Is There Surfing After Knee Replacement? Hull Yes!!! YES!!
And there it is. You can surf with a titanium knee.
Four waves. Three rights. One left. Some pain. Much joy.
I love my Paul Gross hull!
(Did I stutter?)
And there it is. You can surf with a titanium knee.
I rented a surfboard and am going to try surfing later today. Can you give me a couple basic tips? Like where to stand on the board and when to stand up on a wave? I have the board for the rest of the week -- so who knows how good I'll be by Friday. Wish me luck.
Two of my boys are going under the knife this week. Both are surfers whom I met online as a result of this knee. Tom is having surgery as I type this. His knees are jacked up to the point that both are being replaced. I applaud that. Most people prefer to do one at a time. My mother, whose knees were replaced eight years ago, also did both at the same time. People like them are truly incredible. I don't know that I could take that kind of pain.
My knee is a bit more swollen than usual today. Who would have thought that a short bike ride of nine miles would be as much as I could handle? I take that back. I can physically handle more mileage than that. My knee cannot. Oh yeah, I did swim yesterday morning too. I'd forgotten about that. Two workouts in one day? No wonder my knee is unhappy.
Ninety days, a few tears and a couple of titanium pieces later, I'm beginning to appreciate joint replacement for what it is.
I swam to the buoy again today.That's me doing my best imitation of Buoy, Jr.
Behold the footrest known as Oxley. I spend an inordinate amount of time, while at the computer, trying not to squish the dog. Do you see why?
Perhaps it was the low tide. Or the nice, buoyant wetsuit. Or the dolphins? The sunshine? The good company?
You grow weary of the constant pain, the south swells you can't surf, the limited flexion, the scar that talks to you every minute of the day.
That's the question I keep asking myself when I endure the torture of physical therapy and the active release massage. I come away from both with a pronounced limp and a bad attitude. I'm currently at 110 for flexion. That means I can bend my knee 110 degrees. For some, that's good enough. I'm not "some". I want more. There are knee replacement patients who, upon realizing that their knees won't bend past a certain unsatisfactory point, go back under anesthesia to get a manipulation. It sounds like a nice, civilized procedure, does it not? You want to know what they do during a manipulation? They wrench the knee in god knows what directions in order to break the scar tissue that is preventing the joint from obtaining a satisfactory bend. I'm not a candidate for manipulation. My knee bends enough for normal activities (sitting, stair climbing and descending, walking). I don't want a manipulation anyway. I want 10 more degrees of flexion. I was at 120 at the time of surgery. 120. I never thought I'd be thankful for that little bit of bend. It bugged me for the last 29 years. Well, I'll admit I'd be more than happy with that much flexion.
El Hefe and others were right. The changes begin to occur at a rapid pace around the two month mark. I'm still unable to surf or ride the mat . . . but I'm close. August continues to be a good bet for my return to the lineups of overcrowded L.A. County.
I still can't safely ride my bike on the street. The knee does allow me to turn the pedals, but doing so is not without some pain. I'm not yet street safe. There is no way I could stop quickly, turn abruptly, jump over a hole or even ride hands-free with the knee in its current state.