When I was in my teens thru my 20s,30s to today, I never thought that all of the crazy,physical stuff I was doing then I would pay for later some day. But now I am.
I'll be 42 in March. I go to my family Dr every 6 months for regular checkups,had one a few weeks ago. After the exam was over we talked like we always do about a nagging problem I have had for years- a bad right knee. He sent me for some Xrays. Then he calls me a few days later and is sending me for a visit to a specialist. I kind of knew that that didnt sound good. After seeing the specialist,a supposedly really good Dr in his field, it looks like I have pretty much worn out the cartilage in one knee and a little bit in the other is slightly gone too. Looks like replacement surgery is in my future.
I'm not at the point where I have any pain or swelling,yet,but the Dr says that is around the corner if I don't do something about it soon. I think I may let him do it this spring and get it over with when I have a break from playing music.
A pretty cool site I found explaining the procedure:
http://wwww.edheads.org/activities/knee/knee1/index.htm
My life has always been intense physically,probably like most active people. My father had a martial arts school he taught from when I was a little kid and I started out there pretty young,switched to boxing in my teens competing at it,but have always mixed kicking with my boxing workouts on bags hung in bedrooms or garages regularly to this day.
Highschool and junior college football I dug in pretty hard on tackles,even remember injuring my knees a few times,but went right back to playing after some RRR.
Started weightlifting and powerlifting in HS and really got into it in my 20s,30s and remember hearing a 'pop' in my now bad knee in the bottom of a really heavy squat- R&R'd it a couple of weeks,wrapped it after that, then went right back to working out so I didnt lose any gains. Quit the mega heavy lifting about 5 years ago but I still lift today because I love it.
Did some jumps in my 20s skydiving,and I remember hitting the ground pretty hard on my bad knee in one of them.
Have cycled and rode mountain bikes many years; hiked,rappeled, and climbed around at Yosemite and in northern California on the mountain for the last 25 years.
Growing up in southern California it was always skateboarding,surfing,snow skiing with my family at Christmas at Bear Valley,and then later in life I got into snowboarding with my kids- which I still 'try' to do but am not very good at it.
These days I mainly just tool around the neighborhood on my old cruiser and 'ratrod' bicycles that I build for fun.
In my music career I've been playing the guitar in rock bands since I was 16,when younger I ran around stages acting like an idiot. I dont run around and do all of the crazy stuff any more mostly due to my bad knee, and mostly because it looks stupid for a old guy my age to do that stuff. That part of my life is about to end soon anyways. The live performing part any ways.
I've basically packed alot of life in in my 41 years and apparently have also worn out some body parts while doing it. Now it looks like some parts are starting to need replacing. Humbling. My cholesterol is low,blood pressure is really good, and I have a good ticker- at least some good news from my regular checkup.
Other than being born,I have never been in the hospital besides quite a few ER visits for broken bones,stitches,kidney stones,etc. But I'm not worried. I have had some dental work done a few times removing molars and whatever so I have a little experience with anesthesia and surgery. Dental surgery is nothing like knee surgery,I realize that,but I think it will go well and I'll make out ok. I do have an unusually high tolerance to pain.
The wife has a few friends who have had it done and she says they all say it went well and theyre glad that they had it done.
If anybody has had this type of operation any info shared would be appreciated.
( sorry for the novel.)
I'll be 42 in March. I go to my family Dr every 6 months for regular checkups,had one a few weeks ago. After the exam was over we talked like we always do about a nagging problem I have had for years- a bad right knee. He sent me for some Xrays. Then he calls me a few days later and is sending me for a visit to a specialist. I kind of knew that that didnt sound good. After seeing the specialist,a supposedly really good Dr in his field, it looks like I have pretty much worn out the cartilage in one knee and a little bit in the other is slightly gone too. Looks like replacement surgery is in my future.
I'm not at the point where I have any pain or swelling,yet,but the Dr says that is around the corner if I don't do something about it soon. I think I may let him do it this spring and get it over with when I have a break from playing music.
A pretty cool site I found explaining the procedure:
http://wwww.edheads.org/activities/knee/knee1/index.htm
My life has always been intense physically,probably like most active people. My father had a martial arts school he taught from when I was a little kid and I started out there pretty young,switched to boxing in my teens competing at it,but have always mixed kicking with my boxing workouts on bags hung in bedrooms or garages regularly to this day.
Highschool and junior college football I dug in pretty hard on tackles,even remember injuring my knees a few times,but went right back to playing after some RRR.
Started weightlifting and powerlifting in HS and really got into it in my 20s,30s and remember hearing a 'pop' in my now bad knee in the bottom of a really heavy squat- R&R'd it a couple of weeks,wrapped it after that, then went right back to working out so I didnt lose any gains. Quit the mega heavy lifting about 5 years ago but I still lift today because I love it.
Did some jumps in my 20s skydiving,and I remember hitting the ground pretty hard on my bad knee in one of them.
Have cycled and rode mountain bikes many years; hiked,rappeled, and climbed around at Yosemite and in northern California on the mountain for the last 25 years.
Growing up in southern California it was always skateboarding,surfing,snow skiing with my family at Christmas at Bear Valley,and then later in life I got into snowboarding with my kids- which I still 'try' to do but am not very good at it.
These days I mainly just tool around the neighborhood on my old cruiser and 'ratrod' bicycles that I build for fun.
In my music career I've been playing the guitar in rock bands since I was 16,when younger I ran around stages acting like an idiot. I dont run around and do all of the crazy stuff any more mostly due to my bad knee, and mostly because it looks stupid for a old guy my age to do that stuff. That part of my life is about to end soon anyways. The live performing part any ways.
I've basically packed alot of life in in my 41 years and apparently have also worn out some body parts while doing it. Now it looks like some parts are starting to need replacing. Humbling. My cholesterol is low,blood pressure is really good, and I have a good ticker- at least some good news from my regular checkup.
Other than being born,I have never been in the hospital besides quite a few ER visits for broken bones,stitches,kidney stones,etc. But I'm not worried. I have had some dental work done a few times removing molars and whatever so I have a little experience with anesthesia and surgery. Dental surgery is nothing like knee surgery,I realize that,but I think it will go well and I'll make out ok. I do have an unusually high tolerance to pain.
The wife has a few friends who have had it done and she says they all say it went well and theyre glad that they had it done.
If anybody has had this type of operation any info shared would be appreciated.
( sorry for the novel.)
