Hi,

I know I´ve posted on knee problems before but as I´ll probably be having my right knee replaced with a prosthesis in -07 I´d like to hear you comments/experiences.

My "bone-carpenter" (thanks for that one lawndart) thinks I´m a bit to young (47yo) for the surgery but there doesn´t seem to be any other way out of this. I´ve had all the different surgeries, taken the glucosamines -you name it, but they just haven´t been able to stop the process of degeneration. My left knee isn´t much better.

So will I be hunting "normally" after the op if it´s succesful? I´d like to hunt buff in -09 for my 50th birthday and maybe a PAC ele in -08 and I WON´T do it off the bakkie!

Thankful for feedback and Happy Holidays!

I can't help but want to say that I hope it goes well for you.

Thanks Charles. I´m in reasonably good shape (round is a shape! -joke!) and I heal well and post-op pain won´t keep me down...but will I be able to walk down an ele?

quote:

Originally posted by cewe:
Thanks Charles. I´m in reasonably good shape (round is a shape! -joke!) and I heal well and post-op pain won´t keep me down...but will I be able to walk down an ele?

I'm sure a PH will be able to tailor your hunt for you if you can walk at least a few kilometres at a moderate pace.

OK, first be sure you do pre surgery therapy, this will help with the post op therapy greatly, been there done that. I had my right knee replaced 12-10-04 and hunted Buffalo in the Omay (pretty rough place) in Sept 05. I explained to my PH after a day of "normal" buffalo hunting that I could not do this for 5 straight days, so we made some adjustments, the trackers would go ahead and see if there was a bull worthy of hunting and come back and if so we would make our stalk. Believe me those guys can cover ground when not hindered with a slow moving hunter. It all worked out as I got my Buffalo 1:45PM on the last afternoon - 38" hard boss. If I can do this you can. I was limping (did the glecosamines and synvisc injections) for 5 years before I had the knee replaced and as a result my legs were in very poor condition OH yea I hunted RSA and Namabia for plains game in 2000, 01,02 and 04 and 05 prior to the replacement and it wasn't easy in fact my favorite PH told me "Ed, I just can't hunt you for Baffalo until you get that problem fixed." This spring I hunted the Souther Alps in New Zeland for Chamois and Thar. I am going back to Zim in April for Leopard with dogs - hunting with Mr Norman Crooks and then to RSA for Red Duiker, Suni and Vaal Rehbok. Also I am 67 soon to be 68 so I was a bit older than you when I had the surgery. You may have to have it done again in 20 or 25 years. It took me over a year before I could run, I think it was a mental thing. Last fall while working the chain crew (33 yrs) at our local high school football game, I said to self you can get up and down the side line quicker and dedceded to run, oh yea my "bone carpenter" was on the side line and I guess I wanted to show him how good we had done. I guess what all of this says is DO IT! and you will be able to DO IT!

Cewe

A friend of mine is 72 and got his right knee replaced. He still hunts for sheep, on foot.

Of course he is probably the toughest man I ever met.

Another, 58, got his done a year ago last summer and went on an unguided Moose hunt in Alaska. Got a Moose and a 'Bou that had to be packed out.

I would guess that after rehab you will be better off than you have been in years.

6 years ago I had my right shoulder replaced.
In my line of work knee and other joint injuries were very comon. I was actually gratefull that it was a shoulder and not a knee as I figured if I didn't make a full recovery at least I don't have to walk on my arms.

Granted I was a bit younger (28 at the time) and in good shape. HOWEVER in 9 months after my right shoulder was replaced with a prostetic and my WHOLE shoulder capsule was rebuilt I was shooting my 458 and 375 off it working up loads for Tanzania. I have ZERO problems Thank GOD.

GOOD LUCK, keep your weight down after surgery and do the physical therapy.


BEST WISHES

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback on this.

I haven´t really let my knees slow me down too much (hunted eland in SA in March and walked 15-25km a day) but the problem has worsened quickly during the last months.

I haven´t been allowed to run for quite a few years which might be do to my size 193cm and 103kgs...

cewe,
I have a friend who is a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, he had a knee replaced and still trains hard. Lots of kicking, stretching, running etc.. and he does very well. Don't worry, you might have to learn to adjust, but it won't slow you down any.

Best of the luck with the op, and if you set your mind to it, train hard,and get a PH that can custom the job for you, you will hunt for a long time to come.

We had a guy that hunted on our farm for years in the eighties, that got his leg shot of by an anti-personel mine in Rhodesia. The only problem was when he did'nt oil the screws well, his leg would make an awfull sound when we stalked through the bush. I think they make them better these days though.

Good luck Cewe!

cewe-

My father had both knees replaced about 10 years ago. At the time, he was on round-the-clock pain meds, and it hurt to just walk.

Now, even 10 years after the operation, he's hunting out of treestands again, and we hunted Utah this fall for mule deer. He "almost" kept up to me hiking the hills out there.

Seriously, it was one of the best things he ever did.

Be sure to follow the doctor's recommendations, and work hard at your therapy while recovering. (I have an aunt who had a knee replaced a couple years ago, then did nothing but sit on the couch and watch TV rather than stretch/exercise/work the knee. She now complains that "nothing's changed" after the surgery. Really? )

Light has been brought into my dismal life!

Seriously I´ve been a bit down about this whole knee thing even though I knew results were often very good.

But none of the people I´ve talked to have been hunters!

I had a tibial osteotomy 2 years back but I was in Africa hunting as normal inside three months. It can be done again.

Can´t keep a good man down!

And no comments from either boha or husky!

cewe:

My own doctor had a total knee replacement, and after only a few months he is as strong a walker as he ever was. Few can keep up to him in the bush!

I know 6 people who have had total knee replacements, and every one of them can't say enough good things about it. You should take the advice above and do as much pre-op exercises as you can -- it really helped 3 of the people I know with a quick rehab (the other 3 didn't do the pre-op conditioning: they did well but full "walking quick on rough ground" rehab did take longer.

John

I started the pre-op training today using a "balance board". It´s a round plastic disk with a round bottom so it isn´t easy finding your balance and it really makes you work those axillarary muscles. I also walk my dog every day at least once.

My main problem is pain and swelling after exertion. I tried walking in the woods for half a day and was laid up in bed the following day stoned on codeine...

I´ll be seeing the bone carpenter in Jan and I hope to get an op date for July -I won´t let this spoil my trip to SA in April or the war games with Nato in Poland in May. My PH knows me well and he can work out a good schedule with resting days etc.

I had my left knee replaced on the 14th. of August. I turner 56 on the 10th. of Sept.

The biggest thing I found, is to do the rehab, the way they want you to do it, and have a positive mind set. I have pain in the "New" knee, but it is a good pain. Before the surgery it hurt me to walk, period. I had lost all of the cartilidge in my left knee, and it was bone on bone ant the bottom portiion of my leg was sliding he left, and my foot was turning inward.

It feels so good now to be able to walk up and down hills and mesas that it is unbelievable.

Congrats on the new knee CHC!

Good advice CHC your knee sounded like mine with no cartilidge. Cewe I would strongly suggest you obtain the guidance of a qualiied therapist as they will know the excersises that will help you the most. As I understand all excerise is not the same.

A lady I work with had a knee replacement at age 60. She says she wished she had done it a few years back. She walks fine and says she has no pain.

I would do it and still hunt - just get the "extra heavy duty" model of knee...

dogcat: I´ve applied for the "bush and hill knee"

Cewe

My Wife had her knee replaced last year. I have no doubt that you will be able to hunt afterwards. For conditioning try working out in water: running in deep water wearing a flotation belt, swinning, water aerobics. All of these are good exercise and non weight bearing so they are easy on the knee. Also stretch.

Good luck

TerryR

quote:

I´ll probably be having my right knee replaced

CEWE,
I worked 8 years for a company that manufactured the implants. Knees were my product line. Do all you can to stay fit now. Find some way to keep those muscles strong. After the surgery work like hell on the rehabilitation. Make sure to keep you weight where it belongs...
And shop around for the best doctor. The best doctors can make a crummy implant work. A poor doctor can't make the best last long as it should.
But most of all, it is about doing what the doctor tells you to do for rehab.

Lots of my patients hunt with their new knees--as everyone has said before, therapy is the key to a faster recovery--the more motion you regain, the easier it is to function....if you have any other questions, feel free to drop me a PM....

Joel C
Calcium Carpenter

If a double amputee can climb Mt Everest with prosthetics, you will hunt in the long grass again. The double amputee did get frostbite and lost another inch of his legs.

Cewe,

Season's greetings and the best in your upcoming operation...

Mike

Seems that there are a lot of crummy knees out there! This thread has done a lot to strengthen my spirit.

I´m trying to keep in shape but sometimes it feels a bit meaningless -if I exercise my knees hurt, if I don´t my knees hurt. Catch 22.

I´ll try to book my op for August, that way I can travel to SA in April and participate in maneuvers in May. Walking less on next years hunt won´t be that much of a problem as I´ll be hunting with the 8x68S and concentrating on longer ranges (doing an article on the caliber).

If I get the op in August I might be hunting elk in October...it´s a long shot but I need to have a goal.

Merry Christmas,

cewe

cewe...

In my line of work I deal almost exclusively with seniors, and many of them have had some type of joint replacement.

With very rare exception, those that do the exercises and follow the therapy regimens completely do very, very well.

As you have a goal, and are young, there is no doubt you will be able to work your tail off to make it happen.