Knee Rehab Thread (Page 5)

Hello

Ok Saturday I kick off the season and I will be 16 weeks post surgery. 

Kevin

Yay! And good luck! :-)

Good luck Kevin

Hello

Overall the race went well.  I beat my race goal time by almost 6 minutes so I am please.  No issues with my knee running just an issue with my lack of run training.  I will pick up my run training and hope to do better in 3 weeks.

My best advice for those of you reading this knee rehab thread.  Stay away from golf for at least 6 months after surgery and start your training very slowly.



I am not floating but starting to raise my arms in victory.

Kevin 

Great job Kevin!

No problem there.  I try to stay away from golf in general

Awesome! That first race back is always sweet :-)

I'm at 3.5 months out form surgery now. I think I can officially say the big thing holding me back ahs been the second fracture. Which is kind of a bummer, b/c had I not broken it...well, I would have at LEAST been off crutches probably a month ago.

But that's okay... I'm in no hurry :-)

I'm in the pool 4-5 days a week. Last week I totaled 8,000 meters. EIGHT THOUSAND. I don't think I've had an 8k MONTH in several years, let alone that in a week. Forget tsunamis and global warming and earthquakes and volcanoes and rains of frogs... THIS is truly the sign of End of Days.

I'm still not allowed any resistance on the bike, so I'm just doing high cadence spinning, and have reached my PT's time cap. I do 35 minutes at 105-110 rpms daily.

I'm still on the sticks, but I am walking with them, as opposed to crutching. I'd say I put probably 90% weight. I'm still having pain in the second break with WB. My instructions are "weight bear as tolerated." Basically, if I do something, and it causes pain...back it off. Around the house, I sometimes use only one crutch, but for walking around the office or walking any distance (or running errands), I am still on two. I am also still in the brace.

I have new xrays on Wednesday, and PT on Thursday. Will post an update then. :-)

Hello

I still have a little swelling around the left (inside) scope hole.  The outside scope hole is not a problem.

Kevin

That makes me feel a bit better.  I still have a raised area around one of the scope holes as well.  It's right under my kneecap so when I kneel down it move to be right UNDER my kneecap and if I put pressure on it is feels weird (no pain) but odd.

I'm hoping the swelling eventually goes away 100%.

I've had those little pockets that stay forever. No big deal.

So I've been doing a decent bit of cycling with no knee issues.  Almost back up to pre-surgery stamina and speeds.  Have not yet attempted any major running.

I have tried a few 100+ yard runs just to see how it feels.  No pain per se but I am having what I would call muscular "tweaks".  The muscles just feel weird and different around the knee and get sore very quickly.

I have noticed I have altered my stride to favor my good leg (whihc is BAD) becuase I guess I don't fully trust it.

Any thoughts?  Am I just expecting too much too fast?  I keep telling myself it will take time for the muscles to relearn the new kneecap placement (had a slight lateral release remember.)

It will take time. Best thing you can do is limit the running to as much as you can do with good form. Concentrate on your PT and on getting the strength back in the bad leg. Better to take a little more time now to get everything right than to hurry back with something jacked up that costs you later. (Not tht I've ever done THAT or anything... :p)

I will be 6 months out of my 3rd major knee surgery in just over a year on June 4th. The last surgery was to repair my PCL, and LCL, and also slight trimming of the meniscus again.

Anyway, I've been working my rear end off (literally I've dropped almost 30lbs) and I have approval from my dr and physical therapist to do a sprint tri this weekend!! This will also be my first tri ever!!! I'm nervous but also VERY excited!!

I think I am FINALLY done with crutches! 17 weeks out...and I am now able to go to a cane. We shall see how it works out, but for now I am feeling okay. PT says when I can walk a mile or so without the cane, I can resume riding outdoors...so maybe a month? (I am shooting for sooner)

Nice!!!! Riding the trainer is fun at first after surgery but man does it get old quick!!!!

I will sheepishly admit I don't mind my trainer. It's a nice excuse to get some reading in. I've been on it for about an hour or so every day, and I've gotten in a LOT of books lately :D

I just got my MRI back and it looks like a pretty big meniscus tear.  I'll be going in for surgery (scope) either the end of July or the first week in August. 
Since I cant really do that much more damage, Im going to start ramping up the training again.  Doing more swimming and biking over running.  I'll most likeley switch up some runs with riding my very heavy hardtail MTB.  Its not perfect but at least I'll be in better shape for recovery.  Im still on the fence if I'll be able to do 2 races - first weekend in July and August (I've already bailed on the one next week unfortunately)  We'll see how I feel.  I may do it as a team and skip the run. 
The good news for me is I should be close to 100% by snowboarding season.

Anyway, heres my MRI -  the tear is pretty visible on the left

I just had my left knee scoped on 6/1. I had two meniscus tears one on each side of my knee, plus my plika was inflamed and,  synovial membrane had grown and was trimmed. I have Lymes so it is thought that made my knee more easily to being injured.

I have this cool icing machine to help with swelling, working at range of motion and it has improved since I went to PT on Wed.

Pain is almost gone and I can walk without crutches.

Just had my (hopefully) last knee operation. Had 7 ops on the left knee and 1 on the right, both reconstructed, had the cartilidge replaced in my left and just had a clean up of the graft and acl in the left.

5 years and 8 knee ops all up. My advice - make sure you have a good surgeon. I had my first knee recon in 2004 and he well and truly made a mess. Was in hospital for 10 days, couldnt walk for 3 months and had operation after operation afterwards to fix the current one and i still have problems with it. And make sure you do your rehab properly!

Had my right one reconstructed last year but a different surgeon and was great, out the next day and walking in a week, not one problem with it since.

After my final clean up 4 weeks ago surgeon told me to try triathlons so i went out and bought a bike and started swimming training last week.

Fingers crossed!!!

I'm 6 days post op and have gained 20 degrees in ability to bend my knee.

I went to local PT who was repeatedly surprised where I am..almost normal gait, can squat better than most healthy folks, strength is pretty good. I'm much farther ahead recovery wise than most folks but still have a long way to go.

I said I'll do whatever I need to just tell me what to do. I can walk, ride my bike on trainer with light resistance, elliptical, and should be in the pool soon after incision heal fully.

I do think the ice machine I have is really making a difference. They are about $140 but well worth it to keep swelling down and aid recovery. I'd recommend this or another one like it for anyone recovering from knee surgery.

I love my cryocuff. I have one with an automatic circulator and compression/release. WQONDERFUL toy. I got mine on ebay for super cheap.

First run last night since the knee surgery (what, almost 3 months now?).  I intentially held off till I got some of the leg strength back from cycling.

We have a summer beach run series (a kid's 1 mile run and then followed up by an adult run of various distances).  Every Tuesday night for 12 weeks.  It's a great time.

So I ran the 1 mile run with my 8 year old.  Had the knee in a soft sided brace (probably for more peace of mind than anything else).  Went good.  Took it very easy at 9:20/mile.

Each step produced some weird pang but nothing I'd call pain.  Mainly muscular not joint related.  Just unnerving.  After the run I had no pain so that's all I can ask for.

Thus begins a LONG, frustrating road to running recovery (swim is back, bike is almost there).  Last piece of the puzzle.

First run in 3 months sweet!

I hear you on being super over aware of every little weird thing.

Hope your running comes back easily to you. Did you do any aqua jogging or something along those lines?

Once my portals ie incision are healed I'll be swimming and aqua jogging a lot since that is all I really can do.

No AJ, but lot of self directed PT and then swimming.  Adding in trainer rides about 2 months ago.  Real cycling about 6 weeks ago.  Have gotten back a lot of my leg strength from cycling.

Did another 2 miles last night.  Cycling fitness does not equate to running fitness