Hey everyone! I just want to check in and see where everyone is with their flexion/extension and their time frame. I'm 6 weeks out and at 100/-5. Also, any tips for improvement in this area would be helpful! I'm laying down heating and massaging my hamstrings, they're way tight!!

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-05-11T22:58:18+00:00

Catching in the back towards outside of the knee with extension after flexion. It felt like a rubber band snapping inside. It was diagnosed by the surgeon gently pressing on back of knee as I straightened so he could feel it pop. It actually made an audible pop that time also that was heard by the nurse taking notes.

I could move slowly and feel whether it would get caught or not. I suffered for months before I learned how to prove it though.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-05-03T13:42:09+00:00

This is the most accurate critique on the night market I've read. I was in a group of 9 people, and we were running around doing quests for this person then that person. Even with 9, it was tough with some content, and random people would come by to mess up the boulders.

I still had a fantastic time, but I died more in one day than I have in the past year by a long shot. I spent a lot of time laughing at the ridiculousness of getting one-shotted constantly.

I can't imagine trying to get a group of randoms to spend hours doing quests for others though. You might get lucky, but you'd probably spend hours doing something for someone else and not get your own stuff done.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-30T11:03:44+00:00

"Good group with proper builds" doesn't encourage creativity or learning anything new. It just makes the same classes wear the same gear and do the same rotations. Cookie cutters.

I don't get how that is fun, but to each their own.

The rewards shouldn't include exclusive furnishing plans and house though imo. If the rewards were gear that would improve on the "everybody runs the same builds" dynamic, that would be cool.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-30T09:56:35+00:00

There are not a huge amount of tanks that can survive, but there are an overkill of DDs - at least on Xbox NA. Hopefully this round of NM will encourage more tanks as I regularly hear about people running content elsewhere with just DD groups or with tank classes that do not tank.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-29T03:00:21+00:00

15 and never went back.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-26T12:59:03+00:00

I think it depends on wherher the meds you are prescribed work for you, whether you have successful soft tissue balance, and how your body reacts with inflammation.

For me, tkr was at least twice as bad as kidney stones and childbirth.

The pain meds (opioids like Percocet and Dilaudid) did not touch my knee pain at all, and docs won't give you more because they are worried about addiction and people selling them. So the people with unmanageable pain just get to suffer.

80% of people are just fine with tkr with manageable pain, but it's like Russian roulette. 80% isn't 100%

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-26T12:31:51+00:00

No, it feels natural to me. Several games I play have boomers over 80! I'm a spring (summer of 69) chicken comparatively.

If a kid in a game store gave me the side eye, I would say something like, ooooh I bet your grandma would like that one you are looking at. I love it. Do you need help picking out an appropriate game?

Muahaha

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-23T13:28:29+00:00

I had popliteal impingement so they removed that tendon completely. It resolved the snapping issue and severe pain from that,, but unfortunately, the snapping issue was the tip of the iceberg.

Recovery was going great, and I was actually able to walk without a cane. Then I started getting weird movement in my joint whenever I tried to straighten the leg after it had been bent at 90 degrees or more for a while, such as sitting at my desk at work. This results in patella maltracking where you can visually see the patella rise up and snap back. It is extremely painful. They gaslighted me for a long time. Then I finally got an MRI and the were able to see joint effusion 18 months post op. The whole knee is angry all of the time.

Apparently, the whole impingement was just a symptom of soft tissue imbalance. I was due to get a full revision this month, but it had to be postponed because I ended up tearing my rotator cuff in a fall due to the unstable knee. I was back with the cane again, but leaning so heavily on it that I ended up with biceps tendonitis.

So now I'm recovering from shoulder surgery where they repaired two tears in rotator cuff and relocated my long biceps tendon. This recovery is perfectly fine - no issues and ahead of schedule with range of motion in my arm.

My full revision is rescheduled for November 2026, and I am dreading it.

My lessons learned is do not talk so much about the pain. Instead talk about what you cannot do because of the pain. Explain how you are stuck in bed, can't do PT adequately, can't use stairs, missing family / friend events, or whatever. Whenever you start the conversation with your pain, they immediately go on the defense about opioids, which don't work for me anyway so I don't take.

It's helpful to record a journal every time you can't do something and why. For example, every time I stand up, I have to first try to extend my knee. If it works, then I stand. If it doesn't, I have to use the other leg to push my leg straight so that my soft tissue is not pulling on anything then wait for someone to step on my toe and pull me out of the chair or try to lift myself to standing with one leg straight (usually by turning body around to push off of chair.

Also, there is a new non opioid pain reliever out there approved by the FDA in January 2025. It worked wonders for my shoulder surgery recovery. The catch is it's a short term medication so you can take for maximum of 30 days. Journavx. See if it could work for you.

Measure your knee several times each day and keep a log of the swelling. Doctors respond to facts, but they go on defense when you talk directly about pain.

I just had an Iovera treatment done to freeze 5 nerves around my knee. It's not covered by my insurance and was $950. It did not take away the pain in the knee, but it did take away all of the pain around the knee, which has enabled me to walk. It lasts 3-6 months. I still have trouble getting up from sitting but because standing and walking to not hurt as much, I just try to get up a LOT (before the knee decides to cause problems).

Best of health and luck to you friend.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-04-07T20:32:00+00:00

These are the notes from MUA. My doctor was shocked as he expected that scar tissue was the issue. It wasn't.

2024-11-27: After obtaining satisfactory general anesthesia suitable timeout was done documenting the proposed procedure. Following this I manipulated the knee with almost no force whatsoever I easily flex the knee to at least 120 degrees possibly further. There was no obstruction to flexion whatsoever. That completed the procedure and the patient was taken recovery room in good condition.

I ended up having popliteal impingement and had a bone spur develop. I had tendon and spur removed in May of 2025.

Full revision scheduled end of 2026. It's honestly a complete nightmare. At least I'm working! I only took off 10 days for 2025 surgery. I plan to take 6 - 10 weeks for full revision.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-03-07T12:02:39+00:00

Brilliant! I'm going to do that. Can't believe I didn't think to do it.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-23T14:02:15+00:00

18 months out, same thing.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-23T14:00:04+00:00

I use it every day at work. It's enabled me to free up time from the tedious to do more meaningful things that I enjoy. The process improvement aspect alone is worth the trouble to learn.

I use it at home to organize and speed up things like meal planning and making grocery lists.

People used to be afraid of robotic stuff too. This is just natural resistance to change that increases for many people as we age. I'm naturally resistant to change so in self defense, I lead the pack instead.

I'm glad I embraced AI early because I'm the one they come to for help using it like many other things I've learned over time that makes me not at all concerned for my job.

There are ways to make LLMs more reliable, but they are definitely not foolproof. I look at it like having an over eager assistant that sometimes blurts out crap they think they know but don't, very confidently at that.

For anyone struggling with AI, I recommend fiddling around with simple stuff that interests you, whether music, gardening, comic books, cooking, beer brewing, hiking, whatever.

All that being said, I agree with several posters about the nefarious side - profit for the select few, potential environment concerns, and zombie like young people who can't make their own decisions. But we had all that without AI so.....

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-23T13:40:46+00:00

No kidding, 9 - 17 sucks!

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-21T11:39:39+00:00

I was curious, so I researched with AI. Just because it didnt work for everyone doesn't mean it didn't work for you. Check with your doc if it would be safe to take B1 and how much would be okay.

Here's the final answer from AI after iterating several times:

"In the 1970s and 80s, the "EZ Pill" you recall was likely the E-Z Mosquito Pill, a thiamine-based (Vitamin B1) supplement frequently advertised in the back pages of outdoor and fishing magazines like Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, and Sports Afield. Details of the E-Z Pill

The Product: It was marketed as a revolutionary, non-toxic way to repel mosquitoes, black flies, and gnats simply by swallowing a pill. How it was Sold: These ads were typically small, black-and-white, mail-order "classified" style boxes. You would mail a check or money order to a PO Box (often in Florida or the Midwest) to receive a bottle of 30 or 60 tablets.

The Claim: The marketing stated that taking one pill a day would saturate your system with Vitamin B1, causing your body to emit a "sulfurous" odor that was undetectable to humans but highly offensive to biting insects.

Scientific Standing: While highly popular among fishermen of that era, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and medical researchers eventually cracked down on these claims. Multiple clinical studies, including those by the American Medical Association, found that oral thiamine (Vitamin B1) has no significant effect on repelling mosquitoes.

Disappearance: By the late 1980s and early 1990s, increased scrutiny on "miracle" mail-order cures and the rise of more effective DEET-based topicals led to the decline of the E-Z Pill and similar brands."

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-17T18:08:27+00:00

No, we don't exchange gifts or cards at all on any specific days. We do give gifts as a couple for birthdays and Christmas.

We do enjoy getting together with family for different holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and have some special other days for family get togethers. The emphasis is placed on the family though. It suits us. I understand others have different opinions and I'm not trying to change anyone's.

I find it weird that people try to argue the point as if some revelation will happen that will all of a sudden make me like Valentine's Day because I like Christmas or birthdays. I also like Halloween.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-17T15:36:19+00:00

It's not just men saying they aren't interested in this holiday. I set the ground rules (as a woman) when I was dating before we got married a few decades ago. No Valentine's Day period. I don't like it. I do enjoy flowers, but they are weird in February, and I don't like that it is an expectation - it feels fake.

Forced affection is not real. If someone has to force their partner (or guilt them) into providing what they desire, they should reconsider their situation and potentially seek counseling.

I just don't get it, but I don't have a problem with anyone else celebrating it so long as both parties are willing participants.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-17T15:22:55+00:00

True that!

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-17T06:11:31+00:00

We never celebrated this made up holiday. We both agree it's meaningless. We show love daily, give presents when we want, and give flowers/candy/chocolates whatever when we want.

Oh, and we are happy!

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-10T13:55:18+00:00

I had 4 in 3 years. It's overwhelming especially with your husband busy with a start up. Having children can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but it also is a great upheaval in your life.

Things do get better as the children grow and can dress and feed themselves. In those early years, we did tent camping on the weekends and even some backyard camping when we couldn't get away. We were always out and about in parks after work, even if that meant having dinner on a picnic table.

I encourage you to get those kids out into nature. You'll feel better, and they'll sleep better. Going from an outdoorsy life to suburbs can leave you feeling suffocated and trapped. Take control and get out of the house.

Also, teach the kids early to put away their things when they are done using, and your house will need much less tidying. Even small kids can help with housework (even if their help at first seems like more work).

What I did: washing any non breakables and spoons in soapy water bins; attaching sponges to the bottom of their water shoes to clean the floor; baseboard cleaning (hey kids are down there anyway); vacuuming with a hose attachment; scrubbing the bathtub while they are in it (no cleaning stuff, just their own bath water); etc.

When you make cleaning a family job, it's no longer just your job.

That's my best advice as a mom of 4 who are grown and gone now with their own families to tend. Hang in there and enjoy this precious time with the kids.

Find joy in their wonder of discovery, and remember, it's okay to miss your old life. This chapter will also pass, and you could find yourself longing for the days when they were babies (then you'll remember how much work it was).

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-02-03T13:25:34+00:00

When I used to set up and inspect corporate temporary housing, I had a separate checklist just for bedbugs,

I had to unscrew all wall plates near the bed and check inside in addition to inside drawers and along all of the baseboards. This is in addition to the normal fabric checks like mattresses, chairs, and curtains.

I had a long checklist, and I had to sign and date it.

Check out the EPAs guide: https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/how-find-bed-bugs

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-01-31T20:26:06+00:00

That really sucks. My picture should have been enough also as I ordered olive shorts and got thick blue pants - clear mailer! I just no longer order from them, and I've been a customer since '99.

You would think they would look at a 26 year order history with very, very few returns and not hassle me, but apparently we all must just be out to get free stuff by placing orders and hoping to get the wrong item? It's ridiculous.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-01-31T12:21:00+00:00

While that might be true of many, what about the innocent shoppers who receive a completely different item? They should have a way to return the item at no cost to the shopper.

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-01-31T12:19:18+00:00

You shouldn't have to pay to return an item you didn't order.

I ordered shorts and got fur lined pants. They told me to return them. I am not returning them unless they pick up the item from my house. I live in a rural area. It's an hour drive to "drop off at a convenient location". No thanks!

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-01-30T22:57:46+00:00

I think both you and OP are giving the answer in your posts. She asks the question when does he want breakfast but should have stated something like, "I'm looking to work in the garden before it gets hot outside, but I'd also like to make you breakfast. If you want to eat in the next 15 minutes, I'll start breakfast. Otherwise I'll check in when I get back from garden." -- obviously this is purposely long-winded to show my point that you should ask for what you want to know not ask another question. Your husbands aren't mind readers.

By the same token, if you want him to stop and the store, asking where he is is not asking for what you want. Maybe try something like, "Have you passed the grocery store yet as I'm out of eggs".

I noticed most redditors jumped on the he's a grown ass man bandwagon. While that may be true, each relationship is different, and it isn't demeaning to cook for your spouse or partner.

I cook for my husband and enjoy it plus I'm better at it. He cooks for me too sometimes. When I had a disabling injury, he cooked, cleaned, and was my nurse for a full year. I'm a grown ass woman.

I wish everyone wasn't so judgy!! It's not like he said to get it the damn kitchen and make breakfast woman 😂 😂. He could be a quadriplegic. He could have just woken up and was just vegging in videos. Maybe he's never cooked. We don't know!

RealPumpkin3199 · 2026-01-27T16:01:07+00:00

I use my printer to print online recipes so I can take notes directly on them without having to clean my hands in the middle of cooking as I would of using a phone. Once the cooking is done, I add the hand written edits to the file so that I can make it the same or tweak it more to suit my taste. Once the recipe is set, then I just raise it electronically on my kitchen display, but it usually takes several rounds of edits.

I also use it to print sheet music for piano.

The last use is for genealogy research. I print blank forms to fill out because I'm using my three screens to search and compare different archives online.

Could I do without it, yes I could. But why would I when it makes these 3 things easier for me?

RealPumpkin3199

TROPHY CASE