10 Years Later, Still Going Strong

 

Ten Years! I'm not sure how the time has gone by, but my revision MT was 11 years ago today.  I am still very active on this knee, and only rarely does it remind me that is a mess inside.  When I had the first one, I was hoping to get 10 years, and then a little slip on a practice field, and I had to do it again.  10 years with the revision, and I'm just plugging away living my best life without restrictions and hoping for 10 more!  Happy Anniversary Stone Clinic, thanks for putting me back together!

9th Year Meniscaversary

Can't believe it's been 9 years since my revision.  Still holding strong.  My knee is okay, I still play golf, cycle, and I'm getting back into yoga.  I do have soreness from time to time, and "bad knee days" here and there, but I don't feel the need to see a doctor at all.  It's just life with a pretty worn out knee.  I'm still 100% happy with this surgery, but I was far more protective this time around (age will do that to you).  Looking forward to picking up Pickle Ball this year! 

For those who are facing this surgery, it's no joke, and not everyone I have met had my same great results. The recovery is long, rehab is a must, and being smart with your repaired knee is essential. Good luck and happy healing.

Can't believe it has been 8 years since my revision meniscus transplant.  Still catching balls from my son (something I treasure), working out, playing tons of golf, and all with minimal to no pain!  Hoping for at least 8 more!  Ongoing thanks to the Stone Clinic's amazing team for putting me back together!

MT 2.0, 7 Year Anniversary

 Seven years since my meniscus transplant revision.  While that battered ol' knee isn't perfect, I generally can do anything I want pain free.  I continue to do what I want, play hard for a 50 year old, and don't feel any restrictions.  For those out there going through it, hang in there, do the rehab, and know you are going to get great results.  Big thanks to the Stone Clinic, and mostly to the donor who's meniscus played hockey, wake boarded, walked more than a thousand holes of golf, coached football, and continues to live on in my knee.

Running Again!

 After many years, more than 10, of avoiding running for exercise due to TWO meniscus transplants, I was asked by my amazing sister if I wanted to run a 10K with her somewhere in the US (we live on opposite coasts).  I told her I would give some training a shot, and stop if I felt like it was hurting my knee.  Both my knees are bad, but my MT knee has been through a lot and I was worried about putting it through the rigors of training.  I'm a former catcher, not a small guy, and I've never loved running (I hated that part of triathlons).  

 First, I found a low impact treadmill at my gym, and that was going to be most of my runs.   Despite the fact treadmills can be terribly boring, I felt concrete was just not good for me.  I found a couch to 10K app, and decided I would follow it to the letter.  My first run was literally 1:30 running and 2 mins of walking for 15 minutes.  The first few runs were overly easy, and I felt no pain in either knee.  However, as soon as I got into the 5 minute plus runs, I was gasping for air, I was very discouraged that I had fallen that much out of running shape.  As the runs got longer, I did experience some knee pain, but nothing more than I would get from a hike over uneven surfaces.  The runs got easier, and the pains started to lessen.  By the 12th week I ran 7+ miles while on vacation (the views made the run go by without me even realizing how far I'd gone) pain free.  I was actually enjoying the runs.  The race was set for October 2, 2021 in Dallas.  

We did everything wrong in prepping for the race (plane ride, late night, and bad food all the day before), but we rallied to the start line.  Honestly, the run was awesome until mile 4.  I had no knee pain for the first 4 miles, but the humidity made for some very slick trail surfaces, and my knee started acting up a bit as I struggled getting traction in places.  I started favoring the MT leg, and that caused some hip pain (never had it before).  However, I wanted to finish what I started, and my sister was an amazing partner.  Despite the nasty humidity, my knee and hip, we finished with smiles on our faces (well, after we had some water and realized we were done).  In any event, I'm running, after two MTs, and 5 surgeries on that knee, I'm running.  I have decided to keep it at 4 miles for my longest runs, stay on low impact treadmills for the most part, and will stop if I feel like I'm getting any unusual knee pain, but at 49 years old I'm a runner.  As I write this, I can't help but think about sitting in my bed in pain in the days after my last MT, locked in a knee brace with the ice machine flowing, just hoping to walk again.  I'm so proud of the hard work of my team (Dr. Stone, my PTs, and myself) in how far I've come.  No limits.  Happy knee health people, and good luck!

Five Anniverstary on Round Two

5 ago today, I had my revised medial meniscus transplant, and I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm getting older, so aches and pains are a reality with very active lifestyle.  My knee feels pretty good most of the time, although I have a little pain developing in the area of my transplant. Hope its just been pushed too hard lately.  I've hard enough surgery for a lifetime on this knee, and I can live with a little twinge here and there.  This is a relatively new development, but nothing is catching, and it's manageable without any pain meds other than an occasional Advil.  I've hung up my hockey skates for good, not because of my knee, but because the contact I loved so much became hard to recover from after each game. I spend more time in the gym and on the golf course than ever, and my knee doesn't hold me back.  I did a little wake boarding this year, and really enjoy wake surfing.  I think wake surfing is a new sport that is very safe for my knees, and loved it.  I don't really limit anything because of my knee, but the reality is my lifestyle has become a little less aggressive athletically as I approach 50.   I'm always looking for a new challenge, so who knows what is next.  I'm so thankful that I've been able to compete after my MTs pain free, and I have a memories that will last forever that would not have happened without this surgery.  Happy healing folks.

Fourth Anniversary

Still going strong.  Zero issues in the knee version 2.0.  Good luck people, and ask questions if you have them.

Third-Anniversary for Second Meniscus Marriage

So here I am at the start of year three after my MT revision.  Time is flying, some new things hurt (lol), but not my knee. My MT knee is feeling great.  I'm still working out hard, but I'm a bit more protective of both my knees as I get older.  My other knee is less than awesome, and there are time when I feel like I've pushed both my knees too hard.  Functionally, my MT knee still feels smooth as silk, there is no catching or locking at all, and I remain confident it will for the near future. 

I still wear a functional customer sports brace when I play sports, especially basketball with my son, and I do feel like it has saved me more than a few times. 

Hang in there meniscus warriors.

Happy M-Day 2.0 to me.  It's been one year, and a week, since my meniscus transplant revision.  This one was easy from the outset, and while there were little bumps in the road to recovery, nothing was too difficult.  While I have not returned to contact sports yet, and maybe never again since I'm 44, I feel like my knee would not be a problem.  It's pain free, doesn't pop, lock or give out, and feels as good as ever.  I'm not interested in doing it again, so I'm really considering throttling down a bit (i.e. retiring from ice hockey), but not everything.  I spent time this summer hiking in Tahoe, walking all over the Greece, and generally returning to anything and everything I wanted.  Yoga is a passion, and I've been able to do just about everything I'm willing to try.  Recovery, for me, is just what I wanted it to be.

I had 7 great years with my last one, and I'm hopeful to get even more out of this one. I'm diligently working out, getting ready to start mountain biking (I don't ride in the summer much...too hot here), and was able return to working out with no restrictions.  

The best part of recovery was returning to coach my youth football team one last year before they move on to high school.  Dr. Stone and his team put me back together once again, and that allowed me to return to my passion for coaching kids. The picture above is celebrating a TD with my QB (my son), and it's worth every minute of surgery, recovery pain, and rehab!

As always, feel free to email me questions...heal well my friends.

The First Six Months with Medial Meniscus 2.0

Well, I intended on updating my blog weekly during round 2, but life just got in the way.  First of all, happy six month meniscus day to me (a week late).  Thanks to the Stone Clinic for putting me back together once again.  I'm now at the point that I really no longer think about my knee.  I'm doing everything I want to do including cycling, golf, training, tons of yoga, and I'm racing an aqua-bike in two weeks (swim and bike race) as I promised Anne as they put me under anesthesia.  I'm so thankful for my tissue donor, and his/her legacy lives on in and with me every day...I'll have some great journeys for you my friend.  So here is what went down the past six months. 

Weeks 2-4

These were the hardest weeks for me as there isn't much you can do. I went to therapy three days a week (more on that below) with a focus on getting swelling down and regaining the flexibility.  I found pain control was no problem with minimal drugs after week 2.  I was actually really bored. 

Lots of sitting in my favorite chair in the first four weeks!

I faithfully did my rehab, and by week 2, I was easily getting the desired 90 degrees without pulling on it at all.  I spent a lot of time on the couch, working in my office, and crutching (best crutches ever) to the kids' sporting events. 

Russian stim assisted leg lifts

Ice is so nice after a hard day of PT

I did have the wheelchair which we used a ton to access the remote locations, great for sitting with my knee elevated at work and events, and that was one of my smart moves this time around.   I went to the movies a few times (what else can you do when you are stuck like this), and thankfully, our local theater has awesome handicap accessible seating.  I started swimming at 4 weeks (incisions fully closed) with my knee locked in full extension in the brace.  I pulled for about 45 minutes each time, and while it was a bit boring, I was finally getting in some serious cardio other than the dreaded hand-bike. 

Return to work (2 weeks)...vino needed stat!

Stitches Out - Week 2

Yoga was an essential part of my rehab, three nights a week from the very beginning at home.  Mostly stretching, breathing, core, and upper body at first.  Solo yoga is mentally challenging, but rewarding in a different way.  My flexibility returned so quickly because of my yoga practice before and after surgery.  Always fully braced the first month.

  I went down for my one month checkup, and Dr. Stone was very happy with my progress.  My brace was not just unlocked, but taken off all together.  I was released to weight-bearing as tolerated, and instructed to use the crutches until I could walk without a limp...I was done with them about 4 days later. 

The Stone Clinic Team, Doc Stone, Hope, Susana, and Trish!

Months 2-3

Rehab went great, and I started Yin Yoga classes at about five weeks (gentle stretching), and nothing whatsoever involving my MT knee.  I was able to do very modified vinyasa classes at 8 weeks (I have awesome instructors who game me alternatives to anything that would risk the knee), and I believe the fact I had been practicing before the surgery put me in an excellent position for this recovery.  I was at 115 degrees of flexion by the end of the third month, and I was able to do most of my practice, but no catcher squat poses (goddess) or body weight shifting on the MT knee as per doc's orders. 

5 weeks, and the knee cap is coming back.

I went down for my three month checkup, and Dr. Stone was thrilled with my knee, and the fact it was almost equal to my other side.  By three months, I had little indication left that I had even had the surgery at all.  No limp, no pain, and I played golf (in my sports brace locked at 90 degrees) without Dr. Stone's permission on Super Bowl Sunday.  It was totally fine, and while I don't recommend playing golf this early, I know my body, and this knee so well I felt confident I would be safe.  I was very sensitive to not pushing the knee at all, and never experienced any pain whatsoever.

 Months 4-5

I stopped going to PT at month 4, and finished it on my own.  Yoga and returning to weight training were my focus, and by month 4 my muscle atrophy was mostly gone (still working on that pesky calf).  By month 5, I was starting to run a little (not for exercise, but when it was necessary to chase the dog or whatever).   I had no limitations in my yoga class except for the no catcher's squats or deep knee bends.  I did a modified child's pose using a rolled up towel behind my knee to make sure I didn't go to far (and another towel under the knee for anything with ground contract...that bit for awhile), and I have had very little pain or any indication during my yoga practice that I even had anything done.  My "good" knee feels worse than my MT knee and gives me a bit of trouble from time to time.  We vacationed in Hawaii, and I did several 1.3 mile open water swims, worked out, played golf, messed around in the sand, jumped off Black Rock, hiked up a local only river to secret falls (thanks Alex!) and walked a TON...all pain free. 

Yoga in paradise, balancing on MT leg at Month 4

Amazing hike to hidden falls in Hawaii over treacherous rocks and wet terrain, at month 4, no problems whatsoever.  Of course, I heard be careful with your knee no less than 500 times.

Month 6

By month six, I have stopped any specific PT exercises entirely, and I'm back to full weight training.  I played golf this weekend without the brace and felt nothing out of the ordinary.  My flexion is equal to my good knee.  Before this revision, I had severe catching and locking in the knee with it giving out entirely a few times a week just walking.  It feels so good to be free of that.  I feel like this time around was really much easier.  I'll remain diligent about protecting this knee as I'm not interested in going into an OR again anytime in the future.  I've decided to hang up my hockey skates, but not because of my knee.  Frankly, I just don't want to risk any more serious injuries at this point in my life, and full contact sports are a young man's game.  I miss it on hockey night, and I'm always looking for the next adventure.  I had 5 great years of hockey, something I took up after my first MT, and a passion I never would have experienced the game without Dr. Stone.  So hang in there, this is hope (she works at the Stone Clinic...lol), and recovery is just around the corner. 

No limits.  Month 6.

A note about PT. 

Because of a miscommunication with my old PT about my insurance, I went to a different guy at day 6 to start my home rehab.   It was a serious disaster.  He didn't follow the protocol  at all(which I had provided to him in writing and by email), lied to me about rehabbing MT's before, and told me after I confronted him that my doctor's protocol was too conservative.  I was livid, but I was still taking pain meds, and judgment was not fully there on saying NO WAY to his over-aggressive rehab.   This jerk even argued that he knew better than Dr. Stone, and I wouldn't have as good a result without him.  I was worried he ruined the surgery at day 6 with his incorrect protocol, but after a few panicked calls with Trish and Hope I was reassured that I was probably okay.  I immediately call my old PT John, and we worked out the situation so I could rehab with him again.  Everything worked out just fine, but BE CAREFUL (yes, I'm yelling) about finding the right local PT if you can't rehab at the Stone Clinic.   I went back to my trusted PT, and paid him out of pocket, and that was the best thing I could do.  John Zior, and his team at Rocklin PT, are the best, and once I got back to him it was smooth sailing. 

Round 2 - We Can Rebuild Him - The First Five Days

So, here we are again.  More prepared physically and mentally, all my ducks in a row, and really happy to get recovery going. I knew the moment of injury that I had done something severe to my meniscus allograft, and possibly to my ACL.  I was lucky that only the allograft was damaged, but it was pretty severe as per the MRI.  The tear caused daily pain, locking, and giving out so I was really hurting for the almost three months after the injury before surgery.  I was ready to get started healing instead of limping and babying the knee for one more day. 

We arrived at our room at the Marriott in SF, conveniently located next door to the surgery center, late the night before surgery.  We prepped everything for the 7:30 a.m. surgery time, I took the shower with the anti-bacterial wash, and crashed in bed exhausted. Frankly, the crazy day before surgery removed much of the nervousness, but I did waste a great dinner the night before feeling not-so-hungry and thinking about the next day. 

DAY 1-MT Revision Day

I woke early in the morning, showered again with the anti-biotic soap, and we walked across the street to Starbucks so my wife could grab a coffee.  It was torture looking through the glass at the pastries and smelling the coffee knowing I could have nothing!  We walked back across the street to the surgery center building at 6:20 a.m., and rode the elevator up by ourselves.  The surgery prep was very quick, and the pre-op nurse shaved the leg, cleaned it again, and I sat waiting for the call.

Ready to rock and roll.  No drugs were on board at this point!

Dr. Stone went through the procedure, I met the anesthesiologist, and they walked me back to the OR at 7:30 on the dot.  Of course, I was a bit nervous knowing the intensity of the surgery, but things went very smoothly pre-op, and it was time to get this show on the road.


I was positioned on the table, had a great chat with the anesthesiologist and Anne about riding bikes, I felt that feeling of complete relaxation (drugs were now on-board), and the next thing I new I was in the recovery room.

The recovery room was a relatively painless experience.  I don't' remember talking to Dr. Stone, but I was reminded a few times that the meniscus was beyond repair, and they put in a new one.  Surgery had gone perfectly, and I was finally on the road to recovery!  There was some minimal pain, but it was managed really well by the staff, and I was ready to go home before lunchtime.  They loaded me up in a wheelchair, and they graciously wheeled me all the way back to the hotel room. 

Proud owner of a second transplanted meniscus.  Stoked to think of the new adventures ahead.

Day one was so easy I almost wondered if they had done anything in there.  I wasn't hungry at all, but had very little pain.  We kept the ice machine flowing, although the cooling pad didn't help much because it was over the surgical dressings.  It still felt good to have the cooling sensation, and I kept trying to sneak a few extra minutes of ice time.  We kept it elevated, watched a movie, and crashed for the day.  I barely needed any pain medication, but we knew the harder days were coming.

Ice and elevation is key to pain/swelling relief.  The ice-machine is my best friend.

DAY 2

I was going to rent a wheelchair for this round, but found it was cheaper to buy one on Amazon.  It was a great investment ($120).  The path from the hotel room to the car was long, and my wife wheeling me to and from the car was a life-saver.  It also enabled us to eat breakfast in the restaurant, and the staff from the Marriott was so awesome.  It has provided me with a tremendous amount of freedom for us to attend some things I couldn't handle crutching.  So, we had breakfast, and shot over to the Stone Clinic for some rehab.  Trish put me through the Day 2 paces, and while there isn't much going on Day 2 (since they keep the bandages on), we were able to work on the begginings of rehab. 

Trish and me putting in work on Day 2!

After rehab they offered to have me have the post-op MRI that day so we could leave a little sooner on Day 3 to avoid the traffic.  Getting the MRI wasn't that fun.  My leg started to kill sitting still for 45 minutes, but Mark was awesome and we chatted about cars and bikes making the time go by pretty fast.  At least I was done with that task.  The rest of Day 2 was uneventful, the pain started creeping in, but we had a light dinner at the hotel restaurant, and crashed for the night.  I can't thank my wife enough for taking care of me, and you will need help for the first week (at least) after an MT.

DAY 3 

The morning of Day 3, as with my first MT, sucked a little.  I had some pretty severe pain around 5:30 in the morning that concided with the next cycle of pain meds.  I took two percocet, and felt way better when they kicked in.  We had a light breakfast from Starbucks, packed and wheeled to the car, and went over to the Stone Clinic for some Day 3 PT and the bandage change.  The knee looked, well, this is what is looked like:

Smaller holes this time around!

Well leg with compression sock, ready to get this rehab rolling!

I had a really good PT session with Susana, and then we took off for home.  The drive was going to be long, but we thought we would miss the traffic by taking the long way.  We were totally wrong, and the two-hour drive took four and a half.  It pretty much sucked, but we did have a bluebird day as we were leaving SF. 

The exact spot where I proposed to my wife 22 years ago!  I was feeling so great, we stopped for a quick photo!

DAY 4-5

Day 4 I had planned to attend a football game at my alma mater, UC Davis.  I had my chair, our stadium is fully handicap accessible, and I was feeling pretty to very good.  The game didn't go our way, but I was invited to watch from the President's box by some Aggie Staff, and it made the game quite enjoyable.  I was able to keep my knee comfortable in the wheelchair, and things went very smoothly.  I pushed it a little to hard by going out to dinner afterwards, and felt some pain from that poor decision, but overall this was a very sooth recovery.

Aggies lost, but I was able to make my one and only game this year.  Thanks to the wheelchair, we were able to have a great time on Day 4

Day 5, I hit the the gym for some rehab, stretching, and a very light upper-body workout.  The rest of the day was dedicated to the couch, ice-machine, and football.  Pain was very controllable with Tylenol, and a few percocets, and I was excited to start with my local PT the next day.

PT on my own, some very light modified Yoga, and upper-body workout on Day 5

That Was So Much Fun, Let's Do it Again!

This post is not the one I wanted to write.  After 7.5 years of skiing, ice hockey, basketball, Mui Thai, boxing, cycling thousands of miles on my road-bike, ripping down our local mountain biking trials, placing 2nd in an Aquabike (triathlon without the run), catching tens of thousands of pitches from my son and his fellow little leaguers, and most recently taking on yoga as a new passion...disaster has struck.

2 Time Silver League Champions!

While coaching my youth football team, I decided to demonstrate a drill (without my trusty knee brace), and made a cut to my right at full speed to avoid a tackler.  I've made that move a million times, but this time my knee collapsed.  The usual loud pop, searing pain, and in this case, face-plant followed.  I popped up so as not to scare my son and his teammates, but I knew my knee was in trouble.  My knee wouldn't bend, and I could feel it...the dreaded meniscal tear.  I waited a few days, and it only got worse.  Against the advice of those closest to me, I played in my championship hockey game a few days later...and hoisting the trophy (above) was worth a little more pain and suffering.  Two days after that I knew I needed to get into the doctor.  I made an appointment with Dr. Stone a few weeks out, obtained an MRI locally, and saw my local doc to get a preliminary review and diagnosis.  The result was that I had significantly torn my medial meniscus transplant.  Local option was to cut out the tear, leaving me with less than 50% of the meniscus, and no shock absorber in the posterior 50% of my knee.  Despite the fact I have no articular surface damage, this option would require me to make major life adjustments, and essentially, for me to shut down my extrememly active lifestyle at 43.  I would just have to wait until arthritis, which I was told would set in quickly, got bad enough that I would need a replacement.  No question, I needed to go see Dr. Stone.

A week or so later I made a trip to the Stone Clinic to see the Doc.  It had been a long time since I had been in their office, but I was welcomed like I was at a spa.  I was greeted by name as I walked through the door, offered a Joint Juice, and waited only a few minutes before meeting with the team.  The difference in the Stone Clinic approach is obvious from that start.  You don't just tell your story, get five minutes with the nurse, and even less with your doctor.  I spent a good twenty minutes with Hope discussing what I've done, and what I want to do in the future.  Dr. Stone then came in, went through the physical exam, and then we went to look at my films together.  Dr. Stone showed me every detail of my injury, and regretfully, confirmed the first diagnosis.  We spent even more time in his office going over the options.  The key is Dr. Stone gives both options and hope.  He is going on this journey with me, and he wants a successful return to sports as much as I do.  I moved on to one of my favorite people, Trish the PT, and we discused the potential procedures, the rehab, the prehab, and she just made me feel like getting back to my life was not just possible, but the expectation.  "You will be back."

So, November 11, I'll do it again...almost 8 years worth of adventures to the day from my original MT.  There are a few options, and we won't know the final outcome until after surgery, but I'm preparing myself for a revision meniscus transplant.   Knowing the challenge ahead and what I'm in for is the hardest part, but it also makes the preparation a bit easier.  I've made my list of things to get done before surgery, and I'm going to enjoy a few weeks before we get down to the business of fixing this knee.  The good thing is I feel like I'm going into this challenge with the best team I could find, and as an athlete, nothing can give you more confidence.

Full speed ahead...there is just no other way for me to do it!  I wouldn't change a thing...except maybe to wear my knee brace that day.  Good luck to all of us, and happy healing.

Happy M-Day Plus 7.

I can't believe it's been 7 years since my meniscus transplant.  My knee continues to serve me well, and I'm still playing ice-hockey, riding bikes (transitioned to mountain), and doing lots of things I probably shouldn't do (like catching bullpens for my baseball youth team and playing scout team QB against pee-wee footballers).  I'm not particularly good about icing after big events, and I don't really think about my knee holding me back.  If I treat it poorly, my knee will remind me that I'm not 21 anymore, and doctors have inside there 4 times.

Through this blog I've met many people from around the world that have had this surgery.   I've seen some awesome outcomes, and some unfortunate folks who have had setbacks (one was hit by a truck on her bike wrecking her freshly minted MT).  As I'm sure you can see from my blog, rehab was the key to my personal recovery, but also I knew there was a chance the outcome wouldn't be great. I was 35 and nowhere near ready to quit playing hard...it wasn't a tough choice for me, but I did as much research as I could before making the final decision.  I was also fortunate to have a great team at Dr. Stone's and a great local PT (John Zior in Rocklin, CA), who guided me through every up and down.

I'm on my second custom functional knee brace as I wore the first one out (yes, I play that hard).  I use it for skiing, hockey, and basketball (yes, I've started playing again with my 12 year-old son).  Hockey is not a twisting sport, and my MT rarely, if ever, gives me issues.  I feel like I have something going on behind my knee cap, and in the lateral part of the knee (the opposite side of my MT), but I can live with those issues and I don't plan on stopping for anything.  I've read that the average life span is 10 years for an MT, and considering how hard I've pushed mine, I'm hoping for the best.  I'm not ready to do it all over again, but I would still do it all over again.  My MT surgery been a solid decision for me thus far.  Since I don't have medial pain, I'm assuming my articular cartilage is hanging in there, my knee is very stable, and the MT is doing it's job.  So, for those of you getting ready for this surgery, get yourself ready physically and mentally for a challenge.  For those of you in the middle of this journey, hang in there, there is light, however faint, at the end of the tunnel.  Finally, if you've had the surgery, and you are still going for it, let me know about what you are doing in the comments.

All the best and Merry Christmas.

6 Years, 5.5 of them Awesome

It's my six year meniscaversary today.  I celebrated with a hard workout and a hard indoor ride this morning before work.  Six years after my MT, and still doing everything I want to do.  I say 5.5 awesome years because the first six months of the first year are notably un-awesome.  Heal well folks!

Five and a half years after my MT, I finally raced again.  I didn't run a tri, my knee and I both don't like running, so I tried an aqua-bike.  You swim and bike, and that's it, so I spare my knees from the repeated pounding of a 210 pound frame training.  So my wife found a race we could both do (she wanted an Olympic distance tri), and we signed up. It was a blast, I placed 2nd overall, and she was second in her age group. 

Still charging.

Still Going....

Five years later, and like the Energizer bunny, I'm still going.  I'm training harder, playing harder, and playing more than I have since...maybe ever.  My knee is strong and pain free.  Thanks Dr. Stone and Trish for everything!

I celebrated my 5th Knee Anniversary with my first hat trick in the Silver Division last night!  Best game of the new season, and I was charged up afterwards.  The charge I got out of the game last night was amazing.  I can't imagine hanging them up for good anytime soon.

Rich

My Fourth Anniversary

Four years ago today I arrived home from my surgery in San Francisco with my knee looking like this:

It was so painful I could feel my pulse in my knee, and I couldn't even imagine returning to anything.  It was hard enough trying to get to the restroom or take a shower.  Dr. Stone had told me I would be back better than before the surgery, but it felt like that was never going to happen.  It was an extremely challenging recovery, and there were plenty of bad days.  At six months there were more good days than bad, and at one year I had fully returned to sports. 

Four years later I still play hard.  I play ice-hockey two days a week, ride my bike, hike, ski, train, jog a little (no more than 3 miles), swim, and chase my kids.  I'd walk the golf course more if I didn't normally play on the same days as my hockey games, but that will change next season when I move up a level.

I've battled other injuries (my other knee and wrist) that have come from my hard charging, but I have no regrets. As I approach my 40th birthday (next July), I have no plans on slowing down.  I'm very thankful that Dr. Stone put me back together, and Trish helped me get that pesky knee to function with the rest of my self-perceived high performance body.

For those of you who are comtemplating this surgery, do your research, understand the procedure and recovery, and only move forward if you are prepared to work harder than you ever have to get back to "normal."  I'm aware that there is a supposed shelf-life for MT's, but I didn't have this done so I could sit around doing nothing hoping it would last forever.  I know of at least one other person who is still going for it 10 years out!  Find a doc you trust, a PT you trust even more, and have a plan in place for the rest of your life since things won't be normal for awhile.

For those who find this board after your surgery, I hope it helps to know what can be.  Understand it was not all wine and roses, and that the road to recovery is long and not always filled with joy.  Welcome to the small fraternity of MT recipients, and good luck.  I'm more than happy to speak with any of you during your rehab...just send me a message.

So in the end, my Christmas present, my new knee in 2007, has been my best present ever.  Good luck everyone, and Merry Christmas.

FOUR YEARS BABY!

Yeah, so that sucks a bit

I was very excited for this past weekend. Golf on Saturday morning, little league in the afternoon, and Sunday with Mother's Day and a late night hockey game. I played great golf Saturday morning (73-one over par), and squatted (like a catcher) reading a number of "big" putts. Later that day, I warmed up my little league players (actually catching). The bummer is my knees didn't like it. Worse, the non-MT knee is giving me a lot of trouble that past 10 days. It's painful when I get up after sitting, and feels really stiff. It occasionally catches, and I wonder if the tear they trimmed last year started again. I was told no more "catcher's squats" for a year after my MT, and I think that really meant forever. I've been working with my son's pitching a lot the past 2 months, and I'm feeling it. I hung up the gear almost 15 years ago for the last time, and I think I need to leave it on the shelf. More limitations...not what I want right now.

On a positive note, I played hockey last night and had great game. We won, I scored twice, and it was just a blast. I iced when I got home (after midnight), and today I'm feeling pretty good. When I played ball I constantly iced my knees and shoulder after practices and games. I feel like icing kept me healthy. As I've gotten older, I've been lazy about icing, and I think it's causing me some pain. So, I'm digging out the ace-wraps again.

I'm feeling a bit down about my non-MT knee right now...not something I want to deal with.

Hope everyone is healing or healed, and out there doing it!

New Goals

My knees generally don't like to run anymore...it's just a fact that I have come to realize. But my feet are even worse. I couldn't shake the plantar fasciitis, so I stopped running for a few weeks. Sure enough the pain is almost entirely gone.

However, my knees and feet don't mind ice-skating, and after 3 months of practices, I'm playing games with my new team. I still wear my functional knee brace (and will forever), but I seem to have very little pain and no problems ice-skating. So, for now my goal is to make them...every game. I'm skating 2-3 times per week, and playing hockey is a great workout. I love it. I'm still considering an Olympic distance triathlon this year (I know...why), but right now my focus is on hockey, swimming, coaching my kids, and getting back on my road bike now that the weather is good. I don't know that I want, need, or should do any distance running anymore.

I've read a lot of studies that say the MT will last 10 years, and then you either get another one or do a PKR. I'm hoping that study is wrong since I'm having too much fun, but I would do this surgery again for 10 more years of this.

I'm still having a strange "popping out" sensation in my MT knee once and a while. It hadn't happened for months, and then it happened last weekend messing around. It only happens when my muscles are relaxed, and pops back in when I straighten my leg. It's pretty gross, but it doesn't hurt, and it goes back in and I'm pretty much good. Not sure what's causing it or what it even is (seems like my entire lower leg is out of place), but if it happens only 6 times a year I can live with it.

Hang in there...it gets better.

Plans, Adjustments, and Hockey?

The running was going fine up until I started hitting 6-7 miles. I started getting lateral side joint-line pain. Not sure what caused it, but I took a week off from running and it's gone. I've been doing shorter runs, and it doesn't seem to be happening again. I don't think it has anything to do with my MT since that was medial, but I told myself that if I started getting knee pain, an adjustment had to be made to the plan for the Half Ironman. So, after some deliberation, the HIM is off and the Olympic distance is on (1 mile swim, 40 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). The knee was a big issue for me, but my schedule was going to be nuts anyway. Life just got more simple. The swimming is going great, and I think this will be something I do for the rest of my life. I love that it's no impact, and there is an aspect of inner-thought that accompanies an hour of white noise.

Since I have a chance for a little more training time, I've decided to join a beginner adult hockey league. I can't play hoops anymore, but the non-impact of ice skating feels great on my knee. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to continue keeping score in something. This is going to be fun.