Artificial joints
So, Im 68
rode a bike when I was a child, quit in jr high school
I grew up in Kansas, and at the time: to get a learners permit, you only had to be 14, and a full license at 16. A learners permit enabled you to drive to work and to school and got abused plenty. So: bikes were not cool
A few years later, though, early 70s, I was a hippie, and got a Peugeot U08 and took up riding, in a frivolous way.
Then, October 1973, I borrowed a friends car to go visit my parents, 30 miles away. Id just gotten going when: all of a sudden, there was a car on the wrong side of the road, headed straight at me.
I jammed on the brakes as hard as I could just as he slammed into me.
My right femur was broken and shattered in three places. I spent 65 days in traction. And four months after that on crutches. And more months after that with a cane.
The drunk who passed out and hit me wasnt injured.
I sold my bike I was too broke in those days to keep anything I wasnt using.
I limped around for the next 27 years it was always a problem, it always hurt some.
They had told me that someday, I would have to get an artificial kneecap, they didnt replace joints back then.
In 1999 I took up riding big time. Ive gone almost 60,000 miles since. And: after Id been riding for 6 or 8 months, my knee actually improved, it got a lot stronger (to this day, the muscles in my left leg are still much bigger than in my right), and this kept it from hurting as much.
But: gradually, the cartilage was getting destroyed.
The doctor would tell me: someday you should get your knee replaced.
This sounded horrible and intrusive to me.
In probably 2010, my late wife and I took a trip to Colorado, to rocky mountain national park near Estes Park. Theres a road: trail ridge road. The highest year-round round in the continental US: goes up to 13,500 feet.
We drove up that road. I expected to see cyclists taking it on . but only saw one (turns out: it was supposed to and did rain that afternoon). We stopped at one of the many scenic vistas, and shortly after, the cyclist arrived, and I went to talk to her.
A 72-year-old woman. Her husband could no longer ride and was following behind in their van. I noticed that she didnt have clipless pedals, or even toe clips. I asked her about it, and she told me that she couldnt, for reasons having to do with having had her knee replaced the year before. Later, we saw that she made it up to 13,500 feet.
I, by the way, also cannot wear clipless pedals, for a number or reasons, one being that the leg that was in traction became: an 1 ¼ shorter. I used toe clips for a while (a hassle when youve got a shoe with an extra inch on it) and then switched to straps. And most recently: I abanded all of them.
The Trail Ridge cyclist convinced me that it was okay to get my knee replaced, though it took me two more years to get around to it. I was still reluctant, even knowing that it was a good thing. It really is invasive.
One day I was getting out of my car. Suddenly, my knee locked in place. Painfully. Next day made it to the orthopedist. He told me that even though mostly I had no cartilage left, a piece of it had broken off and got stuck in the joint.
He said it could happen again, any time.
So: 7 years ago, I got my knee replaced. Its major surgery, always a drag and recovery was difficult. They get you out of bed the day after surgery, and make you walk, or in my case, try to. The physical therapy for this is brutal the new knee wont bend properly until you force it. By doing painful exercise. Every day.
It was really bad for about a month I was operated on July 2nd. In August, I was driving a car, in September I started getting on an exercise bike, and by the end of the month I was on my bike again. Probably could have done it sooner. The knee works way better than the old one. For me: it made walking less painful, and allows me to go up and down stairs without moving one foot to the next step, and then putting the other on the same.
Prior to the operation, when I walked (or just stood), my left foot was pointing straight ahead, but my right was pointed out at a 45 degree angle. This had been more difficult for me because of the damage to my femur while replacing the knee, they did something to help that. I met people who had both knees replaced, Im glad I only needed the one.
But: three years later, I had one hip replaced; the one on the other side (knee on my right, hip on my left). Because walking so poorly for 27 years wrecked it. It was a much simpler and easy recovery.
Anyway, these things were really worth doing and have made my life better. And have kept me at the bike.
I may NEXT have a joint in my hand replaced index finger, left hand Im a guitar player and can no longer play chords Ive been playing all my life. Its an outpatient procedure: but requires a cast on your wrist for two months. Im trying to find the perfect time to do this, which isnt easy.
I didnt teach tlasthis summer, but didnt want to do it then. Why ruin summer, prime riding time?
In conclusion, if you ever need this done: DO it. Its worth it.
A few years later, though, early 70s, I was a hippie, and got a Peugeot U08 and took up riding, in a frivolous way.
Then, October 1973, I borrowed a friends car to go visit my parents, 30 miles away. Id just gotten going when: all of a sudden, there was a car on the wrong side of the road, headed straight at me.
I jammed on the brakes as hard as I could just as he slammed into me.
My right femur was broken and shattered in three places. I spent 65 days in traction. And four months after that on crutches. And more months after that with a cane.
The drunk who passed out and hit me wasnt injured.
I sold my bike I was too broke in those days to keep anything I wasnt using.
I limped around for the next 27 years it was always a problem, it always hurt some.
They had told me that someday, I would have to get an artificial kneecap, they didnt replace joints back then.
In 1999 I took up riding big time. Ive gone almost 60,000 miles since. And: after Id been riding for 6 or 8 months, my knee actually improved, it got a lot stronger (to this day, the muscles in my left leg are still much bigger than in my right), and this kept it from hurting as much.
But: gradually, the cartilage was getting destroyed.
The doctor would tell me: someday you should get your knee replaced.
This sounded horrible and intrusive to me.
In probably 2010, my late wife and I took a trip to Colorado, to rocky mountain national park near Estes Park. Theres a road: trail ridge road. The highest year-round round in the continental US: goes up to 13,500 feet.
We drove up that road. I expected to see cyclists taking it on . but only saw one (turns out: it was supposed to and did rain that afternoon). We stopped at one of the many scenic vistas, and shortly after, the cyclist arrived, and I went to talk to her.
A 72-year-old woman. Her husband could no longer ride and was following behind in their van. I noticed that she didnt have clipless pedals, or even toe clips. I asked her about it, and she told me that she couldnt, for reasons having to do with having had her knee replaced the year before. Later, we saw that she made it up to 13,500 feet.
I, by the way, also cannot wear clipless pedals, for a number or reasons, one being that the leg that was in traction became: an 1 ¼ shorter. I used toe clips for a while (a hassle when youve got a shoe with an extra inch on it) and then switched to straps. And most recently: I abanded all of them.
The Trail Ridge cyclist convinced me that it was okay to get my knee replaced, though it took me two more years to get around to it. I was still reluctant, even knowing that it was a good thing. It really is invasive.
One day I was getting out of my car. Suddenly, my knee locked in place. Painfully. Next day made it to the orthopedist. He told me that even though mostly I had no cartilage left, a piece of it had broken off and got stuck in the joint.
He said it could happen again, any time.
So: 7 years ago, I got my knee replaced. Its major surgery, always a drag and recovery was difficult. They get you out of bed the day after surgery, and make you walk, or in my case, try to. The physical therapy for this is brutal the new knee wont bend properly until you force it. By doing painful exercise. Every day.
It was really bad for about a month I was operated on July 2nd. In August, I was driving a car, in September I started getting on an exercise bike, and by the end of the month I was on my bike again. Probably could have done it sooner. The knee works way better than the old one. For me: it made walking less painful, and allows me to go up and down stairs without moving one foot to the next step, and then putting the other on the same.
Prior to the operation, when I walked (or just stood), my left foot was pointing straight ahead, but my right was pointed out at a 45 degree angle. This had been more difficult for me because of the damage to my femur while replacing the knee, they did something to help that. I met people who had both knees replaced, Im glad I only needed the one.
But: three years later, I had one hip replaced; the one on the other side (knee on my right, hip on my left). Because walking so poorly for 27 years wrecked it. It was a much simpler and easy recovery.
Anyway, these things were really worth doing and have made my life better. And have kept me at the bike.
I may NEXT have a joint in my hand replaced index finger, left hand Im a guitar player and can no longer play chords Ive been playing all my life. Its an outpatient procedure: but requires a cast on your wrist for two months. Im trying to find the perfect time to do this, which isnt easy.
I didnt teach tlasthis summer, but didnt want to do it then. Why ruin summer, prime riding time?
In conclusion, if you ever need this done: DO it. Its worth it.