Microfracture success

[kittent1211]

On May 4th I had a microfx of medial femoral condyle.....Microfracture.

I am pain free now as long as I follow my doctor's orders.

It started with just some stiffness.  It got worse and worse until I couldn't  even put my shoes and socks by myself.  It hurt all the time.  It would crack and  crunch and give out on me.  Sometimes it would lock staight but then sometimes I couldn't straighten it all the way.  I decided to just try asprin and  rest for a week  before going to the doctor.  I have had problems with my knee for years and  it often cleared  up after a week of asprin.  But this time it didn't go away after a week so I saw my regular physician who sent me to my OS.  My OS examined my knee and said that he believed that I had a torn meniscus and scheduled me for arthriscopic surgery to repair it.  But once he got  into my knee he found that there wasn't anything wrong with my meniscus and that I had worn my articular cartilage down to the bone.  He performed a microfracture.  I started on the CPM machine immediately after my surgery and started on physical therapy two days after my surgery.  I believe that starting on the CPM and  PT immediately after surgery made a big differnce in my recovery.   I was non-weight bearing for  6 weeks.  After my 2nd week post op. I got a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis....DVT) in my leg and had to stop PT and CPM machine for  two weeks.  I was on two weeks of complete bed rest.  Once  I was allowed to start putting partial weight on my  leg  my PT started  moving forward much more quickly.  I am now 5 months post  surgery and am mostly pain free.  I get a bit of a pinching feeling when bad  weather is knocking on our  front door.  I always thought  that  thing about injuries acting  up during bad weather was a myth but I've found it to be true....go figure.  I am  now going to the gym every day where I swim,  ride a stationary bike and am really getting into a good upper body work out.  I  like  going  to the gym and I feel so much stronger,  happier, and relaxed since I've been going.  I feel like I'm spoiling myself rotten when I go to the gym.  Life  is good

Teresa

[momof4]

Good for you Teresa!

Thanks for the encouragement.  I'm feeling pretty well after my surgery, but I can't see quite as far down the road as you.  Sounds like you're living a pretty normal life--that certainly gives me hope.

Keep up the good work.  Pamela

[kittent1211]

I think that having  a positive attitude and not allowing myself to fall into depression was the real key to my rapid recovery.  I went into my surgery treating it as an adventure and never stopped thinking of it in that way.  I just refused to allow myself to stay down or depressed for very long.  Of course, I also have to give credit to my wonderful,  fantastic, super OS.  There are things that I used to love doing that I can't do any more but I've found  new  things to enjoy to replace the things that I lost.  It has actually been a blessing in that now I am trying  new things that I've never tried  before and  I am finding out that I love them as much as I used to love hiking.  I don't keep a list of the things that I can't do because I'd rather keep a list of things that I can do.

Teresa

[brattkids]

Teresa,

It is so nice to hear a success story. I read your journal that  the Knee Guru posted and I am sorry that you had to go through a DVT but it is so nice to hear that you are getting along so well now!!!! 

Best of Luck to you on your continued success !!!!!

Paulette