Knee Replacement :(

[FishCity]

I am doing one at a time. At 2-1/2 months postsurgery, if I did not have travel plans, I would be thinking about doing the second one soon. As it is, I will wait till next year.
My eye doctor is a big guy, tall former football player, and had 2 done the same week. He found it very hard "because you do not have a leg to stand on" as he put it.
On the bright side, having 2 done may guarantee your insurance will spring for inpatient rehab as opposed to going home after 3 days! Check it out.

All best for tge decision and recovery!
------
I am walking pretty well but as the knee swelling diminished I started feeling "disconnected" between ankle and hip. So it feels a little like I am a herky-jerky marionette as I walk...but observers say I am walking well, not oddly. Guess I just need to get used to it without swelling holding it all in place!
What needs major work is my core, glute, hip strength. Having 2 bad knees for decades left me with deficits there.
I am walking around the neighborhood with no aids. I use hiking poles on trails just as a security blanket.
My flexion is 123 degrees, a bit more than the unoperated one. I am working for more.

 

[FishCity]

Hi, I'm back. I hope you are doing OK, LargeDiver!

So it's 4-1/2 months and I am very pleased. I was discharged from outpatient rehab a month ago with 125 degrees flexion and a home program. The home program seems a little simple but I have to trust it exercises all the "parts." I can get up and down off the floor and even kneel briefly on a soft surface but am leery of that. The scar still has red areas and the knee is warmish but that is fading/decreasing. The swelling on the outer part decreased noticeably in the last week or so.

We go on an Asia trip next month (dry land) and I am confident that the walking will be fine. My other knee is quite a bit stronger due to the exercises. I can bend my knees to bend to pick something off the floor--have not been able to do that since I was 15!

QUESTION: I am really looking forward to resuming snorkeling in January when we go to Hawaii. But I am leery of getting scrapes or cuts on my legs from lava rock when I do shore entries. Since by 2018 I will have 2 knees to protect, I am thinking of getting a full wetsuit. I have a Henderson 3 mm shorty with front zip that I love for warmth and sun protection and that fits well, but am unsure of what size and kind to get wetsuit-wise. Ease of getting it on and off and sizing given my thick, muscular legs are concerns. I see some that have knee pads--sounds good! But do they bother your scar?

We don't have a local dive shop (they closed) so I got my last shorty online.

Suggestions welcomed. Thanks and so many thanks for all the positivity and support here!

 

[boulderjohn]

Wet suits differ in terms of materials, and the newest wet suits of the stretchier material are really pretty easy to get on and off if you are talking about a 3mm suit. If you go thicker, get one with ankle zippers.

Most have knee pads. Before long covering the scar will not be an issue for you at all.

I was certified in a shorty wet suit. On one of the dives, I had just adjusted my buoyancy beautifully above the coral when someone else came crashing down on top of me, pushing me into the coral and cutting my knee. It took forever to heal, and it was stingingly painful for a very long time. I have never worn a shorty in the ocean since that dive. I want abrasion protection at all times.

 

[Peter69_56]

I have to go back and have my titanium knee replacement 7 year service .

Actually the knee cap is slightly missaligned so it needs work, and the plastic spacer in the joint needs to be a little thicker while in there so I will see how I go and let you know how it ends up

 

[large_diver]

Hi, I'm back. I hope you are doing OK, LargeDiver!

Glad to hear things are going well. I finally chose a doc and made the decision based on his recommendation to go one at a time. I have the complicating factor of a past ACL reconstruction in my right knee from 1985, which involved a patella tendon graft and screws to hold the related bone plugs in place. Doctor is planning to remove these screws during the procedure...so one at time makes more sense (I will do this knee first). First surgery is scheduled, but not until February due to work demands and a trip to Belize in December. If all goes well, second will likely be in June. I'll keep you posted.

One somewhat funny side note - current doc asked me to get the op notes from my 1985 surgery to confirm what kind of screws I have in my knee. I said "isn't it as simple as just bringing both a flat head and phillips head screw driver?" Apparently not...

Chris

 

[FishCity]

Thanks, John. Makes good sense. Will start shopping!
Peter, best wishes for a good recovery!
Chris, look forward to hearing how things go. Happy travels!

 

[gert7to3]

Peter,
Have you tried massaging your knee cap? Moving it slightly side to side to free it up? I found the quite helpful to get things sliding the way they should.

A tip for wet suit donning. Either wear polyester dive socks or put a plastic bag over your foot before putting your leg into the suit. Your foot will slide through much easier.

 

[Peter69_56]

Peter,
Have you tried massaging your knee cap? Moving it slightly side to side to free it up? I found the quite helpful to get things sliding the way they should.

A tip for wet suit donning. Either wear polyester dive socks or put a plastic bag over your foot before putting your leg into the suit. Your foot will slide through much easier.

The knee cap is missaligned and requires rework by lifting the knee cap and realigning it. The issue is not movement, rather as it moves it hits the side of my joint and associated muscle etc.

 

[gert7to3]

Bummer about the alignment issue. On my knee they trimmed the backside of my knee cap and implanted a formed bearing plate, which aligns the ligament over the replacement joint.

Been away hence a tardy reply. Hope things resolve well for you with the second try.

 

[FishCity]

Hope the re-work goes well, Peter.

I just got back from my first big trip since the knee replacement. Made it thru the Forbidden City with no problems at all! That had been my "vision thing" during the rehab. Actually, in Beijing and Tokyo I was walking 2-3 hours at a time (some standing, no sitting) routinely with no issues at all on my new knee. (I was cautious up on the Great Wall even with hiking poles and did not go too far, because I did not want to trip and land on my knees on the stone steps.) The other knee is stronger due to all the exercises, so it did well,too. I still am planning to get it replaced early next year.

I am so appreciative of all your sharing, advice, and encouragement. Such a positive thread!

I still need to go shopping for that wet suit for January in Hawaii