Wow - Ben ze Kneezeez

My 33rd Birthday came and went without too much trauma, we went to Matlock for the day (well a couple of hours), and SWMBO cooked tea, she does the meanest fry-ups known to man. I'm sure she is destined to work in a greasy spoon cafe one day.

To round off this week, I had my manipulation yesterday and to be honest, I was more nervous about this than anything else I have been through with my knee. I guess this was because this basically HAS TO WORK...

I was advised to be at the hospital for 7.00am as my manipulation was scheduled for 7.45am.

I got there dead on 7.00, and was led straight to my room, gowned up etc. The anaesthetist came to see me to ask about my choice of anaesthetic (Spinal or General) - I chose to be asleep, although I thought the noise of the cracking may be very therapeutic, it would probably make
me pass out.

The surgeon then came to see me to explain the procedure. I was in theatre by 8.00am and awake by 9.00am.

Result.
The surgeon came back to advise the manipulation was a success and they managed to break all of the scar tissue, they broke scarring in both flexion (bending) and extension (straightening), there was a hell of lot or scarring therefore a lot of cracking - I am kind of gutted I didn't get to hear it, but glad too. My heel managed to touch my arse which means a bend of 140 degrees as opposed to 90 before.

I was then put on a CPM machine and had physio, although I was told I would be able to come home , I decided it would be best alround if I stayed in, as NO-ONE, especially SWMBO would be able to move my knee as much as the physio could. I stayed on the CPM machine overnight, the strange thing was, although I couldn't feel my leg due to anaesthics and the nerve block in my leg, I could still feel the pain in my knee and it hurt like hell.

I had a fantastic breakfast this morning followed by more physio and came home at 11.00am.

I now have a lot of exercises to do over the weekend before another visit to the physio on Monday, but already feel a lot better and can bend my knee more than I have been able to do for almost 5 months, therefore the start of my recovery and no more limping,

I can't wait to get this thing over and done with. to say it's dragged on a bit is an understatement

Links
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Knee Update

I thought everything was going fine, my physio was helping improve my flexion (bending) up to 120 degrees and my extension (straightening) was at 0.

Today was my consultant appointment and have shown a different story. He says my flexion is 95 and my extension is only 0.
This has crushed me...

2 days before I go on holiday and I haven't been doing as well as I thought, it seems the Range of Movement (ROM) is based on the amount you can actually move of you own free well rather than being "forced" by someone.

I have been advised told I will need even more physio (I am currently having 2-3 days a week) and if things don't improve within the next 4 weeks, then I have to seriously consider MUA Manipulation under anesthesia before my knee stays like it is... Permanently.
Most people requiring this kind of procedure do so as they have had a total knee replacement (TKR), I can't seem to find anyone that needs a MUA for a "Normal" problem such as mine.

Found a great site about a woman who had MUA, in particular, this post. She couldn't bend her knee past 90 degrees (110 at a push) it seemed to work for her. At least it's given me some hope, if only as a last resort.

I will definately be doing as much as I can over the next 4 weeks, even if 2 of them are while sunning it in Tenerife, who knows, maybe the sun will help too. (I know the large measures of JD & Coke certainly will)