Knee, what knee?

Discussion in 'Health' started by OTHRider, Sep 29, 2020.


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  1. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Yay! Glad you are on the mend now. Congrats on the successful surgery, my friend.
     
    OTHRider and mtnbikej like this.
  2. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Good ole Adsense...
    A4EB175A-D055-439E-AF75-272885C20D6E.png
     
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  3. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    RAD! Great to hear it! :thumbsup: :cool:
     
    mtnbikej likes this.
  4. OTHRider

    OTHRider Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Duke
    Current Bike:
    '18 Salsa Cutthroat
    Man, has time flown by. Thank you all for the kind thoughts.

    The Official 21-Day Post Surgery Update follows.

    Thank goodness I was able to ride for so long. My recovery is way ahead of schedule according to the experts. Only my ROM is average and most of that is due to sucking it up for so long with the bad knee and limping.

    No limp now. I weened myself off the fun meds by day 15. I'm still on anti-inflammatory pills and muscle relaxants (before PT). I have taken a few 500mg acetaminophen at night.

    Swelling is WAY down everywhere but the immediate knee joint. The purple-green ankle and toes (blood settling) is 99% gone, but the toes are still tender. My thigh is also tender due to the tourniquet used during surgery. My outer thigh and butt looked like I had slid out on a high speed gravel corner and hit hard. This was by far the worst of the visual affects.

    I was switched from the walker to a cane on day 5. I was removed from the cane on day 17. Before surgery, I couldn't walk 100 yards without stopping, grimacing and stretching out the knee. I am now EASILY walking 3/4 mile twice a day with NO PAIN. I know I could go further, but there are some restrictions from PT so I don't overdo it and increase swelling.

    The only bothersome issue has to do with the nighttime phantom pains. My skin feels like it is burning or suffering from multiple bee stings. Even the weight of a sheet is way too much to shrug off. Everyone gets a phase like this, but my sleep pattern is nothing more than 3 or 4 short 1-hour long naps. It seriously sucks. I am taking a solid 1 hour nap during the day when those pains are gone.

    I can pedal the funny bike PT with the adjustable crank lengths but other exercises are more important right now. I plan on being released for regular cycling around week 6. I was back to driving two days after the fun meds were stopped. I'm plenty comfortable in the F-350 and I'm able to drive to & from PT sessions.

    Three hours out of surgery completely immersed in the fun drug fog.

    7.jpg



    This was just before we left. The next day my calf and thigh really blew up. I'm a thin guy and my left calf is 12.5" in diameter. My surgical calf swelled to over 18" . There was no special pain and by day 5 the swelling slowly started to reside. That big, old bandage was my complete dressing. The deeper cuts were sutured and the surface skin was held together with an adhesive mesh strip
    5.jpg



    This was taken yesterday. At every step, the experts have mentioned how nicely I'm healing. The mesh is slowly sloughing off. There is absolutely no pain at the actual surgery site. I am doing the basic surgical zone massaging to reduce scar tissue.
    2.jpg



    A better view of the minimal scar. The exposed scar is about 1-1/2" long. There has been no redness around the cut, but it is still warm to the touch (normal).
    1.jpg

    I won't give these two any credit. Damned if they don't think my leg is some sort of game. The were cruising in and out of my legs, through the walker and licking my calf every time I got up. OK, maybe my balance is better than it should be due to their shenanigans.
    6.jpg
     
    Mikie, bvader, kingaucho and 17 others like this.
  5. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    Nice to see the healing is going good Duke! Rox sez "HI!"
     
    Mikie, herzalot, OTHRider and 2 others like this.
  6. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Great to read... glad it is improving so quickly!!!
     
    Mikie, OTHRider and mtnbikej like this.
  7. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Still the world's cutest damn dogs!!! :inlove: :inlove:

    Congrats on the knew knee. May your recovery be speedy and complete. :thumbsup:
     
    Mikie and OTHRider like this.
  8. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    Aussie thread derail!

    aussie.jpg

    Thanks for sharing all these details!

    @OTHRider do you mind me asking - did you go into a hospital for the procedure, or did they do it in an orthopedic facility?
     
    Obsidian, Mikie, Faust29 and 2 others like this.
  9. OTHRider

    OTHRider Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Duke
    Current Bike:
    '18 Salsa Cutthroat
    I had the procedure done at Hoag Irvine. The orthopedic facility is in the next door tower. The whole floor I was on is dedicated only to "scheduled" Ortho activites. There are no emergency procedures done there, part of the Covid accommodations.

    I was beyond impressed with the entire place. I felt like I was walking into a hotel lobby and I had my own private "handler" to guide me through the process to get up to the surgical floor. At every step, I was greeted with a smile and "How are you feeling?, Can I get you anything?" It never felt rushed, but everyone there is working to get you out the same day to spend the night in your own bed.

    I have more than enough hospital horror stories in my life. This facility and staff was flawless, polite, caring and incredibly efficient. Now, if they only had a cute nurse strolling the hallways with a beer cart......
     
    Obsidian, Mikie, doublewide and 4 others like this.
  10. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    Thanks again for all the info! Hoag Irvine is where my son was born (in 1996 when there was very little else there). Everything was exactly as you describe - very professional, very friendly... but very fast. My wife went into labor two weeks early, and low and behold my son was born on Leap Year Day, 1996... which was not a good thing because every woman who was planning on inducing labor was trying to target leap year day :) We had originally scheduled / reserved a delivery "suite"... but as soon as our son was delivered and healthy they booted us out :)
     
    Mikie and OTHRider like this.
  11. OTHRider

    OTHRider Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Duke
    Current Bike:
    '18 Salsa Cutthroat
    32-day update

    It's amazing how quickly pains pop up and fade away. The phantom tingles faded away last weekend. The only nighttime pains left are on either side of the knee and I've figured out some creative pillow placements to relieve those.

    ROM is slowly improving, mostly on the flexion end. I'm up to 105-degrees with some persuasion.

    I'm now easily walking over a mile everyday with no pain. Yesterday I did two walks and spent an hour trimming our palm trees. That was a little too much and my knee was pretty tender today.

    The swelling around the knee is still there, but much reduced. I'm still doing my scar prevention multiple times a day. PT has now added balance tasks using the Bosa ball and wobble board.

    With my increased ROM, the surgeon gave me permission for a road trip as long as I stopped every two hours and loosened up the knee and walked for a few minutes. We took the puppies and the multiple stops worked well for them too. We hauled up to Park City and saw the in-laws and brother in-law. Three days being fed, 2" of snow, a sharp 2-degree morning and we were ready to head home. 22 hours of driving with me handling 70% and no issues. To say I'm happy is an understatement.

    I meet with the surgeon on the 10th for post surgery Xrays and hopefully my full release to normal activity.
     
    mike, Ocpop, Obsidian and 17 others like this.
  12. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    :thumbsup:
    So happy to hear about your progress! :thumbsup:
     
  13. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    This has been an outstanding account of the procedure and how you have faired through it. Duke (@OTHRider ), thank you SO MUCH!

    Having just seen an Ortho guy finally yesterday and discussing with him knee replacements for myself, did you and the Doc discuss mountain bike activity?
    What extent or intensity of mtb activity do knee replacements afford?

    Thanks again for such a great post all up. So glad you are on the mend!
     
  14. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    Oops
     
    Obsidian likes this.
  15. OTHRider

    OTHRider Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Duke
    Current Bike:
    '18 Salsa Cutthroat
    Yes I did. I think I mentioned it on another thread. The doctor's #1 advise is to avoid as many impact activities as possible. His examples were hard tail MTBs, basketball, singles tennis, jumping off of truck tailgates, etc. Avoid, not NEVER.

    He was fine with a FS MTB on mellow trails but drops and extended rock gardens were to be avoided. You may not feel it in the new knee right away, but you will reduce the life of the knee. The two most common issues would be premature wear on the "plastic" insert and the possible "loosening" of the metal parts.

    Anyone who has ridden a rigid gravel bike will admit that the ride can be pretty harsh on the knees. This was the main reason for me placing the old gravel bike on the trainer and upgrading to the Cutthroat with 2.1" Icons. The superior frame coupled with 18/20psi in the Icons felt 90% smoother than the aluminum frame with 40mm tires and 28/32psi. I also quit more MTB-ish routes in favor of old man with bad knees routes.

    I still ride my old Heckler a few times a year. I also treat myself to a rental MTB when I travel - Bend, Park City, Flagstaff - and I stay to the easier trails and walk what I used to ride if needed.

    I've tried to convince myself that this is just a natural progression FOR ME and my poor combination of genetics. I don't play tackle football at 59, don't run the bases with spikes and certainly don't run 10Ks anymore. I miss them all dearly but I can still ride my bike.

    I like to tell my buddies who think I was too young for a Total Knee Replacement that I was able to put off the surgery for over 18 years by listening to the docs, losing weight, reducing impact, BIKING, and concentrating on keeping the muscles around the knee strong and pliable.

    A few swollen knees a year was nothing. Constant pain with every step, the lack of quality sleep and the loss of normal walking was the final straw.

    Good luck on your journey!
     
    mike, scan, senderos_949 and 6 others like this.
  16. OTHRider

    OTHRider Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Duke
    Current Bike:
    '18 Salsa Cutthroat
    Last update until I can get in a true, dirt based ride.

    Dr. gave me a clean bill of health on Wednesday and released me to full activity with no reservations, minus the impact stuff.



    A reminder of where I started. Bowlegged AF and no doubt about the bone-on-bone

    1.3.6.1.4.1.19179.1.1144226186167172161.3.9949.176822a.jpg



    The leg is straight, with a nice, consistent gap between the leg bones. My family constantly comments that I am now taller too. That small, piece at the top of the Xray is a piece of a wedge that chipped off while splitting logs and shot into my thigh. It hasn't moved in 30 years but it sure gets HOT quickly in an MRI

    20201110_135050_resized.jpg



    My current scar condition. I'm doing 4X daily scar manipulation and morning and night scar reduction cream.
    20201107_144755_resized.jpg


    And lastly, a side view showing how the thigh bone is sculpted to exactly match the mating features in the implant
    20201110_135019_resized.jpg
     
    UPSed, mike, doublewide and 10 others like this.
  17. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Those butchers! I don’t think avoiding drops and extended rock gardens is going to go over well. @Mikie , network the Sh!t out of this one to find the surgeon who gives you the responses you want to hear. Does anybody know who Bobby Orr’s current orthopedist is? Where does Roger Federer get his arthoscopies? Good luck @OTHRider and @Mikie !
     
    OTHRider, Cyclotourist and Mikie like this.
  18. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    All of this is well written and comprehensive. What a fantastic job of explaining everything. Thanks so much Duke, and your knee is looking and healing really well! Congrats.
     
  19. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Those pics look great!
     
    Mikie and OTHRider like this.
  20. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Hey Duke!
    Looks like I’m next in line. Saw an Orthopedic today for my heavy duty constant knee pain and asked for twin shooters of cortisone, one in each knee... which he did.
    We talked about options and he said I have no options. The knees are cooked, finished, kaput! Said the only option was knee replacement.

    Soooo... I’m hoping the Cortisone boost gets me through Kokopelli next weekend then I have a phone consultation with a specialist on the 18th.

    I just may be reaching out as I’m planning both at the same time. :whistling:
     
  21. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    No like!!! But glad you are dealing with it. Both knees, wow, you are ambitious, Mikie. Or just smart to get it all over with. Best wishes all around. :)

    @OTHRider, I missed a lot of your progress, super stoked things are looking good for you!

    Damn joints...who designed those things?? R&D needs to kick it up a notch. :gotnothing:
     
  22. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    I break a lot, but I have been abundantly blessed as a very fast healer. Could not imagine doing it twice. Let’s get-r-done then get on with the fun!
    Thanks Mike!
     
    mtbMike, Cyclotourist, mike and 4 others like this.
  23. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Well… That’s not what I wanted to read. :thumbsdown:
     
    Cyclotourist, OTHRider, Mikie and 2 others like this.
  24. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    Funny how these "old" thread come back around a year later.

    Just to provide info and solace to those in the knee replacement world, my wife went in on March 15 for a total knee replacement on her left knee. At her two week check-up with her doctor she was hitting all her six week goals. As of today (six weeks post-op) we were hiking in South Mountains State Park up gnarly trails that were more rock stairways than true "trails".

    walk.jpg

    All I can say is do the physical therapy. My wife was religious about it. She didn't overdo it. She just did what they told her to do.
     
    Stkx66, Faust29, Cyclotourist and 6 others like this.
  25. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    @Mikie - if you read this, this is the mantra. The must-do. Otherwise you will not be a happy camper.

    My wife had her knees replaced. Right one in 2019, left one in 2020. The first one she didn't do what she was supposed to do and suffered for months.

    The second one she religiously did what she was told, and had very little problem.

    The PT folks know of what they speak.

    Do, or do not. There is no try. :thumbsup:
     
    Faust29, Rumpled, mtnbikej and 7 others like this.
  26. Oaken

    Oaken Well-Known Member

    Location:
    OC
    Name:
    CeeJay
    Guy I work with had both his done at the same time. He was painfully bow legged.
    He was up and moving fairly soon, and has had no issues.
    He literally looks four inches taller now.
     
    Faust29, OTHRider, herzalot and 4 others like this.
  27. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Yes! I hear this loud and clear and have absolutely no isdsues with following success. I only get one shot at this and might as well do it right from the get-go. Right?
     
    Faust29, Walleye, herzalot and 6 others like this.
  28. OTHRider

    OTHRider Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Duke
    Current Bike:
    '18 Salsa Cutthroat
    I hate to say congrats, but if your results are 90% of mine, you'll be a happy camper. Two at a time is tougher from everyone I talked to, but at the end most are happy.

    Yes, I'm back to my normal rides. I was a little too enthusiastic in mid-December and had to take 3 weeks off of riding due to the swelling and muscle pain. I've been averaging 20 miles a week for a few months with some increase in climbing each ride. Last Sunday, I took the Cutthroat from the house over to Chino Hills, up to Four Corners and back.

    No more "can't walk after pedaling" Sundays. By every metric I can think of, I'm doing remarkably better. And yes, the "you look taller" thing is real, especially if you got into the bowlegged range.

    Four very small issues remain and they are becoming "once a month" issues at worst.
    1. My surgical right leg is still not as strong as my old left leg, but just barely. It is remarkable when I think back about how atrophied my leg used to be.
    2. I have the slightest amount of swelling on the outside of my knee, very common. It might not ever go away and I'm OK with that
    3. About once a month I get a phantom pain. It might last five minutes or wake me up from a sound sleep. The nighttime pains are around the knee and the daytime pains are usually in my ankle?? Not a big deal, just noticeable.
    4. I wish I could get my left knee done RIGHT NOW but it will be a 2022 event after I jack my insurance back to the top level.
    Best of luck on the 18th. Keep us caught up with the progress!
     
  29. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Had the Consult and I'm assuming they sent you a link for a video on knee replacement. Although animated images I got a little queezy when they showed the bone removal and then the inserts. :eek: Ughhh!
    I told the surgeon that I'm leaving California and will not have Kaiser outside of California and probably not nearly the insurance for knee replacement, he said that was not a good reason to get the surgery. I appreciated that.
    However, with both knees doped up on Cortisone for Kokopelli, it's difficult to measure pain until that wears off.
    Upon asking if there were other options he said, "Other than levels of pain management... nope!"
    I told him to then sign me up as I know once the Cortisone wears off, I will be right back where I was.

    Interesting...
    In the Vid,
    It said that heavy individuals wear them out faster than lighter individuals. No duh... But what i found very interesting was the Vid stated for every 1 pound overweight we carry it equates to 3 pounds on our knees! I'm not sure I fully understand that one. Seems like 1 pound is 1 pound, but who am I to argue.

    Another interesting fact is that the Video stated that replacements can last as little as 5 years and as much as 20 years depending on weight and activity. That kind of distressed me. 5 years seems very unreasonable! What do they do? Go in and replace the wearing parts?

    It also shared you can resume activities like Tennis but indicated cycling as only road on smooth level terrain. o_Owtf! How does the impact from tennis compare to riding a mountain bike with squish??? Right???

    So with apprehension and not any options, I am scheduled for double replacement some time around August of this year... :eek:
     
  30. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    What in the hell is up with these long ass scars the doctors leave you with after the surgery?! This is Hollywood, nobody wants to see scars to that degree. :mad:
     
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