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PKR Right knee 9/24...so far so good...

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At a touch after 4 months and thought I would update. Knee continues to improve, and the swelling continues to go down, muscles are starting to poke back out again. Still doing trainer 3 times a week, we are starting to get more into regular exercises with the knee (although still working on ROM as well). Locking the knee is still a few degrees from happening, but still working on it. Stairs are still an issue, going up is more of a hoist instead of a controlled step, and down is just a mess. The doctor said the last 20% would be another year and I believe her.

The knee gets stiff after a lot of sitting, be it at the desk or in the car. Using the treadmill desk more, but still limited to about 2 miles (or less) a day. Doing 30 to 45 minutes of recumbent bike in the morning as well, the treadmill more after breakfast. Will hit the elliptical for 15 to 20 minutes at some point during the day if I get time. Stamina is starting to slowly get better. Getting up from the floor is slowly getting better as well, especially since I am trying to do it at least once a day. It helps considerably to have something to hold onto, but I am getting there when free standing as well.

Those are all the mechanics of it. While I will occasionally curse the knee, I have remained in high spirits. Things are already much better than when I went in for surgery and they keep a slow, and steady improvement. Certainly not as fast as I might like, but the slope of the line is positive, not negative. As long as improvement, however slowly, happens, how can you complain? I spent a long time not getting better any at all after the accident, and this is much preferable. Sometime in the future I can see the walk from Fisherman's Warf to the Golden Gate again. That is a walk I plan to do soon, just as soon as I am able.
 
So glad to hear you are doing well. I am for weeks out today with a brand new conformis partial. We spoke earlier but to remind you this is my ninth knee surgery. They were trying to preserve it with cadaver which failed being only 44. So far things are great. Off pain meds for three weeks but living on Motrin. Swelling has gone down a lot since I received clearance to take the Motrin last Friday. I can cook again and ride a stationary bike for three miles no resistance yet. Having a problem getting my range of motion past 95. Doc thinks I might have scar tissue between the joint that is getting pinched because every time I try to do range I get severe pain that sends me flying. I managed to go grocery shopping for an hour the other day but was ready to get home for sure. My patience is getting short. I thank you for posting your results so far it put me back in my place...lol
 
Ok, at number 9 I might be having problems with my usually sunny disposition. However, I will say that as long as there is a path forward and to improvement, I am good. It's when they say "That's as good as it's going to get" that I would be a bit peeved. At 4 months out, I am well satisfied with the surgery and with the results so far. If this was the endpoint, I might be muttering a bit, but it's still better than where I was.

But, with (at least) another year to go on the recovery, I am quite positive about it. I still think of my knee a lot, about what I am doing with it (especially when I get out of a car after a long trip and it reminds me it isn't ready for full duty yet), but it has already fallen out of the top 5 things I am thinking about through the day.

Can't wait for it to drop out of the top 20....
 
I had hoped to give a 6 month report, but real life intruded a bit. So here I am at 6 and a half. I type this as I am walking on the treadmill desk at 2.5mph, with 2 miles just fading in the rearview mirror and 3 miles yet to come over the horizon. At 4 months, 2 miles was a bit of a trial, at 6 months, 3 is less of one (it's more trouble getting the time than doing the walk). I went down a flight of stairs last week, still holding onto the banister, but not wincing on every step. Long trips in the car are still a bit of a problem getting up and out afterwards, but less every time and I am starting to notice that the left knee also complains. These complaints had been, in the past, drowned out by the right, but are now becoming audible as the screams from the right go to mere shouts.

One of the main things I am fighting now is the return of stamina. The mechanics of walking, standing and sitting are (for the most part) settling in, but I find myself puffing a bit at the slightest overexertion. I suspect that is, in part, because I had been limiting the speeds I was training at. That is now in the trash, I am pushing the speeds higher (although not yet to my pre-surgical ones). New problems are all good ones to have, for instance I have found the knee is really strange about trying pushups (the muscles couldn't hold it locked and it started about a 3 inch oscillation between locked and bent). Of course, like a lot of the people here, as you recover from one thing something else decided to rear it's head. Going back to Mayo soon for some discussions with their cardiology department, it is possible that a family heart problem has passed onto me as well (thanks Dad). But, just something else to fix.

The knee hasn't dropped out of the top 20 yet, but it is certainly out of the top 10, and most of my thoughts now are more about recovery training than the actual knee. Still Icing occasionally, but not very many bad days. I foresee at least 1 year of recovery left, and add at least 1 setback at some point and this could be a multi-year process. Well, actually, it already has been when you consider the year I spent trying to get better after the initial accident.

Bring it on. I ain't going anywhere that I ain't walkin to.
 
You sound like you are doing great! Way to go!


RTKR - 9th December, 2013
 
Just thought I would check back in with an 18 month update. The knee is just amazing. I am going up and down 4 flights of stairs without issue, I can and am walking 4 miles a day at 3 mph while typing on the walking desk. I can get in and out of the Miata without issue (although it is now my wife's car, I have gotten used to the bigger BMW coupe). Getting down and up off the floor is a bit of a trial, but I have done it with nothing to hold onto, and the tub is no issue at all. Stamina is still picking back up, I am still doing 3 workouts a week with my trainer, but we have almost moved away from the knee onto more general exercises. My heart issue turned out to be a bicuspid valve, a totally different problem than my father had. In the last 10 months though, my heart function has gone from 36 whatevers to 28 whatevers, which the Dr told me was probably as good as it would get and quite good for someone of my age. Thus the stamina regain is documented. My current plan is to press to 5 miles a day and limit it there, as I don't want to wear the durn knee out prematurely. I would, though, say that 2 years for a complete recovery is probably about right. Four flights of stairs was only possible in the last 2 months.

On the other hand, I am not cutting the knee any slack. I will start riding my bike again this spring, and this summer (if the FAA concurs, something I am back at Mayo now to find out) I am looking at getting a Warbird. I have always wanted one and I am not getting any younger. The knee is not even a consideration (retractable gear, now THAT is a consideration). I plan on using this knee up in it's own time and getting something better when it is done. When I look back on how I agonized over the surgery, I cannot believe how well it came out. The sky is the limit (and with 1000+ HP, maybe not even that).

I wanted to update folks and say thank you again for the support in some of the darkest hours (typically 3am). This place answered my questions when I had them, told me it was normal when I was worried and supported my spirits when they were low. It's the best of the internet. I'll be back for the next one.
 
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Great to hear how well you're doing. :friends:
 
@cheetahdriver ... sorry I'm just not reading your wonderful update! Boy, this is what we hope for in every case of joint replacement surgery. You are doing so well and we'll always enjoy hearing more from you!
 
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