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DIYSteve
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PostFri Oct 19, 2018 9:38 am 
Bumpity bump Yesterday, 3 months and 8 days post-TKR surgery, I hiked up Manastash Ridge via Boy Scout Trail with my bud Ted and his dog Phoebe. My new knee felt great! 1950' verts. I took it easy on the descent, although speed was not much slower than a typical downhill hike 4 years ago (before knee got really bad). AFAICT, my progress is ahead of a typical post-TKR patient. I've been playing lots of golf, sometimes walking 36 holes. Game is getting pretty good, thanks to the ability to get to my left side. So far, so good. I'm on track to ski this season. I need a bit more flexion to comfortably load some ski lifts. (I have a long tibia, thus require more flexion than most to load lift chairs low to the ground.) I will likely start on AT boots with the option of putting them in tour mode when I load. (Gotta remember to flip back to ski mode at the top.)

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PostFri Oct 19, 2018 9:42 am 
^ this is good news. glad it's going well. BK up.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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JVesquire
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PostFri Oct 19, 2018 11:08 am 
Dude, you'll be running ultras again in no time. smile.gif

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DIYSteve
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PostFri Oct 19, 2018 11:42 am 
Thanks up.gif I feel fortunate re the progress of my recovery. It's sooooooooo nice no longer dealing with constant deep bone-on-bone pain, which I had for years. JV, my running days are over. I've read a handful of anecdotal accounts of TKR patients running marathons, but I plan to follow my OS's reco to stop running. As you runners know, running is a great way to get and stay in shape because it takes less time than most aerobic activities to get the same benefit. Fortunately, semi-retirement permits more time for training so I need not be dependent on running to stay fit. So, while I could run again in theory, any TKR hardware has only so many cycles, and I'd rather tick them off with mountain travel, on foot and ski. Skiing should be easier on my hardware than off-trail foot travel -- so long as I avoid banging moguls. The generally accept rule: Post-TKR skiing is fine if the patient had developed skiing skills before surgery, but learning to ski post-TKR is a no no.

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Anne Elk
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PostFri Oct 19, 2018 12:19 pm 
This is great to hear, as I understand TKR is much harder a recovery than hip replacement. I'm sure being in good shape beforehand helps, as well as a good surgeon.

"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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DIYSteve
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PostFri Oct 19, 2018 1:16 pm 
Anne Elk wrote:
This is great to hear, as I understand TKR is much harder a recovery than hip replacement. I'm sure being in good shape beforehand helps, as well as a good surgeon.
Thanks. Yeah, HP surgery is less complicated and recovery is a shorter time horizon, but nonetheless it's major surgery. A good friend (wife of an esteemed NWHiker poster) climbed Olympus with us a few years ago when she was <1 year post-bilateral HR surgery. FTR, she's a very strong athlete and went into surgery fit as a fiddle. I also have the benefit of knee ligaments and tendons that are big, stout and in great shape. Many TKR patient recoveries have compromised ligaments and tendons, which can prolong recovery due to instability. I did everything I could to go into surgery in good shape, but pain was a significant limit. I could not walk down a >5% grade. Pain and stiffness prevented me from bicycling or XC skiing starting 4 months prior to surgery. My lower body exercise was limited to flat walking. I walked 40-50 flat miles/week (w/lots of pain) right up to surgery. A notable NWHiker who has done lots of tough routes is scheduled for TKR surgery mid-November. Maybe he will chime in.

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DIYSteve
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PostSat Oct 27, 2018 6:26 pm 
I hit the 3-1/2 month post-op mark yesterday. Had a very fun evening with some fellow mountain lovers. This morning I hopped on the bicycle, intending a short ride. (My longest previous bicycle ride was 4 miles.) Knee felt good after a 1/2 warm up, so I kept going. I finished with 23-1/2 miles. I ran into my wife at mile 15, who was bicycling 40 miles with friends. I bicycled home with her. I checked my flexion in the mirror when I got home, looked better than ever. Feeling good this evening, i.e., AFAICT I did not overdo it.

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Bernardo
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PostSat Oct 27, 2018 9:02 pm 
Sounds good.

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DigitalJanitor
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PostMon Oct 29, 2018 10:08 am 
up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif Super cool to hear you're doing that well! Glad you got out during that window of good weather too, looks like my biking is gonna be in the kitchen for a bit.

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Chief Joseph
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PostMon Oct 29, 2018 11:49 am 
Glad to hear your recovery is coming along nicely. I am looking at a second surgery on my left knee among other problems..but hey, at least my Plantar Fasciitis cleared up after about a year or so.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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DIYSteve
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PostMon Oct 29, 2018 12:43 pm 
Chief Joseph wrote:
I am looking at a second surgery on my left knee among other problems
What kinds of first and second surgeries? Glad to hear your PF has quieted down.

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PostMon Oct 29, 2018 4:33 pm 
I had fairly minor meniscus surgery on my left knee about 15 years ago (the problematic one now) and the same on my right maybe 3 years later. I have also been having calf and achilles pain on the left leg for a few years now as well, not sure if it's connected? If I have surgery, hopefully it will be fairly non invasive and that more modern methods may give it a better chance of success and less pain.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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bobcoleman0321recon
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PostThu Nov 01, 2018 12:26 pm 
there is lots of good (new) information related to knee replacement surgeries. This guy Dr. William P. Barrett is an example what progress has been made. http://www.prolianceorthopedicassociates.com/physicians/william-p-barrett-md/

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DIYSteve
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PostThu Nov 01, 2018 3:42 pm 
There is a great deal of information, but I suggest a prospective TKR patient get it from a source other than an orthopedic surgeon website. Knee and hip replacement surgeries are big money makers and OS websites are largely marketing content. IME, the best single on-line source for info is BoneSmart, which has links to hundreds of articles and studies, lots of practical advice and forums for pre-op and post-op knee and hip replacement patients. The accounts of hundreds of KR and HR patients are invaluable: You'll learn about the reality of recovery that the OS website don't address.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Nov 01, 2018 3:59 pm 
Steve, what's your understanding of how this would effect moderate backbacking with medium loads, 2000-3000' gains, 5-10 miles a day?

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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