I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

On Wednesday, August 1, 2012 4:55:46 PM UTC-5, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

Hang in there. Apparently you're doing great with your progress. Yep, when the knee becomes more of a handicap, signifcantly affecting your life and living, then it's time for the replacement. If you had the operation now, it may very well affect your progress with learning to walk again. Prior to any knee or leg operation, one needs to have their muscles built up, to help with the surgery recovery. Well maintained strong/toned muscles do wonders for recouperation, that way. When there's pain, it's your body telling you to back off, from whatever you're doing.

Good luck and keep at it.
Sonny

On Wednesday, August 1, 2012 2:55:46 PM UTC-7, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

Dude, welcome back among the living. All the best. The body is an amazing thing and hopefully it will respond to your request for improvement.

On 8/1/12 4:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I
have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you
forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor
seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it
a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports
should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.


Glad to hear you're walking! Keep up the good work, as hard as it may be.
Opinions on other issues aside, I'm very glad to hear that you are
progressing.
My "niece" had a leg amputated due to childhood cancer. She got new
crutches the other day and was bragging about learning how to "run" on
them. Obviously, that really opened the waterworks for me and the wife.

Congrats again, and I pray for continued success and healing.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.


Yep! My wife has a knee replacement. When we went to Japan, she had
to have the whole body scan, or x-ray. They paid it little attention
in Japan, but when we got back to Atlanta, they gave her the full
body x-ray again before they would let us leave the airport. Not sure
about the logic in that.

Hope you continue to do well.

--
G.W. Ross

Closed Hearing for the Caption Impaired...

On 8/1/2012 5:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I
have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you
forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor
seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it
a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports
should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

Cool.. that's a big step.

See a sports orthopedist for a second opinion on the knee replacement.
They have a different view of some things than regular orthopedists.

Good luck... walk each day a little bit more.

See if you can get a stationary bike for a low impact muscle
strengthening, if you are not going to a physical therapist.

You can stick it in front of a tv or your computer and build up.

"CW" wrote:

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last
year in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the
chair to a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape
though that I can only make it about a block before I have to rest.
Oddly enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You
wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My knee is still
bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I am to young for a knee
replacement. He said to give it a while and see if the pain goes
away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel
plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.
-----------------------------------------------------
Congrats.

Have a friend who got a knee replacement.

As others have said, you want to be in best shape possible going into
that surgery.

Good luck.

Lew

On 8/1/12 4:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I
have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you
forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor
seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it
a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports
should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

Glad to hear you're walking! Keep up the good work, as hard as it may be.
Opinions on other issues aside, I'm very glad to hear that you are
progressing.
My "niece" had a leg amputated due to childhood cancer. She got new
crutches the other day and was bragging about learning how to "run" on
them. Obviously, that really opened the waterworks for me and the wife.

Congrats again, and I pray for continued success and healing.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

In m,
CW typed:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I
spent the last year in a wheel chair. In the last month,
I have progressed from the chair to a walker and now just
a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly
enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk.
You wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My
knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I
am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a
while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it
goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15
screws in my lower leg.

I take it since you posted here you have a wooden prosthesis somewhere?
What's your question?

On Wed, 1 Aug 2012 14:55:46 -0700, "CW" wrote:

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

I had both my femurs shattered and was like you in a wheel chair, the
doctor is likely right. When I first started walking and sometimes
now you can hear me coming the knees are popping so loud. I had bone
to bone in the hip, but as you strengthen and build core muscles it
start to work it self out. Ironically 3 years later I'm back at the
same place doing physical therapy. It's a problem when your mind
makes promises the body can't keep and your too stubborn to realize
it.

Mike M

On 8/1/12 4:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I
have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you
forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor
seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it
a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports
should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

Glad to hear you're walking! Keep up the good work, as hard as it may be.
Opinions on other issues aside, I'm very glad to hear that you are
progressing.
My "niece" had a leg amputated due to childhood cancer. She got new
crutches the other day and was bragging about learning how to "run" on
them. Obviously, that really opened the waterworks for me and the wife.

Congrats again, and I pray for continued success and healing.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"CW" wrote in
m:

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last
year in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the
chair to a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape
though that I can only make it about a block before I have to rest.
Oddly enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You
wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone
on bone. My doctor seems to think I am to young for a knee
replacement. He said to give it a while and see if the pain goes away.
I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel plate and
15 screws in my lower leg.

Happy for you for your progress. Sorry that you still have a way to go.
Hope it will seem like last century as soon as posssible.

I have a couple of plates in my leg and a dozen screws. No problems with
airports. I think mine may be titanium, but I'm not sure. Titanium is a
metal that bones grow into. Weird but true. Some Swede found out and
that's why tooth implants are made of titanium, and I think the screws
for bones too.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote in
:

On 8/1/2012 5:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last
year in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the
chair to a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape
though that I can only make it about a block before I have to rest.
Oddly enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You
wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My knee is still
bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I am to young for a knee
replacement. He said to give it a while and see if the pain goes
away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel
plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

Cool.. that's a big step.

See a sports orthopedist for a second opinion on the knee replacement.
They have a different view of some things than regular orthopedists.

Good luck... walk each day a little bit more.

See if you can get a stationary bike for a low impact muscle
strengthening, if you are not going to a physical therapist.

You can stick it in front of a tv or your computer and build up.

I'll second the bicycle for muscle strengthening. Think about it - it
exercises and strengthens, but you don't have all your body weight
hitting your knee with every step.


--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

On Wed, 1 Aug 2012 14:55:46 -0700, "CW" wrote:

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.


Congrats. Glad you are getting about.

The doc may be right about the pain going away, but, unless I guess
your age wrong, you are not too young. My daughter had both knees
done before she was 40.

IIRC, life expectancy of a replacement is 20 years and they can do two
of them before the bone is too short.

IIRC, life expectancy of a replacement is 20 years and they can do two of them before the bone is too short.

Additionally:
Long bones can be lengthened fairly easily, but that is an option, more so, for younger folks. The knee replacement stems can be long to short, to accommodate correcting height and/or one leg longer than the other, etc. The disability parameters, as that, will usually dictate the best option and/or game plan.

Another reason for getting the most exercise you can, now.... it strengthens your bones. You will need strong bones to support the knee implants. All the time you were "idle", your bones lost bone mass. Use builds back that bone mass.... *in your spine, also. Your knee joint is the least of your concerns, right now.

Again, good luck and hang in there.
Sonny

On Wed, 1 Aug 2012 14:55:46 -0700, "CW" wrote:

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair.

CW, hope it all goes well for you. At the very least you're out of the
wheel chair.

tom

On 8/1/2012 6:54 PM, Twayne wrote:
In m,
CW typed:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I
spent the last year in a wheel chair. In the last month,
I have progressed from the chair to a walker and now just
a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly
enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk.
You wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My
knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I
am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a
while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it
goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15
screws in my lower leg.

I take it since you posted here you have a wooden prosthesis somewhere?
What's your question?




Do you understand FO?

On Thu, 02 Aug 2012 06:21:12 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
I take it since you posted here you have a wooden prosthesis somewhere?
What's your question?

Do you understand FO?

He would have to have a functioning IQ to do that.

"CW" wrote in message
m...

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

This may or may not help you. I had knee pain in both legs for years. got
so bad I had to pull myself up stairs using a hand rail. I took Glucosamine
Chondroitin with MSM for a year with no results. Sister in law with same
problem, but was on crutches. Did same thing with no result. She was
alerted to add about 1/3 cup of Aloe Vera JUICE with each pill. After a
short time no more pain and tossed the crutches. Doing fine now. I started
the same regime and in a months time no more pain and go up steps no
problem. I assume the aloe acts as a catalyst to make the pills work. I buy
the Aloe juice at Wal Mart for $7 a gallon. So inexpensive to give it a try.
My knees were worn out due to age (85). Now I still motorcycle trail ride
with no problem. WW

WW wrote:


This may or may not help you. I had knee pain in both legs for
years. got so bad I had to pull myself up stairs using a hand rail. I
took Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM for a year with no results.
Sister in law with same problem, but was on crutches. Did same thing
with no result. She was alerted to add about 1/3 cup of Aloe Vera
JUICE with each pill. After a short time no more pain and tossed the
crutches. Doing fine now. I started the same regime and in a months
time no more pain and go up steps no problem. I assume the aloe acts
as a catalyst to make the pills work. I buy the Aloe juice at Wal
Mart for $7 a gallon. So inexpensive to give it a try. My knees were
worn out due to age (85). Now I still motorcycle trail ride with no
problem. WW

This looks like advice worth trying. I gave the Gucosamine a try for
several months, and it did nothing noticible for me. I'm going to get the
Aloe Vera juice and give it a try again. If nothing else, I should have
nice smooth innards - right?

--

-Mike-

On 8/2/2012 10:33 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
WW wrote:


This may or may not help you. I had knee pain in both legs for
years. got so bad I had to pull myself up stairs using a hand rail. I
took Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM for a year with no results.
Sister in law with same problem, but was on crutches. Did same thing
with no result. She was alerted to add about 1/3 cup of Aloe Vera
JUICE with each pill. After a short time no more pain and tossed the
crutches. Doing fine now. I started the same regime and in a months
time no more pain and go up steps no problem. I assume the aloe acts
as a catalyst to make the pills work. I buy the Aloe juice at Wal
Mart for $7 a gallon. So inexpensive to give it a try. My knees were
worn out due to age (85). Now I still motorcycle trail ride with no
problem. WW

This looks like advice worth trying. I gave the Gucosamine a try for
several months, and it did nothing noticible for me. I'm going to get the
Aloe Vera juice and give it a try again. If nothing else, I should have
nice smooth innards - right?



An old acquaintance swore by WD-40.

On Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:55:46 -0700, CW wrote:

I'm so badly out of shape though that I can
only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have
to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget
but apparently I did.

Hang in there. But make sure that "out of shape" isn't due to
circulation problems before it's too late. I was getting out of breath
after a short walk and blamed it on asthma. When I finally went to the
doc he found I had an artery that was 98% blocked. He said "don't wait
so long next time!".

And yes, you can forget how to walk. I was diagnosed with rheumatic
fever when I was 8 or 9. Spent 3-4 months in bed. When they finally let
me get up, I had to crawl or hold myself up by hanging onto a wall. Took
a week or two before I could walk normally again. I remember thinking it
was a big joke -on me! It might take a bit longer for an adult to
relearn but you'll get there.

Good luck and keep us posted.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

On 8/2/2012 9:57 AM, WW wrote:


"CW" wrote in message
m...

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can
only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

This may or may not help you. I had knee pain in both legs for years.
got so bad I had to pull myself up stairs using a hand rail. I took
Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM for a year with no results. Sister in
law with same problem, but was on crutches. Did same thing with no
result. She was alerted to add about 1/3 cup of Aloe Vera JUICE with
each pill. After a short time no more pain and tossed the crutches.
Doing fine now. I started the same regime and in a months time no more
pain and go up steps no problem. I assume the aloe acts as a catalyst to
make the pills work. I buy the Aloe juice at Wal Mart for $7 a gallon.
So inexpensive to give it a try. My knees were worn out due to age
(85). Now I still motorcycle trail ride with no problem. WW
Cool, I like the fact that at 85 you still trail ride.
I have a question, I play Volleyball almost daily.
I have had both shoulders rebuilt, my knees are my Achilles these days.
I blew both ACLs, and that's part of the problem the other is just the
vertical that I have, when I land it is a pounding.

Can the juice work on it's own, or do I need the Glucosamine Chondroitin
with MSM ? I took them for a while and they didn't help me.
They were expensive too.


And Twayne like Leon said FO!!

On 8/2/2012 12:53 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Cool, I like the fact that at 85 you still trail ride.
I have a question, I play Volleyball almost daily.
I have had both shoulders rebuilt, my knees are my Achilles these days.
I blew both ACLs, and that's part of the problem the other is just the
vertical that I have, when I land it is a pounding.

Can the juice work on it's own, or do I need the Glucosamine Chondroitin
with MSM ? I took them for a while and they didn't help me.
They were expensive too.


And Twayne like Leon said FO!!


I am sure that we are comparing apples to oranges here but I have a
couple of inspiring feats accomplished by a customer of mine and by a
friend of a friend.

First off, my customer rides in the MD bike ride from Houston to
Austin. This past Spring she rode 100 miles on the first day of the
trip and 75 miles on the second day. She is 76 years old.

My friend used to own a bicycle shop in Houston and her husband at one
time organized that same ride from Houston to Austin. A couple of years
back an older gentleman made the trip in one day, 175 or so miles. He
was 94.

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com writes:


Can the juice work on it's own, or do I need the Glucosamine Chondroitin
with MSM ? I took them for a while and they didn't help me.
They were expensive too.

If you have a costco in the area, you can get GC+MSM (1500mg/1500mg) for
about 6-10 cents per day.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...rodid=11245398

These have worked well for my knee (slightly torn meniscus).

scott

On 8/1/2012 7:54 PM, Twayne wrote:
In m,
CW typed:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I
spent the last year in a wheel chair. In the last month,
I have progressed from the chair to a walker and now just
a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly
enough, I have to constantly remind myself how to walk.
You wouldn't think you forget but apparently I did. My
knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think I
am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a
while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it
goes. Airports should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15
screws in my lower leg.

I take it since you posted here you have a wooden prosthesis somewhere?
What's your question?


Evidently they now make wooden frontal-lobe replacements. Still a few
bugs in the design, it seems.

On 8/2/2012 2:28 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com writes:


Can the juice work on it's own, or do I need the Glucosamine Chondroitin
with MSM ? I took them for a while and they didn't help me.
They were expensive too.

If you have a costco in the area, you can get GC+MSM (1500mg/1500mg) for
about 6-10 cents per day.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...rodid=11245398

These have worked well for my knee (slightly torn meniscus).

scott


We are due to get a costco here in the next year.
Right now it's about 45 minutes away.

Larry Blanchard wrote in
:

And yes, you can forget how to walk. I was diagnosed with rheumatic
fever when I was 8 or 9. Spent 3-4 months in bed. When they finally
let me get up, I had to crawl or hold myself up by hanging onto a
wall. Took a week or two before I could walk normally again. I
remember thinking it was a big joke -on me! It might take a bit
longer for an adult to relearn but you'll get there.

I was bedridden for 6 or so weeks around same age. No box at my feet.
Achilles tendon shrunk, and I couldn't walk right away either ...

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

"tiredofspam" wrote in message
...

On 8/2/2012 9:57 AM, WW wrote:


"CW" wrote in message
m...

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can
only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to
think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see
if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.

This may or may not help you. I had knee pain in both legs for years.
got so bad I had to pull myself up stairs using a hand rail. I took
Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM for a year with no results. Sister in
law with same problem, but was on crutches. Did same thing with no
result. She was alerted to add about 1/3 cup of Aloe Vera JUICE with
each pill. After a short time no more pain and tossed the crutches.
Doing fine now. I started the same regime and in a months time no more
pain and go up steps no problem. I assume the aloe acts as a catalyst to
make the pills work. I buy the Aloe juice at Wal Mart for $7 a gallon.
So inexpensive to give it a try. My knees were worn out due to age
(85). Now I still motorcycle trail ride with no problem. WW
Cool, I like the fact that at 85 you still trail ride.
I have a question, I play Volleyball almost daily.
I have had both shoulders rebuilt, my knees are my Achilles these days.
I blew both ACLs, and that's part of the problem the other is just the
vertical that I have, when I land it is a pounding.

Can the juice work on it's own, or do I need the Glucosamine Chondroitin
with MSM ? I took them for a while and they didn't help me.
They were expensive too.


It appears both are needed. I get them from Puritans Pride Their catalog #
6130. Thats a bottle of 120. Buy 2 and they send 3 free. Thats 600. I
take 3 a day at mealtime with the juice. The juice is not the best
tasting so I add equal amounts of a fruit juice to it.. Costs $37.98 plus $4
something shipping. So that makes each pill about $.07 per pill. So at $.21
a day I get my life back. You can find their site if you Google. WW

In article , CW
wrote:

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.


Keep at it, CW! Sounds like you're determined, and progressing well.

I can only imagine what that first step felt like. Must have been quite
the event!

Congratulations on this major milestone!

On 8/1/2012 5:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane.

Progress! And yes, a big deal.

I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest.

I had an entirely different situation that also made the smallest
exertion a major undertaking, for a long while. I found that each
improvement seemed to come before I noticed it directly. Rather than a
deliberate "test" like walking around the block, I'd forget my glasses
upstairs and climb the steps to get them. I'd come back down to the
computer and only later realize, "hey, I just climbed the steps, almost
normally".

Each accomplishment is another milepost on the road to better things.
And by all means take encouragement wherever you find it. People, most
people anyway, are happy to provide it, even people you only "know"
online. A number of folks on a piano discussion board were very
supportive when I was on the mend, people I have never met. Think of the
lone asshole here as useful contrast; put there to make the good wishes
of the rest stand out in greater relief.

All the best.

On 8/1/2012 4:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I
have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you
forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor
seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it
a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports
should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.


So I am curious, did you have a procedure done at all?

FWIW a neighbor just had her knee replace a couple of months ago, I
think she is about 50ish.

She was walking "2" days after the surgery, on pain med of course but
today about 8 weeks later she is riding a bicycle again, several miles a
day.

From what I hear the secret to a quick recovery is for you to wake up
from surgery with a peddling machine working that leg. Another friend
in her 70's woke up that way and recovery was quick.

On Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:33:46 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 8/1/2012 4:55 PM, CW wrote:
I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year
in a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to
a walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I
can only make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I
have to constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you
forget but apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor
seems to think I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it
a while and see if the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports
should be fun. I have a steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.


So I am curious, did you have a procedure done at all?

FWIW a neighbor just had her knee replace a couple of months ago, I
think she is about 50ish.

She was walking "2" days after the surgery, on pain med of course but
today about 8 weeks later she is riding a bicycle again, several miles a
day.

From what I hear the secret to a quick recovery is for you to wake up
from surgery with a peddling machine working that leg. Another friend
in her 70's woke up that way and recovery was quick.

I've been told basically the same thing. Get right in to the PT and
work as hard as you can. It does promote faster and stronger
recovery. I shattered both femurs and todays after surgery they
started PT. God do I remember knocking heads with nurse Ratchet.

Mike M

So I am curious, did you have a procedure done at all?

I understand the knee surgery is pending.

FWIW a neighbor just had her knee replace a couple of months ago, I think she is about 50ish. She was walking "2" days after the surgery, on pain med of course but today about 8 weeks later she is riding a bicycle again, several miles a day. From what I hear the secret to a quick recovery is for you to wake up from surgery with a peddling machine working that leg. Another friend in her 70's woke up that way and recovery was quick.

Once a prothesis is put in, it's ready to go, period. The only thing preventing the patient from getting up and going is the soft tissue that has been "damaged" by the surgery. It takes 21 days for that type of wound to fully heal. Similar with hip replacement.

There are range on motion machines to assist the patient to get going right after surgery. Depending on the patient's problems, some can get up and start walking, immediatley, and some can not. The machines slowly increase the range of motion the knee will flex, i.e., say 10° the first day, 20° the second day, etc., until relative full range of motion is achieved. Often times, during this machine course, the patient will be motived to not use the machine and eagerly do the workouts on their own.... some folks can tolerate this type of "self induced" pain/slight pain better than others..

There are several reasons why one needs to get moving as soon as possible after surgery. A few:
1) The longer one waits, the more scar tissue will develope, such that range of motion may become restricted... and sometimes restricted to the point of the knee becoming stiff. Scar tissue can form so bad and so fast, it will "lock" the knee, preventing movement or it hurts enough that the patient doesn't want to do the exercise on their own. Some patients are less active and sometimes it's hard to get them going, then they develope a stiff knee. In bad cases, as this, we've had to put the patient to sleep and manually/forcefully yank/flex the knee, literally ripping the scar tissue apart, in order to free up the joint.
2) The sooner a patient sees improvement, usually they are motivated to keep going and more so on their own
3) The patient needs to maintain the tone and strength of their leg muscles.. The muscles around the knee provide lots of support for the knee joint. It's not just the ligaments and connective tissues that provide support for the knee.
4) Movement helps the body remove any potential for blood clotting, even slight clotting, hence further enhancing and speeding healing and recovery. Movement keeps the blood vessels open and functioning properly. Movement (flexing and contracting of muscles) acts like a pump to keep the flow of blood going, especially through the veins. The veins carry blood not only back to the heart, but to the kidneys and lymph system, for cleaning/filtering and/or removing any "trash" in the system. The cleaner the blood, the better it can absorb oxygen from the lungs.
5) Good steady improving movement equates to the patient progressing nicely.. If there is evidence of some halting or sporadic movement (other than complaint of pain), i.e., (subjective observations) in routines/regimine/schedule, then there may be a reason to monitor for infection, which would be a sign of some interference with a normal improvement schedule.

Sonny

On 8/3/2012 4:22 PM, wrote:
So I am curious, did you have a procedure done at all?

I understand the knee surgery is pending.

FWIW a neighbor just had her knee replace a couple of months ago, I think she is about 50ish. She was walking "2" days after the surgery, on pain med of course but today about 8 weeks later she is riding a bicycle again, several miles a day. From what I hear the secret to a quick recovery is for you to wake up from surgery with a peddling machine working that leg. Another friend in her 70's woke up that way and recovery was quick.

Once a prothesis is put in, it's ready to go, period. The only thing preventing the patient from getting up and going is the soft tissue that has been "damaged" by the surgery. It takes 21 days for that type of wound to fully heal. Similar with hip replacement.

There are range on motion machines to assist the patient to get going right after surgery. Depending on the patient's problems, some can get up and start walking, immediatley, and some can not. The machines slowly increase the range of motion the knee will flex, i.e., say 10° the first day, 20° the second day, etc., until relative full range of motion is achieved. Often times, during this machine course, the patient will be motived to not use the machine and eagerly do the workouts on their own.... some folks can tolerate this type of "self induced" pain/slight pain better than others.

There are several reasons why one needs to get moving as soon as possible after surgery. A few:
1) The longer one waits, the more scar tissue will develope, such that range of motion may become restricted... and sometimes restricted to the point of the knee becoming stiff. Scar tissue can form so bad and so fast, it will "lock" the knee, preventing movement or it hurts enough that the patient doesn't want to do the exercise on their own. Some patients are less active and sometimes it's hard to get them going, then they develope a stiff knee. In bad cases, as this, we've had to put the patient to sleep and manually/forcefully yank/flex the knee, literally ripping the scar tissue apart, in order to free up the joint.
2) The sooner a patient sees improvement, usually they are motivated to keep going and more so on their own
3) The patient needs to maintain the tone and strength of their leg muscles. The muscles around the knee provide lots of support for the knee joint. It's not just the ligaments and connective tissues that provide support for the knee.
4) Movement helps the body remove any potential for blood clotting, even slight clotting, hence further enhancing and speeding healing and recovery. Movement keeps the blood vessels open and functioning properly. Movement (flexing and contracting of muscles) acts like a pump to keep the flow of blood going, especially through the veins. The veins carry blood not only back to the heart, but to the kidneys and lymph system, for cleaning/filtering and/or removing any "trash" in the system. The cleaner the blood, the better it can absorb oxygen from the lungs.
5) Good steady improving movement equates to the patient progressing nicely. If there is evidence of some halting or sporadic movement (other than complaint of pain), i.e., (subjective observations) in routines/regimine/schedule, then there may be a reason to monitor for infection, which would be a sign of some interference with a normal improvement schedule.

Sonny



And there is,

5. Insurance insists you free up that bed. ;`)

"CW" wrote in message
m...

I am going out for a walk. No big deal to most but I spent the last year in
a wheel chair. In the last month, I have progressed from the chair to a
walker and now just a cane. I'm so badly out of shape though that I can only
make it about a block before I have to rest. Oddly enough, I have to
constantly remind myself how to walk. You wouldn't think you forget but
apparently I did. My knee is still bone on bone. My doctor seems to think
I am to young for a knee replacement. He said to give it a while and see if
the pain goes away. I'll see how it goes. Airports should be fun. I have a
steel plate and 15 screws in my lower leg.
================================================== ============================
Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, encouragement, and advice. You guys
have given me a lot of good info and helped me make decisions on dealing
with my condition.
Thank you all. I very much appreciate it.