Cheer me up boys…

[OntarioHunter]

Wish I could give advice on this subject. Glad I am ignorant (for once). I'll be seventy in a few days and still driving on my own wheels. Had a few knee issues over the years but always managed to come out of it okay without surgery. Kind of a miracle too considering left leg is over an inch shorter than right one. No significant back trouble either though every time a Dr looks at a chest x-ray he/she shudders. That short leg sure twisted my spine.

Good to hear you're making progress. Follow the Dr's orders. He'll know how hard you should push yourself. Good luck with the armchair stalk. I'm sure you'll adapt. Remember, it's only temporary.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

For hunting with a newly fixed knee I preferred an old fashioned crook neck cane. They may tell you to just walk slowly but let's be honest, if you see a 15" buck that won't happen. Metal canes will be clangy and I don't think you can grip a walking stick quite like a good cane. I preferred mine a touch on the short side so I could keep my arm straighter anput more weight on it if necessary. Again, they will tell you to put the cane on the opposite side and walk normally. But again, if you are hunting that isn't always an option and 15 minutes of walking with bad form isn't gonna screw you up permanently as long as your not putting too much force on that knee. I used the cane almost like a peg leg on the outside of my hurt knee.

The most important thing I can say is this and please do it. If you trip, get off balanc etc, just let yourself fall like you were just shot. You will probably have to try and save yourself once but then you'll really learn it. It's is easier to just fall over and get back up than try and make that knee save you. If that makes sense.

Also, the hinges on the side of the brace are perfect to grab your leg and swing over a log, rock, etc.

 

[Hem]

HW...remember, all this will be a memory soon enough. Not a bad leg shot in the last pic. .....

 

[Hunting Wife]

For hunting with a newly fixed knee I preferred an old fashioned crook neck cane. They may tell you to just walk slowly but let's be honest, if you see a 15" buck that won't happen. Metal canes will be clangy and I don't think you can grip a walking stick quite like a good cane. I preferred mine a touch on the short side so I could keep my arm straighter anput more weight on it if necessary. Again, they will tell you to put the cane on the opposite side and walk normally. But again, if you are hunting that isn't always an option and 15 minutes of walking with bad form isn't gonna screw you up permanently as long as your not putting too much force on that knee. I used the cane almost like a peg leg on the outside of my hurt knee.

The most important thing I can say is this and please do it. If you trip, get off balanc etc, just let yourself fall like you were just shot. You will probably have to try and save yourself once but then you'll really learn it. It's is easier to just fall over and get back up than try and make that knee save you. If that makes sense.

Also, the hinges on the side of the brace are perfect to grab your leg and swing over a log, rock, etc.

So you’re saying in 18 days I will not be moving across the sage like a gazelle?

Damn it.

Walking on open ground is actually pretty normal at this point. It’s the obstacles that kind of worry me. And I still have work to do before I could even think about any type of real hiking. Need to gain a little more flex. Going up is pretty good, but don’t have quite enough range yet for downhill or down stairs. Getting close though. Steady progress is being made so I can’t complain.

Protect the graft. Protect the graft. Protect the graft…

I should go binge some Netflix and do my flexy exercises now.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Full range of motion achieved.

Going good on stairs, both directions.

Balance, strength and gait exceeded my target for week 5.

Ran on the elliptical today for the first time (5 minutes, but still )

Antelope opens in 7 days.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Because I like order, and in case other knee surgery candidates dig up this thread, I will finish this one with an actual conclusion. I made my goal, killed my antelope (See thread here), and am hoping to make a couple more outings for deer yet this fall. I’m at 6.5 weeks post-op as I write this, so about halfway through the 12-week graft healing process. I don’t know if my recovery thus far is typical; I’ve had zero pain at all and have been walking around since day 1.

I feel good about antelope and deer hunting at this point, in mild terrain and with significant activity modifications. Not ready for the mountains this season. There is probably no way I’m upland hunting much this season either. I’m not ready to step in a badger hole with this thing yet.

A couple of thoughts on the surgery and rehab…

1. Continuing to exercise prior to surgery pays dividends after surgery. If you can do even minimal strength exercises beforehand, do it.

2. It is shocking how much things atrophy if you are off your feet for even a day or two. Be prepared for that.

3. Listen to your body, and listen to your doctor. Being realistic about your limitations is hard, especially when you feel good. Finding a PT that I love and having her push me in rehab helped me find that line.

4. Work hard in rehab. If something really hurts, don’t do it. If something just feels uncomfortable, work through it.

5. Don’t let them do the nerve block while you are awake.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Because I like order, and in case other knee surgery candidates dig up this thread, I will finish this one with an actual conclusion. I made my goal, killed my antelope (See thread here), and am hoping to make a couple more outings for deer yet this fall. I’m at 6.5 weeks post-op as I write this, so about halfway through the 12-week graft healing process. I don’t know if my recovery thus far is typical; I’ve had zero pain at all and have been walking around since day 1.

I feel good about antelope and deer hunting at this point, in mild terrain and with significant activity modifications. Not ready for the mountains this season. There is probably no way I’m upland hunting much this season either. I’m not ready to step in a badger hole with this thing yet.

A couple of thoughts on the surgery and rehab…

1. Continuing to exercise prior to surgery pays dividends after surgery. If you can do even minimal strength exercises beforehand, do it.

2. It is shocking how much things atrophy if you are off your feet for even a day or two. Be prepared for that.

3. Listen to your body, and listen to your doctor. Being realistic about your limitations is hard, especially when you feel good. Finding a PT that I love and having her push me in rehab helped me find that line.

4. Work hard in rehab. If something really hurts, don’t do it. If something just feels uncomfortable, work through it.

5. Don’t let them do the nerve block while you are awake.

Glad to hear you are on the mend and got your antelope. Stay out of the cattails this season. Worse than badger holes for knee strain.

 

[BrentD]

5. Don’t let them do the nerve block while you are awake.

Do you suppose that applies to nerve blocks in general or just for the knees? I've got one coming for my shoulder apparently.

 

[hank4elk]

Do you suppose that applies to nerve blocks in general or just for the knees? I've got one coming for my shoulder apparently.

I would never do one again...for anything. I suffered worse pain from the tap after, for days migrains.

 

[noharleyyet]

Do you suppose that applies to nerve blocks in general or just for the knees? I've got one coming for my shoulder apparently.

Google fu has mucho info Brent.

 

[JLS]

My daughter said the nerve block was brutal. Glad your recovery is progressing nicely! My poor kiddo had to have two additional surgeries to remove scar tissue cysts that formed post op. We refer to her as our 2%er because she will experience the worst 2% of complications and side affects.

 

[Dave N]

Totally agree with 3 and 4. Really helped me.

No pain and walking every day? Damn it. I had the wrong surgeon! Norco was my friend for the first few days and occasionally when I started therapy. Ice machine was great but the drugs dulled the pain enough to get comfortable and sleep. 3 months to the day I was back at work feeling pretty good and doing almost everything I did before the surgery. It all came back but I was careful with the knee for a while.

Doing great! Sounds like you were well prepared and have a good plan for the future.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Do you suppose that applies to nerve blocks in general or just for the knees? I've got one coming for my shoulder apparently.

Unfortunately I have no idea.

If they come at you with 8 inch long needles, say no.

 

[JohnCushman]

Because I like order, and in case other knee surgery candidates dig up this thread, I will finish this one with an actual conclusion. I made my goal, killed my antelope (See thread here), and am hoping to make a couple more outings for deer yet this fall. I’m at 6.5 weeks post-op as I write this, so about halfway through the 12-week graft healing process. I don’t know if my recovery thus far is typical; I’ve had zero pain at all and have been walking around since day 1.

I feel good about antelope and deer hunting at this point, in mild terrain and with significant activity modifications. Not ready for the mountains this season. There is probably no way I’m upland hunting much this season either. I’m not ready to step in a badger hole with this thing yet.

A couple of thoughts on the surgery and rehab…

1. Continuing to exercise prior to surgery pays dividends after surgery. If you can do even minimal strength exercises beforehand, do it.

2. It is shocking how much things atrophy if you are off your feet for even a day or two. Be prepared for that.

3. Listen to your body, and listen to your doctor. Being realistic about your limitations is hard, especially when you feel good. Finding a PT that I love and having her push me in rehab helped me find that line.

4. Work hard in rehab. If something really hurts, don’t do it. If something just feels uncomfortable, work through it.

5. Don’t let them do the nerve block while you are awake.

Midget strippers are 24/7

 

[westbranch]

When I had Achilles reattachment surgery in Jan 2019 they gave a epidural in the back of my knee before surgery. The nurse anesthesiologist asked if I wanted to watch the ultrasound, so I watched while the needle went in and felt/saw it hit the nerve bundle spot at the same time. It was freaky but it was still kind of cool to watch. Once it wore off after 24+ hrs there was a noticeable increase in pain.

I was 8+ weeks with no weight on my left leg. Everyone I know that has had knee surgeries has been much better off than achilles surgery. Highly recommend not snapping your achilles tendon. I was back to work 4 days later since I have a desk job, cruising around on a knee scooter.

 

[kansasdad]

Knowing how to judge the mental part of joint surgery is tricky. With hip replacement/s I found that I was physically ready faster than my brain believed I was ready. For example, I didn't want to jump off a two foot wall because pre-surgery that would have sent lightning bolts of pain into the joint. I would still think twice years after the first hip was fully healed, just out of memory of the troubles that once were in that arthritic hip.

(Thanks dad for the bad genes)

 

[Howie]

View attachment 228052

Work kicked my ass today. Tweaked my knee at work a couple of weeks ago, saw the doc and he couldn’t find anything but it hasn’t felt quite right since. Been kind of babying it hoping for the best. Today I’m not sure what happened. I stepped funny I guess. Big pop, excruciating pain low medial, can’t bear weight on it at all, can’t bend or straighten. Lots of swelling in there of course. RICEing it until my appointment tomorrow afternoon, but I have a bad feeling about my hunting season.

Guessing there’s a surgery in my future. Anyone had a knee surgery in their 40’s? How’d it go?

Well dear, at least your not alone. I was working around some equipment n, "POP", me knee folds the wrong way.
No surgery but 3 wks. immobilized then PT.
Now I'll get to binge Clay Hayes again.

You get better

 

[Hunting Wife]

Noooo! That looks painfully familiar.

PT can give you rapid improvements if you are diligent and pay attention to what your body tells you. Hope you bounce back fast!

 

[Howie]

Noooo! That looks painfully familiar.

PT can give you rapid improvements if you are diligent and pay attention to what your body tells you. Hope you bounce back fast!

Thanks for the advice. Muzzy for doe n bear in Pa. this week n I live in the thick of the woods. Found I can ride the ATV stiff legged so I'll take a hunting chair, ride a trail then sit out n hope for a shot. No treestands for a while though.
Thanks to all for the thoughts