Hi all,

I am just wondering about when I will start to walk.  I am in PT now and have 47 degrees of flexion, achieved in my first PT session yesterday.  I am wondering how much strength and flexion I need before I start walking.  The PT says we might even be able to start without my immobilizer next week.  I am curious and anxious to return to work.

Thanks!

Patience Kitty - just take it slow and concentrate on what you are doing now - I know that's hard, but moving ahead too quickly can cause harm - slow and steady

Mary

Sarah, Ouch that sounds painful. It's so sad that you always come away from a visit discouraged, he may be an amazing surgeon from the technical paoint of view, but he really should learn that if people are motivated and encouraged then they recover quicker. Is there anyway you can tell him that you dread coming to him? Hard to do I know

I know a few of these drs, just SMILE when you go in their office and try to make them laugh, they are often stressed, work overloaded and extremely concentrated on the knee and nothing else!

Soooo 

It might not work though...

As for the bending and walking, it just needs time time time, be patient, and at a sudden unexpected moment you'll see improvement. Might be real soon though! In the meantime exercise (I hope you have a good PT)

Good luck with everything!

Hugs Helena

I've got an OS like you Kitty.  He LOVES himself, but supposedly he's one of the best in South Florida.  I can't complain as my scars are minimal and everything seems to be very good and going ahead of schedule. Ideally, we'd all like the best bedside manner AND a Harvard type of medical prowess from our orthopedic surgeons, but you usually cannot get both.  I'd take the 'stuck on himself' OS any day.  I want to pay someone to give it to me straight and over everything else, get me back to sports in the healthiest manner possible.  If that means acting like a jerk, then so be it.  He can be as jerky as he wants to be.  Just think of it that way.

Everyone heals and progresses differently.  Don't sweat your OS.  He knows this too, but many times, they are so proud of their surgeries, that they want them to progress in their time frame, which is often unrealistic. My OS actually wanted me to watch my surgery, so I could see the 'king' in his finest hour.  How hilarious.  You'll be fine!

Wow, cmvsm, yours is especially self-loving.  Mine isn't quite that bad.  I think he would rather not see patients at all, just do the surgery.  I just hate that he makes me feel like I am being a baby when I go there.

You are both right; better to have the great surgeon that acts like a jerk, than the bad surgeon that is a lovely talker.

Thanks for your support.

Sarah