"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes..."

   

There’s always something new and different to talk about in the fitness and nutrition world, but none of it is any good when you’re in pain.

   We all experience a sore shoulder, tight hips, heel pain or a strained neck now and then, but when the pain becomes so severe that it keeps you from functioning normally on a day-to-day basis, it’s time to do something about it.

   My husband has complained of knee pain since I first met him over 37 years ago. He was an avid snow skier, water skier, and tennis player in his 20s and 30s. Although he lost over 120 pounds seven years ago, he carried that extra weight and extra pressure on his knees for years. Since then, between lifting weights and spinning classes, he finally wore his knees down.

He’s been seeing an orthopedic doctor for years. He tried cortisone shots, physical therapy, and a number of other fixes. They had talked knee replacement and the doctor said to him “You’ll know when. You’ll tell me.”

   So when this last episode hit, a torn ACL and pain so bad, he couldn’t even sit in the back seat of a car with his knee bent, he knew it was time.

I was a little unnerved by the fact that he was having a bi-lateral total knee replacement. (He said he was only going to go through the rehab once) Every time he went for an appointment, the doctors and therapists would say, “Wow, that’s ambitious.” And the thought of him not being able to walk for an extended period of time really worried me.

   But, three weeks ago, he had the surgery. And the whole process has brought me back to the benefits of working out and keeping our bodies strong.

Ready for surgery with his purple socks!

    His recovery process actually began weeks before he even had the surgery. The physical therapists put him on an exercise regimen to strengthen his leg muscles and upper body muscles, so he could walk and get himself in and out of chairs following the surgery. Tricep and shoulder exercises to push off into a standing position. and exercises to strengthen the quads and hamstrings to support the new knees as they healed; all to prepare for what was to come.

   I can’t say enough about the surgeon, Dr. Donald Bassman, and the staff at Missouri Baptist Hospital.They kept me informed throughout the surgery with a text message beeper. I even knew when the right knee was finished and when they started on the left knee. (My husband must have enjoyed the anesthesia because apparently, when he came out of it, he thought he was on top of a mountain looking down at a sea of Minions)

   

Ice Therapy machine

During his time in the hospital section, they showed me how to use the ice therapy machines and the CPM (Constant Passive Motion) machine that he’d be using at home. They had him standing up the first day and walking with a walker the next day. By the third day, they were able to move him to the Acute Rehab wing of MO Bap and thus began the intense, accelerated rehab training to total recovery.

   

Sock puller. hook and grabber

Considering that his legs had been cut, bruised, rotated and bent in the surgery, he was taking pain pills, and his endurance was zapped, it was amazing what they had him doing. We take the daily functions in life for granted, but because he still was unable to stand or bend with full balance and flexibility, he had to learn new techniques and use new tools even for getting dressed. They showed him how to use the long handled shoehorn and shower brush, a “grabber” and hook, even a sock puller. That in itself was exhausting, but then he spent 3-4 hours each day working with the physical therapists.

   The exercises worked on bending and stretching his legs and climbing stairs. They had him walking for long periods of time and doing strengthening exercises. He’s pretty competitive, so they would challenge him and he’d keep pushing.

   I was most impressed with the patience the physical therapists have. Even a bend of 2 degrees more than the one before, or a small one inch lift of the leg made a huge difference. Imagine pushing your workout to its limits for that extended period of time. Needless to say, he was wiped out after the tough sessions.

   The physical and occupational therapists, nurses, aides, food service and housekeeping people were all incredibly kind and caring. When he was released to come home, I was confident he would be able to maneuver the house and the stairs and, along with out-patient therapy, continue with the rehab training they had given him.

   He’s been home over a week now and I’ve seen him bring that intensity to recover home with him. I know he is in a lot of pain, but he pushes through the workouts they gave him. I see him get stronger every day, and I know his pre-surgery workouts have helped accelerate the healing.

   His out patient physical therapist, Marysa has worked with him before and she challenges him to work harder in every session. I’m just amazed at the progress he has made. If someone who just had knee surgery can work that hard to get stronger, there’s no reason why a healthy adult can’t get in a workout a few days a week.

Going easy on him to start before she works him to exhaustion!

   He’s looking forward to the eventual outcome of being able to live a pain-free lifestyle. I’m pushing for him to be able to dance with me at the upcoming weddings we’re going to this winter. (I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to keep up with me, but I know he’ll try, lol!)