txvintage

I'll be going into surgery at 2:00 PM CST today, 3/30. The Doc isn't really sure what the end game will be, but we are looking from one extreme to another. I could get away with a scrape and polish, doing some microfracture work, or it could end up being replaced.

This is the never ending saga of the creation of Team Critical Mess about 18 months ago. We know what the MRI showed a year ago, and all parties agreed it was a waste of time and money to do another since we knew he have to go in anyway. I figure he will kearn what he needs to after he's in there.

The bummer part is this is my "good" knee. The left one has been bone on bone since 2000. Oy to the Vey.

Neil_B

What are the reasons you are not getting them replaced?

zjrog

All I can say is good luck, and hope that if its just a clean and polish, that it goes well for you. But if its full replacement, do you know what brand and model they are considering?

txvintage

Doc is very anti replacement at only 48 yrs of age. We've been together for several successful surgeries, but he's getting a one time audition to continue as my Ortho on this.

If it comes to a replacement, I'll be closed up and the surgery will done soon at a different facility. I suspect we'll cover all that in between.

Jtgyk

Good luck, young man. Heal fast!

dcrowell

Ugh. I hope all goes well. We want you back on the bike pronto!

txvintage

Man, we (read I) really need to get together some Friday and do some wrenching! Eventually that can be riding, lol.

No kidding. I've been off the bike for any serious kind of riding for over a year with this damn thing. On the other hand, I'm going nuts and taking anyone and everyone around me with me, lol.

zjrog

So, whats the end to this story today? Don't leave us hanging brother!!!

Jtgyk

Hope all went well and you're on the road to recovery.

Neil_B

Yes, let us know.

txvintage

It seems there is at least temporary success.

The before surgery discussion was that there would be a pretty good chance I'd wake up in a download brace and be no weight bearing for 6 weeks following the micro fracture procedure. The next, but hopeful, chance would be he could clean it up and my immediate down time would be minimal. Third, and his least favorite option, was that he would get in there and have to close it up and schedule a replacement.

As it turned out, I woke up without the brace, and can actually already make short across the room type trips unassisted. Of course, I walk like a three legged duck with a hernia, but you take your wins where you get them. So, it seems it was a clean up and polish exercise. He did say it seems unavoidable that in about a year or so he will have to do one of these new fangled partial knee replacements. It seems there isn't much hope for the under side of my knee cap. I was a bit under the influence of various drugs and sort of don't remember the rest. I'll get the full story and pics tomorrow morning at my follow up.

While I was under they also pumped what feels like a gallon of steroids into the left, bone on bone, knee. Oddly, there are time when it actually hurts more than the right one which just drimmeled tooled to death.

I start PT tomorrow, and it just might be as early as the end of April when I get back on the bike out on the road. So, if anyone in the Dallas area wants to enjoy some 10 mph, flat, 4 mile or so rides around the 'hood, come on over in a month or so, lol.

Lesson learned: Having to not eat or drink starting at midnight and not acutally getting in to surgery until 4:00 PM or so the next day can leave you a bit dehydrated by the time they try and stab the IV. This leads to veins that no longer wish to come out and play.

BigPolishJimmy

This post is useless without pictures ... er wait, I mean to say Heal up man, we're all pulling for you.

Jim

zjrog

Nah... Pics anyway!!! We love good scars! Partial success is still success. And you have a year or so to research full and partial replacements and procedures.

txvintage

It gets unwrapped for the first time tomorrow morning at my follow up. I suspect it's just a few small incisions around the knee cap where he shoved in the Drimmel tool, lol.

I find it odd, and more than a little irritatiing that my left one actually hurts more than the right one right nw. That's with meds, btw.

txvintage

Well, the left one hurting more than the right one was short lived. Turns out the Doc dosed it pretty heavily with local anesthsia before he sent me to recovery. That all wore off on Friday morning.

Had my first PT Friday as well. Total elapsed time from waking up in recovery to plopping down in PT was 40.5 hours. I made it all the way around on the stationary twice after about 10 minutes of half and 3/4 circles. The wisdom of said move may be questionable, lol.

Hurts quite a bit, but I hit the pool for rehab on Monday and I'm crutch free, but gimpy.

Woohoo.

Jtgyk

crutch free = good.
Just spent the last week helping a single buddy who just got his achilles re-attached. Now he gets to drive my hybrid Escape and I'm stuck with his gas chugging Jeep. ("Cuz he can't use the clutch with a fubar left foot) He gets NO weight bearing and in a cast for 5 more weeks, then however much time is needed in PT.

txvintage

The doc told that if I woke up in recovery and was wearing a brace I would be facing 6 weeks of no weight bearing because they did the micro fracture routine. I'm not unhappy I don't have the brace and can already migrate around the homestead.

I'm very much aware of the issue of the clutch. I am sunk when I get the left one done, cuz the trusty, somewhat vintage, F-150 is a 4 speed. The wifey doesn't drive a standard either.

Yesterday was not a great day. Stomach issues, which seem to have passed, and the penalty phase of making full evolutions on the stationary were the plan of the day. Feeling much better today, but gonna take it easy.

While my streak of Opening Day's came to an end because of the surgery, I'm taking great delight in the arrival of baseball season. Two convincing wins over the team everyone is predicting to win it all is great therapy, and a reminder that the American League Championship they seek resides in our house!

Peter_C

Sorry for being late to the party~! Slow and steady wins the race - don't forget

txvintage

Therapy is going well if soreness and range or motion are any indication of progress

All of my physical therapy is being done in a pool with an underwater treadmill. I also use foam floats that provide resistance and the correlation with typical "table top" knee PT is pretty obvious. The big advantage is less impact on the joint and muscles, more resistance depending on the floats, and you seem to get twice the work done in half the time.

My Aquatic Inquisitioner is also a cyclist and is throwing in a few excercises as I can tolerate them to help once I get back on the bike. Hopefully my return to the saddle will be in about three weeks.

I should be back at work on Monday flying a desk for a week or two, then it's back to the lab and being on my feet. I really can't wait for that transition

Peter_C

Gee, all this fancy new stuff I missed out on! Underwater therapy - whoever heard of such a thing!

/gasp

txvintage

It's actually been around for awhile. It's the same set up Terrell Owens used when he was with the Eagles and broke his leg but got ready in time for the Super Bowl. Carson Palmer of the Bengles also used it back in 2006 when he had ACL and MCL surgery.

The trick is having a facility that has the pool within a reasonalble distance. I am lucky to have a place that is about 10 minutes from my house.

zjrog

Thats some really good news! I heard about the aqua therapy, but didn't know if it was even available here. Even so, it would be more than 40 minutes away which is a no-go for me. Again, wish you good luck and continued improvement.

Neil_B

You had to mention Owens, didn't you? As if it's not hard enough to be an Iggles fan. :-)

zjrog

HA! try being a Chiefs fan...

Neil_B

Try being a Mets fan.