Went down yesterday while installing a storm door. Stepped out and down from entry and left foot slid forward as the 2x2 foam mat slid on either water or ice or both. Right leg, the one with arthritis and no ACL, folded underneath me and I landed on my back with my butt on my heel.... That knee has not bent that far in 45 years. Iced last night, but going to Dr this morning, and then presumably for MRI. This sux. Might force my hand into knee replacement.... Ankle hurts too.


I had to compose myself and install one closer and handle hardware while son packed up the tools and I headed for the ice pack.

i hope ya heal up without the knee replacement

YIKES :eek:
that sucks Ross
hope it gets better and take it slow

Geeees,,,, sooner or later that knee will need u no what...
go slow, try and get fish season in then do it!

That sucks Ross. Hoping for a quick recovery!

Ross!
Time to shift gears out of work mode
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Ross I know you only know one speed - but downshifting is sometimes necessary when we get older. Good luck at Dr and recovery.

Thanks all... MRI at 5:20pm today up in Newburyport. Will drop off a reel to Martha at Surfland beforehand, so something positive!

Ross, how did you make out what the MRI?
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Haven't got results, but we know that I tore the PCL. Lost ACL 40 years ago. Only really one diagnosis and option. Now just have to get into a surgeon's office and on the schedule. And I would be thrilled to done with the pain from arthritis and bone on bone after doing PT for the replacement joint

Ouch - sucks having no ACL

Health system is so phukked up.... You have to advocate for yourself at every turn, almost forcing you to be rude and pushy.
I have to call to check in for any cancellations morning and afternoon daily, or just wait ten days to get into the surgeon's office. It's not like this is elective surgery......

Ross
Took 3 months for me to get a 10 minute procedure to stop the pain from a pinched nerve in my neck,,, unbearable at times....

So it appears that the only way to be seen right away is to call 911, get an ambulance, go to ER, and then be seen by surgeon..... Up at 0400 with the pain. Why is this so difficult in America today?

So it appears that the only way to be seen right away is to call 911, get an ambulance, go to ER, and then be seen by surgeon..... Up at 0400 with the pain. Why is this so difficult in America today?




Hahaha - wait until we become a socialized country ; )

Doctor: "Your appointment will be in ten years from today"

Patient: "Morning or afternoon?"

Doctor: "What difference does it make?"

Patient: "Because the plumber is coming in the afternoon?"

So it appears that the only way to be seen right away is to call 911, get an ambulance, go to ER, and then be seen by surgeon..... Up at 0400 with the pain. Why is this so difficult in America today?

Next time it flares up I’m headed straight to the ER..... :deadhorse:

The system is guiding me to be on oxy for two months while I wait for surgery?!?! This is nukking futz!

The system is guiding me to be on oxy for two months while I wait for surgery?!?! This is nukking futz!

You might as well go in now, you ain’t going to get any work done... :smash:

I would gladly get up from this chair and drive to surgery this very minute. No problem. But I am being told first opening is March 28th..... And that is just in the office! Who knows how long before scheduling surgery... I am dead in the water.

Going to call more surgeons tmw.

I am getting pretty good with the filet knife Ross.Let me know.
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I would gladly get up from this chair and drive to surgery this very minute. No problem. But I am being told first opening is March 28th..... And that is just in the office! Who knows how long before scheduling surgery... I am dead in the water.

Going to call more surgeons tmw.
If you have a doc you usually see I’d talk to him and ask him for help.
Sort of like the homeowner looking for a plumber goes to his GC
Worked for me, but my brother is a doc. That helps too.
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The system is guiding me to be on oxy for two months while I wait for surgery?!?! This is nukking futz!


Skip the Oxy. Not worth the risk.

When I blew out my knee I did it without hard drugs. Get what you can get which is not narcotic / opiate.

yes, I'd try to skip the oxy if you can.

Have yet to take an oxy since morning after... One week this afternoon since it happened... Getting my head wrapped around my new reality...

Insurance... there is a $1000.00 penalty (ie. lowered coverage) if I have surgery before a 30 day period from the "injury". Oh, that makes total sense to me.....

Ouch - sucks having no ACL

I have no ACL in my right knee. Gone 40 years ago. I also an bone on bone with osteoarthritis in the knee along with 6 bone spurs.
I get a shot of Synvisc every 6 months. Works for me plus Motrin 800 MG and Tylenol, taken at the same time per my orthopedic surgeon.

Hope all goes well for you Ross, and that the financial burden of not working combined with the insurance coverage shortfall doesn't add to your physical pain.
My wife had her "bad" knee replaced a few years ago and is very happy she did. I have a post surgery picture of her knee but it's kind of graphic.
Hang in there, and if you'd like to get out and do some boat fishing while you rehab and heal up just let me know.

Well I wish I had scheduled to have the replacement sooner... No question about the replacement being the right thing, as "the hay is already in the barn" according to the surgeon I saw. BUT... they never do the surgery to an acute knee, and mine is acute. Means I did so much tissue damage in the fall that I need to do 4-6 weeks of PT to prepare the knee for surgery.... If he does it now, when it doesn't have much mobility, it will not have the desired mobility after rehabbing the replacement joint... So I am in a timeout so to speak, before I can move forward. Doc has a two week vacation coming up, which pushed follow up appt out to May, which does not please me. So will get second opinion this week, and a second schedule so I can decide which one to go with. Start PT Monday afternoon. And cooking up a plan for work, be it driving/pick up/ delivery to other contractors, taking friends' family members to appointments, whatever. Just figuring it out. I really don't want to think about not launching the boat this season, but it is a very real possibility....

Ross, don’t rush this, surgery is a big deal, all that crap takes time and the more you behave the better the outcome...
Doc. Ray

Report?

I got home yesterday afternoon. Was still leaking quite a bit, even after drain line was removed, so that delayed release a couple hours. Just changed pressure dressing and still a little leak, but that is so much better than trying to get that blood out through PT only. Get pushing on that today after we get drainage controlled/answered. BM this morning... early excitement. No way I could be home alone. Wife has been awesome, as usual. MIL will occasionally ask why I am on crutches again... Will keep it brief with updates as I can report improvements that are truly milestones vs just little baby steps that I see. Get me some fishing/family/Memorial Day pics and reports, please

I got home yesterday afternoon. Was still leaking quite a bit, even after drain line was removed, so that delayed release a couple hours. Just changed pressure dressing and still a little leak, but that is so much better than trying to get that blood out through PT only. Get pushing on that today after we get drainage controlled/answered. BM this morning... early excitement. No way I could be home alone. Wife has been awesome, as usual. MIL will occasionally ask why I am on crutches again... Will keep it brief with updates as I can report improvements that are truly milestones vs just little baby steps that I see. Get me some fishing/family/Memorial Day pics and reports, please


Good luck, dude!~

I’m sure you will get through this with flying colors Ross. Best wishes and do what they say. Glad you have help
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Steady as she goes Cap!
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Thinking of you Ross. Heal up fast
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You got this :happy:

Ross, all the best wishes for a speedy recovery.

I clearly underestimated the scale of this surgery, in both the pain (and management of it) as well as all the help needed around the house daily.... On the upside of it, I can report that it has been ten days since I had a cigarette, so I will take that all day long...….

Don’t play catch up with the pain. One day at a time will work fine here.
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I just started CBD oil for the pain in my knees (both) one worse than the other. That #^&#^&#^&#^& works!!!

I clearly underestimated the scale of this surgery, in both the pain (and management of it) as well as all the help needed around the house daily.... On the upside of it, I can report that it has been ten days since I had a cigarette, so I will take that all day long...….

Keep it going, perfect time to get it done, glad you’re on the mend

So here I sit on June 14, Flag Day. Icing. PT appointment in town at 0930. This will be just my fourth time out since the surgery.

Today is three months since I fell and forced the surgery. It is also three weeks and two days since surgery. Using cane and one crutch as a back up. Still not full weight bearing.

Pain is more manageable and evolving. A lot is being able to differentiate and isolate muscles and areas that are healing stretching, etc. Sleeping is better. Will try driving around the block this afternoon. Not going to drive to PT as I use the oxys to lube up and do as much movement as I can bear to. Been very limited use, preferring the Tylenol. So much of this is getting right between my ears... Up to now has been slow going, but improvements seem to be accelerating. So I take the improvements graciously. There is no forcing this thing ahead of schedule, which was hard to accept as I have always been a fast healer.

So, much respect to anyone who has had a knee replaced, any joint replacement (or other serious surgeries for that matter). Take care of you body and appreciate all the smalls in your life that we can do... It is a different story when abilities are taken away.

Ross, I understand. I had 10 operations in 2003. One was a Quad bypass. I felt like a bus had hit me and my cardio guys said I would have been better off. It took 6 weeks for me to feel somewhat normal and 4 months until I could fish again.

I ONE thing I did learn from the experience was to listen to your body. You will know when it is right to do something. If it doesn't feel totally right, then don't do it and I mean anything.

I have no doubt that you will be fine. You are young (compared to me), strong willed and your determination will drive you to succeed.

So tomorrow will be eight weeks since the replacement surgery. I am improved since last post here, no doubt.

I am checking off all the boxes with rehab/PT 3x a week plus aqua therapy in my neighbor's pool 4x this past week. I have gotten to 115 degree range of motion. But muscle mass has atrophied, a lot. Very slow getting strength back. So here is what the surgeon told me two weeks ago at six week appointment. (It has taken me two weeks to wrap my head around this...) The replacement surgery took one hour. He was in there for two hours.... first hour to clean up the mess from all my previous surgeries, assuming scar tissue. Said he was not the first guy invited to the party.... So an extra hour of anesthesia. A lot more soft tissue damage to heal. He "set a bomb off in your knee." Normally tells patients the one hour surgery requires one year for 100 percent recovery. Did not say I would need any more, and would probably be less, BUT, here it comes... It will be 4 months from the surgery before I am starting to feel good enough to say I am happy I had it done... And walking confidently without a cane.

So another eight weeks/two months to go... Sleep sucks, as I am up four times a night from minor discomfort in the joint or muscles and have to go pee from anti inflammatory. Aqua therapy is great, but wipes me out. I was able to get the trash out to the curb today... I can drive. And am still off the cigarettes, which is awesome! Pretty much off the oxys, except when I know we have a big push scheduled at PT, but none in a over a week. It's my reality. Just accepting it... And should be doing a better job of that!
So fall run, albies, and other peoples boats in September!
As Clammer says: appreciate what you have!:wave:

CBD yourself to sleep.
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We’ll give that knee a workout this fall, think alby:-)

Sorry to hear that Ross. The bright side is once you're at 100% you'll find it was worth it.

I'm sure it's not easy Ross but hang in there and it will all be worth it. Sounds like you are doing well.

Hang in there Ross, healing takes time,my company manufacturers hips, knees, spinal inserts and trauma plates, a sister company in Colorado makes the installation tools, when I look at this stuff daily,I wonder how anyone can walk agian,but they do, better than before. ..do what they tell you, the way they tell you, and by this time next year, you'll be as pert as a rutting buck ( a line poached from the outlaw Jose Whales)if you feel up to.it in September, pm me, it's only a few hundred yards from fish to dock, I'd be happy to take you out for a few hours... and keep up the good work on quitting the cancer sticks.
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Be twelve weeks post op this week.
Started walking without a cane this weekend. Another breakthrough. Walking….
Using cane around house tonight as PT really cranked it for two hours today and I am just fatigued. But now I can start to think about some work and some fishing soon! Walking... I will never take it for granted again.