Please Post Often

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

Kept my appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon today. They x-rayed my knees again and said that the loss of weight had helped and that if I could promise to lose another 15lbs in three months then he will fit me with some new knees.

Now comes the worry. I have met people who this operation has not worked for. Complications have set in and sometimes the new joint doesn't make them walk any easier, one lady told me that the nerves in her leg had been trapped and her whole leg now felt numb and she didn't find it any easier to walk.

Another lady told me that she had several infections after the operation which made her so ill that she wished she had never had the op.

Anyway I am going to lose those 15lbs and see how I feel then.

[losetocruise]

Re: Please Post Often

Both my mom and mother in law had knee replacement surgery for both knees. their recovery was a world apart.

My mom went to a first class joint replacement center for the surgery. She had both done at the same time. she did the therapy faithfully and now walks fantastically with no pain. She also lost a lot of weight before the surgery, so the strain was off thenew joints berfore she started.

My mother in law had her surgery done in what I can only call a local band aid hospital. She felt till from flu after the first surgery and refused thereapy for several days. She did some therapy after the surgery but that knee has never been the way it should be. She had the second knee done, same hospital but did more comprehensive thereapy. That knee is much better but not like my moms.

I think thereapy is one of the key things, losing the weight first and picking a good hospital. neither had any problems with infection and I have known several other people who had this odne and swear it was the best thing they ever did.

I do know it is a difficult and painful surgery. But apparently well worth it.

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

That is excellent thank your for that. I totally agree and want to do it just like your mum, losing the weight before and doing the therapy after the operation.

I also believe it is easy to listen to people who did not work either before or after the procedure and blaming everything and everyone else for the failure to feel 100% as your mother obviously does.

Can I ask how old your mum is? They say that sixty is a little young to have knee replacements as they only last about 15 years so it is better until you are older.

[losetocruise]

Re: Please Post Often

My mom is 79 now, will be 80 this year. My mother in law is a year younger. But both had their surgeries around the age of 65. I understand the newer knees last longer, so they are not as restrictive about your age. My husband is 58 and is getting a new knee after Christmas due to a work injury coupled with Arthritis

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

Bless em both. I think a great deal depends on how you feel, and I am positive that new knees is what I need to make me feel better, there really isn't anything worse to make you feel bad about yourself than not being able to just get around normally. Thank you for your inspirational mums.

[chinadoll]

Re: Please Post Often

One nice thing is that now they have knee replacements designed for women. Women carry their weight differently and stress different parts of the knee. They used to just make a small guy version. But I have been seeing literature on the newer prostheses designed for a woman's body and way of moving. If anyone is having this done I would be curious as to what their doctors say about the new replacements.

[losetocruise]

Re: Please Post Often

One nice thing is that now they have knee replacements designed for women. Women carry their weight differently and stress different parts of the knee. They used to just make a small guy version. But I have been seeing literature on the newer prostheses designed for a woman's body and way of moving. If anyone is having this done I would be curious as to what their doctors say about the new replacements.

Jill I am interested in this too. Lets make a new thread for Knee replacements because I'm sure that a lot of people are interested but might not read about it or comment in the "lets post often" thread.

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

A really good idea. I have such an awful sense of humour, I can just see the Monty Python silly walks people getting the wrong sex knee joint.

Seriously, I did not know this was happening and I think it is something a lot of people would like to know. It is quite amazing the number of people, male and female young and older who have had replacement knees. I will ask my doctor more about it.

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

I did it again. I didn't take my glucosamine on Sunday and my knees and other joints were really painful, that is the second time I have not taken it and have noticed that my joints hurt and are stiff.

I have started taking some green lipped mussel and haven't noticed any change yet. Today I feel sleepy and slow like a sloth could be that I am not drinking enough.

[losetocruise]

Re: Please Post Often

cookiecate,
Have you tried Cinnamon supplements? I take Glucosamine and cinnamon as well. The cinnamon seems to have a noticable effecton me. I take 1000 2000 mg depending on hoe well I remember my doses.

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

I haven't tried cinnamon, my husband takes it as it is supposed to help with controlling blood sugar levels. However, since we have been eating the Atkins way he has no problem.

Do you find the weather makes a difference to your aches and pains apart from the damp and cold? do you find for instance when it is humid your joints ache more?

[losetocruise]

Re: Please Post Often

Cold, rainy weather definitely affects me. My doctor says there is no scientific reason for this, but that he knows it is true because his joints also suffer from the cold.

Not sure about the humidity. it's kind of bad, but with arthritis , there is always some level of pain, so you get used to it and don't really know what is affecting it sometimes LOL. I wills ay, since I've been exercising and dieting my joints hurt less.

I'm concerned about how slow the loss is. I do know I'm losing cause I am definitely losing inches. But since 1 pound loss equals 4 pounds stress off the joints, I want the weight to drop as well. My joints just don't care if I'm carrying extra pounds of fat or muscle LOL. (unless of course the muscle is right around the joints, I guess)

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

losetocruise, you seem to have done well 24lbs lost. If you are losing body size I am sure that eventually it will show on the scales. I know that I don't excersise as much as I should to enable me to lose weight faster.

Thing is when I have looked after the house, vacuuming, bed making, laundry etc. Cooked meals in advance because I think planning is one of the important things for this way of eating, done a little gardening, weeding, mowing, (nothing mad) looked after the dog and made a few pots of jam (after picking the fruit) I just don't seem to have the energy or the inclination to excersise except for a walk on the beach with the dog and hubs.

The doctor told me to raise my legs to the count of ten to strengthen around the knees and thats about it.

Today is one of the not so good days when my aches ache and my pains pain, I also feel fuzzy headed, don't tell anyone but hubs says I am always a bit fuzzy. I didn't even walk on the beach just sat in the car and took the air and watched the dog take a cooling swim in the ocean.

[cookiecate]

Re: Please Post Often

Had to start all over again. We fell off the Atkins Wagon and I couldn't keep my appointment for the doctor to check to see if I had lost enough weight to operate on my knees. I knew I had not lost the weight and rang him up to tell him.

He has given me a new appointment for June. Lets see if I can manage to lose it by then.