TKR Jake’s Got a New Knee
- Thread starter jakemedic
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Thanks for the laugh! Getting old is not for sissies, as they say. 
Have a safe Memorial weekend, Jake...and enjoy!
@jakemedic
Have a safe Memorial weekend, Jake...and enjoy!
@jakemedic
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jakemedic
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You as well @Layla. For me, it’s a good weekend to stay home. Wishes I could go put flowers on my parents grave, but it is 4.5 hrs one way. Going to do some things that bring joy. Spending time with my bride, my ladies (chickens) and my dogs. God Bless and thanks for what you do for the folks here.
selketine
senior
Hi @jakemedic - glad to see you are still doing well! You are also waiting to have knee #2 done eventually yes? I got a date for my #2 - September! Farther out than I want but I know it will go fast. I hope you're able to get out and enjoy doing more than you could before surgery - I can but my left knee really holds me back and getting to the point where I'm just barely making it sometimes.
How are your ladies?
How are your ladies?
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jakemedic
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First of all, the ladies are doing just fine! Appreciate you asking. They bring so much joy, the eggs are just the frosting! We have gotten 959 eggs so far this year!
Yes, it’s not if I get my second knee done, rather when. I thought about the end of July, but I want to be able to deer hunt this year and that may put a damper on that. Besides that, I am using my new knee like I stole it! I took down a decrepit deck on the side of my house and managed to save much of the lumber to use for an unnamed project (could be a castle of a chicken coop or a privacy fence or maybe both) and would like to get that done before knee surgery.
I also have been riding a recumbent trike I bought last year. Now riding is somewhat subjective. I haven’t left my property. I rode it twice yesterday, both morning and evening. I managed to do a half a mile both times. I do struggle with the hill going up to my shop but do fantastic of the flat areas. As soon as I can master my hill, I’ll be ready for the bike trail. We have a 20 mile bike trail around my community. I still need to get it tuned up and fitted. I bought it used early last year and found out with my back and knee, I couldn’t ride it. I think I’ll enjoy the bike trail here, when I am ready. Lots to learn. Clip in pedals, multiple gears and sitting very low to the ground all are challenges. Plus you can’t “stand on the pedals” for power. You must use the gears. Oh I will get there, and every day helps the new knee and strengthens the other leg. I used a trike when I had my hips replaced to strengthen between hip one and two. Surgeon said it definitely helped.
I am struggling with the outer rotation on my new knee. The recumbent trike forces my leg to a straight position which I believe is good.
Anyhow, enough of me rambling. I need to go wash off the siding where they had the deck nailed to the house and caulk the nail holes. I’d replace the siding there, but don’t have any “extra” laying around.
Please get as prepared as you can for your September date! It will sneak up on you quickly. Here are a couple recent photos of the ladies!
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![[Bonesmart.org] Jake’s Got a New Knee](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/79/79800-bbcd4db44d60b63970b0cb88876dd621.jpg?hash=u81NtE1gtj)
![[Bonesmart.org] Jake’s Got a New Knee](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/79/79801-5584cba722fc48a5b8e3dec9994c0556.jpg?hash=VYTLpyL8SK)
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Reminds me of another knee/hip joke.
" When people say 'Enjoy them when they're young"- they mean your hips and knees, not your kids......!"
selketine
senior
I would love to see that chicken coop if that’s what you end up doing with it!
Wow, you are super super active and I don’t blame you for waiting on the surgery so that you can enjoy being out over the summer. I seem to be going the opposite direction because my left knee has gotten so bad and I’m back to being barely able to walk, I was doing pretty well getting up to 4000 steps a day but not able to do that currently. I’d love to be able to use an exercise bike, but I can’t do anything with that left leg.
I appreciate you waiting to get the other knee done so that will give me some time to catch up to your activity level…haha!!. I love hearing how much you’re enjoying that knee!!
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jakemedic
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Greetings from the cornfields of Iowa! Summer is in full swing here. Hot, humid and full of gnats! What I find ironic is while my fellow Iowans in NW Iowa are being flooded with terrible loss of property and lives, we in SE Iowa are so incredibly dry. The weatherman teases “rain chances” but the fact is the ground is cracking here it’s so dry. Our next chance is tonight into tomorrow. They predict upwards of an inch and honestly, we need it and then some.
The ladies are doing well! They bring so much joy and amazing eggs! We have a nightly ritual where we go down to let them free range while hanging out in the lawn chairs. They especially enjoy treats like apples, last year’s squash and a new favorite, black raspberries. They also enjoy last years sweet corn which we froze more than we used. They each have their own personality, which I find very interesting. This month we are up to 179 eggs and a whopping 1065 for the year. I have been working on perfecting the perfect egg salad. The last batch had red onion in it, but the red onion keeps getting stronger. Might leave that out of the next batch.
Leo, our newest addition, is doing well. A miniature poodle weighing a whopping 14#, I hope to have him trained by the time I’m ready for my next knee to be a recovery partner. Bella, the greyhound, is useful for that role, but having a little fur ball to rub and scratch is going to be amazing for sure.
Knee wise, while not perfect, it is still a far cry better than the “original equipment”. The left knee has been holding its own but makes terrible noises. I believe I will hold out for a late January timeframe to have it done. I think I’m going to get my trike tuned up and give the bike path a try in July. Unfortunately, we are uphill in both directions to the bike path, so I’ll have to load it up in the truck and haul it to an entry point. Riding on a paved path will be much easier than around our property. I am having a gear shifting problem that I think a good tune up will fix.
Medically, I got sick last Thursday with sore throat and cough. Quickly turned into a sinus infection. Sunday, I went to the walk in clinic and they swabbed me for Covid. Yep, you got it, Covid! What was eerie is it was the same room where I got diagnosed with Covid in January of 21 and darn near died from it. Instead of a NP or a PA, I met the most amazing DO who seen the fear in my eyes and took a long time to explain that Covid had evolved and what I have now isn’t the same as what I had before. He was totally correct, feel poorly, but without the drop in O2 sats, and pulmonary embolisms I had the first time. Slowly getting better. My bride took a home test and while she has a cold, tested negative for Covid, thank goodness!
I am still working on finding a funding source or partnership for my “plaques for hero’s” project. I think I’m going to simply start with self funding and see where it takes me.
I did get to “help out” at the sheriff’s office by serving BBQ during a competition a few weeks ago. I did well and it was great seeing friends and interacting with the public was good for the soul. I may try to make a triumphant return soon, but I’ll play that by ear.
Well my friends, that is all I know. Thanks to @Jtmav for his subliminal message that I needed to do an update. Going to try and enjoy the delightful day with lower temperatures and humidity today. Take care everyone and God Bless!
![[Bonesmart.org] Jake’s Got a New Knee](https://bonesmart.org/forum/attachments/img_1715-jpeg.90098/ "[Bonesmart.org] Jake’s Got a New Knee")
The ladies are doing well! They bring so much joy and amazing eggs! We have a nightly ritual where we go down to let them free range while hanging out in the lawn chairs. They especially enjoy treats like apples, last year’s squash and a new favorite, black raspberries. They also enjoy last years sweet corn which we froze more than we used. They each have their own personality, which I find very interesting. This month we are up to 179 eggs and a whopping 1065 for the year. I have been working on perfecting the perfect egg salad. The last batch had red onion in it, but the red onion keeps getting stronger. Might leave that out of the next batch.
Leo, our newest addition, is doing well. A miniature poodle weighing a whopping 14#, I hope to have him trained by the time I’m ready for my next knee to be a recovery partner. Bella, the greyhound, is useful for that role, but having a little fur ball to rub and scratch is going to be amazing for sure.
Knee wise, while not perfect, it is still a far cry better than the “original equipment”. The left knee has been holding its own but makes terrible noises. I believe I will hold out for a late January timeframe to have it done. I think I’m going to get my trike tuned up and give the bike path a try in July. Unfortunately, we are uphill in both directions to the bike path, so I’ll have to load it up in the truck and haul it to an entry point. Riding on a paved path will be much easier than around our property. I am having a gear shifting problem that I think a good tune up will fix.
Medically, I got sick last Thursday with sore throat and cough. Quickly turned into a sinus infection. Sunday, I went to the walk in clinic and they swabbed me for Covid. Yep, you got it, Covid! What was eerie is it was the same room where I got diagnosed with Covid in January of 21 and darn near died from it. Instead of a NP or a PA, I met the most amazing DO who seen the fear in my eyes and took a long time to explain that Covid had evolved and what I have now isn’t the same as what I had before. He was totally correct, feel poorly, but without the drop in O2 sats, and pulmonary embolisms I had the first time. Slowly getting better. My bride took a home test and while she has a cold, tested negative for Covid, thank goodness!
I am still working on finding a funding source or partnership for my “plaques for hero’s” project. I think I’m going to simply start with self funding and see where it takes me.
I did get to “help out” at the sheriff’s office by serving BBQ during a competition a few weeks ago. I did well and it was great seeing friends and interacting with the public was good for the soul. I may try to make a triumphant return soon, but I’ll play that by ear.
Well my friends, that is all I know. Thanks to @Jtmav for his subliminal message that I needed to do an update. Going to try and enjoy the delightful day with lower temperatures and humidity today. Take care everyone and God Bless!
Ugh! Covid, we seem to be done with COVID but COVID isn’t done with us. Hope you recover quickly. Great to read your update, hang in there and I wasn’t intentionally guilting you but glad you checked back in. Stay strong and get better soon. Love the pooch picture.
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So sorry to read about your illness. That was a serious case you dealt with in January 2021! It had to be a frightening time for both you and your wife. Thankfully this go round is not as severe. Lifting a prayer you feel better soon. Hopefully your furry bud is watching out for you and staying close. Take good care!
@jakemedic
@jakemedic
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jakemedic
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Hello my friends!
It's been since the end of June since I posted on here. Time flies I guess! Lots of things happened since June, and it's time to update.
The summer was good. Hot, dry and reasonably uneventful medical wise. I recovered from COVID well and was reasonably healthy over the summer. I did manage to put a number of miles on my recumbent trike along our bike path. I smile every time I ride that, it is so enjoyable, and with my new right knee makes it even better.
I am toying with putting an electric assist on my trike. That way, I could ride to the bike path instead of loading it into my truck for a trip to the trail head.
Our garden produced tons of tomatoes, peppers, a couple of watermelon and some winter squash. My bride planted potatoes for the first time. They were small, but oh so good!
As you may remember, we have adopted retired racing greyhounds for nearly 25 yrs. My last girl Bella crossed the rainbow bridge the end of September. She was diagnosed with bone cancer (quite common in greyhounds) in mid July. I quickly decided to provide hospice care only to her (we had been down that path before unfortunately). I put aside everything I possibly could to spend as much time with her as possible. She was my buddy, and was never too far away. It really rocked me, more than I thought it would. But it wasn't goodbye, rather till I see her, and those who went before her again.
About the time we put Bella down, we had an opportunity to "foster" a berndoodle whose owners were attempting to return to the breeder. They reported she wasn't happy where she was. Well, foster really means she found her forever home. Callie is such a sweet girl and brings so much joy alongside Leo the mini poodle. What is ironic is they had a litter of pups together and I really believe they remembered each other. I attached a picture of her to this post. She has the most amazing eyes. She communicates with them. I just love her!
My ladies (chickens) are doing well. Their egg production has dropped off some with the change of seasons. Their coop and run looked like they had a pillow fight. I didn't realize they shed all their feathers in the fall and get new for winter. They were pretty sorry looking for a month or so.
My left knee sounds TERRIBLE. Somewhat painful, but for now I am tolerating it. My new knee is rock solid. My only complaint is I can tell when weather is moving in. The knee gets sore and stiff some. Still, way better than the original equipment knee, that much I will say. I would also say if anyone is reading my thread trying to decide on getting a knee replacement, just "do it". I am almost ashamed at how long I waited. Ladders are still not my friend and I plan out going in the basement so I can do everything I need to do in one trip.
My plan was to get medical clearance in December for a January knee replacement. We set it up at the 6 month visit. Today, I received a phone call that my surgeon had to take an emergency leave and was unable to see me in December. So I have an appointment with his PA for next week to see how it will affect my plans. I may have to either postpone the surgery, or travel to the University of Iowa, 70 miles away to maybe have the hope of staying on track. My stepson is getting married at the end of April in CT. My wife wants to go (obviously) and we were timing my surgery so I would be able to be alone by the end of April. With 2 dogs and a dozen chickens, there really isn't a good solution to go with her. Guess I will find out more next week.
Anyway, I will post again with a game plan once I see the PA on Wednesday. I hope everyone is doing well. Take care and God Bless!
Jake
It's been since the end of June since I posted on here. Time flies I guess! Lots of things happened since June, and it's time to update.
The summer was good. Hot, dry and reasonably uneventful medical wise. I recovered from COVID well and was reasonably healthy over the summer. I did manage to put a number of miles on my recumbent trike along our bike path. I smile every time I ride that, it is so enjoyable, and with my new right knee makes it even better.
I am toying with putting an electric assist on my trike. That way, I could ride to the bike path instead of loading it into my truck for a trip to the trail head. Our garden produced tons of tomatoes, peppers, a couple of watermelon and some winter squash. My bride planted potatoes for the first time. They were small, but oh so good!
As you may remember, we have adopted retired racing greyhounds for nearly 25 yrs. My last girl Bella crossed the rainbow bridge the end of September. She was diagnosed with bone cancer (quite common in greyhounds) in mid July. I quickly decided to provide hospice care only to her (we had been down that path before unfortunately). I put aside everything I possibly could to spend as much time with her as possible. She was my buddy, and was never too far away. It really rocked me, more than I thought it would. But it wasn't goodbye, rather till I see her, and those who went before her again.
About the time we put Bella down, we had an opportunity to "foster" a berndoodle whose owners were attempting to return to the breeder. They reported she wasn't happy where she was. Well, foster really means she found her forever home. Callie is such a sweet girl and brings so much joy alongside Leo the mini poodle. What is ironic is they had a litter of pups together and I really believe they remembered each other. I attached a picture of her to this post. She has the most amazing eyes. She communicates with them. I just love her!
My ladies (chickens) are doing well. Their egg production has dropped off some with the change of seasons. Their coop and run looked like they had a pillow fight. I didn't realize they shed all their feathers in the fall and get new for winter. They were pretty sorry looking for a month or so.
My left knee sounds TERRIBLE. Somewhat painful, but for now I am tolerating it. My new knee is rock solid. My only complaint is I can tell when weather is moving in. The knee gets sore and stiff some. Still, way better than the original equipment knee, that much I will say. I would also say if anyone is reading my thread trying to decide on getting a knee replacement, just "do it". I am almost ashamed at how long I waited. Ladders are still not my friend and I plan out going in the basement so I can do everything I need to do in one trip.
My plan was to get medical clearance in December for a January knee replacement. We set it up at the 6 month visit. Today, I received a phone call that my surgeon had to take an emergency leave and was unable to see me in December. So I have an appointment with his PA for next week to see how it will affect my plans. I may have to either postpone the surgery, or travel to the University of Iowa, 70 miles away to maybe have the hope of staying on track. My stepson is getting married at the end of April in CT. My wife wants to go (obviously) and we were timing my surgery so I would be able to be alone by the end of April. With 2 dogs and a dozen chickens, there really isn't a good solution to go with her. Guess I will find out more next week.
Anyway, I will post again with a game plan once I see the PA on Wednesday. I hope everyone is doing well. Take care and God Bless!
Jake
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Great report!
Sorry your surgeon may be out of action for your second surgery. Hope you can find a solution that works with the timing you need.
Sorry your surgeon may be out of action for your second surgery. Hope you can find a solution that works with the timing you need.
Thanks for the update, @jakemedic. It's great to read that the new knee is doing so well.
I'm sorry for the loss of your beloved Bella -- but happy that you found Callie to love.
Keep us posted on your surgical plans. Here's hoping you can get it scheduled soon.
I'm sorry for the loss of your beloved Bella -- but happy that you found Callie to love.
Keep us posted on your surgical plans. Here's hoping you can get it scheduled soon.
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jakemedic
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I trust the Ortho Department at the University of Iowa. I got 2 hips from them in 2008. They literally saved my life. Pain from AVN was horrific. I just may give them a call ahead of my PA appointment to see how far out they are booked. Actually, that is a great idea. Thanks for the help with it.
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Hey there Jake!
It's nice to see an update from you after all this time. So sorry for your loss of Bella.
Callie is adorable! May you have many years with her as your close companion.
It's especially true for patients with arthritic joints who have not had a joint replacement, but also the case even after you have a new prosthetic in place.
Weather changes are predicted by changes in barometric pressure, which is the weight of the air pressing against the earth's surface. These changes can trigger pain and stiffness in the area of the prosthesis. The activity of bone adapting and growing around the metal leads to the sensitivity felt during weather and pressure changes. These sensations normally disappear within one to two years following surgery.
Wising you a happy holiday season and many blessings in 2025!
It's nice to see an update from you after all this time. So sorry for your loss of Bella.
Callie is adorable! May you have many years with her as your close companion.
You can feel weather changes in your joint -
It's especially true for patients with arthritic joints who have not had a joint replacement, but also the case even after you have a new prosthetic in place.
Weather changes are predicted by changes in barometric pressure, which is the weight of the air pressing against the earth's surface. These changes can trigger pain and stiffness in the area of the prosthesis. The activity of bone adapting and growing around the metal leads to the sensitivity felt during weather and pressure changes. These sensations normally disappear within one to two years following surgery.
Wising you a happy holiday season and many blessings in 2025!
OP
OP
jakemedic
member
Hello and Merry Christmas!
I am doing well. The “new knee” is rocking right along. I am very happy that I did surgery almost 11 months ago. I met with a “new” orthopedic surgeon just after my last post. While he was a nice enough, I prefer the surgeon who did my first knee. It is believed he will be back in the first half of 2025. My “old” knee is sore, incredibly noisy, but holding its own. I did get dental clearance, but for now I think I am going to hold out for a while. I am enjoying being active and mentally, I don’t feel ready to be laid up 3 months. That time will come, and I believe I will simply wake up one day and say “it’s time” and schedule. I’m told from time I decide, there will be typically a 1-1.5 month lead time. For now, I’m going to wait.
I want to wish everyone a safe, happy and prosperous new year.
God Bless!
Jake
I am doing well. The “new knee” is rocking right along. I am very happy that I did surgery almost 11 months ago. I met with a “new” orthopedic surgeon just after my last post. While he was a nice enough, I prefer the surgeon who did my first knee. It is believed he will be back in the first half of 2025. My “old” knee is sore, incredibly noisy, but holding its own. I did get dental clearance, but for now I think I am going to hold out for a while. I am enjoying being active and mentally, I don’t feel ready to be laid up 3 months. That time will come, and I believe I will simply wake up one day and say “it’s time” and schedule. I’m told from time I decide, there will be typically a 1-1.5 month lead time. For now, I’m going to wait.
I want to wish everyone a safe, happy and prosperous new year.
God Bless!
Jake
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Hi there!!!! Great to see you pop in!!!!
My newer knee hit 18 months recently and my earlier new knee hits two years next month. I posted some notable milestones recently - hamstring curls and quad extensions are at 90# each, getting ready to increase; leg press at 190# at my most recent gym visit. I figure it's ok for a near septuagenarian who is still actively building muscle. And just today...
How's your bride and your flock of gals? Best to all for the holidays!
My newer knee hit 18 months recently and my earlier new knee hits two years next month. I posted some notable milestones recently - hamstring curls and quad extensions are at 90# each, getting ready to increase; leg press at 190# at my most recent gym visit. I figure it's ok for a near septuagenarian who is still actively building muscle. And just today...
How's your bride and your flock of gals? Best to all for the holidays!
