Need advise

[stas]

Hi Guys,

Sorry its been a long time since i stopped by here. Life and all.

I came here today looking for advise on recovering from a major knee fracture. Last Monday, June 6th, i went to play some soccer. It was my bad luck again that during the game i was slightly pushed in an uncomfortable direction which made me put my whole weight on my left knee which eventually gave out under pressure and cracked. I was taken to ER and has been in the hospital ever since. Had two major surgeries to repair the knee and the shin bone with support plates. Although i hear positive responses on the surgeries, doctors are not very optimistic on my full recovery. I may be able to walk, but that's about it. Its really this diagnostic that makes me so damn scared right now.

So im asking for any kind of advise on how to deal with this bad situation? im physically and emotionally drained right now. I feel i have no more energy to run on. My family, friends and coworkers are all very supportive but im still feel like im loosing the battle with this. Any advise on what i can do to get my spirits up? Anything would be helpful, believe me, there are no bad suggestions. Maybe another person on here went though the same before and has some pointers on what i can do better? Please let me know.

Thanks,
Stas

[Angel]

I wish I knew what to say to help you.  All I can say is that my thoughts are with you.  I'm sorry this is happening to you, and it looks bleak now, but I hope that you can make a full recovery.  You never know what can happen.   
luv ya!

[briman]

On my last deployment, when I was blown up the second time, my team leader took a piece of frag to his right knee. took off his knee cap and a good chunk of his muscle just above his knee. it has been 2 1/2 years and he is living and loving life. it took a lot of pain and struggle for him to get where he is today, but he is back walking around (with a limp of course) and he is almost as good as new. Hell, he even passes the Army PT test!!!

You'll get through this man, just gotta ride out the tough times until better ones come along!!

[Ruckus]

Yo Stas you'll be fine. I had left knee surgery last August myself. I had a cartilage-bone graft  aka Mosaic-plasty.  The one thing I found after my operation was the long ass recovery time. Granted I still cannot run or do full squats without some pain I feel better every month. Also you young-in's ( That's tea bagger for children btw    ) recover a lot quicker than us senior citizens.

[stas]

Thank you guys.

Ruck, based on the description of ur injury, I have something similar. My cartilage fell down the knee because the underlying shin bone got crushed. They had to raise the cartilage and fill empty space with bone material. The other side of the knee also broke down the shin bone all the way to the ankle.

How long was it before u first started to walk? I spend 2 weeks in bed and during this time lost a lot of muscle (I'm a skinny guy to begin with and didn't have much to start). I tried to get on crutches last 2 days but could not walk without the help of the therapist. I have to be in a wheel chair right now. It all looks bad right now. Noone is able to give me any kind of estimate on the recovery. 

[Ruckus]

Ouch man that sounds like it hurt like hell. I was missing cartilage under my knee cap from years of Basketball. And the first 3-5 months are gonna be a pain in the ass as much as your knee. But take your time don't rush it or you'll find it a longer healing process. I did Phys therapy 3 times a week starting about 3-4 weeks after the surgery till about the 6 month mark or so. Then I just did similar stuff on my own at my gym.

And also I couldn't get outta bed by myself without major pain for the first 2 weeks !!  Holy shit that was almost the worst part. I'd say it was worse getting out of bed than getting up and down my stairs lol. My wife would have to grab my foot and we would lift and move and lower, all one motion. Hell , it took me till like the last 2 or 3 months before I could  bang her doggy style (without standing up) ! 

My advice ....  just don't push it. Even in Phys therapy they will ask you repeatedly about the level of pain. Be honest and don't try to save the world. Even getting up and down stairs are gonna be 1 foot after the other for about 4-5 months. TAKE IT SLOW.

Hope it heals right for you man and I'm sure you'll be walking fine eventually. Running might be awkward for a while once you can ( I still can't pain free yet ) but It'll all come around. Keep me posted on here or mssg me.

Peace Comrade

[stas]

Ruck, thanks for your message. Im going though exactly what you described. I'm 1 full week after the surgery and i can't do shit. Im completely depended on help from others. I can't get out of the bed on my own period. My mom has to hold my leg, move it to the side of the bed and then slowly lower it to the ground. Poor woman is having a major back problems from doing it.

I can barely move around on a walker. Its so bad that i can't see how it will ever get any better.

I got a machine today from the hospital that constantly bends my knee. I have to be on this thing for 16 hours per day.

When was the first time you were able to walk on both your feet without any assistance? This is an important milestone for me. A lot in my life right now depends on how fast i can get to that stage. And like you said i can't rush it, but i have to be as aggressive as i can to get to that stage.

[Ruckus]

So they gave you that machine huh ?  You must have really messed it up. So how far does that thing bend your knee ? You couldn't have given me enough pain killers to get me to bend my knee for at least a month post-op. Hell ! make it month and a half. Of course if you start early it won't be as painful once they get busy on you in phys therapy. Cutting through the scar tissue is the most pain of recovery by far.

As far as walking on both legs independently ...  I'd have to guess 'cause,  I don't really remember, and say 3-4 months. Now 4 months should be fully independent, minimal pain with good stability on level ground . Just before that a really big step also is going from two crutches to one. Then you know your making progress. My time frames might be a little fuzzy due to the inherently intoxicating nature of my prior pain management facilities.     

[Angel]

Ruck's knees didn't really need any help, he just wanted the meds! 

[stas]

Yeah, I really messed it up. I got a machine for a 3 month. I'm supposed to eventually get to 120 degree, full movememnt. I'm currently starting at just 10 degrees and will increase by another 10 every day or so.

Man, 3-4 months?? That is not a good estimate for me. I'm starting school in August and I need to be able to attend classes. This is ruining all my plans

[wargasm]

shit man, that sucks.  normally I wouldn't throw my two cents in but I like you so...

1. Don't be your own worst enemy.  Understandably you're depressed right now (and to a good extent, rightly so) but keep getting up every day and finding ways to pull out of it.  You've got people around you who will do anything they can to help but in the end it's got to come from you.

2. Eliminate the word "try" from your vocabulary.  Believe it or not, this has gotten me through some of the worst times in my life.  You never "try" to give something all you've got, you "do" it.

3. Pain is temporary, glory is forever.  Bones heal and chicks dig scars.

4. Spend a little time looking up people in worse situations than you, not people in the same situation.  People who have it worse than you set the bar higher.  Unless you're the super competitive type, people in your same situation wont push you to go any farther than where they are.

5. School is probably going to be tough in the beginning but if it's what you want, you'll get it.

6. Count your blessings.  Make note of every bit of progress you make and then be thankful for it.  Don't over do it and take one day at a time.


My younger brother had an accident while riding vert on his bike.  He basically ended up tearing the bicep out of his arm on his handlebars when they snapped.  The muscle was completely disconnected on one end but still attached at the other.  Doctors told him that he'd only ever regain no more than 20% mobility in that arm.  In one month he was back on his bike, in two months he was riding ramps again, and in less than 6 months he was competing professionally again.

My father had his back broken three times.  The last time was when a car hit him while he was standing next to his car waiting in line at a gas pump.  His car rolled over him three times with him pinched between the body of the car and the driver's door.  When I first saw him and the hospital I thought he was going to die.  He was all cut up, had a broken jaw, broken ribs, spinal fractures, as well as various internal injuries.  When he came home he had to wear a back brace and use a walker to shuffle around.  My old man hated that fucking walker more than I've seen him hate anything in this world.  He hated it so much he started walking without it and in less than a year we never saw that walker again.  I feel the need to add that he never ever walked with a limp.

I'm not sharing these stories to show how badass my family is or to say that these events were miracles.  I believe they taught me a lot about will power and the basic human spirit we all have.  When I lived in NYC I always told myself if I ever sustain an injury to my feet or legs, that would be it, I'd leave the city.  I can sympathize with how important your mobility it to you there.  Kick this problems ass because you can.


Welp, I got nothing else other than to say, "get well and good luck".  It's my birthday and I'm going to go kill this jug of Stoli.  I'll knock one back for you.


p.s. We all know Ruck really fucked his knees up blowing old men for video arcade tokens in mall restrooms.

[Zeradul]

You know what I'd do?  I'd use it as an excuse to relax and be lazy.  I'm assuming you either can't walk or that walking is very painful.  And apart from Physical Therapy I'd say you might as well just chill out and maximize your body's ability to heal.  Eat healthy, do PT, but other wise stay off it, and let it heal at maximum speed.

With all this sitting I'd say get yourself some good epic TV series.  They'll make time fly by.  Deadwood, Breaking Bad are two of the best series ever, but there are also a huge library of fascinating documentaries out there.  I recommend pretty much everything by Ken Burns (except his documentary on baseball.... ugh)  Also there have been about 12 series that have been sequels to the BBC's "Planet Earth" series that have not aired in the united states.  They are so good they make Planet Earth look like a rough draft.

So that would be my suggestion.  Work from home.  Invite friends over for a marathon of whatever show or movie series you have in common, and get better as fast as possible.

I do this when I get sick.  If I get sick with something, you know you can't really do much other than feel miserable, so I fill the void with things I don't have time for otherwise.  TV, Computer games, movies, etc.  Puts you in a good mood, makes the misery go away, and gets you healthy again asap.

[stas]

Thanks much guys. I am beginning to turn this thing around i think... Most of the pain is gone now and im feeling a lot more confident now. I would say the 90% of the problem is the fact that im totally depended on others right now for even the most basic things. I can't get out of the bed on my own to get some water. This drives me crazy! I know that my mom who is helping me know does not mind doing it but being like this is a huge lifestyle change for me and i still haven't got used to it.

As far as the actual recovery, i have started some PT and some exercises on my own. I feel this is going to be a long ass road to recovery. School worries me a lot right now but i have to figure out a way to make it work somehow. All my plans for this summer are ruined.

Zera, thanks for suggestion about being lazy I think i got injured this bad partly because i was lazy and not working out enough to have strong knees. As much as it easy to just throw it all, i actually feel i have to stay occupied as much as possible. I actually went back to work working remotely from home. Its not much now but it helps me kill some time and actually be useful and justify my employment heh. I'm thankful that people at my work are understanding and are letting me take this time to recover.  I want my work to pick up so that i spent the entire day doing my rehab and working. No time to slack off.

Well i have to say that you guys definitely gave me some good ideas.I'll be doing all that i can to get this behind me. Just having this conversation makes me feel a lot better. Thank you!

[Stinger]

Man... That's horrible, Stas. Sorry I'm late to the party, but yeah... Ouch.

   It'll get better, brother. I've broken too many things in too many places - though never my knee. And what War says is very true: If you feel defeated, you may end up defeated. But if you keep telling yourself you'll get back to where you were - and believe it - and work hard for it - you'll get back to where you were. People have healed remarkably well from worse, and I believe in you, Ruskie.

   Best wishes, man. Heal up, rehab as hard as you feel able (no harder), and then you can get back to pretending soccer is entertaining

[Ruckus]

Hahaha  War !  Good to see your advice.

And Stas good to hear you already see the progress !  It will be kinda crazy. You will find 1 week your sailing along then you might plateau for a week  then make more progress, then plateau again. Like War said just don't get discouraged. And like I said the time frames might not be exactly accurate and could differ due to my excessive age *cough*. So you could heal quicker since your still a young roooskie.

Keep with that machine and that routine and you'll be doing "horseshoes" on the handle/bike before you know it. Lemme know when you start doing those. Usually one of the first things they start you with in PT.

And Angel, the meds were just a "fringe benefit" ..... 

[stas]

Went to the plastic surgeon yesterday (wow, what a workout!!!). He took out half of the staples from my leg and said that rest would come out next week. I guess that's a progress. Right now im battling massive insomnia. I go on 2-3 hours of sleep per night and the sleeping pills don't work on me.

I need to start drinking vodka again and somehow convince my mom to let my girlfriend sleep with me   (im staying with my mom now since she has better place). I think that's the only way for me to recover.

ohh and im off my painkillers now. i still have about 40-45 pills left.....

[Ruckus]

ohh and im off my painkillers now. i still have about 40-45 pills left.....

I'll mssg you my addy   

Hey man the day they removed my staples was a good day. Anything on the progress meter is AWESOME. What did they give you for pain ? If they gave you Dilaudid insomnia is a major side effect. My Mom had back surgery 2 yrs ago and once she came off of that she couldn't sleep for a week.

In other news your almost ready for rehab man !!!  I always liked going to PT. At least there your surrounded by others who are at your level or beyond and you all get to suffer together  .  Although I didn't really have any hawt Phys therapist where I went the receptionist was smokin. So do what I did and flirt away !

[-Spectre-]

Wish you a speedy recovery!

[stas]

Ruck you are the man. I am on on dilaudid. I knew there had to be an explanation for the insomnia. I went from sleeping for 10 hours per night to barely 2. I never liked this drug but it does bring the pain down. i was going to take it at 12 tonight but i think ill skip it to see if it helps. Thanks for the info!

[Angel]

When it comes to meds, Ruck is the man to see!
 

Sorry I missed your text.   Unlike you, it seems that I'm always tired lately.

[-Spectre-]

Ruck you are the man. I am on on dilaudid. I knew there had to be an explanation for the insomnia. I went from sleeping for 10 hours per night to barely 2. I never liked this drug but it does bring the pain down. i was going to take it at 12 tonight but i think ill skip it to see if it helps. Thanks for the info!

Skip the pills unless you really need them. I've used Vicodin/Percocet after some surgeries I've had and it was tough when I tried to drop them. I had to deal with not being able to sleep and that was a bitch. You can get hooked on these pain meds pretty bad.

[stas]

I skipped two doses of dilaudid just to see if i would sleep better. Oh man, mistake. I slept for one hour more but woke up 6 am with my leg on fire. Bad idea it was to skip the meds just yet. Not sure what to do now...

But i got through the night and ready for more pt! Ruck, my theropist comes to my apt so i dont have to go anywhere yet. She is an older woman, probably was kinda hot back in her day. No flirting tho I need to get to my gf fast. I cant take this anymore!!!!

[Ruckus]

Shit Stas don't skip the meds yet dawg. You'll be able to slowly get off of them once your a little bit better. And also, one of my neighbors broke his foot playing B-ball a week after I had my surgery. His doctor gave him, 90 dilaudid,90 percocet 7.5 's and 90 vicodin 7.5's and said "Don't call me"  lolol. Well, he didnt want to take the dilaudid sooooooooooooooo  he decided to give them away  .

Did you happen to get a nerve block before surgery ? Man that nerve block rocked ... until it wore off. After it wore off I would have to say that was the worst 12-14 hours of pain I have ever experienced in my life bar none. My doc only gave me Tylox (perc 5/500) and I could only take 2 every 4 hours.  It was like trying to piss on a forest fire.

[stas]

Nerve block rocked. They gave me the shot after the surgery and i think i had the best sleep that night in the last four weeks. After that however, different story.

yeah, i still need to take pills. im not ready to get off them yet.

[Ruckus]

I'm serious about the "after" nerve block pain man. I have sprained both my ankles more times than I can remember   playing basketball for 25 plus years. Now a bad ankle sprain is some pretty nasty pain but after that nerve block wore off it felt worse than any ankle sprain could and lasted over twelve hours before it calmed down to manageable again. 

And I saw your meds post on FB and all the beggars that followed and all I got to say is "to the highest bidder" 

[wargasm]

now we're talking.  sell off the meds you don't use, go buy a hooker, and be thankful you didn't break your tallywhacker. 

[stas]

hahaha, hooker for pills. i need more ideas, come on!

[stas]

Ruck,

What did you use to get around the house? Did you use the wheelchair, crutches, walker or combination of any? Im stuck with the walker right now. I can't seem to transition to the crutches and its pissing me off damn it!

I aslo figured out how to cheat the damn machine that bends my knee. Im so stupid for doing it but the thing is hurting my knee so much that i can't take it.

[wargasm]

fuck walkers

I also wouldn't worry too much about getting back to 100% eventually: http://dvice.com/archives/2011/07/cancer-patient.php

Lastly, go see the movie I Am.  It will help you put everything in its proper perspective.

[Ruckus]

I bet the pain from that machine is insane !! But I'm sure it will help in the long run with mobility.

I used crutches since it was one leg and my other leg was fine. I have also been on crutches many times in the past for sprained ankles and they are EZ to get around with. Like I said previously, a BIG psychological step in your recovery will be when you go from 2 crutches to 1.

I will have to say the crutches of today are nice, I mean you can adjust the height of each one at the bottom !!  Where the fuck was that in the '80's !

Hope all is good Comrade