He said the MRI shows the knees of a 90 year old. He said it is a bilateral chondromacia which he explains as the tissue in my knee is like an orange and mine is worn down very badly.

He gave me a brace and a shot and set me up with Physical therapy. He wants me to stay off the threadmill. I can do the elliptical, bike, swim but nothing where I lift my foot and shock my knees. He wants me to avoid stairs and a lot of bending and lifting.

The next month should be interesting since I live in a split level house and do home daycare.

I told my husband and he wants to start looking now for a ranch house but I love my house and my neighborhood so I am sure we will have to look for a long time.

Basically my doctor said I will need to replace both knees but he would like me to get a little older before we do it. I am 36 now.

does any one know if knee surgery will fix the problem or if I would still have to avoid stairs etc. I enjoy back packing, camping, hiking, climbing and I don't want to give that up but I want to walk in the future so I may have to.

After knee replacement surgery can you resume normal activity of are you always limited. Sorry it is so long this is all new to me.

My OS said that the only time that he wants me to run is if I have to run for my life...no running. Other than that, I am back to cycling and officiating baseball games. My life now is pretty much back to normal. I just returned from cutting down three trees that will be used to heat our house this winter.

I was advised not to lift anything over 50 pounds...no biggy there. Stairs are no problem, my life is more normal now tha it had beenf or the three years prior to my bialteral TKR's. I have cycled 34 miles at a time, and commuted to and from school this psring on my bike.

Yep, I guess I am as normal as I can be...

Tim C.

 

[Josephine]

Cindy, welcome to the forum! I think you should have a second opinion too. There are surgeons out there that will do TKRs on younger people. Though much is said about these prostheses 'only lasting 10 years' it's actually not entirely true. They are lasting a lot, lot longer than that. Get a few opinions, not just a second. In fact, keep going until you hear someone say something that you want to hear!

Also read around some of these older threads. I know there are some posts from younger people who have had a battle to get themselves sorted.

 

[JenniferG]

Hi Cindy. guess what! You fit right in! I had bilateral TKR 2 days before my 40th BD. (Belated BD gifts can be sent to... ooppss!) Jo's right about a second opinion. And it wasn't clear to me at least if you've had any other procedures to the knees besides shot. Maybe there is something that can be done to buy you some time? My OS gave me no restrictions for lifting after surgery, (except the 1st 8 weeks) but between hubby & son, not so much an issue. Back to normal life activities. ABSOLUTELY and without bone crunching pain! If you read some of the older posts you will see that we have quite a few bikers (both kind) -ref, gatiger, titanium man, hikers -edk, campers & hunters -skeet, Cabin goers, -Nursepair ... you get the drift I'm sure. Stairs, still a challange for me, sometime normal sometimes one at a time. The struggle is all in my head though. Anyway, it's alot of work going through this process, but SO worth it. I waited too long.

 

[Nursepair]

Welcome Cindyj, I'm with the others. I am still having issues walking downstairs, but only because I had a lot of swelling that lasted 5 months, so I couldn't get a good enough bend in my knee, so am having a manipulation soon to help improve that. But I have no more pain in my new knee, it's fantastic!!! Good luck. Sue

 

[Rowdy66]

Cindy While I Was 66 When I Had Both My Knees Replaced My Husband Who Is A Corrections Officer Works With A Younger Man Who Had Both Knees Replaced At 36. He Took Six Weeks Off Work And Did All The Pt Available To Him And My Husband Says He Is Really An Inspiration, Runs Up And Down The Stairs And Works The Yard Like He Had Never Had Anything Done. So There Are Surgeons Out There Who Will Do The Surgery Younger. Personally I Think It Is Crazy For A Doctor To Deny Relief To A Patient Because They Are Too Young. The Quality Of My Life Before My Btky Was Nil And Now Just Six Weeks Later I Am Almost Back To Normal. Just Getting A Full Nights Sleep And Being Able To Stand And Walk Without The Pain Is A Miracle No One Should Be Denied. Good Luck To You. I Hope You Seek A Second Opinion And Find Someone Who Will Give You Your Life Back. Rowdy

 

[carolinagirl]

Hi Cindy,

I am 49 years old. When I was 45 I was told by my then OS that I would need both knees replaced as I was bone on bone,but he wanted me to wait until I was in my late 50's, mid 50's at the least. My knees have gone downhill from there. I can hardly walk. This same OS scoped both my knees, one last November and the other this past January. I went back to him in March and told him my knees were still killing me. I asked about the TKR, again, he thought I needed to wait, because I would more than likely need to have them replaced again due to my age. SO.......... June 5th I went to a different OS here in my town and he took one look at my x-rays, and after a exam of my knees/legs told me right up front I was past anything but a TKR!! I asked him about my age and the need to wait and he just looked at me and said, why would you want to continue in this kind of pain of another 8-10 years? I let him know it was not MY idea to wait. So he scheduled my surgery 3 weeks from them. I have my RTKR one week from today! He has done younger knees than me. So please get another opinion.
My thing is I want my life back NOW, to walk pain free! I will deal with what ever I need to when I am 75 -80, but for now and the next 15-20 years I want to live a normal life!! Best of luck to you!! You will be in my prayers.

 

[1jt@atime]

Carolinagirl and Cindy, There are SO many of us on here in our 30s and 40s that have been told by an OS that we were too young..... I don't know what these doctors are thinking. The OS that did my two knees said I waited too long for the first one and that I would never get an ideal recovery because of it.... I guess these doctors think we should all spend our 40s in a wheelchair or on crutches, huh? That's where I just about was..... I didn't wait until it was totally out of control on the second knee. I knew it was screwed up and so did my doctor. I just had that one replaced and my recovery has been so much easier; I can't believe it.

Good luck to you both and to Marianne who posted above, another youngster! Karen

 

[AlaskanTKR]

Karen-
Thanks! I personally can't wait to get my life back. I am so glad the OS I am with can see past the age thing. He has been honest about the need for a revision in my life time, but that is something we will deal with at the time! Hang in there Cindy and Carolina - we will all be dancing on the other side soon!

 

[hess]

Cindy,

I too have problems with chondromalacia. I have known that things were going downhill for several years now, and at the age of 39, I finally had the TKR. I didn't spend too terribly much time looking for an OS that believed in helping with the quality of life. I did a lot of research on the many docs in my area, an finally found someone that did the majority of his work on younger patients. Needless to say, this is the guy that I went to, and am happy that I did. True, there is still a lot of pain, but this will pass!!

Good luck,
Hess

 

[bumleg]

Welcome to the boards. After limping around in pain and not being able to have a regular active life for several years I can't imagine being as young as you are and not being able to do simple daily activities. I agree with the others. Find you a surgeon who will do knees in younger patients. What happens is the longer you wait the more debilated you become which then affects how well the results are the surgery. The new knees last longer than the 10-15 years like in the old days. The only restrictions I was given is to lift nothing over 35lbs ,no kneeling or high impact sports. There are posters on here that are skiing and are other wise very athletic with their new knees. My new knee is a Depuy titantium rotating pivot platform. I should be able to do a lot of things once I can get the bend in my leg back.

 

[cindyj]

Thank you all for your support. I should clarify my OS said i am a candidate for TKR now but that is the most aggressive treatment. Witht he lease aggresive being PT and shots. Because this is the first time I saw an OS and have not had had any idea that I could need surgery so I said I am not ready for to do anything that drastic.

I am getting a second oppinion not because i don't believe my OS but because I don't know him. My primary care doctor sent me to him and I trust my PCP but I just want to be sure.

I have major grinding in my knees but the pain is more like an ache then anything else. I have major pain sometimes on stairs but I just stop and wait and it will usually pass to a dull pain or ache. So i am not sure surgery is right for me.

He gave me a shot and a brace but the brace seems to make my knee hurt more. I will wear it until Wednesday when i start PT to see if they want me to wear it. Plus it is hot and i hate it.So hopefully they don't.

 

[1jt@atime]

Cindy, It sounds like you are on the right track. Knee replacement is not something anyone wants to jump into. Getting a second opinion and then trying the more conservative methods of treatment first are always the right steps to take. Good luck in your journey of seeking relief of pain. Karen

 

[referee54]

My orthos said tht they would always try the least agressive tactics first---shots like coritzone and SynVisc. I had the SynVisc shots---it helped for three days...others it has helped for years. Cortizone worked for me---i umped baseball and got through the year on three cortizone shots. Then, in November, bilateral TKR. I actually believe that they try cortizone first and SynVisc last---my protocol was reversed.

Best of luck to ya!

Tim C.