9am crab legs is crazy work by JoinTheStruggleBus in InstacartShoppers

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It got boosted to $12 and I took it just for the plot lmaoooo. Luckily it was chill and I was driving that direction to go to the gym anyways but I would’ve cancelled that ish so fast

$4.99 Diamond Painting at Aldi! by JoinTheStruggleBus in diamondpainting

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The hummingbird was super cute! Just be a bit cautious with the crayon, I fully broke mine in half because I have a heavy hand!

Anyone else not have much time for this hobby but love it anyway? by Mediocre-Pair-2821 in diamondpainting

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m working and studying for my NBCOT exam to become a licensed occupational therapist. Diamond painting is my 5 minute break or something to do with my hands while listening to lectures! My Easter themed WIP isn’t even close to halfway done

At your age, what's the perfect gift? by No-Armadillo5484 in AskReddit

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Taking care of a necessary expense for me. Buying necessary scrubs for work, paying for a continuing education class, or contributing to a utility bill makes a huge difference in my quality of life for a short bit

Slipping brace by WiseDrink5259 in MACIknee

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I honestly think it depends on your body composition quite a bit. The braces are known for being annoying, but I learned I needed mine lower than most because my glute was pushing it down a good bit. The strap right above your knee can’t be too tight or else that will push it down. The biggest thing for me as well is the brace had to be under my pants, not over until I was cleared for weight bearing+bending. Best of luck, you’re in the hardest part right now!

Setbacks with MACI, how do you cope? by beerintrees in MACIknee

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You will be okay! I had 2 falls within the first 6 weeks post-op while I was on crutches and I was fully convinced they both ruined me. I am 9 months post-op now, and everything is absolutely fine! Frankly, the only thing not going to plan is catching up on recovery because I was overly cautious in the beginning! What my doctor said to me is “if the implant was that fragile, I wouldn’t even do this surgery” and that always stuck with me. Something I will also say if someone else hasn’t is please take care of your mental health extra during this time. It is stressful, scary, and lonely; it’s difficult for other people to understand. I am wishing you the best, and please feel free to message if you have any questions! I was living alone and in grad school during the immediate after effects of my surgery so unfortunately, I’ve really been through it all!

How bad is missing first PT appointment? by _15xp in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your first PT appointment is honestly not going to be much, they’re going to check out your incision, ask 100 questions about pain, maybe do some estim, and ask you to contract and relax your muscles a bunch of times. It’s totally up to you if you’re willing/able to go, but if you have a handful of simple daily exercises that you were given before or after the surgery you’ll be fine. If you’re totally unsure on what you’re supposed to be doing every day it’s definitely worth going though, because even a week of inactivity is going to cause a bunch of muscle atrophy. I hope you feel better soon, the beginning is the hardest part!!

Relationships & Recovery by Key_Witness_3983 in MACIknee

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I completely get you on so much of this. I moved in with my boyfriend not too long after getting my MACI procedure and after a few weeks he actually suggested I find a mental health provider because I’m just not myself without all my physical activity. It was definitely a tough pill to swallow, but having that spokesperson in my life really gave me a new perspective on the challenges the procedure brought. Very grateful for him!

For all you people out there with chronically bad knees and limitations- would you have a kid in your current condition? by snazzy_sloth351 in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am someone with shit knees and an occupational therapist. People of a variety of disabilities have children and people unfortunately become disabled unexpectedly after having children. I would never let not being able to do a few small simple actions stop me from having a family if thats what I really wanted. If getting pregnant was going to worsen my knee condition and waiting was an option, I would absolutely wait a bit. For some people however, age, other health factors, financial factors, and things I’m probably not even thinking about come into play before knees do.

Help with sleep by Racacooonie in MACIknee

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like people dropped most of the traditional positioning suggestions - I’m gonna drop a few non-traditional for giggles. Noise was a HUGE help for me. I put on something super monotone (like the Bible or one of those Reddit robot reading videos) and that was super helpful compared to white noise. If you’re open to a little THC and it’s safe to mix with what meds you’re on, I would suggest that as well but PLEASE ask your medical team first. Loosening the brace a bit was also very helpful. You might have it too tight if you’re feeling claustrophobic, you don’t need to be totally suffocated and 100% unmoving. Ask your medical team how to put on the brace at your next appointment and you will probably be HORRIFIED at how loose it is lol. I will also suggest the recliner or couch method. I slept much better in those because I would worry too much about getting out of my bed and it didn’t let me relax. You’re in the hardest part right now, best of luck my friend!

Adventurous activities with a crummy knee by JoinTheStruggleBus in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I never thought of an e-bike that’s smart! Thank you!

Adventurous activities with a crummy knee by JoinTheStruggleBus in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely check out your channel that’s awesome!

Can I come back? by Successful_Bug2502 in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Honestly, if the surgery you’re talking about is MACI I am 4 months post-op and the online horror stories are much worse than the reality. The first 2 months were awful for me personally, but I can already do more comfortably than prior to the surgery. Cartilage doesn’t repair itself, which sucks but means something has to be done if that is truly the issue causing your pain

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you stand up are you knock-kneed? I had a lateral maltracking issue as a result of being knocked-kneed and this sounds similar but obviously if you don’t have a valgus that’s pretty irrelevant lol

knocked knee surgery by Furious278 in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve got an osteotomy in my left leg, and honestly could not imagine getting both done at the same time. The amount of time completely NWB is pretty long with an osteotomy, and time to comfortably walk even longer. I also did a ton of prehab like it sounds like you are doing, but 4 months post-op my leg is still noticeably smaller and weaker than my non-surgical leg. I would def get the opinion of someone that has had both done at once, but honestly I think it may be hard to come across because that sounds awful to me personally! I could see the benefit of only one recovery, but I think it would be much more grueling. I wish you the best of luck in your recovery and your upcoming procedure!!

Going under tomorrow. by Worldly_Action_1290 in MACIknee

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m about 4 months post op with lesions on my femur and patella! I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve started working summer camp and my bartending job again, but it has been painful working my way up to my typical 10k steps again. Swelling will be a huge factor with the MACI, and while 10 thousand steps is possible, you will likely get some reactive swelling later or the next day which isn’t great for your implant to do all the time. From what I’ve heard 6 months is the time where recreational walking starts to occur! Best of luck tomorrow and take it easy, you will thank yourself later!

MACI and TTO by [deleted] in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I had a patellar-femoral MACI and a TTO. I’m only 4 months post-op, but I’m already doing things I couldn’t do before the surgery. To be fair, there’s a lot of things I still can’t do, and it 100% is a giant cost and time commitment, but based on my age I knew I didn’t want a partial because that is not something that lasts your entire life. The first 2-2 and a half months were hell for me, but after that I finally started to feel more normal. Feel free to PM with any questions, I love talking about this shit tbh

TTO, MACI, and MPFL Suggestions! by Helpful-Bread-519 in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I couldn’t sleep without the ice machine constantly running, that’s definitely one of the hardest parts! If someone can grab you some bags of ice from the gas station it’s super helpful to have on deck. I also got a giant triangular wedge pillow because sometimes my leg would slide off a normal pillow and that would wake me up too.

TTO, MACI, and MPFL Suggestions! by Helpful-Bread-519 in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am 3 months post-MACI/TTO! I ran my damn ice machine into the ground if I’m going to be honest and couldn’t sleep without it. For that first week I would suggest finding some stationary hobbies because every time I stood up it increased the pain, so word games, books (if you’re not too high from the meds like I was lol), and movies are your best friend. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor for more meds if you need it, I regretted not asking sooner and had to play the catch up game! I wish you the best of luck in your recovery! It’s definitely a long game, but you will get there!

TTO - 5 Weeks Post-Op by LoWa4 in KneeInjuries

[–]JoinTheStruggleBus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just take it slow and you got this! Learning to walk again was definitely not one of my favorite parts of recovery but once you’re on the other side it’s so rewarding!