The Old Man Thread

[AdamL]

11 hours ago, Fullright said:

@AdamL, dude I am so sorry about your hip. I didnt have a choice. I tried to negotiate with Dr a way out of the surgery and he said sure I could hobble around with the brace for a year or so and then he'd have to reconstruct my thigh. Hobbling isnt an option for my work and thigh reconstruction is extreme so quad reattachment and meniscus surgery was the only realistic option.

Thanks.  Best of luck with the rehab!

[RichMan]

On 9/22/2023 at 9:58 PM, Fullright said:

Surgery completed this morning on a same day basis. I cannot take pics at this point to document the wound. I have a compression dressing from my toes to mid thigh over which I have a hinged carbon fiber immobilizer with it locked into straight leg position. Crutches only and cant get it wet. Follow up w Dr is next thursday. I am a little concerned about the wound. He told me going in he'd have to make an incision so to locate the tendon, pull it down, and anchor it in place with three screws. Pain is tolerable but you'll love this: Dr rxed Norco for pain because the general and nerve block in the thigh would wear off. The CVS has Norco on back order and it isnt available. I dont like taking crap because for me it easier to cope with my head clear rather than hazed w narcotics. So I just have to live with it or take a belt of a good Scotch. 

@AdamL, dude I am so sorry about your hip. I didnt have a choice. I tried to negotiate with Dr a way out of the surgery and he said sure I could hobble around with the brace for a year or so and then he'd have to reconstruct my thigh. Hobbling isnt an option for my work and thigh reconstruction is extreme so quad reattachment and meniscus surgery was the only realistic option.

@Chenner29, Oh man! So sorry about that esp at a great moment in your career made worse only by an insurance snafu. Best going forward.

@Wonder35, @WillyGrips13, @RichMan, & @MTH: I dont want to stop; I planned to just go for the year and see how it went with my play. If I was getting blown out, then it is easy. If I was effectively ok, keep going. I still burn for it and, like all of you, probably will till I die. Like I told a neighbor, I've goal longer than anything else in my life. So your counsel about keeping my options open is good advice. Besides, no one would buy my outdated gear except a museum. 

So what you're saying is that you can only move your leg if you pull down on your ear?

You're really going to cheat us out on that exciting sequel?

You say that but you haven't really spent any personal time with us yet  

Quick strong recovery brother 

[Fullright]

Had first follow up w Dr. this after. Staples removed and I dont have to wear the compression bandage any more. I can wash the leg now when I shower. I have to sit on a senior citizen shower chair as if I arent already humiliated with how it happened.  At least now I can have both legs in the shower. Till tonight I had to cover the leg w 2 construction garbage bags to keep it dry. Still in the brace but now opened to 30 degrees extension and add another 10 degrees every week till next visit in 4 weeks. Ice and keep the legs locked at 0 degrees when walking or sleeping. Full weight bearing as tolerated. Havent taken the low grade narcotic Trammadol since Tuesday. So progress. Saw the surgical films....pretty gross/cool how I have 5 wires vertically in my thigh and knee cap together with one horizontally tying them all together. 

So here's a pic of the brace and some B&D porn of my knee. Apologies for the disgusting knee.

 

 

[MTH]

Oh god. I'm sorry. 

[coopaloop1234]

15 hours ago, Fullright said:

Had first follow up w Dr. this after. Staples removed and I dont have to wear the compression bandage any more. I can wash the leg now when I shower. I have to sit on a senior citizen shower chair as if I arent already humiliated with how it happened.  At least now I can have both legs in the shower. Till tonight I had to cover the leg w 2 construction garbage bags to keep it dry. Still in the brace but now opened to 30 degrees extension and add another 10 degrees every week till next visit in 4 weeks. Ice and keep the legs locked at 0 degrees when walking or sleeping. Full weight bearing as tolerated. Havent taken the low grade narcotic Trammadol since Tuesday. So progress. Saw the surgical films....pretty gross/cool how I have 5 wires vertically in my thigh and knee cap together with one horizontally tying them all together. 

So here's a pic of the brace and some B&D porn of my knee. Apologies for the disgusting knee.

 

 

And here I want to see the footage.  

[Wonder35]

Welcome to the Zipper Knee Club, limited membership. No, trust me, no more of you want to join up.

[Fullright]

Update but no BD or SM pics this time.

This coming Monday I get to come out of this Garth Snow size brace as long as I am at home or in the office. My surgeon is overwhelmingly pleased with himself and his work. Been doing motion and flex exercise to get some quad tone back. The atrophy is disgusting. I am weight bearing and can walk with a limp at home. Stairs are out of the question leading with the injured leg. 

I havent ruled out playing again but it will be a very long road if it happens. My surgeon, who knows me and our mind set, says I am ahead of the pace for recovery but he has doubts about motion being what we need to do our job. I am out of shape but I have lost weight so I havent morphed into a fat old man; just an old man.

Since nothing exists unless @coopaloop1234 can see it, here's a pic from today. 

Swelling persists but majorly improved. Still have to ice every day. 

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Fullright
Coop and typo

[coopaloop1234]

6 minutes ago, Fullright said:

Update but no BD or SM pics this time.

This coming Monday I get to come out of this Garth Snow size brace as long as I am at home or in the office. My surgeon is overwhelmingly pleased with himself and his work. Been doing motion and flex exercise to get some quad tone back. The atrophy is disgusting. I am weight bearing and can walk with a limp at home. Stairs are out of the question leading with the injured leg. 

I havent ruled out playing again but it will be a very long road if it happens. My surgeon, who knows me and our mind set, says I am ahead of the pace for recovery but he has doubts about motion being what we need to do our job. I am out of shape but I have lost weight so I havent morphed into a fat old man; just an old man.

Since nothing exists unless @coopaloop1234 can see it, here's a pic from today. 

Swelling persists but majorly improved. Still have to ice every day. 

 

Glad to see that my running of a tight ship around here is paying off. 

Healing looks good and having a surgeon be incredibly proud about how something went is usually (usually) a great confidence booster. 

I hope things go well for you. 

[Fullright]

@coopaloop1234, thanks bud. I am lucky re the surgeon. I know him outside of the doctor patient relationship but he's a "master of the universe medically". Just before they put me under, he asked me how I was doing and I told I was scared. Like the massive egoist that he is, he said, "I'm not...piece of cake". 

Appreciate the ship you run and the kind words.

I really hope I can get back. I think I can get the motion restored but I am concerned about the torquing we do. I am too old and busted up for more surgery. Breaks my heart to watch a game and not being able to feel it as a goaler.  

[coopaloop1234]

10 minutes ago, Fullright said:

@coopaloop1234, thanks bud. I am lucky re the surgeon. I know him outside of the doctor patient relationship but he's a "master of the universe medically". Just before they put me under, he asked me how I was doing and I told I was scared. Like the massive egoist that he is, he said, "I'm not...piece of cake". 

Man, of all the things he could've said, you got lucky.  

 

[MTH]

Imagine while taking that picture someone walks in and see you.

What are you doing with your pants pulled down taking a picture of yourself?

It's for the internet, don't worry.

[coopaloop1234]

24 minutes ago, MTH said:

Imagine while taking that picture someone walks in and see you.

What are you doing with your pants pulled down taking a picture of yourself?

It's for the internet, don't worry.

What's his OF? 

[Fullright]

I was tying on a bag of ice at work and figured I'd show what it looks like now. Not that anyone where I work knocks before entering even though a sign on my door says "knock before entering" Oh well, other than one puny thigh and one decent thigh, aint a whole lot to see anyway. Ice makes me shy.

[jerd31]

Pulled my groin about two months ago coming across for a save on a one-timer.  Rested it for a few weeks, then played probably 10 games with no issues.  Then, two weeks ago, same situation, come across on a one-timer, butterfly slide and stretch my leg across, boom, groin pops.  

Iced it for a few days and pain subsided.  I've been stretching and can't get it to the point where I feel the pain, but the first time it happened I couldn't feel it until I got on the ice again and stretched, then felt it.  

I guess I have to start playing more controlled, I'm 20 years older and 50lbs heavier than I was when I could actually do the splits lol.  

I have a game this coming Sunday that I think I'm ready for.  Let's hope I don't rip my nads apart.

Edited November 9, 2023 by jerd31

[BigPoppaPump]

Adding on the old man thread here...

Any other older dudes here facing the beginnings of osteoarthritis of the knee? I've had two cortisone injections over the years, but the relief only lasts so long, and there is a finite amount of times you should be doing this. I understand doc recommendations to strengthen my legs, etc. to help me out over the long haul, however what if anything do other people do for relief?

Knee braces/sleeves? I'd feel that it would possibly impede movements, butterfly, etc. Creams, oils to rub on to the area? Ibuprofen pills before you skate? Acupuncture? 

At this point, I'm ready to try anything. I'm certainly feeling my knee affecting my abilities on the ice as well as my enjoyment. Anyone have any suggestions or words of wisdom?

[Wonder35]

I am at the far end of the goal playing graph, 74 years old, a goalie all my life. Our 70+ team has mid day ice 3 times per week, 8 months of the year.

I had my first knee surgery at age 29, cartilage removal from a combination of HS Football and Goaltending. In the 70's this surgery was a cut, slash and cast for 8 weeks. I wore a brace from then on and got shots of Depomedrol (steroid) when the pain became an issue.

This drug has a history of diminished returns so later procedures involved less invasive surgery. Arthroscopic was quick and easy, in and out within hours with a small bandaid on my knee.

Throughout these times (ages 35-50) I exercised more, tried out newer (lighter) goalie gear, but keep in mind that my generation was taught to stand up, play the angles, stay in our net. Our bodies were not stressed and strained in the same manners of todays 'tenders.

Eventually I succumbed to surgery, hip (2007) and knee (2018) replacements. These required me to pay more attention to my body. Well, that, and I found hockey that was in my age range, first a 55+ Team and now my fourth year with the 70+ guys (and girls!).

For arthritic pain I take a cannabis medical prescription of CBD/THC compounds, not heavy on the psychedelic side, more tuned towards CBD. I do not get stoned on my sports potion but on a nasty pain day I have a 50/50 prescription that is the only drug I ingest that truly removes most pain. The side effect, I get stoned. So this is an evening application, not going anywhere, and I'm sure to tell my wife (like she doesn't sense this after 51 years of marriage).

An over the counter topical I like is Voltaren Joint Pain, Extra Strength. In an hour I will be rubbing some on my artificial knee/hip and a shoulder rebuilt in 1996. Then off to the rink.

The brace I wear on my knee is not elaborate, just a pull on, velcro adjustment straps and a hinged knee. Anything more elaborate restricts my movements too much.

So, there you have my sports injury history. Avoid major surgeries for as long as you can. There are much better procedures out there.

Be aware, have fun and listen to your body.

Steve B

 

ADDENDUM

Oh yeah and ...... In order to keep the arthritis somewhat under control, I do daily morning Yoga Exercises focussed on upper and lower body stretching. Following my knee replacement surgery in 2018 I joined an Aqua Fit Class. Our twice a week one hour session is all movement. I am up to my neck in the pool the entire class. Buoyancy keeps your full body weight lightened and its resistance adds to the  effort required from your limbs.

In good wether I'm on my bicycle as often as possible, non-electric of course.

Edited November 11, 2023 by Wonder35

[Fullright]

@jerd31, sorry to hear about the groin. Be careful - real easy for groins to become chronic.

@Wonder35, dude you are an inspiration. Absolute bad _ss. You give me hope.

@BigPoppaPump, only suggestions I can offer is what I do/did before I got parked in 9/23. Make sure you work your legs in between games with stretching every day and or work outs to make your legs stronger such as lunges with and without dumb bells. The older we get, the more important the off ice work becomes. Pregame/practice/skate, I warmed up the muscles at home with calisthenics, a few Advil, and IcyHot Extra Strength pretty much all over. I havent had a real warmup at a practice or a game since junior/college about 40 yrs ago. You wont get one in beer league.

Edited November 11, 2023 by Fullright

[MTH]

Speak for yourself, Fullright... I get a solid 30 seconds of warmups before a game. 20 shots:

• 15 miss the net,
• 2 are when I'm not looking,
• one slo mo breakaway,
• one off the mask
• and the one timer pass shot from a defenseman.

Ready to go!

Edited November 13, 2023 by MTH

[Fullright]

Saw my surgeon yesterday. As always, he's very pleased with himself. He's also pleased with my progress. I am out of the brace for the past 2 weeks and walking is getting better. His orders are to rebuild the musculature of my quads and calf. He trusts me to do the work so he gave me the exercises to get the muscles back and I dont have to go to formal physical therapy. I see him next in 90 days. My motion is very good and I have to ice at night because the knee swells from walking etc but not nearly that bad.

He did give me hope: if I get my strength back, he'll clear me to play. 

[coopaloop1234]

52 minutes ago, Fullright said:

Saw my surgeon yesterday. As always, he's very pleased with himself. He's also pleased with my progress. I am out of the brace for the past 2 weeks and walking is getting better. His orders are to rebuild the musculature of my quads and calf. He trusts me to do the work so he gave me the exercises to get the muscles back and I dont have to go to formal physical therapy. I see him next in 90 days. My motion is very good and I have to ice at night because the knee swells from walking etc but not nearly that bad.

He did give me hope: if I get my strength back, he'll clear me to play. 

Awesome to hear. 

First step is getting you mobile for everything else, then hockey. Let us know how it all goes. 

[Fullright]

@coopaloop1234 and those who 'liked": thank you fellas. Your encouragement means more than you'll ever know. I dont want to be done.

[WillyGrips13]

[Fullright]

@WillyGrips13, outstanding Willy!

I was shi____g my pants as the image loaded. 

[Chenner29]

2 hours ago, Fullright said:

@WillyGrips13, outstanding Willy!

I was shi____g my pants as the image loaded. 

You can use profanity here, we're all >35

[coopaloop1234]

7 minutes ago, Chenner29 said:

You can use profanity here, we're all >35

So we're changing the threshold for old now? Thought it was 40+?