RonH

As some of you may know I did something to screw up my right knee. I don't have a clue how it happened but according to the MRIs (knee and shoulder) I had on Monday (3/31) I have a "complex tear in the cartilage" with a collection of fluid. It turns out I also have a torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder.
I see the surgeon on 4/14 to discuss my options, etc.
Walking is a chore at times and other times it's ok, except for walking down stairs. Consequently I haven't been working at the bike shop for the past 3+ weeks.
For some weird reason riding makes the knee feel better. So I've been riding very slowly lately (~12-13 mph average) a few days a week. I don't want to do more damage by hammering up a hill.
So if you see some old fart riding REALLY slow toward or back from Stone Mtn, it's probably me.
I probably won't be able or allowed to ride for a while after the surgeries. The doctor said the shoulder surgery would be done 3-4 weeks after the knee surgery, once I'm off the crutches.
I had shoulder surgery (the other shoulder) in 2005 after a bike-car mishap. That kept me off the bike for ~3 months.
Let's see --- 3 months for the shoulder plus 2 months for the knee means I won't be doing for any mid or late summer centuries.

I guess I'll have lots of time to work on my bikes and surf.


Now that I'm off the "pity potty", anyone have any comforting words or similar experiences?

wolfpack 

Dang. Sorry to hear about that. Hope you heal up faster than the doctors say.

Map tester

Ron, a few things come to mind:

• Now you have time to get more tattoos!
• You can stare longer at CATS* without worrying about crashing.
• Spend more time on BFs being a real PIA mod.

Hope everything goes well! Keep us appraised of your progress.


*Cute Athletic Twenty Somethings

tbdean

Ron, that sucks.

But you can still do centuries, we'd just all have to take turns pulling you in a kiddie trailer.

Pedal Wench

Wow, Ron -- that's terrible!! What about a tandem -- you could pedal with your good knee!

Velo Vol 

That's rough. I hope your recovery is speedy.

Donegal

Hey Ron;

Sorry to hear about your bad run of luck. Get the knee fixed and you'll be back in no time. I question the shoulder surgery as necessary, though. I am riding only because I had 2 full thickness tears of the rotator cuff 12 years ago.

I went to a top-knotch orthopedic group which deals with a lot of professional athletes. I had my MRI on Friday, and consult on Tuesday. Surgery was scheduled for Wednesday. I needed to be cut front to back, clavicle ground smooth, tears repaired. Six months to heal, six months therapy to work the shoulder, six months final recuperation to recover 80%-90% mobility. Screw that. I found a good personal trainer in Duluth, we rehabilitated the shoulder in the gym. My trainer has become my friend, he got me riding a bike, both road and mountain and he still trains me two days a week. I am 52 and in pretty good shape for an old guy. The surgery was a quick, weak, fix that I am glad I avoided. Unless your tendon is completely severed, I would consider rehabilitating it instead of surgery.


P.S. I have full use of the shoulder w/100% mobility. I have even played racquetball again.

RonH

Thanks for all the good wishes.


The knee must be fixed. Some days I can't walk very well or very far.
I had my rotator cuff torn (in the other shoulder) in two place in my car-bike accident in May 2005. It took 4 months before I realized there was a problem. I went to Emory Sports Medicine and had the surgery done. Only 4 small cuts in the shoulder. I could barely see them a month after the surgery. My arm was in a sling for 2-3 weeks. I started PT the day after surgery. PT made me work hard but it was worth it. Both arms were stronger than before because I was forced to work them together. I was riding to PT after 3 months. I had to twist the doctor's arm. I felt ready to ride after 2 months.

My surgeon will be Dr. Xerogeanes (Dr. "X"). He's the Georgia Tech team physician.

You're just a kid. I'm 63.

The knee cartilage has a "complex tear". I've been hoping it would fix itself for a few months, but it's just been getting worse.
The shoulder tendon has a 2.5 cm separation so surgery is necessary.


I see you're in the real estate business. Know of any good places to retire? We've been looking for several months -- Canton, Columbus, Lake Oconee, Rockmart. We're heading down toward Milledgeville tomorrow, unless I go riding.

RonH

If the doctor says no riding (falling??) I guess I'll be the only person riding the trainer during warm months. Would that look kinda weird set up on the patio?

bhchdh 

Ron,
Heal well and soon.

TLupo

Hey, Ron, the injuries do suck, but as a little encouragement, you know the things I have recovered from over the years. Here's a few things I have learned in the process:
1. The quadraceps are the muscles that protect the knees. Cycling strengthens the quadraceps.
2. The recovery time for cyclists getting knee surgery is very short. I was riding a stationary bike within two weeks and my regular bike within a month.
3. Don't fall. That hurts.
4. Don't run into cars. That hurts even worse.
5. Don't get caught in railroad tracks. Those can do some major damage and the railroad is never at fault.

Tommy

crispx

Ron --
Get better, take care of yourself.

I see you listed Rockmart.
It's great riding out this way except for the dogs, which can be managed. They remember you & the Halt

I'm getting older too and noticed some joint problems recently too, makes me suspect that there are age related connective tissue problems that I've not ever heard anyone discuss ??

Pedal Wench

Not at all! Honestly, even in good weather, if I have a specific workout I need, I'll just do it on the trainer.

jaxgtr

This happened to me last year, I had cartilage damage and a torn muscle from a section of bone that split off the lower inside section of my femur on my left leg. Luckily it was a pretty easy fix, but I was still down for about 3 months. I too felt better when I rode, but each ride, I tore the the muscle just a little bit more.

Follow the docs advice and make sure you get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with what this docs tells you. Don't do what I did, and come back too fast, I was released for full activity in Aug and did 350 miles in less than 3 weeks, followed up by 400+ in Sept. I was hurting in Oct, Nov and just now feel 100%. Be kind to your physical therapist, they can make your life a miserable hell if they want to.

By the way, I rode my trainer in the garage in the July heat after he told me I could, but I had a huge mondo fan blowing on me.

Good luck.

Alasdair

Just bungee the bike to a treadmill and coast the miles away!

Donegal

Hey Ron;

Yeah, my guy was Dr. Foster in Lilburn, his partner did knees for the Falcons, he did shoulders for the Braves and many other major league teams. I got second and third opinions and he was very well known. My problem is that I am short-coupled and built like a little tank. No clearance in my shoulders meant that he was going to have to grind the clavicle from front to back as well as cut me wide open. I have a brother who had a tumor in the center of his spinal cord and have watched him undergo 21 major, 20-30 minor surgeries over the years and most of his problems today are the results of those. The tumor acquiesced years ago and his body is falling apart from being cut upon so much. Maybe I am just chicken.

If they can pop you arthroscopically and put you back without pain, good luck. Old is a state of mind. I ride around the Buford/Flowery Branch/Gainesville area and love nothing better than dropping the youngsters after about 20-25 miles. Us old guys aren't as fast, but we don't fade with distance either. My nickname is the diesel, I love the rolling hills and ride with some real hammers who punish me on the longer hills but once it flattens out a bit, I try to make them pay. Again, good luck and heal quick, hope to see you on the road.

RonH

I saw the surgeon this morning and he said he will "scope" my knee. Simple procedure.
He said he wants me on the trainer the morning after surgery.
Five minutes the first 2-3 days, then 5-10 minutes morning and evening for the next few days, then 3 times a day for longer times. After about 3 weeks he wants me on the road for about 5 miles a day. He said I'd be back to regular riding in less than 2 months. Does that mean a "new knee" will make the climbs around Stone Mtn easier?

He said the shoulder isn't in bad shape and I could postpone that surgery until late fall/early winter when I'll be doing less riding.

He's my kind of doctor. He had all the right answers.


So I'll have my knee surgery on April 24 and be on the trainer the next day. If you hear a few loud groans or screams of anguish coming from the Decatur area it might be me.

TLupo

Hey Ron,

It's great to hear that you don't have to go through as much as previously thought. It looks like you will be back to road riding just about the time I will get back to Tucker. Let me know if you would like to meet for some rides during the day. I don't plan to do much else for a while.

Tommy

RonH

I'm happy.
The orthopedic doctor (not a surgeon) who did the x-rays and MRIs said I'd be on crutches for a few weeks, etc. I guess he can tell me what's wrong but if he doesn't actually do any surgery he doesn't know jack.

RonH

I survived the surgery!!
We got up at 4:45 AM (that nearly killed me) so I could be at Emory Sports Medicine at 6:00 AM. The surgery was at 7:00 AM. We were home before 9:00 AM. I tried resting in the bed for almost an hour to no avail. I've been walking around the house and out to the patio. My wife and I sat out there for about an hour enjoying the nice weather. Now I'm sitting watching TV (boring). Gotta get rested up. The doctor changed his physical therapy plan. He wants me on the trainer this afternoon for about 10 minutes. He wants me to do 10-15 minutes three times a day starting tomorrow. After about five days he wants me to increase the time and resistance. So much for an easy recovery.

I see the doctor on Monday. He'll remove the bandage then and I can see the "damage" he did to my knee.

grueling

I'm a former Southeasterner just lurking in this forum - But Good Luck with your rehab! If you are not in one, ask your surgeon for a CPM (constant passive motion) machine. I hav ehad two different knee surgeries in the past 4 years. I live near Aspen where it is simply a right of passage.

My December 06 surgery turned into a fairly complex cartilage rebuild (OATS procedure). I was spinning slowly in a few weeks and managed to get in 3000+ miles last summer, including several centuries and a 500+ charity tour. FIND A GOOD PHYSICAL THERAPIST and do exactly what they say.

RonH

I did my first 10 minutes this afternoon on the trainer. Piece of cake. No pain or discomfort.

East Hill

Way to go, Ron!

I hope it doesn't take too long for you to recover, as it sounds as if you are already bored to tears .

East Hill