Firefighting & Rescue Social / Professional Network
Joint replacement for firefighters
Well it is T- 6 days until I get my knee replaced with the latest and greatest. I am nervous about it for sure. Yesterday was the pits, my head was for the first time in 27 yrs not in the game at all. Glad it was a quiet shift. The game was at the knee and thinking about how things were going to turn out in the next 6 months.
How many of you FFs out there have had this or other joints replaced and are still on the job. How are you doing, how did it turn out?
How many of you FFs out there have had this or other joints replaced and are still on the job. How are you doing, how did it turn out?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Don Zimmerman on -
Well it has been nearly a month and all is absolutely going great. The leg with the new parts continues to get stronger every day (I am working out nearly everyday like it or not). I am freaking some of the guys at work because I am working out at work. Some have never seen me doing this because I would not because it hurt so much in the knee. Now I can and it feels great. No knee pain, I may be hurting from working out but sure not from the knee. Later.
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Permalink Reply by Don Zimmerman on
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What a day!!! 6 months + 2 days ago I had a TKR and I just passed my yearly physical and fitness test. Today was the day to test whether or not I made the right decision to get the TKR or not. Never had to plan and decide what to do and have to wait 6 months to find out if what I did was great or career ending. Hope I made the right choice, to late now anyway. But who cares I PASSED THE DAMN THING AND NO ONE I REPEAT NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT FROM ME. Zimm
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Permalink Reply by Don Zimmerman on
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Last Sunday did what I thought might be impossible. I walked 4 miles in 58 minutes. Boy was I just worn out. Muscles hurt, blisters hurt (never planned for that), sunburn hurt (even with the hat), arms hurt, and the best part THE KNEE DID NOT HURT OR ANYTHING AROUND IT!!!!!!!
Hey, you guys that just won't admit it, you need to get this taken care of. If you do not do something IT WILL END YOUR CAREER, do you want that, no more rush, no more blood pumping, no more driving with light and sirens, no more saving a life that you have trained a lifetime for, when did it not hurt to go do live fire training and be on your knees, does your family worry about you, do you walk funny, when did you last mow the lawn and it did not hurt to do, when was the last time you went to the mall and walked around without having to sit down 3-4 times in an hour because it hurt. Come on go to the doctor and consult with them. Take my blog here into them when they say it can't be done. BULLSHIT IT CAN'T!!!
I am 10 times the firefighter I was 8 months ago when I decided to do this!! I have lost 80 lbs now because of the replacement, I work out at least 5 times a week for at least 90 minutes. Not easy workouts either: 60 minutes on an elip trainer at a 11 METS level for the whole time and then I left weights (about 80 % for the legs and 20 for the rest.
You want to talk, call me 509-539-5533 or email me at dczimmerman6@yahoo.com.
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Permalink Reply by Floyd Aldridge Jr on -
Don,
That is great news!! Keep Up the good work. Swimming is a good way to excerise also.
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Permalink Reply by duane on -
Hello my name is duane and i have a right knee that has been hurting me. it pops a lot and when i beened it is geting hard for me to get bavk up.lol could any one please tell me what might be wrong. thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Robert on -
I am in line to get my knee's. Yes both knee's replaced. I won't go into details but I am hoping that all goes well with mine in the next couple years.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Robert:
I had the right one done 4-1/2 years ago and the left one done 3-1/2 years ago.
I have been pain free ever since. I ride a bicycle and play lots of golf.
My job has me walking a lot on concrete floors; all activities that use to kill my knees.
Not anymore.
Because I was able to get active again, I lost 90 pounds.
I'm 56 and I feel like I'm 26.
Stay true to your therapy.
Good luck.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Robert on
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I hope all goes well with mine. Unfortunately I have to wait another 2 years til they will touch mine. Because of my age. Also unfortunate that my replacement has to do with Iraq but that is another whole story.
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Permalink Reply by Don Zimmerman on
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My knee is great, 18 months since surgery and I HAVE MY LIFE BACK BIG TIME, at one point before surgery I felt like my life was circling the drain and about to go down the xxxxxxx. Thank you doctor for the wonderful job you did and thank you BioMet for the great research and design into knee parts. Thanks to the therapy people who tortured me 3 times a week and then then demanded I work out of the days off. Thanks to my family, without then I would have had zero support and no one ther to drive me forward. Robert, tget a new doctor, if you need them age be damned. I am up to waliing 5 miles plus takes about 70 minutes, I run out of some gas about the 4 mile mark but I am doing that in an hour as is. I can not stress a having a great doctor, a therapist that has a plan for you to follow, and family to push you xxx forward. If you want more info go to knee1.com and learn alot about knee replacement. I had blog started when I did all this and I have not been back of late, about time to up date that blog and this one as well. You can email at dczimmerman6@yahoo.com of donald_c_zimmerman@rl.gov any time to learn more. Fireboss
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Permalink Reply by Robert on
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The only problem is that I do not have a choice of doctors for this. I am getting it done free by the VA. But they won't work on or give me medical for work done by out of network doctor's.
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Robert:
You must be entitled to a second opinion.
If the knee joint is that bad, they should do the surgery.
The new proesthetic joints are lasting a lot longer.
I was a real sumbitch until I had them done. They hurt all the time; I was cranky all the time.
Very limited in what I could do. Couldn't take any more medication because it was affecting liver and kidney function.
You get to a point where you tell them to do it or you'll find someone who will.
I did.
Good luck to you.
Art
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Hey, Don:
You aren't going to believe this but my artificial knee joint are Zimmer.
Is that funny or what?
You got BioMet and I have Zimmer.
That seems bass akwards to me.
Did they put you on a knee machine?
Glad to hear you're doing great.
Art
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