Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Knee replacement

Smithrjd: Been there done that (2 1/2 years ago) and it was the best thing I ever let a Doctor do to me!
All the old pains are gone and I get around rather well for a 75 year old man!
Like others have said take it easy on the pain pills as "constipation" with a freshly replaced knee makes for difficult times and MORE pain whilst on the throne.
Luckily I only needed ONE knee replaced as it was broken/injured in an accident.
I had 14 (fourteen!) weeks of three times a week physical therapy and I held the record at that therapy clinic for the loudest pain induced scream for three of those weeks, until a college basketball player started his physical therapy/rehab on his knee.
Get'er done, get the therapy done, and start a new and better life.
I DO NOT even want to tell you what happened to two different women I know who did NOT follow-up on therapy after their knee replacements!
This is a threat - GET the therapy done - or else you WILL be sorry.
Best of luck to you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Had both of mine done 4 years ago, 3 months apart. The advice above I agree with 100%.

I had both of mine done the same day a few years back, in December.

Was at SHOT a month later ... on an electric scooter for a lot of the time, but there.

I had a spectacular result, regained ridiculous range of motion, chasing quail in the foothills again ... but my surgeon walks on water.

One of the best decisions I ever made. God was on my side. I’ll take it.

GOD, you believe in that stuff too.

Ha. Well God bless you.

MAGA

I got up and got going right after I got my lung took out at Bostons Massachusetts General on a Monday morning after flying up there and meeting with Harvards Dr Herman Grillo on a Sunday afternoon.

Was supposed to be in the hospital 12 days. I left the hospital after 6 days.

GOD is GOOD. And GREAT.

Don’t shrink back from the subsequent physical therapy. It’ll hurt but it’s important.

The pain narcotics they gave me were NO help at all. Ironbender suggested Ibuprofen instead. He was right. He & I had ours done on the same day in 2018.

My surgeon was William Bryan with Houston Methodist Sports Medicine. He had done J.J. Watt’s knee not long prior to cutting on me. A good Doc is a good find.

It took 6 months to be able to climb a curb without deliberate calculation & 18 months to climb the stairs normally.

Ask for dilaudid, you will thank me later...



Before...







After...







Way after...

When I had my done 2010 I made sure I took meds before every therapy session. This was so I could work it hard. A friend had one done about same time and got off the pain meds in a couple of days. Because of the pain he didn't or couldn't do the therapy well and had scar tissue build up and to go back under and have the Doc break it up.

Will see what the Doc prescribes, Motrin Tylenol, Celebrex etc do nothing for me. The only thing that worked for me besides opioids is Aspirin.

I remember that. It was a fun day, wasn’t it?

I'm at 10 months. Still not happy with it

What do you think went wrong? Or are just still recovering?

Had both TKR on 2/14/2020. They rushed me out a day early as Covid was invading all hospitals. Started PT at home within a week. Soon thereafter started PT regimen at clinic. Covid shut that down too! But my flexion was 105 post surgery second week and near 125 after 5 sessions prior C19 shutdown of clinic. Did the rest of my work on real good stationary bike and porch/interior stairs and twice daily walking our Airedale.

Walk, walk, and walk more. Stretch every morning before getting out of bed. Going upstairs is much easier than down. Took a full year to really heal and get proper “feel” back into feet. But, I don’t awaken at night and feel like I’m on fire anymore. I’ve had outstanding results.
Good luck.

A great surgeon is the ticket. I had two! Full team on each knee! They’re partners in Dallas Orthopedic Associates and incredibly gifted.

Not sure about Dennis, but I still have some soreness in mine. 2+ years later. Doc told me some folks just have minor pain after the replacement.

I way surpassed their range of motion tests, as in I'm topped out at the physical limits of the apparatus they installed. It don't bend no more than I can bend it.

I think part of my issue is that I got to keep my very own kneecap, and by the sounds it makes now I think the arthritis is setting in pretty good behind it.

Still beats having to have shots every so often, max doses of ibuprofen every day, and now and again a real pain pill. And some days just choosing to not do much.

6 or so months after having it done I was chasing elk in AZ, so I can't complain.

Best advice you will get right here.

I did not get prepared on the first one, paid for it in rehab. Same young lady was my tech on the second one, first session when she said raise the heel, I couldn't do it. (First surgery, she had to help me and I peed in my workout shorts a little) Get your quads built up.

Second one, I did it the 27th of July and was elk hunting in November. Ice is your friend.

My PA lady told me that three Motrin and 2 Extra Strength Tylenol provide just as much pain relief as 10 mg Oxycodone.

I found her advice to be true and you don't get addicted to Motrin.

IN SPADES!!!


"... take it easy on the pain pills as "constipation" with a freshly replaced knee makes for difficult times and MORE pain whilst on the throne. ..."

The problem getting up and down with shoulder replacement wasn't much of a problem.....BUT....when you're right handed, your bathroom is set up right handed and they replace your "right" shoulder....!
Awkward at best!
I even confronted the surgeon!
"Have you relegated me to wiping my butt left handed the remainder of my life?"

I learned quite a few "workarounds" due to joint replacements! 😉 There ARE ways to do things.

Pre shoulder replacement, the wife insisted we purchase a recliner. I had been sitting in an old wooden rocker.
What we DIDN'T think about was the recliner was right handed!
The youngest took the adjustable leg off an unused walker, stuck it over the handle, tied paracord to it so I could flip the lever with my left hand.
Lost the paracord one morning about 1AM. I need to get to a bathroom, ASAP! I woke up the entire household, screaming, until somebody woke up to rescue me from my recliner! Thankfully, in time!

....and "YES!", constipation is an absolute reality with pain killers.
When they locked my right ankle, was probably THE most painful surgery I've EVER had!!! I ate hydrocodone like they were M&M's!
Yep! Constipation....and unable to use right foot to unseat? I can kinda relate to you TKR guys! NOT fun!

[quote][/quote]
Damn Shrap, they must have gotten a good deal on staples at your hospital.

I had TKR of my left knee January 2020 at the age of 49. Best thing I ever did!!

My left knee gave me a little problem my whole life and the time I spent doing martial arts, playing football, heavy weight training and a few years in the Infantry didn't help.

I had my left knee scoped twice before TKR, they told me it was junk and had to go. Cortisone shots would last me 1.5 - 2 days, that's right, days.

Are you carrying excess body weight? If so, lose it. For every pound you lose, you relieve 4 psi off of your load bearing joints.

Prior to surgery, get on a recumbent bike and strenthen your knees and quads to the best of your ability. It'll pay-off in spades later.

As stated, find a good surgeon and as questions. Ask if the new knee you're getting has a long and solid track record.

You will be up and walking within 45 minutes to an hour right after surgery; pain-free!

DO YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPY!! You'll be given exercises to do at home on your own and you'll need to meet with a physical therapist. Do not opt for in-home therapy, they will have far more equipment at the rehab center and can do much more with you at a center than in your residence.

This is very important; pain killers before therapy and pain killers afterwards. I was given hydrocodones and they worked, but don't take them any longer than needed.

Take pain meds on schedule wether you need them or not. If you allow the pain to get away from you, it's takes like two or three times the meds to get it back under control.

They told me my worst days would be day 3, 4 and 5. My worst days were actually days 6, 7, and 8. After that it all starts getting better.

It will be natural to feel pain as you recover, your body is healing, nerves start to "feel" again, but it's nothing unbearable. This lasted a year or so with me. The soreness and a little pain didn't fully subside until about the 2-year mark, but I was up and moving.

Stay on the recumbant bike. My bike done me more good AFTER the surgery, as it helped my regain a full range of motion and helped to strengthen the muscles that had been cut, etc.

Before my surgery, I was livining on pain killers to maintain a somewhat active life style. Some mornings it was a very big deal to walk out of my house and get into my truck to go to work. TKR gave me my life back and I am so thankful for living in a day, time and place where I could be fixed. We take our medical care in this country for granted.

I can no longer run distance as I used to, so I use a bike. I'm back in the gym, but I no longer do squats. I had to modify my life slightly, but for the most part, I do what I want, when I want. I go up hills, down hills and around hills and you will too.

If you have any questions moving forward, please ask.

I wish you the best, Godspeed.

ETA: it appears Shrapnel had his incision stapled. Ask for dissolving sutures, you'll thank me for this later. My sutures were the dissolving type and I didn't have to go through the pain of having staples removed.

I wish you the best, I don't have a knee problem but i have a terrible back pain and i think i know what you are going through.