The intent of my original posting was to encourage those with “Arthur” problems to not make the same mistakes  I did.  Postponing the inevitable to the point of causing more damage to other joints.

Joint replacement surgery, or any surgery for that matter, is a very personal decision and I do not intend to mettle in other’s affairs.  Only to relate what I believe my own mistakes were.

Looking forward to a yearly canoe trip or two is what keeps me walking stairs, being conscious of my weight and what I eat, and a myriad of other bad habits I would rather be enjoying.

When I cross paths in the woods with someone 10 or 20 years older than I am, still there and doing it in style, I am in awe and inspired.  Last year, on the upper end of Kawnipi I found a 3 generation family walking the portage.  The elder was 86 and his stride would make anyone proud.  I hope to be him someday.

Jimbo,  you mentioned conflicting opinions from your Dr.’s.  That is all too common.  They are human and often driven by different desires.  Some to heal and help and some by cash flow. They are capable of encouraging unreasonable caution with their handiwork so their outcome statistics look better, even if it is at the cost of lifestyle to the patient.

I decided some time ago that many Dr.’s form an opinion of the patient’s ailment within the first 30 seconds of discussion and never hear anything else you say beyond that point.  Before I had my knee replaced I got two opinions, just like most people do.  But to short circuit the 30 second opinion habit, I took visual aids.  A single page with 12 smaller photos of things I explained to the Dr.’s I had to be able to do after the replacement.  A firewood pile, stiff clutches in vintage vehicles and farm equipment (left leg), my knees folded up and legs crossed in the stern of a canoe, a steep rock garden portage’ trail with a heavy pack, and so on.  One Dr. said no to 4 or 5 of the photos.  The other asked if I did any of those 12 things as my daily occupation for 8 hours per day. When I replied “no” he said I should be able to enjoy all those activities for the rest of my life. 

He got the job. 

My only lifelong restriction was not to use a treadmill, stairclimber or any other daily exercise machine that loads and unloads the joint.  He recommends an elliptical machine.  Hips may be different?

All of us who are a bit long in the tooth will hit that wall at some point in the not too distant future.  Ceasing to do what we love and need before we simply can’t do it anymore seems akin to giving up and sitting around waiting for the grim reaper to have his way with us without a fight.

Standard apologies if I ricocheted off into the weeds to far on this one.

Regards,

MossBack