KTee-- Good luck with surgery

[Mike H]

Good luck Kelly!  Those last few degrees seem so close yet so far.

Mike

[missmyknee]

Kelly

Good luck with your surgery Monday. I hope this is your last one !!! 

Best wishes

Pam

[Jaci]

Kelly,

Good luck with your surgery.

Wishing you the best possible outcome,

Jaci

[TracyS]

Hi Kelly,

I too wish you best of luck with your surgery tomorrow and hope this will do it for you.  I sure understand you wanting to get on with your life.  Surgery after surgery gets old pretty fast doesn't it!

I'll be looking for a good post op report from you in the coming days.

Tracy 

[Heather M.]

What time is your pre-op appointment?  My last one was 6am on the nose, which I thought particularly sadistic!

I'll be thinking about you. Just plug in your earphones, crank up the iPod, lie back in that CPM and start getting better.  You've got some groovy new tunes, a fantastic surgeon, and the best PT's in the biz.  You're going to do fine.

Say hi to the guys for me, and please update as soon as you feel able to sit at the computer.

Heather

[Heather M.]

Hey everyone, I just talked to Kelly and she's doing great.  It turned out that Steady did not have to do an open procedure, which is very good news.  He got everything done that he planned to, and she is now resting comfortably. 

And I think we can safely assume that she is a member of the cephalopod family, as she has NO pain whatsoever...and hasn't even taken any medication!

She's going to spend tomorrow in PT with Dirk (hi, Dirk!) and then bond with her Game Ready and CPM machine.  She also may not update for a bit because she doesn't have a laptop and it will be tough to sit at the computer for the time being.

Hang in there, Kelly.  You'll be at 0 and 140 before you know it....

Heather

[TracyS]

Hi Heather,

Nice of you to update us on Kelly's status.  Good to hear she's doing well.

And how about you?  Hope your knee situation has improved and that life is good in beautiful Sedona.

Tracy

[tri-sport]

Thanks for updating us on how Kelly's doing, Heather.

Kelly, I hope the news continues to be good.  You've got that triathlon to do with me & I've got that crazy "triple bi-pass" to do with you.  Update us as soon as you can.  Say "Hi" to Dirk & Luke for me.

Lynn

[Janet]

Thanks, Heather. Tell Kelly we're thinking of her.

I also wonder how you're doing. You're not posting much anymore, and never talk about yourself. We care about you, too!

Janet

[KTee]

Taken from the waiting room patio deck at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail June 2006.



I am two weeks post op today, so I thought I would do an update:

I only stayed in Vail for two nights this time, and it worked out for me to stay at a friend’s condo so that I could save some money.
At my pre-op appointment, Dr. Steadman said that there was a slight chance that he would have to do an open procedure again to get into the posterior capsule.  But as Heather said above, he did not have to.  My knee didn’t (and still doesn’t) feel like it has even been operated on.  I’ve had no pain at all, and was able to ditch my crutches after just a few days.

I went to a short PT session on the afternoon of my surgery, and then two sessions with Dirk the following day.  Then I was sent home with all of the toys:
CPM, JAS brace for extension, and a Game Ready cold therapy/compression machine.  (Thankfully, my insurance covers all three.)  The Game Ready has been a huge luxury, and as a side note, I found out that Dr. Millet sends all of his patients home with one as part of his standard protocol.

I’ve been going to Molly for PT everyday in Denver.  The clinic is looking like a little Howard Head these days because Karen, another therapist from Vail just started working there also.
My flexion has exceeded my expectations and I’m able to get to 130 after wall slides.  My kneecap is also moving better than ever.  But I’m still concerned about my extension.  The therapists can push my knee to zero, but I can’t get there on my own.  Like Mike H said, “so close yet so far”.

I had a re-check appointment with Dr. Steadman this past Thursday.  He is happy with my motion and my kneecap mobility, but is concerned with my quad strength.  My quads aren’t firing very well, so he wants me on e-stim everyday.  He also gave me a steroid shot to help with heat and inflammation.

Boy, it’s sure hard doing rehab in the summer.  I got my 9 iron out this weekend and swung it around the family room a little bit.  And I even pulled my bike down from the racks in the garage, but don’t worry, I haven’t put air in the tires yet. 

Well, I hear my JAS brace calling so I better go…

Thanks for all of your support!

Kelly

[Janet]

Kelly:

It sounds like you're doing great. Keep working on that extension!

Janet

[missmyknee]

Hi Kelly

Wow! What a view !!! 

Sounds like you are doing so well that you are getting your "toys" ready to play with 

That's great news !

Pam

[TracyS]

Kelly,

Naughty, naughty for swinging the golf club!  Your PT protocol sheet says 13 weeks not 13 days!!  I'm telling Dr Steadman on you.  Ha! 

I tried like heck to get him to let me start playing again but he said not until after he's seen me at 12 weeks.  Chipping and putting only till then.  How boring is that!  I am doing a little pitching but no full swings yet. 

Sounds like you're coming along great.  I know you're working hard on your extension and with the Jas brace I'm sure it'll come around soon. 

Looking forward to more encouraging updates.

Tracy

[hottubpam]

Hi Kelly,

Sounds like you are doing great!!!  130 flexion?!??!  Only in my dreams.  Take it easy though, remember the mantra slow and steady (look who's talking?).  You must have the most awesome insurance EVER, they cover JAS, CPM and Game Ready?  Mine won't cover any of them and I just got a notice from the evil BCBS that they will not pay for the OR or hospitalization in January of this year.  They paid the surgeon and anesthesiologist, but I guess I was supposed to have the surgery in the parking lot.  AAARRRRGGGH.

Anyway I'm off to Juneau this a.m. for 10 days of gimping around Alaska.  No hiking that's for sure, but I can go fishing.  The high temperature there is expected to be 55 degrees today and rain, rain, rain.  Should actually feel good after the near 100 degrees and miserable wildfires that we have been having here. 

Take care Kelly and congrats again. 

Pam

[KTee]

Hey Pam,

Juneau in June...I like that!

Well, I know that your track record with dangerous sea creatures isn't so great, so this video clip is for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh3LdmYJwM8

Kelly