farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
- Messages
- 11,461
- Reaction score
- 45,125
- Points
- 758
- Location
- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
My ankle is doing really good. No pain, still some numbness but getting a little more feeling on the bottom of it. It is getting stronger. I do exercises with it, and balancing on that foot for a count of 5 - yes I do hold onto the edge of a chair some - but getting more dexterous with it. PT guys say it is doing good.
The warmer weather doesn't seem to be helping the knees much. They just really hurt with any kind of walking/standing .... ESPECIALLY on any kind of hard floors.... walking doesn't hurt as much say on the lawn.... but the right one is very painful. Doesn't seem to matter what I take, supplements, anything.... and even the pain pills aren't helping much. I try to only take some tylenol except when I am in the barns; and the sad thing is I will get about an hours' lessening of the pain but not much. I find myself walking with the knees almost stiff and more of a shuffle sometimes, as they just hurt. And that actually makes it worse.... I tell myself to "bend your knees" often, so I don't get to walking like a tin soldier with stiff knees..... steps are just not fun no matter how I do it.
I know the cold affects them in the winter.... and I do make it a point of always wearing insulated overalls just for helping keep the knees warmer.
But as I have said before, I never realized that the knees hurt this much because the ankle was so painful to walk on. Now that there is just no pain in the ankle, the knees are really letting me know.....
I do find that using the one crutch helps because I take some of my weight on the arm/hand holding the crutch so don't come down so hard on the knees. PT said that it was fine if it kept me up and walking/exercising the ankle more. Or to use a cane or walking stick.... but that is more for balance than to take some of the pressure/weight off the actual knee joint. I am still using the crutch a fair amount when having to walk very much. I don't use it alot in the house, but even sometimes I find myself reaching for it because just putting all the weight on my knees is just too much. I also try to not take much for the pain, and go hours/days without even taking a tylenol if I can . I just don't like to keep taking them. I will combine it with the tramadol when I am testing though. Dr said they would work well together....synergistic (?) so I do that or I cannot get through a 2 hour milking/testing. It helps tremendously to be able to sit for a minute or 2 waiting on a cow to get done.... or the group to go out or come in.
Plus I look at it; I am further than I was a month ago when I needed help most all the time. I can do a 100 cow herd or a 2-2 1/2 hour test now without being in agony.... building up the strength and walking better. I don't use anything in the parlor while going from cow to cow..... and I do sit for a minute whenever I can.
It is better than it was...... I still can't believe that there is absolutely no pain in the ankle.... except a little soreness when doing the exercises and such with the stretching and strengthening the muscles and ligaments and tendons and all.....
SOOOOOOO GLAD that I did the ankle..... am now wanting to get the knees done if they will feel better like this.
The warmer weather doesn't seem to be helping the knees much. They just really hurt with any kind of walking/standing .... ESPECIALLY on any kind of hard floors.... walking doesn't hurt as much say on the lawn.... but the right one is very painful. Doesn't seem to matter what I take, supplements, anything.... and even the pain pills aren't helping much. I try to only take some tylenol except when I am in the barns; and the sad thing is I will get about an hours' lessening of the pain but not much. I find myself walking with the knees almost stiff and more of a shuffle sometimes, as they just hurt. And that actually makes it worse.... I tell myself to "bend your knees" often, so I don't get to walking like a tin soldier with stiff knees..... steps are just not fun no matter how I do it.
I know the cold affects them in the winter.... and I do make it a point of always wearing insulated overalls just for helping keep the knees warmer.
But as I have said before, I never realized that the knees hurt this much because the ankle was so painful to walk on. Now that there is just no pain in the ankle, the knees are really letting me know.....
I do find that using the one crutch helps because I take some of my weight on the arm/hand holding the crutch so don't come down so hard on the knees. PT said that it was fine if it kept me up and walking/exercising the ankle more. Or to use a cane or walking stick.... but that is more for balance than to take some of the pressure/weight off the actual knee joint. I am still using the crutch a fair amount when having to walk very much. I don't use it alot in the house, but even sometimes I find myself reaching for it because just putting all the weight on my knees is just too much. I also try to not take much for the pain, and go hours/days without even taking a tylenol if I can . I just don't like to keep taking them. I will combine it with the tramadol when I am testing though. Dr said they would work well together....synergistic (?) so I do that or I cannot get through a 2 hour milking/testing. It helps tremendously to be able to sit for a minute or 2 waiting on a cow to get done.... or the group to go out or come in.
Plus I look at it; I am further than I was a month ago when I needed help most all the time. I can do a 100 cow herd or a 2-2 1/2 hour test now without being in agony.... building up the strength and walking better. I don't use anything in the parlor while going from cow to cow..... and I do sit for a minute whenever I can.
It is better than it was...... I still can't believe that there is absolutely no pain in the ankle.... except a little soreness when doing the exercises and such with the stretching and strengthening the muscles and ligaments and tendons and all.....
SOOOOOOO GLAD that I did the ankle..... am now wanting to get the knees done if they will feel better like this.
Maybe it will scare them off, also. You'll let us know.
nope
I'm so glad that I found BYH, you all are good for my soul! 
