Knee surgery...

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nofearfactor

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When I was in my teens thru my 20s,30s to today, I never thought that all of the crazy,physical stuff I was doing then I would pay for later some day. But now I am.

I'll be 42 in March. I go to my family Dr every 6 months for regular checkups,had one a few weeks ago. After the exam was over we talked like we always do about a nagging problem I have had for years- a bad right knee. He sent me for some Xrays. Then he calls me a few days later and is sending me for a visit to a specialist. I kind of knew that that didnt sound good. After seeing the specialist,a supposedly really good Dr in his field, it looks like I have pretty much worn out the cartilage in one knee and a little bit in the other is slightly gone too. Looks like replacement surgery is in my future.

I'm not at the point where I have any pain or swelling,yet,but the Dr says that is around the corner if I don't do something about it soon. I think I may let him do it this spring and get it over with when I have a break from playing music.

A pretty cool site I found explaining the procedure:
http://wwww.edheads.org/activities/knee/knee1/index.htm

My life has always been intense physically,probably like most active people. My father had a martial arts school he taught from when I was a little kid and I started out there pretty young,switched to boxing in my teens competing at it,but have always mixed kicking with my boxing workouts on bags hung in bedrooms or garages regularly to this day.
Highschool and junior college football I dug in pretty hard on tackles,even remember injuring my knees a few times,but went right back to playing after some RRR.
Started weightlifting and powerlifting in HS and really got into it in my 20s,30s and remember hearing a 'pop' in my now bad knee in the bottom of a really heavy squat- R&R'd it a couple of weeks,wrapped it after that, then went right back to working out so I didnt lose any gains. Quit the mega heavy lifting about 5 years ago but I still lift today because I love it.

Did some jumps in my 20s skydiving,and I remember hitting the ground pretty hard on my bad knee in one of them.
Have cycled and rode mountain bikes many years; hiked,rappeled, and climbed around at Yosemite and in northern California on the mountain for the last 25 years.
Growing up in southern California it was always skateboarding,surfing,snow skiing with my family at Christmas at Bear Valley,and then later in life I got into snowboarding with my kids- which I still 'try' to do but am not very good at it.
These days I mainly just tool around the neighborhood on my old cruiser and 'ratrod' bicycles that I build for fun.

In my music career I've been playing the guitar in rock bands since I was 16,when younger I ran around stages acting like an idiot. I dont run around and do all of the crazy stuff any more mostly due to my bad knee, and mostly because it looks stupid for a old guy my age to do that stuff. That part of my life is about to end soon anyways. The live performing part any ways.

I've basically packed alot of life in in my 41 years and apparently have also worn out some body parts while doing it. Now it looks like some parts are starting to need replacing. Humbling. My cholesterol is low,blood pressure is really good, and I have a good ticker- at least some good news from my regular checkup.

Other than being born,I have never been in the hospital besides quite a few ER visits for broken bones,stitches,kidney stones,etc. But I'm not worried. I have had some dental work done a few times removing molars and whatever so I have a little experience with anesthesia and surgery. Dental surgery is nothing like knee surgery,I realize that,but I think it will go well and I'll make out ok. I do have an unusually high tolerance to pain.

The wife has a few friends who have had it done and she says they all say it went well and theyre glad that they had it done.

If anybody has had this type of operation any info shared would be appreciated.

( sorry for the novel.)
 

yukonjack

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At age 38 I was told I needed knee replacement surgery. On both knees. Then in the next breath the surgeon said to wait as long as I absolutely could. Well, 14 years later, still have those same bad knees. I do take Celebrex and the ocasional pain med. Get celestone injections in each knee joint about every 4 months or so. And I've had 9 othroscopic knee surgeries.

I'd say for you your jumping the gun way too soon on even considering knee replacement surgery. Just remember these replacement surgeries aren't fool proof. Once they take the meat cleaver to your leg and chop out the old knee you can't get it back.

I'd wait.
 

Cedar Creek

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Orthopedic surgery has made quantum leaps in the last 20 years or so. I had my first surgery on my right knee in 1978 @ age 27 - orthoscopic surgery was pretty new then. Had the second one in 1980 and another one to clean out calcium and bone fragments in 1984. It has done great - never had to do the "accordian" surgery with the big incisions on both sides like some of my friends. I had reconstruction on my left ankle in 1992 @ age 42 and it is fine.

You will do great - the quality and scope of what the doctors can do now is unbelievable + the physical impact and down time are much less.

Good Luck!

Cedar Creek
 

midman

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well your a lot luckier than me, at least you made it until your 40s. I had my first knee reconstruction the summer before 8th grade. I was only 13. Had my second reconstruction when I was 14, and had my third when I was 15. At that point I gave up sports which I loved. I don't know about you, but my recovery time was always shorter than than my surgeon said it would and he was the one that released me each time. As for the pain, It won't be too bad the first couple days because of the drugs, but after that it gets pretty annoying.
 

VitruvianDoc

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Blew out my knee in 11th grade. Didn't tear any tendons or ligaments, but the lateral meniscus was completely shredded and the medial meniscus was pretty far gone. Had a cadaver replacement at the time, knee isn't anything like before it went out, but its leaps and bounds better than after. Its what I get playing baseball since t-ball and I was an up and coming catcher at the time. Can't squat anymore so that went out the door as options.

Anyways best of luck.
 

nofearfactor

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At age 38 I was told I needed knee replacement surgery. On both knees. Then in the next breath the surgeon said to wait as long as I absolutely could. Well, 14 years later, still have those same bad knees. I do take Celebrex and the ocasional pain med. Get celestone injections in each knee joint about every 4 months or so. And I've had 9 othroscopic knee surgeries.

I'd say for you your jumping the gun way too soon on even considering knee replacement surgery. Just remember these replacement surgeries aren't fool proof. Once they take the meat cleaver to your leg and chop out the old knee you can't get it back.

I'd wait.

Yaa,he has given me some time to think about it. He also give me a shot of something in it but I really cant tell what it did. I'm not to the crippled stage or even a slight limp but sometimes if I put all of my weight on it then it kind of sways a little.

One thing I know will help my case is to lose some weight. I never in my life had a problem with weight because my metabolism was always like a hummingbird, but as you get older it does slow down and now I see it starting to slow down and its alot harder to lose weight now. He wants me to drop about 50 and see if that helps a little. He said that every 5lbs I should be able to tell a big difference. So I'm working on that. Losing that much weight is going to be hard to do for me. I'm memorizing nutrition info of all the foods I can eat at home and out like crazy;I'm upping my cardio and spending a little more time boxing with my partners. But damn,I love to eat and its hard to watch your calories. Grilled chicken is good but fried chicken is better.Lollll. Also hard to watch my near 6' 190lb 14 yr old sitting right across from me gobble up all of my favorite foods like there is no tomorrow.
 

gillman7

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I would say you are a long way from knee replacement if you are just now seeing a specialist. Sounds like someone may be trying to get you to get it done early.

Had 6 knee surgeries, will have to have one replaced eventually, was told I needed it this time, but went to Dr and he did some extra stuff and put it off for a while. Go see Ron LaButti at EOOC behind St Francis, you won't be sorry.
 

mhphoto

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My father in law had his left knee replaced in the summer and he's on constant pain meds now. One day he took a step and something just clicked in his new knee and it's been hurting ever since. The doctors have no idea what happened, but everything on the xrays look fine.

I wouldn't jump the gun. Maybe look into some alternatives like those injections and stuff.
 

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