Knee caps, surgery, healing, any helpful hints?

[Southernmiss]

I tripped over son's duffle bag on the way out to work Wednesday. He had left it in the laundry room floor in the path to the garage.
We have told him for 23 years to pick up his stuff, had a conversation on this last week-ugh!

Anyway, x-rays show at least 2 fractures, maybe hairline fractures, too to the kneecap.

Orthopedic doctor can't see me until Tuesday a.m.

So, I am home with norco prescription, a leg splint and borrowed walker, wheelchair and cooljet and no other instructions.

Dh and I have been figuring things out as we go along. He's been great.

I suspect I'll need surgery.

So can you hit up me with experiences and helpful hints.

Dh is heading to a medical supply store this afternoon to try to get a leg lift for the wheelchair.

 

[tvguy]

No first hand experience but the thing I hear from folks who have had surgery is the surgery was no big deal. However, the physical therapy afterwards can be challenging.

 

[slo]

I’m sorry to hear this.
I have no advice - I just wanted to send you some get well PD to feel better soon.

 

[kymom99]

Not my experience but a lady I know fell in her garage and fractured her kneecap in august. She had to have surgery and had to keep her knee perfectly straight for a long time. She is still in a brace that goes from ankle to hip.

 

[Southernmiss]

Dh did get a leg lift for the wheelchair. Very helpful and much less taxing than the walker on my leg.

 

[lynxstch]

No first hand experience but the thing I hear from folks who have had surgery is the surgery was no big deal. However, the physical therapy afterwards can be challenging.

This ^^^^

except that I do have first hand experience. Years ago (many, many) I was in a car accident and broke my kneecap. Surgery wasn't bad, but I was in a cast for about 6 weeks. The day I got the cast off, I lost my balance, fell and broke it again. Back to the cast for a month. I had a 2 month old baby at the time,,so the cast didn't make that very easy! Physical therapy was brutal, but worked. But to this day, I can still forecast the weather with that knee !!
Good luck and feel better!

 

[Dan Murphy]

My only personal experience is from a knee replacement 8 years ago. The surgery was tough, the 10 weeks of PT was tougher. But so necessary. I have no after effects from the procedure. Whatever the surgery, do that physical therapy afterwards. Best wishes for a full recovery and little pain along the way.

 

[luv2cheer92]

Not my experience but a lady I know fell in her garage and fractured her kneecap in august. She had to have surgery and had to keep her knee perfectly straight for a long time. She is still in a brace that goes from ankle to hip.

That is not typical in my experience. I've treated a whole bunch of patella fractures, most are in a knee immobilizer for about 6 weeks, then they want you to start moving it.

 

[Southernmiss]

I had surgery 2 weeks ago. The patella was broken in 3 places Iike a peace sign. A plate, wires and screws repaired it all.

I had lots of swelling and bruising for the first week.

Then about a week after, I had what I call a breakthrough day. I woke to the swelling and bruising significantly diminished and decided that the walker and wheelchair were harder on my upper body than walking with an immobilizer brace was on my knee.

The day to day progress since then has been good.

I returned to my office job on Monday and so far so good. Sitting in the wheelchair at my desk to extend my leg.

Doing some PT on my own at home that the doctor told my husband I could do. Can move the knee past 90 degrees and it feels good to ease some stiffness out of it.

Taking a .500 mg tylenol or ibuprofen twice a day about 12 hours apart as needed for discomfort.

I'll have my 1st post op appointment Wednesday. 3 weeks after surgery. Hope I haven't messed anything up and that I've made expected progress.

Eager to officially start PT with an actual physiotherapist.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Sounds good, SM. Wishing you continued improvement, slow but sure, and again, a full recovery.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Glad things are going well. Sounds rough. DS would be in the doghouse, lol.

 

[Southernmiss]

Glad things are going well. Sounds rough. DS would be in the doghouse, lol.

Thanks.

Yep. He was. Had a 'discussion' with Ds in the early days of this episode.

He has been helpful with driving me as needed when dh is not available.

 

[kymom99]

Im glad to hear your recovery is going well! That is such good news. The injury sounds terrible.

My friend I mentioned who fell in early august? She still can’t work. She had to have a manipulation procedure this past week and now she can finally bend it to 90 degrees. Her injury sounds like yours, with the 3 breaks and the wires. I know that’s not typical.

 

[Southernmiss]

Im glad to hear your recovery is going well! That is such good news. The injury sounds terrible.

My friend I mentioned who fell in early august? She still can’t work. She had to have a manipulation procedure this past week and now she can finally bend it to 90 degrees. Her injury sounds like yours, with the 3 breaks and the wires. I know that’s not typical.

Hate that your friend is struggling.

Hopefully, the manipulation is going to get her on the way to improvement really fast.

 

[kymom99]

Hate that your friend is struggling.

Hopefully, the manipulation is going to get her on the way to improvement really fast.

She seems very encouraged by it. She’s young and thin so it’s not like if it was me and my old, fat self was slowing things down.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I don't know why but lately it seems everyone has knee troubles and I don't know when it became such a problem. My dad and I have knee problems ourselves and I don't know how people handle it? With my knee I am always in pain and can barely move it because everytime I attempt to move my knee it makes a clicking sound which it never did before and sometimes I can barely sleep because I get painful charley horses in my knee. And with Dad he has big pains in his knee and sometimes he tries to walk but it causes him pain but he can manage trips to the supermarket fine but I don't know how Dad injured his knee but he's had knee pain since last month and my knee problem has been with me since 2019. And my dad and me also cannot sit in chairs for too long because we both get big pains if we sit too long. I wish there was a miracle cure for my knee to heal so I can feel better myself and I wish Dad's knee would heal too and get better