Hi @BionicBob, I'm the one who had both kneecaps removed. The first one in '91, the 2nd. one in 93. It was rough going, with the recovery almost as bad as the total knee replacement. The only real difference I have from those having kneecaps is that my quads are weaker and I can't stoop. Of course, kneeling is totally out, too. But, otherwise it's not too much different. You are welcome to read my recovery thread. It might interest you to know that after all my 11 knee surgeries I never took PT or did exercises. I just used my knees the way God intended them to be used. I took care of myself, house, yard and my cats. That's all the rehab I needed.
You will be fine waiting for your dog. Just make sure you have your walker with you. Just be sure to go back and ice and elevate as soon as your dog is back in. I was alone after my surgery and was still able to take care of 13 rescued cats. You'll be fine with one dog!
There are two types of cartilage in the knee. The articular cartilage that covers the bone ends and the meniscii which are commonly referred to when one has a torn cartilage. The meniscii might be intact but the articular cartilage is inevitably damaged because that is what arthritis is! And when it gets bad enough and the bone is exposed, that's what we call 'bone-on-bone" arthritis.
I take it that by 'empty compartments' you are referring to the removal of the meniscus? This isn't really the issue though damaged or removed meniscii are often present in arthritis and may even have been a precursor to it, the actual arthritic changes occur in the articular cartilage as in the bottom image.
Oh dear - that's what we call a "how long is a piece of string" question! But generally, I would expect anyone to be able to stand for 5 minutes within the first week. However, if it's just watching your dog while she's in the garden, couldn't you have a chair or a stool by the door?
Thanks for chiming in sistersinhim. It does indeed sound like it was a rough recovery. I did start reading your recovery thread, haven't gotten through it all yet.
Thanks for the quick lesson and the memory jog as well. I remember my ortho Dr explaining some of what you said when I asked him: why, after 19 yrs did my knee decide to act up again. He mentioned the bone cartilage finally wore off and now it was bone on bone...or something similar to that.
The empty compartments term was actually from the OS medical report: "The findings of significant end-stage degenerative joint disease were most marked in the medial and patellofemoral compartments. There was a varus attitude. There was a complete loss of the articular cartilages in the medial compartment."
in the garden??? Bite your tongue my dear woman
I'd never let her... Actually she's trained to go in a specific area on the other side of the driveway, by the wood line. Don't need to deal with 'land mines' from a GSD when cutting the grass. And the Mrs would have a fit if she left a surprise in her garden
Oh my goodness...forgot about all the litter boxes. Did you actually have 13 boxes? Or did they share?...my ignorance about raising cats is showing
I was a little slow on the uptake...knowing I'll have to get up to feed and get water for her besides letting her out will motivate me to do so. Probably be tough the first couple days I'm sure. But after i get through the initial stages of recovery and understanding what I can tolerate(#1 priority), the few mins of walking will do me good as well.
Oh dear!Bite your tongue my dear woman
Heaven forfend!I knew that! :cool:
I should have known that you knew what it was. :smile2:
I don't use the standard litter boxes, I use large storage tubs for them. They also have a cat door to the porch and one to the outside. Some of them prefer to 'go' outside, which is good for me because they bury their 'stuff'! Inside, I have 4 big tubs on the screened in porch and 1 in my bathroom for my 21 year old to use since she doesn't go out on the porch. Having 13 isn't as bad as it sounds. The worst part is the expenses. They all are fixed and get their shots every year. Of course, one or two of them might get sick and need extra vet care. God has always provided a way for me to afford to care for them!
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