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Joint Replacement for Firefighters
Well it is T- 6 days until I get my knee replaced with the latest and greatest. I am nervous about it for sure. Yesterday was the pits, my head was for the first time in 27 yrs not in the game at all. Glad it was a quiet shift. The game was at the knee and thinking about how things were going to turn out in the next 6 months.
How many of you FFs out there have had this or other joints replaced and are still on the job. How are you doing, how did it turn out?
How many of you FFs out there have had this or other joints replaced and are still on the job. How are you doing, how did it turn out?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Don Zimmerman on
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Art, that is funny!!! I went with the BioMet because of the 90 different knee parts that fit to the bottom portion. with that many choices for the doctor I did not feel I would not lose. No work out today, have been in a hazmat class all, and at this point my brain is mush. Tommorow will do for sure!!!! Love you all for the keeping thsi blog going, there are so many fire peopdle out there that need to do this!!!
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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Almost looking forward to my knee replacement now. Almost that is.
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I am so glad you are looking at this. Sorry for not being able to get on line much and talk about it. I have been so busy this spring and summer. What knee problem!!! Been walking, elip, elip, lifting weights, up and down hills, even had time to break in a new pair of Nicks boots, sore feet but the knee is fine!!!!
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Permalink Reply by TamThompson on
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Hi Don, I know it's been awhile since you had your new knee, but I just saw your post. I'm a 51-year-old woman with an artificial left knee (it's been almost 3 years), and a current Volunteer Firefighter out here in the Texas Hill Country and Texas Fire Academy Cadet, 5th week right now!
Finally decided after 25 years of people telling me, "No, you can't/shouldn't do that," that I was sick and tired of it. I love to help people, been doing it all my life.
Hate to say it, but I had a VERY bad pain experience at age 48 with the artificial knee--didn't really achieve a very significant lack of pain until 6 MONTHS post-op. Then I fell on it, twice.
Had to have 8 hot shots in my spine for pain, and finally the orthopedic went back in and removed a calcified lump under my kneecap that was catching everytime I extended the leg. (They do NOT want to go back into an artificial knee for any reason save infection when it's been less than 1 year, I found out.)
Don't know if I will be the first FF in Texas to Certify Structural with an artificial knee, but I might be...most other folks have too much common sense, I think!
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Permalink Reply by Don Zimmerman on
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To everyone that checks this blog out now and then. Just to let you know in December of 09 I had my two (2) yr check up with the surgeon, and her comment was, "I don't want to see you in here again". WOOOO-HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The knee is doing great, I walk about 4 miles 3 times per week, even have started a bit of jogging when I walk, not much hat the thought of screwing everything up. I can not beleive how great it feels. From day one to now it feels wonderful. Absolutly no pain or anything. IT CAN BE DONE BUT YOU COT TO DO THE WORK TO MAKE IT WORK!!!!
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Everyday is a bit like a touch of magic since this happened. It continues to be smiles and grins whenever i do something I had to stop doing before the surgery. WoW oh WoW!!!
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Don,
Thanks for your post and updates.
I tore my ACL on a structure call in 01/09 had second surgery in 11/09 and was told I needed a TKR,but the doctor would not do it because of my age 42. Well Friday night playing catch with my 11 yr my knee went out and went to doctor Saturday morning. She confirmed no broken bones but thinks I tore my ACL again. So not looking forward to going to surgery office in the morning. After reading you post I'm gonna demand getting the TKR. I much rather enjoy life now then being a gimp for my 3 boys 11-5-3 yr old. I might be the chief but still like being active with the crew and on calls.Now for the tough call Bio or zimmer. lol
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Sorry to get back so, this job we do is a pain sometimes due to the time involved, gads it has been busy!!!
Sorry to hear about baseball, ouch!!!
Though I was 53 when I had the TKR, it was a VERY Hard decision to make to get the TKR. But once I had done the research and thought out the process of what i needed to do, it became very clear what had to be done. I know how hard it has been for you so far in sorting this out. Don't think for a second your are alone out there, there are others with the exact same thoughts running through their heads, and it is a tough decision. Anyone thinking it is not is nuts!!!!
I went with the Bio Met, they clearly had the advantage of the companies that make the parts. I have not regretted for one second!!
Update: Went in this am for ortho on the other knee at 0730 was back home at 1130. Dr told the wife I had parts floating around, scaring, and the meniquitis (spelling on drugs is tough) as torn and is now fixed. All in all surgeon says it is now in great shape!!
Keep all of informed on what is happening, believe it or not but a lot of people read what we are going through and are making some decisions on what to do, I get calls about one or twice a month asking more questions about this.
Don
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Well, its 3 days since the left knee orthoscopic, off the pain killers and knee feels ok, swelling coming down, and I AM SO BORED TO THE POINT OF GOING STIR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!! I hate being down and out of service, lawn looks like crap, flower beds need major work, and my wife has told the old dog to chill out. I love her and hate in same breath, UUUGGGhhh!!! Don
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Permalink Reply by tonya sanson on
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i have not had to go though anything like that, but i may here to tell u that i will be praying for u. just remember that the lord is with u always and he will heal you and you do GODS will and he will do for you.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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As a fellow TKR recipient, I know what you're saying about watching what you do. When I had my knees replaced, I was discouraged from participating in activities that could be potentially damaging to the proesthetics.
Jogging was mentioned as one of them. Bicycling, walking, swimming...any activity that wouldn't "pound" the joint would be OK.
When you have TKR, you find yourself thinking about simple things that could cause you a problem. For instance, when you walk down steps, you use a handrail. When you mow the lawn, you look for holes that you could step in. You guard against any chance that you could harm a knee joint.
In September of last year, I was walking down the steps of my brother-in-law's patio and missed the last two steps, bent my left leg under me and fell forward. I went to my ortho (no waiting-I am a titanium member), I had a severely sprained left wrist, bruised left shoulder and a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament and sprained ACL in the left knee. He didn't want to do surgery. He wanted to totally immobilize it for 6 weeks, follow it with therapy for 6 week to see how it went.
It has been interesting to say the least. I went from having constant pain in my knees for 35 years to pain free at age 53. Now, at 57, I again have pain in the left one, but the doctor believes that there is roughness on the back side of my knee cap causing it and thinks that it will "smooth out".
We'll see.
In the meantime, I will continue to protect my investments in TKR.
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Gads now my knees hurt more, but you and I are on the same track. We have this huge investment to take the TKR knee to the grave and those little things are now oh so important to keep in perspective. When we were young and full of it, we had no care about where we would end up. Now on the other end of life, I wish I had not played basketball, worked for the forrest service, been a correction officer, been a cop, been on the SWAT team, and not taken the chances I did as a volunteer on the fire ground. That said, I am glad I did because I can go up to a kid on the department and tell him that what he is doing might not be the right thing to do, that using a machine or getting someone to help might be a better path. Some of them listen, most dont, and I hope their genes are better than mine. Don
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