Getting new knee in a few weeks and would like to hear from others who have had knee replacement. I usually hunt steep rough rugged areas and hope to continue doing the same in the future.
What has been your experiences?
Getting the same thing first week of April and I plan on being ready in Sept.. I know too many college football teammates that have went through the same. Common denominator that I keep hearing is get into the best shape you can before surgery and do your rehab until you absolutely can't handle any more. You're probably looking at the 3 - 3's. 3 days in hospital, 3 weeks of walker/crutches/cane and 3 months of rehab.
I've had major reconstructive surgery on my knee in the past. Find the best, meanest, oneryest, honest, caring PT that you can find. Then get lined up with a deep massage therapist - it will make rehab those first few months a little more tolerable and let you take a few less pain pills?
A swimming pool will be your friend. Start by just resting your arms on the edge of pool and swing your legs or imitate walking. In a few days you should be able to walk in waste deep water holding on to edge of pool.
Don't take anything I intend to do or say without checking with your doctor. Tell both your doctor and your PT what YOU want to accomplish. They been telling me that the average person does ....... I say BS, this is what we need to accomplish. It's their job to lay out the program. It's our job to do what they tell us. I can tell you right now the most troublesome thing you will run into is getting that knee to flex to 120 degrees. It's going to be stiff as hell - you'll just have to stay with it.
After 3 months most of the pain should have subsided - then you really need to kick in the rehab training. That's when most people back off because they're feeling good again and are pain free. Don't quit working out, pick up the pace.
The only really bad thing after all the smoke clears is - you probably will never kneel on the new knee again on concrete, gravel or anything hard without using a knee pad or some type of cushioning - even years after.
My knee is bad and has been for a long time. My doctor looked at my X-ray after hunting season and said "How the hell you been hunting in steep country with a backpack with that knee?" I told him easy, I just grin and bear it and when I get back to the wall tent I just take 5 ibruprofen , wash it down with 5 Budlights and repeat as necessary. He didn't even smile, just picked up his phone and said: We need to schedule this guy for a full knee replacement. **** doctors have no sense of humor.
If things go well - no infection, you rehab and stay with it, you should be able to go right back to your same old steep hunting areas (With a pair of trekking poles - get em if you don't use them now).
Good luck - it's not going to be fun but in the end everyone tells me that I'll have wished I had done it a lot sooner.
PS: What part of Idaho are you located - if you get around the Island Park area this summer I intend to be doing a lot of slow steady hiking.