Guest guest Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 I was much in the same situation. I went in for a torn meniscus and woke up with a lateral release. Doc told me it would take 6 months to recover but gave me no Physical therapy. I went to talk with another surgeon about 4 months later and he said he would not touch me until I built my leg up and that I NEEDED PT. I walked around best I could for months when I should heave been in PT. I would tell the doctor that you insist on have PT. It is a must that you have a professional help you with this or it will drag on for many more months. Sorry you had to go through this. I know now that I would not go to surgery with the surgeon having the option to do what ever they want. Let me know if you have any more questions. On 3/13/07, cfd7f <cfd7f@...> wrote: > > Hi all, > > I am new to this board and so happy to have found it. Twelve days > ago I had surgery on my right knee to repair a torn meniscus > (medial) and for a lateral release (and patellar debridment). I > didn't know anything about lateral release when my doctor said I > should have it, and told me that this was why my knee hurts when I > run (I had significantly cut back on my running in the last year > since I had knee surgery on my LEFT knee 11 months ago -- also a > torn meniscus). When I asked what the lateral release entailed, I > received an explanation of the details of the surgery. When I asked > what it meant for recovery, I was told that it was no different from > recovering from the meniscus surgery and that it might make me > a " little more sore. " I was told I would be back at full sports in > 6 weeks, and that I did not need any physical therapy. > > Well, after surgery, a little soreness proved to be a great deal of > pain! While my pain has diminshed significantly, I have a lot of > pain generally in the knee and walking is quite painful. My upper > thigh (outside of my right thigh) is so tender to the touch that > when I swim laps I haveto cut my stroke short because the rippling > water feels like someone is trying to give me a charley horse. I > decided that this could not be normal so I started to do some in- > depth research on lateral release. Imagine my surprise when I read > that it should be a surgery of last resort (!) and that it takes 6 > months to a year to fully heal and that physical therapy is required > to recover if you want to make the knee heal properly (thus > justifying the surgery). > > Has anyone hear ever heard of lateral release surgery that is not > followed by PT? I have been doing a lot of leg lifts (lying on my > back, foot flexed, knee locked, raising whole leg up and down) and > swimming (my doctor said " don't do breats stroke kick yet " ). I > haven't been doing anything that seems particularly aimed at the > lateral release recovery (more the meniscus recovery). Please help > with ANY advice. I am so frustrated and confused (and a little > angry) at the moment. > > Thanks! > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Wow, thanks, I was afraid that it was something like that. I just called the Physical Therapist and I can go next Monday even without a doctor's prescription. Let's see how it all goes. Thanks again! > > > > Hi all, > > > > I am new to this board and so happy to have found it. Twelve days > > ago I had surgery on my right knee to repair a torn meniscus > > (medial) and for a lateral release (and patellar debridment). I > > didn't know anything about lateral release when my doctor said I > > should have it, and told me that this was why my knee hurts when I > > run (I had significantly cut back on my running in the last year > > since I had knee surgery on my LEFT knee 11 months ago -- also a > > torn meniscus). When I asked what the lateral release entailed, I > > received an explanation of the details of the surgery. When I asked > > what it meant for recovery, I was told that it was no different from > > recovering from the meniscus surgery and that it might make me > > a " little more sore. " I was told I would be back at full sports in > > 6 weeks, and that I did not need any physical therapy. > > > > Well, after surgery, a little soreness proved to be a great deal of > > pain! While my pain has diminshed significantly, I have a lot of > > pain generally in the knee and walking is quite painful. My upper > > thigh (outside of my right thigh) is so tender to the touch that > > when I swim laps I haveto cut my stroke short because the rippling > > water feels like someone is trying to give me a charley horse. I > > decided that this could not be normal so I started to do some in- > > depth research on lateral release. Imagine my surprise when I read > > that it should be a surgery of last resort (!) and that it takes 6 > > months to a year to fully heal and that physical therapy is required > > to recover if you want to make the knee heal properly (thus > > justifying the surgery). > > > > Has anyone hear ever heard of lateral release surgery that is not > > followed by PT? I have been doing a lot of leg lifts (lying on my > > back, foot flexed, knee locked, raising whole leg up and down) and > > swimming (my doctor said " don't do breats stroke kick yet " ). I > > haven't been doing anything that seems particularly aimed at the > > lateral release recovery (more the meniscus recovery). Please help > > with ANY advice. I am so frustrated and confused (and a little > > angry) at the moment. > > > > Thanks! > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Offhand, I would say it is always wise to get at least some PT after any orthopedic surgery. Even one visit to get the proper exercises makes a world of difference. That at least has been my experience. Mike MT Just had surgery Hi all, I am new to this board and so happy to have found it. Twelve days ago I had surgery on my right knee to repair a torn meniscus (medial) and for a lateral release (and patellar debridment). I didn't know anything about lateral release when my doctor said I should have it, and told me that this was why my knee hurts when I run (I had significantly cut back on my running in the last year since I had knee surgery on my LEFT knee 11 months ago -- also a torn meniscus). When I asked what the lateral release entailed, I received an explanation of the details of the surgery. When I asked what it meant for recovery, I was told that it was no different from recovering from the meniscus surgery and that it might make me a " little more sore. " I was told I would be back at full sports in 6 weeks, and that I did not need any physical therapy. Well, after surgery, a little soreness proved to be a great deal of pain! While my pain has diminshed significantly, I have a lot of pain generally in the knee and walking is quite painful. My upper thigh (outside of my right thigh) is so tender to the touch that when I swim laps I haveto cut my stroke short because the rippling water feels like someone is trying to give me a charley horse. I decided that this could not be normal so I started to do some in- depth research on lateral release. Imagine my surprise when I read that it should be a surgery of last resort (!) and that it takes 6 months to a year to fully heal and that physical therapy is required to recover if you want to make the knee heal properly (thus justifying the surgery). Has anyone hear ever heard of lateral release surgery that is not followed by PT? I have been doing a lot of leg lifts (lying on my back, foot flexed, knee locked, raising whole leg up and down) and swimming (my doctor said " don't do breats stroke kick yet " ). I haven't been doing anything that seems particularly aimed at the lateral release recovery (more the meniscus recovery). Please help with ANY advice. I am so frustrated and confused (and a little angry) at the moment. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 I hope I didn't come off as too much of a downer about the Lateral Release. I just can't stress enough how much I think you need some PT help. The pain will get better as you get stronger, it just takes a few months to get going. Don On 3/13/07, cfd7f <cfd7f@...> wrote: > > Wow, thanks, I was afraid that it was something like that. I just > called the Physical Therapist and I can go next Monday even without > a doctor's prescription. Let's see how it all goes. > > Thanks again! > > > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > I am new to this board and so happy to have found it. Twelve days > > > ago I had surgery on my right knee to repair a torn meniscus > > > (medial) and for a lateral release (and patellar debridment). I > > > didn't know anything about lateral release when my doctor said I > > > should have it, and told me that this was why my knee hurts when > I > > > run (I had significantly cut back on my running in the last year > > > since I had knee surgery on my LEFT knee 11 months ago -- also a > > > torn meniscus). When I asked what the lateral release entailed, I > > > received an explanation of the details of the surgery. When I > asked > > > what it meant for recovery, I was told that it was no different > from > > > recovering from the meniscus surgery and that it might make me > > > a " little more sore. " I was told I would be back at full sports > in > > > 6 weeks, and that I did not need any physical therapy. > > > > > > Well, after surgery, a little soreness proved to be a great deal > of > > > pain! While my pain has diminshed significantly, I have a lot of > > > pain generally in the knee and walking is quite painful. My upper > > > thigh (outside of my right thigh) is so tender to the touch that > > > when I swim laps I haveto cut my stroke short because the > rippling > > > water feels like someone is trying to give me a charley horse. I > > > decided that this could not be normal so I started to do some in- > > > depth research on lateral release. Imagine my surprise when I > read > > > that it should be a surgery of last resort (!) and that it takes > 6 > > > months to a year to fully heal and that physical therapy is > required > > > to recover if you want to make the knee heal properly (thus > > > justifying the surgery). > > > > > > Has anyone hear ever heard of lateral release surgery that is not > > > followed by PT? I have been doing a lot of leg lifts (lying on my > > > back, foot flexed, knee locked, raising whole leg up and down) > and > > > swimming (my doctor said " don't do breats stroke kick yet " ). I > > > haven't been doing anything that seems particularly aimed at the > > > lateral release recovery (more the meniscus recovery). Please > help > > > with ANY advice. I am so frustrated and confused (and a little > > > angry) at the moment. > > > > > > Thanks! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Hi, I'm sorry you've been dealing with this....a lateral release is not something to take " as lightly " as a simple torn meniscus. As you've probably discovered in your search, a LR actually changes the mechanical function of the knee and should not be " just allowed to heal " . IMO, it requires a good physical therapist who will work with you, on the correct mechanics of your knee. I had a lateral release done last april (knowingly) and it's taking a long time to get my knee back into good shape. I have grade four CMP, and the LR has helped with the pain by changing the way the patella rides on the trochlear groove. IMO, your surgeon is off the mark with the no PT. A good PT will look at your entire leg, not just the knee, and see where you need to work (a lot of the knee function is in conjunction with the hip, feet, ankles, etc....and those should not be ignored in a good PT program). For instance, because I sat around a lot after my first (long, boring story) surgery, my hip flexors got really tight and ended up being less than efficient when I was walking, which in turn hurt my knee....and on it goes. Bottom line, do your homework, read about LRs and rehab protocols, read about length of rehab (most LR require 16-24 weeks) and find a good PT. BTW, if you don't think your physical therapist is doing the job, find another. You and your PT should " click " and work together. Take heart....you will get through this and come out ok, it's just going to take a little longer than you were told. 12 days is still very early on in recovery, give yourself some time and let us know how you're doing. nne Just had surgery Hi all, I am new to this board and so happy to have found it. Twelve days ago I had surgery on my right knee to repair a torn meniscus (medial) and for a lateral release (and patellar debridment). I didn't know anything about lateral release when my doctor said I should have it, and told me that this was why my knee hurts when I run (I had significantly cut back on my running in the last year since I had knee surgery on my LEFT knee 11 months ago -- also a torn meniscus). When I asked what the lateral release entailed, I received an explanation of the details of the surgery. When I asked what it meant for recovery, I was told that it was no different from recovering from the meniscus surgery and that it might make me a " little more sore. " I was told I would be back at full sports in 6 weeks, and that I did not need any physical therapy. Well, after surgery, a little soreness proved to be a great deal of pain! While my pain has diminshed significantly, I have a lot of pain generally in the knee and walking is quite painful. My upper thigh (outside of my right thigh) is so tender to the touch that when I swim laps I haveto cut my stroke short because the rippling water feels like someone is trying to give me a charley horse. I decided that this could not be normal so I started to do some in- depth research on lateral release. Imagine my surprise when I read that it should be a surgery of last resort (!) and that it takes 6 months to a year to fully heal and that physical therapy is required to recover if you want to make the knee heal properly (thus justifying the surgery). Has anyone hear ever heard of lateral release surgery that is not followed by PT? I have been doing a lot of leg lifts (lying on my back, foot flexed, knee locked, raising whole leg up and down) and swimming (my doctor said " don't do breats stroke kick yet " ). I haven't been doing anything that seems particularly aimed at the lateral release recovery (more the meniscus recovery). Please help with ANY advice. I am so frustrated and confused (and a little angry) at the moment. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Hey Don, You said: " I know now that I would not go to surgery with the surgeon having the option to do what ever they want. " Oh man, did I ever learn this lesson!!! Went into my first surgery for a torn meniscus, came out with a microfracture procedure!!!!! Had no say over it, no options, nothing.....it changed my life (for the worse). When I went in for my second surgery (LR), I stayed awake and the surgeon (different one than number one) talked me through the entire procedure. I, too, will never enter surgery again with a " blank check " for the surgeon. nne -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.8/717 - Release Date: 3/10/2007 2:25 PM ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love (and love to hate): TV's Guilty Pleasures list. http://tv./collections/265 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 MJD said the following on 3/14/2007 12:51 AM: > > > Hey Don, > > You said: > > " I know now that I would not go to surgery > with the surgeon having the option to do what ever > they want. " > > Oh man, did I ever learn this lesson!!! Went into my > first surgery for a torn meniscus, came out with a > microfracture procedure!!!!! Had no say over it, no > options, nothing..... I just want to thank this group for this advice. I did well over a year of PT, exercises, etc., before going into surgery. I was adamant that I only wanted an exploratory scope, and to clean up things that would take less than a couple months of rehab. My Dr. really wanted to do a LR, partially because he has had two successful LR's himself. (Personally I think he over prescribes it.) (In the end my re-hab took longer than 2 months, but I actually had a fall on the knee that I think made it much worse, about 6 weeks after surgery. :-( ) But again, thanks to this group, or I may not have known to be very explicit in what the Dr. is allowed to do while you are under! / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Thank you all for your kind words and support. I guess misery does love company since I was heartened to hear that I am not the only one with this fact pattern! I was recently daignosed with Grade 4 CMP on my right knee (this was after my meniscus tore for no obvious reason -- I was jogging on a treadmill and it just popped and I knew I had torn it, since I had torn my left one 11 months earlier). My doctor (who I do like very much, though I think he is somewhat of a cowboy) treated the whole thing like a no-brainer -- " of course you will have the lateral release if it looks like it needs it when we are in there, the MRI suggests it does an dthat's why you have knee pain... " I somewhat ignorantly took this as ortho. gospel. I have to agree that PT after every knee surgery must be the way to go. I did not have any PT after my meniscus surgery on the left knee (which was my second surgery on that knee, since I ruptured my ACL skiing 8 years ago and had reconstructive surgery for that using the patellar tendon -- pre-arthroscopy -- that sucked big time). My left knee now hurts pretty much all the time and my right knee is of course still swollen and painful from the surgery. As I said I am going to a PT starting Monday (the first day I could get an appointment). Depending on how we click, I will then go to my doc and ask for a prescription if it seems like something I need to keep doing beyond the first month (under New York law you can do it for a month without a script). I will keep you posted on how it goes. I also want to thank you because my doctor made me feel for awful for using my cane still when I went back for my 6 day check up -- he told me to stop using it. I still am using it now (despite his instructions) because it really hurts quite a bit to walk without it. I was also horrified to discover how much my thigh muscle has shrunk in the past 5 weeks (since the day of my injury). Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? Thanks all, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 From my experience and what I have been able to find out, an OS will almost always do a LR as a first line arthroscopic surgery to treat CP. I agree you should always be fully informed as to what the doctor is planning to do in surgery and to okay those procedures, but there may also be situations where you might consider giving the doctor latitude as to what he decides to do when in there. It should be YOUR decision to give him latitude though. Mike MT Re: Just had surgery MJD said the following on 3/14/2007 12:51 AM: > > > Hey Don, > > You said: > > " I know now that I would not go to surgery > with the surgeon having the option to do what ever > they want. " > > Oh man, did I ever learn this lesson!!! Went into my > first surgery for a torn meniscus, came out with a > microfracture procedure!!!!! Had no say over it, no > options, nothing..... I just want to thank this group for this advice. I did well over a year of PT, exercises, etc., before going into surgery. I was adamant that I only wanted an exploratory scope, and to clean up things that would take less than a couple months of rehab. My Dr. really wanted to do a LR, partially because he has had two successful LR's himself. (Personally I think he over prescribes it.) (In the end my re-hab took longer than 2 months, but I actually had a fall on the knee that I think made it much worse, about 6 weeks after surgery. :-( ) But again, thanks to this group, or I may not have known to be very explicit in what the Dr. is allowed to do while you are under! / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 > Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and > grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to > accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old > triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? With all due respect, my advice would be to hope and pray you can walk until you get to be 50 when they " might " do a knee replacement. You might try to find a doctor who would do just a patella resurfacing though while being aware an artificial surface will not last as long as the original. Mike MT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 On 3/14/2007 Mike Bernhardt wrote: > From my experience and what I have been able to find out, an OS will > almost always do a LR as a first line arthroscopic surgery to treat > CP. I agree you should always be fully informed as to what the doctor > is planning to do in surgery and to okay those procedures, but there > may also be situations where you might consider giving the doctor > latitude as to what he decides to do when in there. It should be YOUR > decision to give him latitude though. Yeah my instructions were " Don't do anything that will require more than 2-3 months of re-hab. Anything beyond that, I want to come out from surgery and discuss it, and then go in for a 2nd surgery. " That way he had room to do more than just an exploratory. In the end he cleaned up some minor loose cartiledge and removed some plica, and fixed a partition in the retinaculum that had not been seen in an MRI. That last one was probably borderline on the 2-3 month guidelines I gave him, but it was obviously a problem that needed to be corrected, and it was certainly not a year of re-hab, so I was ok with it. It's important to find a doctor that you can trust, because you literally are putting your future in their hands! / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 On 3/14/2007 cfd7f wrote: > Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and > grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to > accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old > triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? , I know how you feel, and for many on this board that were not competitive athletes, it is hard for them to understand where we come from. Adventure racing was a huge part of my life before my knee went south, and some advice you will receive will be just happy to be walking. And I actually agree that at some point, you may have to accept that. Personally, I have not yet given up on getting back to racing, though I am getting closer to that every month. :-( The type of racing I did was 2 to 3 day races, in which we would run/trek 40-60 miles, mountain bike 100+ miles, paddle 20-50 miles, do rope skills, etc. So it was pretty extreme. Now, post surgery, it has taken a long time to get back to running 30 minutes, and even then I have minor discomfort in the knee the next day. But I have learned not to push so hard, to take it easy, and see how the knee reacts. Rest, ice, and sometimes NSAIDs, but I do try to limit that. If I can't get back to racing competitively, my next goal is to race for fun. If not 2 to 3 day races, short ones like 3 or 4 hours. If that is not to be, then I hope to be able to do some short mountain bike races, or do short orienteering events (which I have been pretty successful at the last few months). But if that is not to be, I hope to be able to do a weekend back pack trip. And if I can't even do that, then I hope to be able to play with my kids -- kick a soccer ball, or play tag, etc. And finally, if none of that is to be, then I hope to just walk around normally, pain free. But, finally, I have to move. For some reason exercise is just ingrained in me. So if I can't run or hike or walk or bike, then I will do other things, like an elliptical, or swim, or yoga, or lift weights, or do physically demanding work around my house. Good luck! / http://www.2sparrows.org/blog/category/knee/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 In defense of the doctor, I felt better a week after surgery than I did before surgery. However, I don't think most doctors explain how much an LR changes the dynamics of the knee before surgery. Many times those dynamics cannot be adjusted by PT. After having a LR on both knees, my left patella has a much more pronounced tilt than the right patella. Mike MT Re: Just had surgery On 3/14/2007 Mike Bernhardt wrote: > From my experience and what I have been able to find out, an OS will > almost always do a LR as a first line arthroscopic surgery to treat > CP. I agree you should always be fully informed as to what the doctor > is planning to do in surgery and to okay those procedures, but there > may also be situations where you might consider giving the doctor > latitude as to what he decides to do when in there. It should be YOUR > decision to give him latitude though. Yeah my instructions were " Don't do anything that will require more than 2-3 months of re-hab. Anything beyond that, I want to come out from surgery and discuss it, and then go in for a 2nd surgery. " That way he had room to do more than just an exploratory. In the end he cleaned up some minor loose cartiledge and removed some plica, and fixed a partition in the retinaculum that had not been seen in an MRI. That last one was probably borderline on the 2-3 month guidelines I gave him, but it was obviously a problem that needed to be corrected, and it was certainly not a year of re-hab, so I was ok with it. It's important to find a doctor that you can trust, because you literally are putting your future in their hands! / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 I'm sorry, this is not totally accurate as to current science. There are posts here as to carticel surgery. This is certainly an option, especially for younger people who wish to continue athletic endeavors. If I were in your shoes, this is an option I would look into. Mike MT Re: Just had surgery > Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and > grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to > accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old > triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? With all due respect, my advice would be to hope and pray you can walk until you get to be 50 when they " might " do a knee replacement. You might try to find a doctor who would do just a patella resurfacing though while being aware an artificial surface will not last as long as the original. Mike MT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Thanks for the follow-up there. Your first post was a little disheartening (though I have been grappling with accepting that fact generally). I did see some stuff about Carticel -- very interesting. I have some strange cartilage degenerative patterns in both knees -- instead of having to remove all of the cartilage after my meniscus tear, the doctor found that my meniscus had filleted itself (somehow) so I had two level fo cartilage. When the meniscus tore, only one of the layers was damaged, and so I now have a meniscus that is about half as thick as normal, but I still have some cartilage in there. The doctor does not know why my cartilage has done this, he thinks it is very strange, but he said that it means that I at least have some cushion in my knee still. So, we wait and see I guess. I have definitely accepted the no more running, and as a personal trainer at my gym told me the other day " Your fitness goal should be to be able to stand up off the toilet when you are 80. " Sounds good to me. Thanks again. > > Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and > > grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to > > accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old > > triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? > > With all due respect, my advice would be to hope and pray you can walk > until you get to be 50 when they " might " do a knee replacement. You > might try to find a doctor who would do just a patella resurfacing > though while being aware an artificial surface will not last as long as > the original. > > Mike > MT > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Thanks . I have done a little adventure racing myself -- but more of the 3 or 4 hour variety than the 2 or 3 day variety. It is so much fun, though I recognize that it takes a real toll on the body. I have been a competitive swimmer and diver for most of my life (I was an NCAA diver in college) and have been swimming as part of triathlon training for many years. Obviously I am falling back on that more and more -- but it is hard to go back to the pool when you are used to running 12 miles in the great outdoors! However, I am grateful that I can swim and get a good workout that way (plus it is great on the knees). I am also an avid skier and am trying to figure out how that is going to fit into my life if at all in the future (especially now that my daughter just started doing black diamonds this year!). I know that this is (sorry for the all-to-apt analogy) a marathon and not a sprint in terms of lifelong knee health (or at least utility), but being at the beginning of the process it seems a long and confusing road. I did manage to just hook up with a personal trainer who is a Certified Medical Exercise Therapist, and he and I agreed to work together once my knee is rehabbed to design an exercise program that will (a) make me feel like a real athlete again and ( preserve my knees. Thanks again for the support and good luck with the racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 , One of the things both my PT and surgeon told me that with a LR it is of utmost importance that you walk correctly from the very beginning after the surgery. No tip toeing, not flat footedness, but a nice, gentle, correct heel to toe motion. If you need a cane to accomplish this, so be it. When I first came out of surgery and the subsequent couple of weeks, I walked verrrrrry slowly, but really concentrated on the correct motion. I think that really helped in the long run. You asked about what to do if you can't do what you want. That's the tough question a lot of us face. My " sports " of choice have been waterskiing, cross country skiing and something called " dog agility " , where you guide your dog through obstacles, tunnels, etc. I have a fast Sheltie and it requires a lot of stop/start motion, as well as pivoting....all really hard on the knees. Well, the Malibu boat is up for sale, because while I can still ski somewhat, I can't cut across the wakes and the turns are killer on my knees. That was a tough one to swallow. I still do some cross country skiing, but no longer on icy snow, nor do I do a lot of hills where I really need the knee strength to slow me down. My one thing that I can't yet give up is agility. The training has changed, and I now work my dogs differently, but it's still hard on the knees. I've worked out a program with my PT (whom I dearly love) and he keeps me on the straight and narrow. I pick and choose my competitions and sometimes scratch when the surface is not conducive for my running. All in all, it's about adjustments, I guess. I'm 49 years old and have been athletic all my life. Like you, I need to stay active otherwise I'll turn into a blob, I just know it! Already, these past few years my weight has become an issue since I'm not as active as I used to be....THAT to me is more worrisome than anything. My surgeon, who also has crummy knees, has told me that I need to keep doing what I love....make adjustments where necessary, but don't give up my life. Oh, and one thing that I have done and that's to get a series of shots (SuPartz). It is a visco supplementation, where they inject a thick substance into the knee to help cushion it. They are expensive, they may/maynot work, and they last anywhere from 6 months to several years. Although mine did not " cure " anything, the shots allowed me to continue to exercise, to continue to do the things I enjoy. I've also found that good vitamins, lots of water, and a healthy diet seems to help a little. Hey, if those things add up to being able to do what I want, then so be it. There's a fine line between doing too much, and keeping going.....you have your head on straight and I know you'll find that line. Best to ya, nne Re: Just had surgery Thank you all for your kind words and support. I guess misery does love company since I was heartened to hear that I am not the only one with this fact pattern! I was recently daignosed with Grade 4 CMP on my right knee (this was after my meniscus tore for no obvious reason -- I was jogging on a treadmill and it just popped and I knew I had torn it, since I had torn my left one 11 months earlier). My doctor (who I do like very much, though I think he is somewhat of a cowboy) treated the whole thing like a no-brainer -- " of course you will have the lateral release if it looks like it needs it when we are in there, the MRI suggests it does an dthat's why you have knee pain... " I somewhat ignorantly took this as ortho. gospel. I have to agree that PT after every knee surgery must be the way to go. I did not have any PT after my meniscus surgery on the left knee (which was my second surgery on that knee, since I ruptured my ACL skiing 8 years ago and had reconstructive surgery for that using the patellar tendon -- pre-arthroscopy -- that sucked big time). My left knee now hurts pretty much all the time and my right knee is of course still swollen and painful from the surgery. As I said I am going to a PT starting Monday (the first day I could get an appointment). Depending on how we click, I will then go to my doc and ask for a prescription if it seems like something I need to keep doing beyond the first month (under New York law you can do it for a month without a script). I will keep you posted on how it goes. I also want to thank you because my doctor made me feel for awful for using my cane still when I went back for my 6 day check up -- he told me to stop using it. I still am using it now (despite his instructions) because it really hurts quite a bit to walk without it. I was also horrified to discover how much my thigh muscle has shrunk in the past 5 weeks (since the day of my injury). Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? Thanks all, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Hi , I feel for you -- I am dying to get back to soccer! One thing I'd like to contribute: I know surgeons have different rehabilitation philosophies but it sounds like yours is pretty cavalier about it. I had a lateral release and a little clean up and even after just that I had PT for a solid four months, starting the DAY after surgery (about 12 hours later), 3 times a week for a month, and 2 times a week until the very end. Not only that, and again, I know surgeons have different opinions, but I was told to put absolutely no weight on my leg for two full weeks and was in a CPM for 8 hours a day for those two weeks, to get full mobility and range of motion while putting no pressure on the knee. I do agree not to tip-toe etc. -- I used crutches to allow myself to gradually put more and more body weight on the knee. Everyone's situation is unique but I think some of these things have been really critical to my healing. Zaz > > Thank you all for your kind words and support. I guess misery does > love company since I was heartened to hear that I am not the only > one with this fact pattern! I was recently daignosed with Grade 4 > CMP on my right knee (this was after my meniscus tore for no obvious > reason -- I was jogging on a treadmill and it just popped and I knew > I had torn it, since I had torn my left one 11 months earlier). My > doctor (who I do like very much, though I think he is somewhat of a > cowboy) treated the whole thing like a no-brainer -- " of course you > will have the lateral release if it looks like it needs it when we > are in there, the MRI suggests it does an dthat's why you have knee > pain... " I somewhat ignorantly took this as ortho. gospel. > > I have to agree that PT after every knee surgery must be the way to > go. I did not have any PT after my meniscus surgery on the left > knee (which was my second surgery on that knee, since I ruptured my > ACL skiing 8 years ago and had reconstructive surgery for that using > the patellar tendon -- pre-arthroscopy -- that sucked big time). My > left knee now hurts pretty much all the time and my right knee is of > course still swollen and painful from the surgery. > > As I said I am going to a PT starting Monday (the first day I could > get an appointment). Depending on how we click, I will then go to > my doc and ask for a prescription if it seems like something I need > to keep doing beyond the first month (under New York law you can do > it for a month without a script). > > I will keep you posted on how it goes. > > I also want to thank you because my doctor made me feel for awful > for using my cane still when I went back for my 6 day check up -- he > told me to stop using it. I still am using it now (despite his > instructions) because it really hurts quite a bit to walk without > it. I was also horrified to discover how much my thigh muscle has > shrunk in the past 5 weeks (since the day of my injury). > > Here is my last question: with grade 4 CMP in the right knee and > grade 3 CMP in the left knee, and 3 knee surgeries, I have come to > accept the fact that my running days are over (I am a 31 year old > triathlete and marathoner...no longer I guess). What do I do now??? > > Thanks all, > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Hey everyone, Just had my first PT appointment yesterday -- the therapist was horrified that I had not had PT prescribed (though my wife pointed out that clients are the therapsit's bread and butter!). It was great and awful at the same time. I like the therapist very much and she had me doing things I don't think I would even have tried for months, but boy did it all hurt! At one point when I was grimacing with sweat breaking out on my brow, she asked " oh, does this hurt? " -- she was stretching the knee and IT band -- and I just had to laugh. I am happy to have followed all of your advice and I feel like this is going to be a big step forward on the road to recovery. I even rode the subway yesterday and today -- the stairs down were a nightmare, but all in all it was nice to be able to zip around under the city. Thanks all, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Very nice to hear that . Keep up the PT and you will be good in no time. Don On 3/20/07, cfd7f <cfd7f@...> wrote: > > Hey everyone, > > Just had my first PT appointment yesterday -- the therapist was > horrified that I had not had PT prescribed (though my wife pointed out > that clients are the therapsit's bread and butter!). It was great and > awful at the same time. I like the therapist very much and she had me > doing things I don't think I would even have tried for months, but boy > did it all hurt! At one point when I was grimacing with sweat > breaking out on my brow, she asked " oh, does this hurt? " -- she was > stretching the knee and IT band -- and I just had to laugh. I am > happy to have followed all of your advice and I feel like this is > going to be a big step forward on the road to recovery. I even rode > the subway yesterday and today -- the stairs down were a nightmare, > but all in all it was nice to be able to zip around under the city. > > Thanks all, > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Hi there everyone. I'm Ben, 30, from UK. I've just (13/05/2009) had surgery at St. Bart's hospital in London to remove extensive cholesteatoma which had affected the left ear drum, attic, eroded the incus and the malleus, and began to erode the lateral semi-circular canal. Boy was I dizzy when I came round! Very unsettling. As I was in such a state when the registrar came to see me in the morning, I'm not entirely sure what procedure has been carried out, I'll have to wait 3 weeks until I return to have the packing removed. I know a tympanoplasty has been done, and I think the canal wall has been reconstructed as well. The external auditory meatus has not been enlarged. Is this consistent with a modified radical mastoidectomy? Do they rebuild the canal wall always with a MRM? Because of the extent of the disease I was expecting the surgeon to do a CWD procedure, and I presume, because the disease had eroded part of the lateral semi-circular canal, that the canal wall was already at least partially eroded (this may be a misunderstanding of exactly what the canal wall is on my part, I presume it to be the bony wall separating the semi-circular canals labyrinth from the middle ear)? I trust my surgeon very much and I'm sure he had very good reasons for doing what he has done, it's just frustrating not to know exactly what that was yet! Any info/advice/personal stories etc gratefully received. My balance seems to be coming back gradually, it's only been four days now, so that's good. They did say that they thought the hearing had been lost in the ear, and it hasn't so that's good too. I do have quite loud ringing in the ear, has anyone else had this? Might it too subside? Look forward to hearing from someone, and also to answering any questions anyone else may have Best Regards Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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