hope you get back on track soon. this sounds so miserable. after three spinal fusions and a hip replacement,i under stand your pain.

Got the call today, I am scheduled for surgery on May 17th unless they have cancelation sooner. I go for the pre op paperwork tomorrow. Thanks again everyone for all the support!

Got home from the VA hospital yesterday after a miserable 14 day stay. The surgery went well and I am way ahead of where I was after the last one. The new knee turned out to be "Oxinium" (Google it), as it was a better choice than Titanium. Spoke with the surgical team that put it in and they were all impressed. It is suppose to be rated for a 30 year life in normal use. The VA had to special order it as they have no contract with the one and only manufacturer. I should have nearly full use of the knee by July 8th when I see the surgeon for the followup.

In the meantime I start another round of Physical Therapy at the local VA Clinic on Monday.

Sounds great Capt. Good luck with rehab and recovery.

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paws for friendship

Hey, hey! Finally! Light at the end of the tunnel! Keep on truckin', bro.

(Just read your April post. Gotta wonder why in the heck they don't test for extremely rare allergic reactions before putting the dang thing in. That is really unconscionable.)

Capt Steve, Was wondering about you the other day. Glad this one is working better and hope it stays that way.
Had my 1 year checkup last month and am on a once a year recheck now.
Larry

It has been just over a month since my second surgery and feel like I am making progress. I finally got the green light to get back in the pool as the incision is now completely closed. I am doing 20 laps (25 meter pool), a day without a problem along with PT at the VA twice a week and trips to the gym 5 days a week.

The swelling is till a little more pronounced than I would like and the pain levels can be measured by seismologists two states away but I have managed to cut the Oxycodon down to one at a time.... as needed. I'm guessing getting a knee that I am not allergic to is making a huge difference. Thanks again for your support!

Steve, don't overdo the exercise. I know on mine, it would sometimes take a couple of days for the fun of a rigorous PT session to feel good. Just go to the edge of OK and bump it a little into the Ummm stage and it will get there. Hope you don't mind but you are still on my prayer list.
Larry

It's good to hear that you're doing well, I wish you the best.

I had my second knee replacement last November. I do not have problems climbing stairs now and I have started hitting the racquetball again. I went to the NRA National Meeting an I was on my feet for 8 hours on the Friday looking at the displays. My knees did not bother me at all, but my ankles did bother me some. I have not taken anything for pain in a few months.

My point in this is to let you know that it will get a lot better in a few months.

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Corripe Cervisiam

Glad to learn your situation is improving. Keep up the good work.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

Tomorrow will be 5 weeks post op on my 3rd knee in 3 years. I am off the pain meds, except for an occasional Tylenol.

Don't push yourself, and don't hurt yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm glad to hear you're doing well.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

Coming up on 2 month post op and the news is finally good. Met with my surgeon last week and he was nothing but pleased with the progress being made. Still swollen and sore but the daily trips to the gym, pool and Physical Therapy at the VA clinic are beginning to show results. I even got the green light to take off on our extended camping trip the beginning of August. Now I just have to decide which guns to bring on the trip. The Ruger 10/22 Carbine and MP9c are no brainers. Probably will bring the Dan Wesson 6" 44 Mag for the bear country, you gotta love those Buffalo Bore 305 grain slugs.

Still taking a few pain meds on an as needed basis. I've lost 25 pounds and kept them off for over a month now. Hard to believe that I weigh 10 pounds less than my 7 year old drivers license reflects. Man did that first cold frosty beer taste good after 6 weeks of abstinence (they just don't go all that well with Oxycodon).

Thanks again for all of the support and encouragement. It has been a long and bumpy road but you guys really helped smooth it out.

Really great to hear, Steve! Have a great camping trip. You sure as hell have earned it!

Best wishes Capt. I hope all goes well. Please keep us updated. My ortho Doc tells me I am in that line too. So please limp along on point clearing the way for those of us behind you.

I admire a woman with a sense of humor and the tact to get out of sight before losing it. After all the Ft. Ord Gourd haircut is sort of, well, unique....

Fix bayonets and frontal attack.....

I also had a full knee replacement in 2007 after a Military Injury.

Its gonna take a LOT of effort. And get used to the idea of riding a stationary bike backwards a lot :-D

But after the first few months it gets easier. And eventually it will work better than your original :-)

Good luck

Well it has been 4 months since my last update and happily the news is somewhat better. I am 6 months down the road from the second replacement surgery and slowly I am improving. My doc is pleased with the progress despite it being far slower than either of us anticipated. He told me to stop going to the gym 7 days a week, back it down to 3 and hopefully I would see more improvement. Better to be told you are working too hard than not hard enough I guess.

I have been off all of the pain meds (with no withdrawal whatsoever), for a couple of months now and today was the day I have been waiting for.... After 14 months I actually got out and played 18 holes of golf. For a golf addict like myself (I normally play about 200+ rounds a year), it was the best day in a very long time. My game was a little off but still managed to shoot 86 which is about 9 strokes above my old handicap but not a bad reintroduction to this silly game. I am and will be sore for a couple of days but it was worth every ache to get back out there.

Thanks again for all of your support, it has really meant a lot.

Great to hear your feeling better!

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

Great news. A lot of us have had our fingers crossed for you for a long time.

Thar ya go!! Keep after that golf game.

Good luck and fast healing! I am waiting for a hip replacement. (notice the key word waiting!)