Total...Knee....Replacement. I did it.

[Rulz]

Ok. I'm only 42, and the big question will be "but why on earth did you have to have a knee replaced so young???"...well, look around a bit and you will see other folks even younger. But to fully answer that, I would need to produce a long story....so let's just leave it at the fact that I played really hard as a young man, I have always been very muscular and a bit on the larger side, and lymphoma and the chemo that came with it did the rest...

So, now to the important shit. My right knee was bowed in like Pistol Pete. Been that way for years. I was bone on bone with what appeared to be fractures around the medial aspect of the joint, and if I tried to lock my leg strait and shift weight to it when standing, I would almost end up in the floor from the pain trying to get the bastard to break loose. Swelling. Cussing. Angry and in pain for a long time.

Anyway, the surgery was a breeze. Right lower extremity adductor block by Anesthesia and I woke up happy. Was walking 3 hours after surgery with assistance, but the block took 36 hours to fully wear off before I could fire my quadriceps and fully function. The worst part is taking a shit. While healing and especially with that block, you must be very careful whilst placing your ass square on the hopper. I almost had a nasty spill that would have ended with me staring at my new prosthetic while shit oozed into the fun little nooks and crannies of bleeding bone had I not caught myself with my right arm. I'm not even joking. The nurse was the same size as my wife at like 5 feet and 100 pounds, and handling 260 pounds of sleepy and numb jut wasn't happenin.

Was home the 3rd day, been doing good, just taking ibuprofen and doing some excercises to bust up scar tissue. I'm one week out and going back to work this morning. I hate laying on my ass. I work from home so no big deal. If anyone is putting it off, don't. Just do it. It really isn't that bad at all.

 

[purkey]

good for you rulz...how are you anticipating further activities? What do you thing you will be able to do besides just walk pain free (everything beyond that is gravy). I am a candidate down the road but right now I have no pain, just unstable (no acl or mcl). I can run and jump and all that and can still snow ski with a brace. I know when the day comes I can probably kiss all that goodbye.

 

[AC_Exotic]

My wife had the surgery in her 40s and it's been a nightmare.

6 surgeries on the same knee (2 replacements --1 partial and 1 total) and we're sitting at a specialists office right now anticipating another knee replacement.

She has other health issues such as RA that make this problematic, but I wish she had never allowed a surgeon to cut on her in the first place.

 

[Rulz]

Purkey, I haven't decided yet. I don't ski (my right ankle was bad and never stable, never trusted it since I was 25) so I don't think my activities will change much. As long as I can stand still and stabilize myself with a rifle I'm happy at this point. That was what was pissing me off before, I couldn't hold a 9 pound gun and shoot an off hand group for shit with the wobbly leg. I shoot my Henry 44-40 a lot and want to try some CASS comps, and i wouldn't have been effective before. It affected me with my 1911s....well....everything lol. It was a pure piss off.

That sucks Noname. Dammit. I do know that autoimmune conditions such as RA are hell with joint prosthetics. And honestly, who knows, I may be on a pink cloud right now and all hell will break loose later. So I will do my best to update this very thread going forward and give you guys an honest take. My only comorbidity has been my SLL/CLL, which that was a bit of a risk with platelets at 105K and a white count at 35K pre surgery. So there ya go. I will let y'all know what goes on......

 

[purkey]

Thanks Rulz...I also have RA. However, I didn't like the medicine I took for it as it seems to want to shut down everything, not just my auto immune system. So, 4 weeks ago tomorrow I quit taking it. I can't tell much difference. My RA doc 5 weeks ago mentioned it could go in to remission so maybe I'm a lucky one. I'm sure it will come back, but right now things are good. It has really disfigured my knee over the past couple of years. Not horrible disfigure, but you can tell something isn't right. I'm sure everyone has a different situation and sorry to hear about PWNN's wife.

 

[AC_Exotic]

Update: Looks like we're headed for lucky number 7.

If I weren't so darned smart and good looking, I would hate my life.

 

[SamuraiFred]

Cheers to a speedy recovery for everybody in this thread

 

[tcpoke]

At the ripe old age of 32 I was told that a replacement is the only option left on my left knee. Had both of them operated on before I turned 19 and had the left one done again about 10 years ago.

Doc's advice, wait until you can't stand it anymore. Rapidly approaching that point at age 34. Yay.....

 

[dtspoke]

I have Crohns so I also have RA in some joints I've blown up over the years. I'm pretty fortunate that it's done virtually nothing to slow me down. But if they could do a total thumb replacement I'd be a candidate. I almost pulled it off in a roping accident about 20 years ago and it's never been close to right since.

 

[Pokes15]

I had microfracture surgery on my hip last a year from last December at the age of 33. I should have just had it all replaced, I would have been back to normal a lot quicker. Doc said he doesn't see hips in that bad of shape in people my age. Must be genetics. My sister had total hip replacement at 39, and my dad had his replaced as well.

 

[Rulz]

Best of luck to you and your wife Noname. Dammit. The thing that sucks the most about joint surgery or any major elective is the extraneous bs. Planning this or that, making the dog sleep on the floor, scheduling rides, time off work, blah blah blah. Our little chiweenie still doesn't understand why she can't lay next to daddy lol. Maybe if my immune system wasn't in the shitter I would be a bit more lenient...but I'm doing all I can not to get an infection because that would surely turn this whole thing into one major SNAFU and with my luck I would end up with peg leg.

The biggest hurdle right now is the swelling. Standing or sitting, my leg turns into a big OL tense sausage. I sleep with my leg all up in the air and get up 3-4 times the first 2 hours of "sleep" just piss assin. When I get the staples out next week I'm going to be wearing some tight panty hose fer a spell. Mmmmm....my wife just can't believe her good fortune....

Best of luck to all that have replied with similar issues. We are way too young to be content with less mobility. Surgery or not, just keep movin.

 

[boxter]

I had total hip replacement June 18, 2015. I wish I had it done earlier. My doc in Okc, Brad Reddick is fantastic. He went in from the front and I was on the job site in a week.
I've been diligent with my rehab and walk 2 miles on the treadmill 5-6 nights a week. If you need a hip, get it done. I'm in the best shape physically in 10 years.

Dr Brad Reddick is also a OSU grad so the decision was easy. He does knee replacement too.

 

[BigBobBarker]

Yes, Reddick has a great reputation.

If you have a painful knee after replacement or want to try to avoid it, you can try genicular nerve blocks. This is blocking the sensory nerves to the joint capsule. If that helps, you can do RFA (nerve burning) for prolonged relief. I can do these procedures or give you names of a few guys in OKC that do it also. Not every pain doc knows how to do them.

there are lots of other options too. Viscosupplement, steroid injection, compounded topicals, etc.

 

[Rulz]

2nd week of physical therapy in the bag, I'm at 0 degrees extension and 120 flexion. If I didn't have such a bucket ass I might be at 140 flexion.

I'm laying on my belly as I type this. Ahhhh....haven't got to do that since before surgery. My only real issue is a nasty little tendon bump I feel when I walk on flexion. Apparently that goes away over time.

The Red Dick!! I remember when he was a student on the ortho service! Sharp guy, I always liked him. I can see how he would be doing well, always seemed to be a very motivated dude and was very kind to the patients on the teaching service.

Anyway, I'm gonna go lay on my ass some more. I'm worn out after getting the crap kicked out of me in PT. Mmmmmmm....leftover Pei Wei wontons and Mongolian beef....farts a plenty.....

 

[Rulz]

Well, my doc was sick on Monday so for some reason he didn't just let the damn staff take my staples out....so I took them out myself. Good thing too, it's been 13 days and they were starting to irritate my skin near the point of tension in flexion. Not sure why his staff was so scared to take the damn things out, I damn sure wasn't going to wait anymore. Wire cutter and tweezers....I used to have a leftover staple remover tool, but I guess I misplaced it in all my moving. No worries. Looks nice and clean. I'm walking up and down stairs, riding my bike, all is well. Overall pretty happy.