New Joiner

[paulf]

Hi All.  I ruptured my patella tendon on Sat and have my operation tomorrow which will start me on what is evidently a long period of rehab.  No doubt there will be periods of highs and lows, which though I am prepared for, understand that there is mileage in being in contact with those that have gone/are going through the process, hence why i ended up at Kneegeeks.  I can see that i am going to have to fight to educate my work colleagues as to the seriousness of the injury and the timeframes involved, already i here comments such as"sounds painful" and "now that you are recovering".  I have no doubt that I will have lots of questions to ask over the coming months and would start by trying to understand how llong i am going to be unable to drive, since at the moment this is an everyday requirement for me.  Look forward to talking to others in a similar unfortunate position over the coming months.  Best wishes. Paul

[kathat]

Hi Paul,

I have a different problem, but I deal with similar issues. I HATE all the well meaning comments about my knees. I am currently on crutches and am thinking of wearing a sign on my head saying "I have had knee surgery". Even people who I had told about the surgery, prior to it happening, have come up and said "are your knees playing up today?" or "what happened to you?". I don't know why I bother talking sometimes, if nobody is going to listen  And nobody seems to understand about long term knee issues, the rehab time involved, and the fact that surgery isn't always going to "make it all better". Grrr!!!

About the driving - every surgeon is different as to what protocol they follow and how quickly you will be able to use your knee, but I imagine 6 weeks would be a guesstimate for when you may be able to return to driving. I have just had a patellar tendon transfer, and I have been told 6 weeks, though some in the same position as me have been longer than that (my surgeon has a fairly aggressive rehab protocol).

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck for your surgery. I hope it goes smoothly and you have an uneventful recovery. Happy rehabbing! 

Kathy

[heather rae]

Paul:

However long it takes you to be able to drive again, please let me reassure you that patience is the key. I only had restrictions until the brace was removed and the hardware came out. (My progress is at the bottom corner of the page.)  I could not drive without searing pain until I had enough flexion for my foot to rest on the floorboard. Fortunately, I had a son in driver's ed. with a permit and rode with pillows under my foot for 5 months. I still had to rest it on top of the brake pedal for a while after that. Not very safe!

I think the patellar tendon ruptured along with the fracture and had immediate quad shutdown, but it was cut and sewn back together with both open surgeries. It's been an ongoing battle with tendonitis, and undoubtedly scar tissue for the past year.

I have many pet peeves about comments from people who know nothing of these injuries. They have no idea, right? I hope your co-workers understand. My PT also has an option for community membership. I will occasionally see uninjured aquaintances there and obviously, I am still being seen as a patient. (PT assists are following me with a clipboard and helping with equipment). I have gotten comments like "I thought you didn't need a brace anymore."  I have a different one for other problems now. Or they say " why haven't you completed PT by now?" It makes me feel just about as bad as watching elderly patients come in with knee replacements, have 3 months of PT, and feel good as ever. I will have had 12 months of rehab in about 2 weeks and still have more to do. I think the average down time with my injury is 2 years. The OS made me feel a little better saying "Remember that it was extensive. You are doing fine and right where I'd expect."

Good Luck with your surgery. Focus on scar tissue prevention and keep the inflammation under wraps.


Heather!

[subail]

Hi Paul...let me refer you to the patellar-femoral section of Kneegeeks...there are a number of us on verious threads who could help you with your questions. Click on this thread for starters.

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?topic=8389.0

As for me, I had a patellar tendon replacement with an allograft from a cadaver. My injury was too severe to repair. Recovery has been slow but steady.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance...when is your surgery?

I will check back here in the next couple of days...

Sue

[paulf]

Hi Ladies,

Thank you all for your words of wisdom and encouragement.  I was informed by my consultant that he was happy with the op. I didn't ask too much of him as i was still under the influence.  I am out of bed and sitting up on a chair with my leg up.  That's the good news and i know its only early days, but I have no doubt, emotionally, physically and mentally there is a lot to go through.

I continue to receive the usual comments"You poor thing", "you wont be able to cope not doing anything for a month".  I really just want to find a pamplet which i can mass email to my workplace, but i really dont want the patronisation or ignorant sympathy

I am really looking to do things the right way and work with my medical team to get better at the right pace.  Realistically, how long am i looking at being off work.  I live 45 mins from work and would normally use the car, but could use the train.  I suppose its going to depend on when i can realistically expect to be able to sit up unaided with a degree of flex in the knee.  I don't even know at the moment how long i can expect to be in the initial stage of do nothing.  Questions i will need answers to so as to give work realistic expectations.

I cant believe such an inoccuous incident - jogging for a ball can result in such serious injury/period of rehab

[subail]

Hi Ladies,

Thank you all for your words of wisdom and encouragement.  I was informed by my consultant that he was happy with the op. I didn't ask too much of him as i was still under the influence.  I am out of bed and sitting up on a chair with my leg up.  That's the good news and i know its only early days, but I have no doubt, emotionally, physically and mentally there is a lot to go through. Do you know exactly what he did? Was it just repair, was it supported with circlage wire?

I continue to receive the usual comments"You poor thing", "you wont be able to cope not doing anything for a month".  I really just want to find a pamplet which i can mass email to my workplace, but i really dont want the patronisation or ignorant sympathy

I am really looking to do things the right way and work with my medical team to get better at the right pace.  Realistically, how long am i looking at being off work. What do you do for a living, Paul?  I live 45 mins from work and would normally use the car, but could use the train.  I suppose its going to depend on when i can realistically expect to be able to sit up unaided with a degree of flex in the knee. This won't be anytime soon. And you will find that you will have to be very patient with yourself....this is not a speedy recovery by any means. I don't even know at the moment how long i can expect to be in the initial stage of do nothing.  Questions i will need answers to so as to give work realistic expectations. This will really depend on what you do. Are you on pain meds? What is your tolerance
for pain? Is there anyone at home to help you? I will forward your message to John42 who will probably send you some information which he generally sends to RPTers (ruptured patellar tendon people) which will outline for you basically what will occur over the next few months.
I cant believe such an inoccuous incident - jogging for a ball can result in such serious injury/period of rehab

[heather rae]

Paul:

Glad to hear your surgery went well. You're up in a chair, good for you! How's the pain? Hopefully well controlled. I had to bear weight with crutches the day after the ORIF. Yickes! It bought me a ticket to go home, though. I'm assuming you're still in the hospital. You never know, though. My 2nd open knee surgery was outpatient. Either way, I would ask the surgeon the next time you see him the necessary questions. He should be able to give you estimated guesses.

I'm not sure what your work capacity requirements are but, your employer may also have their own stipulations. You may need to be completely done with rehab or have sit/stand/walk requirements for a given period of time. As time allows, would you be able to return on light-duty? The surgeon should also give your employer the temporary disability statement, which should enlighten them as to your condition. Unfortunately, my employer could only hold my position for 90 days. I believe I will be searching for a lighter pace position upon returning.

I know what you mean about having to sit and do nothing. I am active, motivated, and become bored very easily. Mental stagnance can settle in rather quickly. I do so miss the nursing profession but, have kept myself busy doing CEU's, reading the latest medical breakthoughs, etc., etc. Try to keep yourself mentally busy and focus on getting better. Keep positive! As you begin to heal and make progress with PT, hopefully you'll begin to feel like yourself again. It may be a long journey, but it's worth the fight. This website is a good place to start to chat/educate yourself/vent frustrations. Good Luck!

Heather