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Pre surgery TKR and bow legs

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Appy

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Hi
New here, schedualed for my first knee to be replaced Nov30
I have put off knee replacement for a long time, mainly because of fear, not just of the surgery but how it will affect my life with horses
Over the years my legs have become quite bowed, but at the same time the pain has become more confined to just when I walk,esp on hard ground .
At one time they were painful at night, but now they seldom bother me when sleeping or sitting down
I am still able to ride without much pain, exception being when I post riding English
I do need a mounting block, often just in the form of ground advantage. I also do all of the chores, lift hay bales, clean stalls etc.
Both knees are bone on bone, and the fear exists that further procrastination will result in a possible wheel chair future. I have put off knee replacement two year in a row
Now that I have an actual surgical date, I have made an appt with the OS, at the ninth hour, so to speak, to ask questions that should have been asked a long time ago
If I needed to make a choice between riding, caring for my horses and living with the existing pain between having the replacements and being limited in what i can do physically,, I would chose the former.
At the same time, the amount of bow to my legs rather over shadows the decison based on one will know by the level of pain when it is the right time to have the replacements`, rather than by x-rays alone``
I am rambling, as my mind is a jumble of indecision!
I no no one can make the decison for me, but all insight will be very much appreciated!
 
I can understand your thoughts on this. I am a ski instructor--last year, I could still ski but I noticed that my left leg was becoming more and more bowed. Finally, I could not ski well on my left leg--if I moved onto it, I would slide off to the outside.

Now, I really did not have that much pain---I have been an athlete most of my life, so pushing pain away has become a life style. Two years ago, I fell and broke my finger--I ripped a tendon off the bone---I finished my hike and never even mentioned to the people that i was with (my sone and his wife) that my hand hurt like hell and blazes!!!

So, obviously, pain would never take me to the operating room---especially in view of the fact that it was at least three weeks before I could do anything at all--my life was on hold while I dealt with pain and swelling and most of all, lack of energy. I laid around a lot with my leg up--then went to pt and then went back to bed with my leg up. I would get up, make dinner and then eat in bed!!! I hated the lack of energy.

My kneeis more stable now than it has been for quite a while. I think I will ski better on it. Today my OS told me that my right knee is also bone on bone and is also bowing out--and this time, I decided to wait until pain drove me back to his office.

I knew both knees were bad, but I would never have both done at once--I was worried that a complication would push back the progress on both legs. I am glad that I did not do that. However, after one leg--I am not in any hurry whatsoever to do the other. I also like my life and don't want to give up any parts of it. the new knee will have less pain--which is what drives many people to the doctor's office--but it is not a real knee. I think you will be able to ride--especially if you are like me--I would find a way to ride(ski) even if I have to change my technique to do so. for the rest of your life--lifting up hay bales, raking up poop, cleaning horses, etc--that all seems totally possible to me. So, take a different tack--you will ride--somehow--and you can do all of the other stuff with the fake knee---so, don't let the knee change your life. Keep on going and doing what you love.

that is my attitude--in 37 days I will be skiing again!!! This summer I could not play golf without pain--but, I could hike and did even do a 15 mile hike with some friends. I could bike, I could walk the dog his three mile stroll every day. I did almost no gardening--too hard--and very little housework (no interest there!!) I miss golf and am confidant that I will play this summer.

The other fake knee? I will put it off until I cannot carry on with my life---I am not really worried about ending up in a wheeled chair---I will get the fake knee before then--but not now!!!! Kelly
!
 
Hi, Appy! Welcome to BoneSmart. So glad you decided to join us. We'll be here for whatever support you need in the days leading up to your surgery and aferwards in recovery.

I agree with Kelly....I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much of the things you like to do with your horses will be possible with your new knee. There will be a period of recovery, of course, and you will need to prepare for that. If you read through some of the old recovery threads here, you'll get a feel for what recovery is like. Everyone heals differently and it can take several months for you to get back to feeling somewhat normal. Six months is not uncommon and some healing even continues into the first year or two in some people. But the reward of getting the life you love back is worth it.

Do some reading here...chat with some of our members, and I think you'll feel better about your decision. It's a good one.
 
Thanks, Jamie and Kelly.
I can handle working through pain, but it is the 20% statistic of unfavorable outcome that has me worried
I also can keep going through pain, like you , Kelly, it is part of my lifestyle also (hense, also, unfortunately the knees!) Broke six ribs several years ago in a freak accident riding a colt
Actually it was hubby's fault! I has been riding this colt in my outdoor arena, but since he was quiet, and i had started several full siblings, decided to ride him back to the barn. On the way we passed a barrel on it's side (hubby's black bear bait barrel ), and the colt spooked abit. I just urged him up to it, leaned foreward , giving him lots of rein so he could get his head down for a sniff, when hubby decided to slam the back door letting the cat in. Horse couldn't jump forewards, as the corral was there, so spun and took a giant leap, throwing me off balance as I was still gathering up rein.This caused a big buck and I landed on the frozen ground, breaking six ribs
Wasn't supposed to ride for at least 6 weeks, but someone came to look at ahorse we had for sale, so i got on and rode the horse, even loping him
The buyer and I have become very good friends, and she laughed when I told her I was riding in pain when I showed her the horse, as ribs had not yet healed completely
SO, yes Kelly, I understand your drive very well!
Back on topic. The recovery rate difference has also given me some concern. I personally know an older man who had his knees replaced some ten years ago. He in fact always asks me whern I plan on getting my knees fixed. Anyway, he was back on his horse six weeks after his first replacement, and rode fine for many years with both knees replaced
Then I read of people afraid to get in and out of a bath tub months or more after replacement. I just won't be able to stand being so incapacitated for that length of time. I want to be able to at least go out and watch hubby feed the horses after a month at the most
So many scary recovery stories on the net. I wish people with good outcomes that are active would post, thus assuring me somewhat that one can get an athletic life back after knee replacement.
 
appy
Everyone heals at their own rate. Some push their self and think that is the way to go. But most go backwards after a while. I don't think you will have a problem getting back on your horse but it may not be at a month.
I showed horses for years and was thrown at a horse show into a rock. Damaged my back but I got back on as soon as I could.

I can understand your love of your horses and wanting to ride. You will be able to ride again, but I don't think in a month. But who knows maybe you will. You need for sure to get it cleared with your OS.

But if you need a knee replacement, you should have it done. The pain will only get worse.
 
Appy....where in the world are you finding a statistic that says only 80% of knee replacement surgeries are successful????

I'm thinking you need to watch what you're reading on the internet. There are many, many sites and stories out there that simply have no basis in fact. The net can be both a good and bad thing.

Even here on BoneSmart, you will find an unusually large percentage of people posting that have some type of concern or problem. That is quite normal because once people get past recovery, most get busy with their new active life and just don't have the time to post here regularly. But.....you will get truth here and the truth is that problems are a very small percentage of these surgeries.

Try not to worry about your surgery. You have spent time finding a good surgeon. I'm assuming you trust him. You need to have faith and believe that life will be better if you put yourself in his capable hands.

Not having the surgery would be worrisome. When one part of your body is out of kilter like this, it eventually causes problems with other bones and muscles. We're here for you. It will be okay.

Please know that what you're going through right now....the waiting.....the second guessing your decision....is the hardest part. Almost everyone wonders if they are doing the right thing.
 
Hi Appy, where did you fine the unfavorable stastic of 20% failureand/or serious problems with TKR. In all of my research, I didn't come across that.

And when they occur , is it from underlying health problems or anything to do with weight? I am curious. and I, too, wish the more successful surgeries would be related.

It sounds, sometimes, as if there are regrets about having done the surgery, but cannot really understand if there are things that looking back, one might have done something different..and if so, what??

Jo, and Jamie..you hear and see most all of it and are in a position to know more..what is your take on the success rate??

Marquesa

It do
 
Appy,

I agree with Marquesa---I think your failure rate is too high. Here is my take on this type of surgery. If you put yourself in the best light---your weight is proportional, (you notice, I do not urge thinness which seems too strict---rather that your body is used to your weight). You are strong--good leg strengh and you are healthy---no big underlying illness---heart, diabetes, etc.

If you are strong and healthy, this surgery has a pretty high success rate--my doc used the numbers of 90% if you went in strong and healthy. also, you need to do your own homework and make sure you have a good surgeon.

This surgery is somewhat subjective---you needf someone who is good and does a lot of knees---that is why I went with 200 a year. Once I made a decision to use a knee specialist and I picked, Al, my surgeon, I went in the the surgery with very strong legs and a committment to rehab, so i just assumed that everything would work out fine. I could have had a blood clot or something like that--but, I did not.

So, Appy, don't let your fear take control of your life!! Pick a really good surgeon--spend all of your time working on getting the right surgeon and then just trust in life. If you have a complication, you will deal with it--but try to avoid the problems from a bad surgeon who puts the implant in incorrectly. Take control.

By the way, I love appaloosas--polka dots are my favorite!!!! Kelly
 
Good morning, and thanks for the positive note!
Skigirl, do you downhill ski or cross country? Once healed, do you forever fear falling?
See, part of my worry is that I will be so much more susceptable to injury, spending the rest of my life afraid that a horse might pull me sideways and damage the knee
I also need the other knee done, as both are bad. Thus I see a large part of my life taken away in a period where I am probably running out of time riding at shows, etc.
Sorry to sound so negative, but while most under take this surgery to get their life back, I see it as taking away from the life I now have
Perhaps my thinking is completely wrong, but thought i should get my fears out in the open
So, after you are healed, do you feel just as confident doing things that you now do? I guess in my case, I( probably should only ride horses that I have little chance of coming off, but horses still fall, and I've had horses fall with me, landing on a leg
I guess one must decide risk versus life style
Off to feed my equine friends.
 
My knees were both severally bowed but not after surgery. You will have fewer limitations after the surgery than before, it will take 6 months to a year for full recovery and you will be better than you ever thought.

If both knees are bad why not two at once. One surgery one recovery and you have a new lease on life.

I am at 1 year post op and cant believe the things I can do and how much not having knee pain has changed my life. you will want to ride more and enjoy it better for being pain free.
 
I have to agree with Max! If you have 2 knees that are bad...get them done at the same time! I am so happy I went that way! My surgery was 15 weeks ago and I feel like I have my life back already! It was the best decision I could have made! Good luck! You won't believe the relief you will feel after it's all done and over with! Keep us posted!
 
Hi Max
My OS will only do one knee at a time
Congratulations on feeling great after one year!
So, when you say there is so much more you can do than before, does it include physical exertion? I have read of limitations in weight when lifting. My show saddle weighs more than 40lbs. Most hay bales are between 50 and 70 lbs
I want to remain 'me'
Do you still fear to fall, or do you feel it would be no different at this point than having fallen with your 'real knees"?
I',m not talking of course, of a regular 'blue collar like job, where I'm lifting stuff on a dailey basis. Just don't want to happen that everything physical will now be left up to hubby, who still works
I like to feel that I still will be able to keep up my end, far as work around the farm and the horses.
 
3 weeks after surgery I gave my 60# 6 year old a ride on my shoulders for about a mile. I do this regularly now which is something I could not do since he was born. I have lifted and carried 90# bags of concrete, jumped from the back of my pickup etc. There are things that the DR said to avoid if I wanted the bearing to last longer such as sports that involved running, jumping etc. for extended periods. Some of the things I can do are Golf, cycling, Bowling, and the list goes on and on. The high impact sports which horse riding is not are not outlawed but will cause excess wear which would require the bearing to be replaced sooner than normal. I have no limitations at this point in my recovery, I have been pain free since 3 weeks post op. I am a big proponent of having both done at once to the point I was going to change surgeons if needed. My primary surgeon work with another surgeon in his group one was left handed the other right handed they did both at once 2.5 hour surgery both knees at once.


Good luck!
 
You will not lose 'you' - you will get you back again! The whole point of joint replacement is to give people back their lives as they want to live them. Otherwise there would be no point.

Read this thread 17 Years 5 (FIVE) Total Joint Replacements! and tell me you're still in that frame of mind. Tim is still riding even though he had a dislocation a few months back. The only limitation is your own mind/fears.
 
Hi Appy, welcome to Bonesmart. I appreciate your love of horses. Does Appy stand for Appaloosa? My niece just competed in Ft Worth, TX, in the World Appaloosa show.

Now, about knees. It is so normal to fear the surgery and worry about the time spent in recovery. Before my surgery, I was hardly motivated because I truly did not believe anything would help me, and I feared I would just be wasting my family's time and money. Both of my knees require replacement. I had the right one done 3 weeks ago, and my left will be done in 2 weeks.

I am so excited, because it worked! I have no pain in my new knee other than post-surgical swelling. I can't explain what it feels like, but that nagging terrible arthritis pain is gone, and it feels so good!

You are powering through your days on sheer grit. You will not always be able to do that, and you know it. Please just embrace the surgery and place yourself into recovery and allow yourself the joy of new knees!
The surgery is no small thing, but time passes, and before you know it, you will be back better than ever. You lead a very active life, and you can't imagine how good it feels to feel good!

I wish you every success, and hope you will seriously consider having your knees done sooner rather than later.

Here is a link to an article about how women wait much longer than men to have knee surgery.
Dont' wait-go for it!

broken link removed: https://www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q=08011101

Best wishes, Kimberly
 
Thanks for the truly inspiring stories!
I feel like such a negative person, and know that if I go into this surgery, I must feel positive. I really appreciate all the encouraging stories. Makes me feel humble!
 
Opps for got to answer your question, Kimberly. Yes, Appy stands for Appaloosa. I have raised them for over 30 years
I have enjoyed regional breed success, doing my own training, have qualified for the World Appaloosa show, but have never taken a horse there. I did go to watch the World one year, and it was actually refreshing to be at a horse show and just watch and relax
Friends of ours go quite often, although it is along haul from Alberta Canada. They show reining and working cowhorse,and have earned several World titles
One friend's horse ( EveryWhere A sign ) won the senior working cowhorse (trainer Les Timmons riding), The horse is a daughter of my old mare that I still have, and sired by High Sign Nugget.
Hubby came with me to Fort Worth that year, so I had to split my time at the show with doing some sight seeing. Worked well, and was a great holiday !
 
Appy, about your fears of a fall.....all of us who have had knee replacements have that concern....at least for a while. Most of us have ended up taking a fall at some point in recovery too. I did. I was working on my flower beds and put my foot down unevenly on the edge of a concrete sidewalk. I fell forward directly on my knee on concrete. Even though I KNEW in my mind the joint was strong and a fall like that would break my leg before breaking the joint, I still worried about it. I hurt like heck for a few days (muscles) and even went to my surgeon for an xray just to be sure. But, of course...just like everyone else I was just fine. And my knee is just fine.

So don't fear the fear....it's a normal thing. But even though you may have that concern in the back of your mind....keep the fact that your new knee will be VERY, VERY strong in the FRONT of your mind. That's what counts!

You know, you could take a fall like you describe without the knee surgery and still hurt your leg, so having a replacement doesn't increase your odds of injury in any way. It could just be that having a stronger, pain-free joint would allow you to respond more quickly in a situation so that you would NOT be hurt.

If you haven't done so....spend some time reading threads in the recovery forum. Most of our members do fine and are thrilled with their new knees.

You never did say where you heard that 80% success rate statement.....please tell me it wasn't your doctor that told you that!
 
Appy, let's if I can answer your questions--I am an alpine (downhill) ski instructor. I am an expert skier and am not used to holding back--so, I plan to ski the same way this year. I think I might be tenative at first, but I will work through it.

Falling? this summer--two months after my surgery, I hiked on the big Mountain--I live in Whitefish Montana and picked a lot of huckleberries. I fell over tree roots, slipped on bear grass and tumbled off a ledge about a 100 feet. I got scratched, dirty and tired--but I really never even thought about the knee, to be honest.

One of my best falls was this fall when I ran out of church to get something from my car--i tripped over a thingee to hold the hose and went forward at 50mph. I thought i might catch myself--but, nope, flat on my face. I rolled over and started laughing--there were about 50 people in still clean clothing to help me up.

Honestly, there are days that I hate my new fake, knee. it clunks and "taps" sometimes to beat the band. I don't like the idea of having a chunk of metal in my leg--my scar reminds me that I am 65 and no longer young. I hate what it represents. Also, as a fellow athlete, I hope you will understand me when I say that it represents weakness to me and I don't like to see myself as weak in any way. My fellow ski instructors tease me--it is a piranah pool at work---anyone with any weakness is regarded as prey. I have actually had to threaten the jerks with federal statures if they don't back off. I know they talk about me at work and expect me to be weaker this year---so, I am in the gym every day of the week.

I don't like my fake knee--but my wonderful natural knee was not doing well. The pain--I could handle, but the bowed leg was moving towards New jersey with every step!!! I could feel the instability in my skiing---my time was up. I am making peace with my own neurotic fears of weakness and old age---you will too---not because you want to do it, but because you will have to do it.

My other knee is bad too, but I would not even consider doing two at once---I think it would be very hard to get back the type of balance that we need in our lives as athletes. I feel strongly that I have struggled with balance in the gym---I now stand on top of the bosu ball (half a stability ball) and balance for at least 30 minutes a day---one leg, two legs, moving, being still---and balance is at the essence of being an athlete.

You will have to work hard too---and you will have to do one leg and then let it heal, get your balance back and then do the other. I want at least a year between my legs--you may not be able to wait that long. I lost three months of hiking and golfing this summer---at least at the level that i was used to doing it. I could do simply, 3 or 4 mile hikes at 3 months. So, pick the slow time between shows and rodeos for your surgery--you will probably need three months to rehab in the gym, which is very time consuming and to rest your leg. I am sure you will be able to ride before then--but not at peak form. I dragged myself to the mountains, partly because I love them so much and they are "the source of my strength". If I could only hike for 1 mile--I just got out there and did it. The next week, I could go 1.5 miles.

Recovery is slow--the first two weeks are hell--so much inactivity. But, you will need to ice and rest much of the time.

and BE Sure that you have a knee specialist--someone who does 200 knees per year---you cannot afford the guy who does 50 a year and maybe does not line them up exactly correctly. You are an athlete--insist on a knee specialist.

You can doit---what are your options after all? You will hate the surgery, the rehab and the inactivity. It will be hard to get back to your level of riding---but, I bet your riding is suffering from those weird knees anyway---isn't it? It is hard to keep up and be the aging athlete--talk to me about it or surfsister--( who is surfing every day!!) both of us moan to one another about doing lunges and working out to find our way back to peak performance. I am not worried about skiing this winter--I know myself, I will be attacking that powder the minute it falls from the sky!!!

Last week, I hiked up the mountain (3 miles, 2500 feet of elevation) with my skis and boots in my backpack and skied about half a run--and then had to hike out of there!!! Then, back down the mountain. I loved it!!! It was so much fun, I love sliding on snow and I was tired but happy at the end of the day. Kelly
 
Very impressed by you all.

About the balance though, I had bilaterals, have had no balance problems during my recovery...well specifically more into it. I went straight from walker to nothing at 4 weeks. So anyway, I'm not sure if bilateral surgery would be a factor in balance or not, for others and athletes.
 
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