A Cyclists Survival Guide to a Total Knee Replacement – Investigation (Part 2)
Investigation
If you have a bum knee, this might not mean that you have to get a replacement. Be thorough in your investigation. Don’t run straight to a surgeon and ask for solutions. They’ll try to convince you before they even look at your x-rays to get a knee replacement. They like total knees! Seek physical therapy. Speak to an orthopedic doctor. Upon my first visit, I was given a cortisone injection and low and behold, no more pain! It was wonderful. But, it was still clicking and popping and would pop in and out of joint. It didn’t hurt, but, I knew there was more.
I saw 2 surgeons and they both told me that I had advanced arthritis, which simply meant that my cartilage in my knee was all but gone and my discomfort was from bone hitting bone. I also had a bone spur.
You can see the screw in my left knee (right photo) and also see that the bones were touching. If you look closely, you can see the bone spur on the outside of my left knee. This happens as bone hits bone over and over again.
I also had an mri performed that would validate my loss of cartilage.
Both doctors explained to me about the apparatus that would be installed. It’s quite simple really. The femur bone and tibia bone are capped with a metallic / porcelain material and a plastic material placed between as the artificial cartilage. They called it a 15 year knee. I was handed the pieces that would be installed. They were heavier than I expected and I immediately considered how much this would add to the weight of my bike. Then I was sold on the 30 year knee option. A knee so new in it’s technology that it hadn’t been around long enough to really know how long it would actually last. Being that I am young, the doctor insisted on this option. So, I rolled the dice and now have the latest and greatest knee an insurance policy can buy.
Since I had a steroid injection, I would have to wait a minimum of 30 days to get surgery. Keep that in mind.
I need to caution you, dear reader, that surgeons want to paint a total knee replacement as a fairly simple process. “You’ll be walking out of the hospital on both legs!” and “Recovery is easier than an ACL!” “You’re healthy and active, you’ll have no problem with this!” Surgeons are positive and reaffirming. They won’t go into the Hell that you will need to endure. A part of your inspection should include the reading that you are doing now. Talk to friends and neighbors and find out who else has done this. You will need the support and encouragement, guaranteed!
If you are a single parent, consider this carefully. You will be out of commission for 2-3 weeks easily. You must absolutely find someone to help you with the kids. You won’t be able to do this alone. As a matter of fact, I would just pretend that you will be the child and you will need to be cared for, pampered, and fed. If you can stay with your parent’s, that would be great. It’s an opportunity for you to be their kid again and an even better opportunity for them to be parents. They’ll love you for it.
If you’re married, make sure your relationship is strong enough to survive your recovery. Your spouse will need to monitor and care for you closely, like a child. Talk about this before hand. If they’re not on board, or, if they’re prioritizing work or activities over your care, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride and you will feel slighted, angry and extremely disappointed with your partner. No joke. This can end a relationship unless you get this cleared up before hand. That person needs to be there for you as though you are an infant.
You will need to take 2-3 weeks off from work. Plan your work schedule accordingly. If you can take off 4 weeks, that would be better. You don’t know it yet, but, you’re in for a tough ride that will break even the strongest of athletes. You are not above the human condition. Support and rest are critical. Make sure you have made accommodations to rest and recover.
I am divorced and have my kids ½ the time. I planned my surgery so that I would get out during the kids Christmas break allowing me 2 weeks without having to get up at the crack of dawn to get them ready for school. 2 weeks was not enough time.
Nice job Paul. You may want to add the likely-hood of getting dependent on opiates, and how to tit-rate the dosage when trying to get off of them.
Mom
Nice job Paul. You may want to add the likely-hood of getting dependent on opiates, and how to tit-rate the dosage when trying to get off of them.
Mom
I had a R TKR Dr. Raymond Ghate using g a Zimmer Personna implant. Note these were totally revised 2013 after pre joys recalls and were a new concept fitting
The implant to the knee instead of modifying the need to fit the implant etc. I was scared because of everything I read online and did pre-having for four months.
I believe about half the patients having their knee done with the technique my doctor uses within three weeks are virtually pain-free and walking fairly easily. In my case I had a miraculous recovery and was off narcotics completely within 10 days and almost completely within seven. I did use Celebrex twice a day and Neurontin three times a day. And with that regimen had essentially no pain. I walk now without crutches since day 10 and my biggest challenges not to overdo it since I have no pain essentially to guide me. I do not consider fairly minor muscle spasm and discomfort this pain but if I did I probably rated a 1 to 2 out of 10 when I first start walking in the morning until I stretch my quads. My quad was not cut along the major component there’s probably only some cut along the medial component so I had almost full strength from the beginning. I also used CBD oil 75 200 mg a day as well as digestive enzymes and I believe these contributed significantly as well. My doctor uses a spinal with IV sedation so it’s easy to beat up the day of surgery and walking with a walker and there is a delayed onset local injection as well. Surgery was on a Tuesday, April 17 I went home April 19. I was on the next generation hopefully aid called new cente I also used CBD oil 75 200 mg a day as well as digestive enzymes and I believe these contributed significantly as well. My doctor uses a spinal with IV sedation so it’s easy to beat up the day of surgery and walking with a walker and there is a delayed onset local injection as well. Surgery was on a Tuesday, April 17 I went home April 19. I was on the next generation opioid. Allen Nucynta And was amazed I did not get the horrible reaction to narcotics are usually get. On the other hand I was only using 25 mg three times a day where the maximum dose as 100 mg four times a day. And Thursday when I came home was the only day I felt significant spasming in the muscles in my calf and quads. I doubled my dose of the narcotic and following the advice of a friend to stay ahead of the pain I would say that was only a two out of 10 because of that. I have the strong impression I have a perfect fit otherwise why is it my knee itself were expected to have most of my pain has not. I say none having used the Celebrex until week three. At this point I am on nothing. I am working out I just finished riding a bike for 100 cal for one hour low resistance took a break will go back for one more. I am careful not to walk more than half a mile at a time having nothing to do with pain but the opposite without painnas a guide I might over do it. My doctor reminded me deep facial sutures need six weeks to heal and won’t tolerate a fall. I carry a crutch anytime I walk on the trail not only to make sure the services level but to keep people and dogs away. I also take a form of calcium with hydroxy appetite and vitamin D in it’s six capsules per day. I am a little surprised going online to be such an outlier and wish others around me to have an experience more similar to mine of course. Perhaps this is just lock and a great surgeon but my gut says he’s a surgeon myself that my surgeons relatively small incision technically doesn’t cut muscle very much and uses a small window that he moves around to get the exposure instead of making a larger one as well as using this robotic implant system as well as the great pain management of their pain management team as well as my own pain management additions has something to do with it. I am not considering minor cramping and soreness in my calf and quad as any significant amount of pain I do get that to some degree. I also scratched the hell out of my knee tendons ligaments hamstring quads for four months prior to surgery. My technique was weird I assume these are like piano wire I need to be stretched very slowly I would lie down I want to those machines let you stretch your legs for an hour and be incredibly gradual . I left the hospital with Anita flexed to 95° even though I was bone on bone for several years and when I started my pre-have process had horrible flexibility it improved significantly over the four months before surgery. I have a feeling that is where most of our pain comes from not being diligent enough to very gradually do it we can to stretch all the tennis and ligaments in her legs. Are used a great Pilates instructor to work on specific muscle groups in my legs that were horrible. By the time I got to the surgery I love my leg muscles were fairly strong and I know that helped afterwards. If I can be of any assistance to anyone with my regimen so we can find out how much of this is just locking how much of this is going to be a benefit to others feel free to email me. visionxcl@aol.com. My other knee goes as well I will make a video. I benefited from the digestive enzymes from a patient with a total knee replacement name Todd Burrier. You can find this video online and find out what kind of enzymes he recommended I swear by them has been helpful as well. I have zero interest in any supplement or supplement manufacturer that I used.
I had a R TKR Dr. Raymond Ghate using g a Zimmer Personna implant. Note these were totally revised 2013 after pre joys recalls and were a new concept fitting
The implant to the knee instead of modifying the need to fit the implant etc. I was scared because of everything I read online and did pre-having for four months.
I believe about half the patients having their knee done with the technique my doctor uses within three weeks are virtually pain-free and walking fairly easily. In my case I had a miraculous recovery and was off narcotics completely within 10 days and almost completely within seven. I did use Celebrex twice a day and Neurontin three times a day. And with that regimen had essentially no pain. I walk now without crutches since day 10 and my biggest challenges not to overdo it since I have no pain essentially to guide me. I do not consider fairly minor muscle spasm and discomfort this pain but if I did I probably rated a 1 to 2 out of 10 when I first start walking in the morning until I stretch my quads. My quad was not cut along the major component there’s probably only some cut along the medial component so I had almost full strength from the beginning. I also used CBD oil 75 200 mg a day as well as digestive enzymes and I believe these contributed significantly as well. My doctor uses a spinal with IV sedation so it’s easy to beat up the day of surgery and walking with a walker and there is a delayed onset local injection as well. Surgery was on a Tuesday, April 17 I went home April 19. I was on the next generation hopefully aid called new cente I also used CBD oil 75 200 mg a day as well as digestive enzymes and I believe these contributed significantly as well. My doctor uses a spinal with IV sedation so it’s easy to beat up the day of surgery and walking with a walker and there is a delayed onset local injection as well. Surgery was on a Tuesday, April 17 I went home April 19. I was on the next generation opioid. Allen Nucynta And was amazed I did not get the horrible reaction to narcotics are usually get. On the other hand I was only using 25 mg three times a day where the maximum dose as 100 mg four times a day. And Thursday when I came home was the only day I felt significant spasming in the muscles in my calf and quads. I doubled my dose of the narcotic and following the advice of a friend to stay ahead of the pain I would say that was only a two out of 10 because of that. I have the strong impression I have a perfect fit otherwise why is it my knee itself were expected to have most of my pain has not. I say none having used the Celebrex until week three. At this point I am on nothing. I am working out I just finished riding a bike for 100 cal for one hour low resistance took a break will go back for one more. I am careful not to walk more than half a mile at a time having nothing to do with pain but the opposite without painnas a guide I might over do it. My doctor reminded me deep facial sutures need six weeks to heal and won’t tolerate a fall. I carry a crutch anytime I walk on the trail not only to make sure the services level but to keep people and dogs away. I also take a form of calcium with hydroxy appetite and vitamin D in it’s six capsules per day. I am a little surprised going online to be such an outlier and wish others around me to have an experience more similar to mine of course. Perhaps this is just lock and a great surgeon but my gut says he’s a surgeon myself that my surgeons relatively small incision technically doesn’t cut muscle very much and uses a small window that he moves around to get the exposure instead of making a larger one as well as using this robotic implant system as well as the great pain management of their pain management team as well as my own pain management additions has something to do with it. I am not considering minor cramping and soreness in my calf and quad as any significant amount of pain I do get that to some degree. I also scratched the hell out of my knee tendons ligaments hamstring quads for four months prior to surgery. My technique was weird I assume these are like piano wire I need to be stretched very slowly I would lie down I want to those machines let you stretch your legs for an hour and be incredibly gradual . I left the hospital with Anita flexed to 95° even though I was bone on bone for several years and when I started my pre-have process had horrible flexibility it improved significantly over the four months before surgery. I have a feeling that is where most of our pain comes from not being diligent enough to very gradually do it we can to stretch all the tennis and ligaments in her legs. Are used a great Pilates instructor to work on specific muscle groups in my legs that were horrible. By the time I got to the surgery I love my leg muscles were fairly strong and I know that helped afterwards. If I can be of any assistance to anyone with my regimen so we can find out how much of this is just locking how much of this is going to be a benefit to others feel free to email me. visionxcl@aol.com. My other knee goes as well I will make a video. I benefited from the digestive enzymes from a patient with a total knee replacement name Todd Burrier. You can find this video online and find out what kind of enzymes he recommended I swear by them has been helpful as well. I have zero interest in any supplement or supplement manufacturer that I used.