Are you ready for Spring? I am!!!

[McNulty]

I’ve been trapped in the house for the last two weeks and I’m ready for the warmth of a nice Spring day. Back on March 18th I went in for reconstructive knee surgery. The Doc cleaned up my knee by shaving off some of the degenerative arthritis from my femur and tibia, drilled some holes in what’s left of my meniscus to foster scar tissue growth to help cushion the inside portion of the knee, and grafted in a new ACL (it came from a 19 y.o.). I completely blew out the knee and shredded what was left of my ACL several months ago on a hike and the Doc said NOW was the time to fix it. So I took off the week before Spring Break, had the surgery done, and recuperated during that time including my Spring Break (two weeks total). I’ve been laying around on the couch with my knee up in the air using a cold water compression pack getting bored out of my mind. It got so bad that I started watching Spanish Soaps (I don’t speak Spanish) just to alleviate the boredom. I had to get out and do two things: get some fresh air and smoke a cigar.
So yesterday I headed out onto my deck amidst the wonderful Spring weather here (cold, snowy, drifting snow and windy, and cold). I’d been kilted since the 17th of March and sat down to enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures in my SWK Royal Stewart. Too cold for an acrylic so I hobbled back in and strapped on the “Beast” from WPG. It helped, but It was still too cold just sitting there, not moving around, BUT I just had to finish that cigar (a Gurkha 6x52 Maduro). I finally finished the cigar, hobbled back in and put the compression pack back on and tucked my leg back on top of a couple of pillows.
The Doc says that I’m to be on crutches for at least the next six weeks, no hiking until mid June, and absolutely no fishing until July (the fishing part is o.k. because the run off from snow melt will churn up the streams until at least July). The good part is that I get to go back to work Monday kilted. My pants don’t fit with the swelling and the dressings (dressings come off next week). I’ll wear a kilt to work for at least the next two weeks and then my attire will get back to school dress code normal (kilts on Fridays).
I’m getting better/stronger with each passing day and know that my knee will be healthier because of the surgery. I’m confident that I’ll be back fishing in July. The weather today calls for 40’s F, sunny skies, and little or no wind, so I’m heading back out onto the deck with a cigar and at least two fingers of Oban ( I haven’t had any alcohol since the surgery) to sorta steel myself for the first day back in classes since the middle of March. I think I’ll wear my IOS tomorrow. See you all on the water (in July).
Nulty

[wvpiper]

ahhh, Life's simple pleasures.

I hope you're working on range of motion while laying around-how much PT you looking a? Those surgeries usually take close to a year to fully recover, on younger folks, no offense.

[McNulty]

I'm doing four simple exercises three time a day to get the range of motion improved. My goal is to have my knee bend to 90deg. in two weeks. Full blown P.T. comes after I get off the crutches. Recovery has been slower than I thought, BUT I keep plugging away.
Nulty

[The Barry]

Knee surgery sucks, almost as bad as not having knee surgery.

Good luck on the recovery! Hopefully the PT will go well, and you'll have your full function back.

[JolyStNicholas]

McNulty my friend, took an AK round thru the left knee back in 68 in country.

I have had several knee surgerys sence then including a TOTAL replacement.

I know a bit about what your going thru. Make up your mind that your going

to over come the pain and discomfort and move on. After my replacment I

was at 90* in two weeks thru sheer guts and will power. I hated being in

V.A. hospital and the only way they were going to let me go home was to

make the bend. After that it all down hill.

Keep up the good work, those trout won't wait forever ya know.

[McFarkus]

Hope your recovery continues to go well.

[Riverkilt]

Sorry you're laid up buddy....know you'll work through it and great to be kilted every day at school...small compensation for the medical insanity though.

Ron

[Weasel Mender]

Nulty,
I KNOW what you are going through I am 1 month into rehabing a total knee replacement and am going through all the angst, cabin fever, and the other junk associated with rehab. it will pass (not fast enough). Just keep the faith asd keep up with the exercises like I am and it will end soon. I have found that water walking at the pool at the local gym is the best thing I have going for me in my rehab. I did that for a month before surgery and it put me WAY ahead on rehab. However I discovered at the end of my "prehab" talking to a fellow "waterwalker" that we were doing it all wrong! At the time 2K was about the max and it was wearing us slick. We realized that first we were wearing swim trunks when we should have been wearing waders and carring our fly rods!!!!!!!! Had we been doing that we would have been good for 5 or 6 miles........upstream too. Mend well and quickly!

Weasel