Five weeks after total knee replacement --- Now 6 and a half

Share your tips for safe hiking, surviving in the wild and managing hiking injuries!
Post Reply
User avatar
Roy
Posts: 2824
Joined: January 25th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Five weeks after total knee replacement --- Now 6 and a half

Post by Roy » March 11th, 2014, 6:54 am

I will pass my experience on to any old :D people out there that may be seeing this in the near future.

Life is returning to normal Sat I put moss killer on the yard, went to a movie that night and out to dinner with friends Sunday afternoon. These small things we take for granted really lift my mood.

Rehab wow its pretty crazy I started out out cocky (I have been thru a couple after surgery rehabs) Never have I had such goals to be met in the first six weeks. I am behind on the the straightening of my leg at 5 degrees and stuck. This has been compounded by my leg did not straighten out fully for years before the surgery. Then the one exercise they used to force it made the chronic stenosis in my spine very angry in week 4.

My strength is great walking , riding the stationary bike all ahead of the curve. But they want that leg at optimal flexation so I will walk normal and not fall in to the dragging sagging I have done for to many years.

I feel this morning so well I could go for a hike and I most likely could but the hardware is not healed. I so want to go for a bike ride but the risk of jamming and twisting my leg is to high.

They have agreed to a mile well two round trip of hiking and incline can be added now.

I have gained a couple of pounds time to stop that trend.

But oh I have started sleeping thru the night lately before the surgery it had been a couple years. Predawn starts will be tough for me sleeping like this.

So I listen to the experts my pain mgt doc, PT and the knee docs Pa all look my sons age I like them all I think they talk to you more than the older guys once they get to know you.

Sorry to bore anyone but someone of the 6,000 out there might find this useful.
Last edited by Roy on March 20th, 2014, 4:34 am, edited 3 times in total.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

User avatar
Don Nelsen
Posts: 4377
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement

Post by Don Nelsen » March 11th, 2014, 7:43 pm

Hope you get through this and are back to better than ever asap, Tom.

You have guts to even do this and I admire that.

All my best,

Don
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

User avatar
kelkev
Posts: 800
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: McMinnville, OR

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement

Post by kelkev » March 11th, 2014, 7:46 pm

Sounds like things are getting better. Very inspiring rehab - keep us posted and keep up the recovery!
"Going to the mountains is going home."
— John Muir

User avatar
4DMTNS
Posts: 158
Joined: September 26th, 2010, 7:05 pm
Location: Portland

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement

Post by 4DMTNS » March 12th, 2014, 4:26 am

Hang in there! I bounced back initially after my fibula break ... only to overdo it and have to slow down a great recovery. I still chant 'patience is a virtue' at times and remind myself it will all come in time ... slow time.

If you are in Portland you may find the book "Wild in the City" a decent distraction. It had me all over town checking out hidden nature areas and the paved trails within them.

Chris
I'm almost always the sweep on my hikes ... it gives me an opportunity to taste test all the edible berries I seem to find.

Where's Chris?
Instagram WhereIsChrisNow

User avatar
Roy
Posts: 2824
Joined: January 25th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement --- Now 6 and a

Post by Roy » March 20th, 2014, 4:44 am

Now basically six and a half weeks wont go on things are good.

No more therapy, Stationary bike at home told to walk walk and walk with some incline. Still no more than four hours on my feet.

Get to ride my bike in 10 days. Doc told me it was so bad at two months I would be very happy and year just a bad memory.

Future activities I will take as I can. The Pain relief is what makes me see this as a success.


Wont bore you any more just post trs from now on.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

User avatar
Crusak
Posts: 3617
Joined: August 6th, 2009, 7:33 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement --- Now 6 and a

Post by Crusak » March 20th, 2014, 8:44 pm

Roy wrote:...Wont bore you any more just post trs from now on.
Good to hear that you're experiencing pain relief, and making progress. Looking forward to seeing your trip reports.
Jim's Hikes

Solvitur Ambulando

User avatar
K.Wagner
Posts: 652
Joined: June 2nd, 2013, 1:25 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement --- Now 6 and a

Post by K.Wagner » July 14th, 2014, 6:18 pm

Roy,

A little late on this, but a good friend of ours did the total knee thing this spring. He's doing really well, back to work full time, and chomping at the bit to get back on the trails. I think it has been about 3 months for him now. Hope you are regaining some strength.
Kelly
There is no shortcut to anyplace worth going to.

PM me about the soon to be released:
Skamania 231
"How to really get off the beaten path in Skamania County"

User avatar
Roy
Posts: 2824
Joined: January 25th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Re: Five weeks after total knee replacement --- Now 6 and a

Post by Roy » August 5th, 2014, 5:44 pm

K.Wagner wrote:Roy,

A little late on this, but a good friend of ours did the total knee thing this spring. He's doing really well, back to work full time, and chomping at the bit to get back on the trails. I think it has been about 3 months for him now. Hope you are regaining some strength.
Late to read this I am doing great and I hope your friend does as well as I have. The right doctor is everything.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

Post Reply