Re: Mark. What's up - carticel progress post op

[Guest guest]

Hey Don and gang;...

Here I am at now at 15 weeks (+/- day) and just doing my morning

electric shock treatment to keep deep stimulating and working those leg

muscles and twitch fibres!!! (EMS)

I am now fully mobile again... I have been driving for a week and only

using the cane when the leg gets too tired BUT I am walking solo and

albiet with a very slight limp I am still mending slowly but

surely...!!!

And what you all would really be more interested in... YES ... THERE IS

STILL NO MORE PAIN in this knee...it has gone!!!!

It is an unbelievable feeling to sleep through a full night instead of

constantly wakening up after having moved the knee or getting one of

those jolts from the blue!!!

The only remaining matters I have to deal with now are some muscle

stiffness, limited knee bending beyond 110 degrees and waiting for the

GP to say it is time for me to wean off the tramadol which i am now

down from 600-800 mgs a day to only 200mgs,... but i know there will be

a withdrawal effect from these so i am being patient..!!!

One of the precautions I have been asked and I can feel it as well is

to make sure I do not stand up using the right leg as the driver

because I can feel the surface tenderness around the patellae when I

have forgoten to adhere to this...

BUT... I hope some of you are a prospective candidate for this

relatively new procedure because being without constant pain and being

able to sleep through the night is an amazing feeling and well worth

the time and investment as opposed to being down and out with all those

associated mental complications!!

Crossing my fingers for Don next week...

Seeya's

Mark.

>

> Hey Aussie dude,

>

> How's the pregress on the rehab going? I hope you say it hard, but

> still feels good!!!!

>

> I am still scheduled for the harvest on Aug 2. Waiting for final

> insurance coverage. I hope it comes in time.

>

> Don

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Don,...the OS with my situation braced my leg at the operating

table to ensure no initial bending for 48 hours to make sure the

implant had more than enough time to bond...then into the CPM i went

(nurses lifted the leg into the machine whilst i was in bed)..and i

built up to approx 4 - 6 hours a day passive movement before i left

hospital..

No I did not sleep in the CPM (would have been too uncomfortable) -

nurses pushed me over the next 9 days to get the knee to bend out to

about 60 degrees but I fell a bit short of the magic 70 degrees mark

they were after but this was resolved a couple of weeks later when i

did a second surgery where the OS did a gravity bend to make sure

there were no restrictions;... I can say though that even at this

time I won't go past the 110 degrees until i can get some strength

into this leg and then work on the bending (bugger them .. its my

leg)..

How long before I could stay alone??? I assume you mean get up and go

to the dunny??? - it took me 4 days to walk unnassisted where you

will experience horrible blood rushes when you put your foot down

(without weight bearing remember) but this goes away after a week...

Does this help Don????

> > >

> > > Hey Aussie dude,

> > >

> > > How's the pregress on the rehab going? I hope you say it hard,

but

> > > still feels good!!!!

> > >

> > > I am still scheduled for the harvest on Aug 2. Waiting for final

> > > insurance coverage. I hope it comes in time.

> > >

> > > Don

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info Mark. That does help. We are trying to think

ahead and make the house Carticel Patient friendly. To tell you the

truth, it's a little overwhelming just thinking about being immobile.

To top it off, it's one of my wifes busy times of the year with her CPA

practice.

Thanks

Don

[Guest guest]

Hey Don; in hindsight .. (wonderful thing) ... I wish i had thought

of having more activities in place for myself whilst post op...!!!

I certainly have a new found respect for wheel chair bound people and

those who have to use crutches all their lives!!!

Can you do some bookkeeping activities for your wife? Or even do a

short uni study unit/ course? I did a digital camera - photoshop

course (amazing technology)...

Mark.

PS: let us know how the first one goes next week (biopsy)...I will

cross my fingers so that you become a fully endorsed candidate..!!!

(sounds like an election)

>

> Thanks for the info Mark. That does help. We are trying to think

> ahead and make the house Carticel Patient friendly. To tell you

the

> truth, it's a little overwhelming just thinking about being

immobile.

> To top it off, it's one of my wifes busy times of the year with her

CPA

> practice.

>

> Thanks

> Don

>