Bad Knees

[Bird]

I'm now into my second week of outpatient therapy, and they tell me I'm dong well, although not beind a very patient fellow, it's not improving as fast as I'd like. Each time at the therapist's, I start with 10 minutes of a recumbent bike just to loosen up the knees a bit. But I've gotten to like that thing, and decided I wanted one. Of course, I certainly wasn't going for any $2,000 machine like the therapist has, but I went shopping at Walmart, Sears, Academy Sports, Sports Authority, and Second Hand Sports before buying the ProForm XP 400R at Sears.

Some of you may remember when I started a thread called Treadmills a couple of years ago. Some recommended the recumbent bike instead of the treadmill and now I'm convinced.:laughing:

 

[WVBill]

Hi Bird -
I'm joining this thread late - glad to see you're doing well. :thumbsup:

I went through exactly the same thing three and four years ago (yes, had my right knee replaced and then the left one done a year later.)

Just so you have something to look forward to... here's what your knee will look like in 4 years

 

[Bird]

Bill, I don't care what it looks like; all I'm interested in is what it feels like. And I'm hoping I won't need to have the left one replaced.

 

[WVBill]

:laughing:
It FEELS fine most of the time. They occasionally "ache" a bit after a day on my feet (sightseeing or working outside in the yard) but I can live with that. I figure, at 63 my joints would ache whether they're titanium or natural.
At least I don't get those occasional shooting pains that made me crumble to the ground any more.

The other effect was a slight numbness in the small toe of my right foot for a year or two after the operation. Doctor says that's from the stress put on the nerve running past the knee while they pushed and shoved things around in there during the operation.

Did you ever see a video of a total knee replacement? Glad I didn't until AFTER my operations! :shocked:

 

[Bird]

Bill, I watched just part of a video of a knee replacement; looked pretty bad. Of course, I'm a few years older than you (70) and the x-ray I saw of my left knee looked OK, so I'm hoping. The only numbness I have is an area a little bigger than a silver dollar just to the right of the incision. The therapist thinks that numbness will go away. And of course, the therapists keeps trying to get me to keep the right foot pointed straight ahead, and I've done my best to comply, but that just ain't gonna happen. Ideally, I reckon the doctor would have aligned it about 5 to 10 degrees more to port, but having my right foot aimed about that much to starboard is not something I'd consider a problem. In fact, without ever having any surgery, both my dad's feet pointed outward a bit more than that all his life.

 

[milkman]

Sounds like you're coming along, the people I know that have had knee replacement are virtually pain free and glad they had it done. Did your knee create any problem with your hip, the reason I ask is because my right knee that had a meniscus repair is still giving me fits. I guess the surgery worked, I have just twisted that knee three different time and am looking at another scope. I'm having problems with my right hip now and don't know if one is the cause of the other or I'm just falling apart. I got an injection in my hip a week ago, but not much help. The Dr did say that where my knee is hurt, is a precursor to a knee replacement, hated to hear that. I just wonder if the knee is causing the hip problem or the other way around. Kind of a chicken or egg thing.

 

[Bird]

I just wonder if the knee is causing the hip problem or the other way around.

Good question, and of course, one which I'm sure not qualified to answer. I do know that favoring one leg can sure cause the other leg and hip to get very tired, but that's not the same as being injured.

My problems, at this point, are (1) trying to force the knee straight can be quite painful, (2) trying to bend it too far can also be quite painful, and (3) just a dull ache, not very painful, but just enough ache to make it hard to sleep at night. But overall, I reckon I'm doing pretty well.

 

[hawkeye08]

My dad had a knee replaced almost a year ago. All went fine, he gets around well, no limp, he went camping quite a bit this summer in the mountains, lots of hiking and walking and riding atv. No problems, of course he is pretty young, turns 80 in Nov this year.

 

[Bird]

My dad had a knee replaced almost a year ago. All went fine, he gets around well, no limp, he went camping quite a bit this summer in the mountains, lots of hiking and walking and riding atv. No problems, of course he is pretty young, turns 80 in Nov this year.

I hope I do as well. You know no man on either side of my family has lived past 80, so I'm hoping to set a new record.:laughing:

 

[heehaw]

the surgeon released my wife yesterday: she has made exceptional progress in the last week or so: but like you, has the achin that causes her not to sleep to well: still not 100% glad she did it, but that will come shortly..
heehaw