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Ah, Well, Oh Crap!! - Page 4

post #91 of 122
6/2/12 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 
I took it easy the day after therapy if I had significant swelling. I don't know how to rate the pain. When the fractured bone moved on itself while I was moving around with the brace on before surgery, it was horribly painful. When I came out of anesthesia, I knew immediately I would not have that bad a pain again. The pain in therapy was a lot easier to tolerate, and if you take a dose of pain meds (Tylenol if nothing else) before therapy, it helps. The therapist kept telling me, "Curse me now, but you'll thank me later" and she was completely correct.

If "rotating" refers to pedaling, I had a similar thing except I found it too painful to do a complete rotation even backward. I used my good leg to push backward until my bad knee was as far up as I wanted, then used the sore leg to push back down forward with some resistance dialed into their bike. I only did complete rotations by accident, and usually experienced a sharp pain when I did. I can go all the way around now, though.

I have two instructor buddies who had total knees done last fall. The one who is six months younger than I--he just turned 71--continues to have some limitations, partly because he needs the other knee done and he's having trouble adjusting to walking correctly because he hobbled so long. The one who's six years younger pushed himself to tears in therapy and is basically unlimited now. Both got back onto skis this spring, however.
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post #92 of 122
6/2/12 at 6:44pm

Well Kneale, although we've never officially met, I'm thinking that your're going to be one of those guys that pushes himself to tears during therapy so he can get back on the hill and "Ski Like a Rock Star!"!  Keep Pushing Man!!!!!   I want to ski with you one of these days!!!!

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post #93 of 122
8/13/12 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 
An update:

I can flex the leg now as much as the other one under tension (like squats on my TotalGym), but the muscle they detached on the front of the leg to expose the tibia plateau enough to install the plate and screws continues to cause discomfort. It's supposed to grow back.

I now can step up the 12 inches required by Vail Resorts' fitness test for on-snow employees, but doing so for five minutes at 24 steps a minute remains a bit out of reach (I can get to four minutes so far) and leaves me with a sore leg. I had been stepping up for five minutes on a 10.5-inch step (started on a 7-incher and worked up), so I think the 12-inch will come along.

Hey, Anne, come on out west. I'll most likely never ski in Michigan again.
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post #94 of 122
8/19/12 at 6:38am

thanks for the update!  Good to hear things are progressing and all is heading in the right direction!  Keep up the great work.  

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post #95 of 122
8/19/12 at 8:51am

One of these days I'll get out there Kneale & I'll look you up!!!!!  :D

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post #96 of 122
10/10/12 at 1:28am

It took me about 2 months after my operation (for a tibial plateau fracture) to get complete range of motion back. I very rarely backed off and had a mindset from the beginning that making progress was going to involve quite a bit of pain. But going from 95 to 103 in one step was quite a lot, so I'm not surprised that you got some reaction and a day of rest might be a good idea. Almost all of my progress was very small gradual improvements.

 

When I started on an exercise bike I couldn't rotate either. I wents backwards and forwards within the range I had, trying to get further round. After a few days I could manage it (although I had to lift my hip a bit and have the saddle higher than normal). Progress went faster from that point because cycling seemed to help a lot.

 

Mark

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post #97 of 122
10/10/12 at 1:42am

Kneale, I had a lot of discomfort from my plate and screws. That largely went away when I had all the hardware out. If and when you have your hardware removed you can hope for some improvement. However, the muscles didn't completely grow back. I'm left with a soft spot under part of my scar (like a hernia) where the different muscle groups are no longer connected. It doesn't really bother me though.

 

Sounds like strength is coming along nicely. What exercises are you doing for balance?

 

Mark

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post #98 of 122
10/11/12 at 7:23am
Thread Starter 
I use a Dynadisc for balance. Not good at it yet. Also just starting to hackysack (see: http://www.epicski.com/t/113883/summer-training-activity-for-drastic-skiing-improvement).

The surgeon who did my tibia plateau said I'd have no reason to remove the plate unless I needed a total knee replacement.

The muscle they cut off seems to be growing back. I still can feel the loss when tensioning, but I'm getting less and less irritation and going down a grade is less uncomfortable.
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post #99 of 122
10/24/12 at 11:50am
Thread Starter 
Got my first turns at Loveland this morning and the patched up leg did OK. The quite narrow WROD had a nice soft surface first thing because the snow had gotten moist the day before and frozen overnight so they grooomed it well. However, after about 90 minutes (seven or eight runs for me), the loose top had become pushed into piles and rows, which was tough for my little slalom skis, so my tired muscles got off easy.
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post #100 of 122
11/2/12 at 2:20pm
Great that you got out on the snow! Still waiting for the season to begin here.

An exercise I do standing on my balance plate is to take a light kettlebell and pass it back and forth between my hands, either in front or behind my body. Once you are good at this you can graduate to standing on only one foot. That's much tougher, but it's good training.

Mark
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post #101 of 122
12/1/12 at 8:01am

Hey Kneale, sorry for not seeing this earlier but congrats and I wish you a successful season.  Cheers!

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post #102 of 122
12/2/12 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
Right back at you, Finn.

I'd gotten in about 20 days of two-three hours on snow and now have survived two full days of working with clients and one participating in training. Leg is maybe 75-80 per cent. It'll probably take another year for the muscle they cut off to expose the bone to grow back.
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post #103 of 122
12/12/12 at 6:51am

wow!  that's great.good job Kneale. I know how hard you have worked and how much of a mental drain this has been.  icon14.gif

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post #104 of 122
12/17/12 at 2:31pm
Thread Starter 
I anticipated a lot of "back of the brain" concern about being hit again, but find I generally am not too bothered so far. Last summer, I was wondering whether I'd be too fearful to ski comfortably, but that hasn't developed so far. Pretty good for me considering the amount of traffic we've had on very limited terrain.
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post #105 of 122
12/30/12 at 10:16am

Glad to hear all is going well, Kneale. I'm officially cleared to ski. Hopefully I'll get out soon. Happy skiing!

 

D.

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post #106 of 122
12/30/12 at 11:54am

Kneale, sounds great.  Congratulations.

 

An update on my summer surgery - I got a new knee, new shoulder, and new toes.  The knee was replaced in early May, then the shouder and bicep were repaired, then the hammertoes were fixed on each foot.  The final operation took place on Oct. 5.

 

My first ski day was in early December, and I've skied about 7 days so far.  I was very afraid the first time I fell, but all my replacements/repairs held up just fine.  I'm thrilled to be back on the snow and glad I had all the surgeries, though it did make for a rather miserable summer.

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post #107 of 122
12/31/12 at 4:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSloan View Post

Glad to hear all is going well, Kneale. I'm officially cleared to ski. Hopefully I'll get out soon. Happy skiing!

D.


That's great, DeAnn. Get back out there!!!!
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post #108 of 122
1/6/13 at 5:27pm

First day back out today. Felt pretty good overall. The first run was sketchy - not because of anything physical, it was all mental. Throughout the day I had some great turns, but it was hit or miss depending on my mojo on each run. When I wasn't thinking about it and just skiing, it was like I never left the snow. When I thought about it, I was less fluid. I also found myself in the back seat a lot. I think that was just an aggression thing. I am a little more hesitant than I used to be, but I think I'll work out that throughout the rest of the season. Was my first day back, after all. biggrin.gif

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post #109 of 122
1/6/13 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSloan View Post

First day back out today. Felt pretty good overall. The first run was sketchy - not because of anything physical, it was all mental. Throughout the day I had some great turns, but it was hit or miss depending on my mojo on each run. When I wasn't thinking about it and just skiing, it was like I never left the snow. When I thought about it, I was less fluid. I also found myself in the back seat a lot. I think that was just an aggression thing. I am a little more hesitant than I used to be, but I think I'll work out that throughout the rest of the season. Was my first day back, after all. biggrin.gif

<Cheering>

 

And you know "thinking" is for the birds....

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post #110 of 122
1/6/13 at 5:41pm

good job D' get on it and enjoy.  turn the brain off. icon14.gif

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post #111 of 122
1/6/13 at 5:59pm

I'll have to get out to a <real> mountain to work out my issues. Know of any? wink.gifbiggrin.gif

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post #112 of 122
1/6/13 at 6:07pm
Heal well and quickly...all the best
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post #113 of 122
1/7/13 at 5:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSloan View Post

I'll have to get out to a mountain to work out my issues. Know of any? wink.gifbiggrin.gif


Let us know if you pick "ours".
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post #114 of 122
1/8/13 at 12:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSloan View Post

I'll have to get out to a <real> mountain to work out my issues. Know of any? wink.gifbiggrin.gif

Why yes I do!  biggrin.gif

 

but I'm leaving Thursday for BC.... wanna come?  

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post #115 of 122
1/8/13 at 1:16pm

Sigh. YES.

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post #116 of 122
1/8/13 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSloan View Post

Sigh. YES.

Ok, book a United flight out of Pitts connecting through DIA to spokane departing at around 10Am, I'll meet you at the gate in DIA!  From Spokane its a 3 hour drive over the border....  icon14.gif

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post #117 of 122
1/8/13 at 1:27pm

My husband says I have a child I have to take care of . . . not sure what's wrong with him. He has two perfectly good arms and legs. rolleyes.gif

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post #118 of 122
1/8/13 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSloan View Post

My husband says I have a child I have to take care of . . . not sure what's wrong with him. He has two perfectly good arms and legs. rolleyes.gif

 

 

isn't he referring to himself? wink.gif

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post #119 of 122
1/8/13 at 2:10pm

Geez, just leave the kid in the cat; even if she escapes, she can't get far in all that snow. 

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post #120 of 122
1/8/13 at 2:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by segbrown View Post

Geez, just leave the kid in the cat; even if she escapes, she can't get far in all that snow. 

 

(Gosh, the smart-ass in me posted this, but when the mother in me read it, I slapped myself.)

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