Knee replacement

[bobpratl]

I have a new Knee joint.
It's stiff and sore but already has a wider range of motion than the original one.
I forgot to ask the Doc about getting pieces of bone for making moonshine.

I had a knee replaced a little over a year ago and now it's better than it has been for the last 15 years, no pain and now I can balance on one leg.
It took me another 5 month before it was pain free, but it took another 3 months before I could sleep on my side without pain. Sleeping on my back was no problem but not my preference. Good luck and I hope that you get a fast recovery.

[Dougmatt]

Great news! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[Stonecutter]

Glad you’re doing better and on the mend Shady. In my experience those side chicks don’t stick around too long without constant attention ya better rehab fast so you can get down the road to see her

[bilgriss]

Great news. My own repair was about three weeks ago, and going well. It'll be a while before I hit normal, but headed in the right direction. I'll race you....soon!

[HDNB]

good to hear youre on the mend!

[shadylane]

I have a new Knee joint.
It's stiff and sore but already has a wider range of motion than the original one.
I forgot to ask the Doc about getting pieces of bone for making moonshine.

Oh shit. the nerve block wore off.

[bobpratl]

Oh shit. the nerve block wore off.

I feel your pain.

[Yonder]

Tylenol, whiskey, and love.

[Dradas]

I've been putting it off for years but can't put it off much longer. Guess, it's time to getter done.
This isn't what I want but my right knee can't straighten out, bend or bear weight. The Doc looked at the x-rays and said "damn I've never seen anything that bad, can I show this to other folks". Guess that's not a good sign from a 60+yr old orthopedic surgeon. On top of other medical issues, I'm getting too old for this shit.

I feel your pain. I also had to get a knee replacement surgery after years of suffering from arthritis. It was not an easy decision, but I’m glad I did it. The surgery was not as bad as I expected, and the recovery was manageable with some physical therapy and painkillers. Now I can walk, climb stairs, and even dance without any problems. My knee feels like new, and I have a better quality of life. Don’t be afraid of the surgery, it’s worth it. You’re not too old for this, you’re just getting started.

[Saltbush Bill]

Hows the knee doing Shady ?

[shadylane]

It's already got a wider range of motion than it did before the surgery.
My foot and ankle are black and blue and hurts worse than the knee does.
They must have used my foot for leverage to twist everything into alignment.
A close friend just had both knees done at the same time.

[NormandieStill]

It's already got a wider range of motion than it did before the surgery.
My foot and ankle are black and blue and hurts worse than the knee does.
They must have used my foot for leverage to twist everything into alignment.
A close friend just had both knees done at the same time.

My dad had an emergency hip replacement last year. I was thoroughly impressed by the bruising (although he'd just broken it so that didn't help) and by the fact that he was out of his bed and walking with a frame the same day.

I'm hoping that they fit motors as standard when I get to that point. Comic books promised hover cars when I was a kid and they never materialised. But I'm holding out for bionic joints dammit!

[shadylane]

Update.
I can bend my knee much better than before but straightening it out to less than 20 degrees isn't good.
That makes walking very far kinda problematic. Basically, the same as before the knee replacement.
No big thing, I've got several generations of offspring nearby and trained to go fetch me a beer.

Now I'm battling with the Veterans Administration to get additional physical therapy before the range of motion problem becomes permanent or gets worst.

[bobpratl]

Update.
I can bend my knee much better than before but straightening it out to less than 20 degrees isn't good.
That makes walking very far kinda problematic. Basically, the same as before the knee replacement.
No big thing, I've got several generations of offspring nearby and trained to go fetch me a beer.

Now I'm battling with the Veterans Administration to get additional physical therapy before the range of motion problem becomes permanent or gets worst.

What helped me was an exercise bike that I was doing about 15-30 minutes per day. Right now, my knee movement is much better than before the replacement and I am still using the bike.

[shadylane]

What helped me was an exercise bike that I was doing about 15-30 minutes per day. Right now, my knee movement is much better than before the replacement and I am still using the bike.

+1 on Peddling
Only thing that bothers me is after 10minutes of torture the display only says I burned 50 calories.
Hells fire, that means I can't have any catchup on my 1 french fry.

[Saltbush Bill]

Fetching your own beer also helps with rehabilitation after such events.
Not saying that as a smart arse Shady, those who have met me in person know I've got more busted and wonky bits than the average person.

[Yummyrum]

Fetching your own beer also helps with rehabilitation after such events.
Not saying that as a smart arse Shady, those who have met me in person know I've got more busted and wonky bits that the average person.

What he said ….. and talk about wonky

Not really Salty

Hey glad to hear you are on the mend Shady and the youngn’s have your back …. And so should

[bobpratl]

+1 on Peddling
Only thing that bothers me is after 10minutes of torture the display only says I burned 50 calories.
Hells fire, that means I can't have any catchup on my 1 french fry.

I was told, by my Physical Trainer, to adjust the seat lower, which causes more flex, and adjust the bike for high resistance.
My bike has settings 1-8 and I have mine on #6 which feels like a 15° grade. Keep it moving before it takes a set.

[LWTCS]

I have a new Knee joint.
It's stiff and sore but already has a wider range of motion than the original one.
I forgot to ask the Doc about getting pieces of bone for making moonshine.

Nice.
I'm curious to see once you are able to bear full weight how that will affect your hips.

[shadylane]

I'm curious to see once you are able to bear full weight how that will affect your hips.

One step at a time, my hips have already been hurting for awhile.
Right now, the upper thigh muscles are competing with my lower thigh trying to decide who is going to give up first and let my knee extent. Looks like I might be winning.

[shadylane]

Knee is doing much better.

Has anyone in the US had to deal with the Veterans Administration?
If so, you probably know what I'm talking about.
By the rules, a Veteran getting a service connected total knee replacement, will receive a temporary 100% VA disability for the first four months post-surgery and then will be re-evaluated. After that the "minimum" disability rating will be 30% for that knee.

Just got a letter from the VA.
They said 2 months @ 100% after that a 10% rating. What the fuck.

I've been down in the dumps and feeling sorry for myself after surgery. The chronic pain + depression shit. This is just what I needed, to get me motivated and declare war.

[Tōtōchtin]

My last post here my knees would be sore after walking on the beach. Now 4 months later its really hard just to let the dog out. Have a MRI scheduled next month which will give me a chance to bring down the rest of my orders so I can finish my still. Falling apart like a cheap watch...
Tōtō

[Yonder]

Knee is doing much better.

Has anyone in the US had to deal with the Veterans Administration?
If so, you probably know what I'm talking about.
By the rules, a Veteran getting a service connected total knee replacement, will receive a temporary 100% VA disability for the first four months post-surgery and then will be re-evaluated. After that the "minimum" disability rating will be 30% for that knee.

Just got a letter from the VA.
They said 2 months @ 100% after that a 10% rating. What the fuck.

I've been down in the dumps and feeling sorry for myself after surgery. The chronic pain + depression shit. This is just what I needed, to get me motivated and declare war.

Yeah, going thru it now. They have a strange way a looking at things. Go thru a representative or lawyer. Its worth it! Texas, for example, has a whole department to help vets navigate the fed. Seek out a Legion or DAV service officer if you can’t get State help.

[bobpratl]

Knee is doing much better.

Has anyone in the US had to deal with the Veterans Administration?
If so, you probably know what I'm talking about.
By the rules, a Veteran getting a service connected total knee replacement, will receive a temporary 100% VA disability for the first four months post-surgery and then will be re-evaluated. After that the "minimum" disability rating will be 30% for that knee.

I had a full knee replacement, a year and a half ago, at the VA in New England, and I did not have any problems. Mine was Non-Service related and I had very little out of the pocket expensive. The only problem was that it took 6 months before I could walk with little discomfort and a full year before I had no pain and able to get a full night's sleep. It was not a piece-of-cake like a lot of people said it was.

[bilgriss]

Six months to a year is my experience in a "full" recovery from any surgery, unless you are young.

But the good news is that while along that path, it gets a little better every day.

[shadylane]

I met an 80ish year old lady at physical therapy.
The staples hadn't been removed yet and she walked in without a cane or limp.
I thought about challenging her to an exercise bicycle race, but my ego couldn't handle getting beat by a gray haired little old lady. If my friends had ever heard about it, I would have been in trouble.

[Yonder]

Six months to a year is my experience in a "full" recovery from any surgery, unless you are young.

But the good news is that while along that path, it gets a little better every day.

Having had a total hip and a total shoulder, I’ve gotta call you out on that one bil. I was up and down stairs the next day on my new hip, a few weeks pain free and walking like a champ. Six weeks on the shoulder and the doc lifted all restrictions. Get physical therapy. Follow instructions and work for it. The results are worth it. I’m the fricken bionic man! ‘Course I actually looked at the shoulder bill, what they sent to insurance… $446,000. Christ!

[bilgriss]

That's amazing, and awesome! I wish this for everyone.

[shadylane]

Yeah, going thru it now. They have a strange way a looking at things. Go thru a representative or lawyer. Its worth it! Texas, for example, has a whole department to help vets navigate the fed. Seek out a Legion or DAV service officer if you can’t get State help.

Got with the Veterans service rep.
Looks like the problem is due to the VA using the wrong code number while figuring things out.
That's good, because I can blame them and they will have to make things right in a month or two.
Otherwise, the minimum waiting time before the VA gets around to doing anything is currently 129 days.


Damn glad I'm secure enough that money isn't critical.
Wait times and Uncle Sams mistakes could be a killer for younger Vet's with a family.

[Yonder]

My wait time was/is fairly minimal. Actually less than trying to get an appointment with my civvie doctor. Healthcare in this country has gone to hell since the government decided they could help us out. Still better than elsewhere tho’.