Woodworking on hold for a while: Don't open before a meal.

Thank you all for responding and your good wishes.

I am a little disappointed that I have gone backwards, I was making really good progress in the hospital with up to 85 degree bend in my knee, this morning that is down to 70 degrees and with a lot more pain to boot.

I suppose it was my partly my fault for trying to run so to speak before I could walk, but I do feel that the 2 days of no oramorph pain control exacerbated this and as the amount remaining in my body reduced, the mobility of my knee also reduced along with the increase in pain. Whilst I now have a supply of oramorph the damage has been done and it will take time to build up in my system again.

So I will persevere with the exercises and walk a lot more, strangely I have no pain when walking or standing, just when I am sat down and trying to move my lower leg to a more acute angle than I can without the pain. 
 
Ed, I know this is probably not analogous as every injury/op recovery is different but I had a really bad back 10 years ago that resulted in 3 months of incapacitation, being unable to sit upright at all, unable to stand still for more than a few minutes and unable to walk far and I tended to overanalyze every twist and turn in my recovery, being delighted when things seemed to improve and really fed up when things temporarily got worse (probably due to overdoing it). I was tending to try and do as much as possible in terms of physical exercise, to try and recover as soon as possible. This caused me setbacks through overdoing it and it was when I took it a bit easier that I made better progress. Of course I don't know whether the initial "hard work" laid the bedrock for the later improved progress (when I was taking it easier) or whether I would have been better off taking it easier early on. From what I've read a knee replacement is a big operation but I bet you'll recover sooner than you think.
 
cliffp said:
Ed, I know this is probably not analogous as every injury/op recovery is different but I had a really bad back 10 years ago that resulted in 3 months of incapacitation, being unable to sit upright at all, unable to stand still for more than a few minutes and unable to walk far and I tended to overanalyze every twist and turn in my recovery, being delighted when things seemed to improve and really fed up when things temporarily got worse (probably due to overdoing it). I was tending to try and do as much as possible in terms of physical exercise, to try and recover as soon as possible. This caused me setbacks through overdoing it and it was when I took it a bit easier that I made better progress. Of course I don't know whether the initial "hard work" laid the bedrock for the later improved progress (when I was taking it easier) or whether I would have been better off taking it easier early on. From what I've read a knee replacement is a big operation but I bet you'll recover sooner than you think.

I have not had any replacement surgery, but my wife had hip replacement a year ago.  She followed all directions for the rehab, and now can kick my butt as hard as ever.  Seriosly, the rehab is very important.

About the sliding back with pain, I have had back problem for years, but elected long ago to go the chiropractic route.  I have been going to the same one for 37 hers until his own back started breaking down.  the first time i went to him, i literally had to crawl into his office.  (A very long story about why i waited so long. It involves previous treatments from series of chiropractors since childhood up til i met him.)  with one treatment, i was able to walk out of his office.  The pain lasted for 10 or 12 weeks, diminishing slowly.  i was able to go back to work after 4 or 5 weeks.  The pain slowly diminished, but in stages.  It was like a series of steps.  It would reach a level and get no better.  Not worse, just not better.  That would last for maybe a week and then it suddenly got better. Not a lot better, just better.  It would stay at a new level for another week.  Suddenly, a little more improvement to a new level only to stay at that level for a little while.  During the early period of recovering, I used crutches for maybe a week.  then one crutch.  finally, only a cane.  After ten or twelve weeks, i was back to normal activity, including keeping up with the kids I was coaching at soccer. Many stories there.  The point of this is that recovery is not always steady, but if you stick to it without discouragement, the recovery will come.

Today, i am in pretty good shape s far as pain.  My back is so loaded with arthritis, that it is a new pain, but the arthritis is holding everything together, if that makes any sense.  I have always believed that constant activity has kept me going for years.  i know a lot of people who have been 39 for as long as i have who are in nursing homes, or worse. If there is pain in your recovery, and the doctors tell you how to work thru the pain, do it.  Better days will come.
Tinker
 
Ed,

You need to ice the knee, often, it will help with the swelling.  Trust me on this!!!!

As far as bending the knee,it doesn't take much swelling to reduce the amount of bend achievable...  You will have more flex once the swelling goes down.  Also, just try to bend it whilst sitting or laying down as much as possible and hold it in that position, it will help.  But again, if swollen, don't expect too much.

Gary
 
Thanks again.

I am putting an 'Ice pack' (frozen peas wrapped in a damp tea towel actually) on the thigh above the scar which is where the most of the pain is for 15 minutes, then I move the Ice pack to the lower leg above the scar for another 15 minutes, then the peas go back into the freezer to refreeze ready for the next burst in an hours time.

As for swelling, my leg is about twice its normal size and my ankle even more. I have reduced the amount of hot drinks (was having circa 15-20 large cups of tea a day) and increased the amount of plain water I drink each day which should also help with my recovery.

I now realise why they have given me a minimum 6 weeks off work to recover, I was thinking I'd be back at work in a few weeks after leaving hospital. Now I realise that this will not likely be the case.
 
Just don't rush it.
And don't be discouraged if it takes longer than expected.
The leg, even tho swollen and some oozing, looks fine for the time period.
It sounds like you are doing the right things for now.

I tell my wife, when she has a problem (as with hip replacement)
Don't get nervous.  I am nervous enough for both of us.  ::)
Tinker
 
[eek] blimey I hope they put bionics in it so you can run as fast as Steve Austin did in the six million dollar man! Speedy recovery and thanks for scaring the crap out of me! Wow those doctors do some incredible joint work without a domino! 
Mark
 
mr-gobby said:
[eek] blimey I hope they put bionics in it so you can run as fast as Steve Austin did in the six million dollar man! Speedy recovery and thanks for scaring the crap out of me! Wow those doctors do some incredible joint work without a domino! 
Mark

I am convinced that they used the Vecturo buy really hope that it was not the Carvex !

Peter
 
Ed,

It will get better very soon.  I have a "desk" job, was back in the office 10 days after surgery, gave up my walking cane less than a week later.  Needless to say, my surgeon was extremely pleased with his work, and my recovery.

Peter P, you joke about which Festool may have been used for Ed's surgery.  These surgeons that do knee replacements are actually called the "carpenters" of their trade.  They do indeed use saws, hammers, drills, etc....during the knee replacement surgery.  They do have YouTube videos showing surgeries.  When my wife  watched one of these videos, when she got to the part where the doc is running the drill bit in and out of the bone several times very quickly (reeming it out) she said she had seen more than enough....  :)

Gary
 
Baremeg55 said:
Ed,

It will get better very soon.  I have a "desk" job, was back in the office 10 days after surgery, gave up my walking cane less than a week later.  Needless to say, my surgeon was extremely pleased with his work, and my recovery.

Peter P, you joke about which Festool may have been used for Ed's surgery.  These surgeons that do knee replacements are actually called the "carpenters" of their trade.  They do indeed use saws, hammers, drills, etc....during the knee replacement surgery.  They do have YouTube videos showing surgeries.  When my wife  watched one of these videos, when she got to the part where the doc is running the drill bit in and out of the bone several times very quickly (reeming it out) she said she had seen more than enough....  :)

Gary

Hi Gary,

Yes, I am aware of the amazing machines that they use - my daughter does oral surgery and has worked with some amazing Max Fax consultants - the kit they use is very similar to what we mere mortals play with in out workshops except their stuff is a bit cleaner !

Peter
 
My dentist told me that he has actually used and Dremel to perform emergency onsite work...after carefully sterilizing the tool and bit.
 
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