Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Cowboy254]

I'm going to the surgeon to schedule my right knee next Monday. Hopefully get it done early October. Did my left 2 years ago. Only problem I had was my knee swelled up with fluid, twice it's normal size. Couldn't bend it past 90*. The PT had her shoulder on my shin and feet against the wall and couldn't bend it. The boss PT said not to worry, when the swelling went down, the knee would bend. My surgeon had a fit. She said if you wait for the swelling to go down, scar tissue would build up and I would never bend it. Surgeon was pretty much right. At 6 months the PT said there hadn't been any improvement and the insurance was cutting off PT. I was at 26* extension and 80* flexion and they said after 6 months I wouldn't see any improvement. I started going to the health club, and the owner, a friend, said I was using all the wrong muscles. He had major knee surgery after an accident. He put me on a new routine and in six weeks had me at 0* extension, straight as a poker, and 100* flexion. I made more progress after 6 months than I did with the first PT. Now I know to be a better advocate for myself. If the right knee starts to swell I'll get the diuretics sooner and make the PT bend the knee.

For my patients, 120° of bend is the pass mark. More than that is nice but not always possible. In any case, you had a dud PT. Waiting for the swelling to go down is a recipe for failure.

Rehab after replacement is simple (but yes, painful). There are only two exercises that you need to do post knee replacement. One is called 'bending' and the other is called 'straightening'. 10-12 reps of each every couple of hours and you need to push it hard enough to hurt. If it doesn't hurt, you're not stretching it. Ice it several times per day for 20+ mins to minimise the swelling. Avoid walking excessively or doing strengthening exercises in the early stages. Why? Because the knee will have a very limited exercise tolerance after the surgery and if you burn through it doing stuff that is not a priority then it will swell more and not respond as well to the stretching that is the key thing in the first few months. As long as you have enough strength to walk steadily, you don't need to work on leg strength. The thing is that regaining strength is not time-sensitive but regaining range of movement is. I normally suggest that people walk as they need to but not to go for a walk for the sake of it. Again, feel free to PM me.

Don't bother with the diuretics. Dehydrating yourself won't influence the swelling within a joint, whoever told you that it would doesn't know how these things work.

 

[muddstopper]

I remember you got yours done right after me. My PT kept bugging me to get a second opinion. She wanted me to have mine manipulated, but it was after 6 weeks, and my surgeon said no. So I went to another surgeon, by then it was 6 months, and he said the work on my knee was beautiful. Then asked how long it was bad. I said 10-15 years. He said that sometimes when the knee goes that long you don't get much gain because every thing in there has kind of set. He said to keep doing squats and hope for the best. At 6 months I quit PT and started at the health club. Made all my gains after 6 months. The Doc that gave me the second opinion said they have a 30-30-30 saying after 6 months if you try to manipulate the joint. 30 percent chance of ripping all the muscles and tendons, 30 percent chance of breaking the leg, and 30 percent chance of success. He said if you gain 1 degree of movement, that's considered a success. He didn't like manipulation at all.

I knew there was someone here had knee surgery about the same time I did. couldnt remember who. I had my surgery in June and the manipulation I believe in Nov. I gained some on the bend, and got to full extention, but the gains where short lived. It was recommened to me to have a replacment 10 years before I actually had it done. My surgeon, my therapist, and the doc that gave a second opinion, said my waiting is also probably why I am having so much trouble. I now have excellent bending, its the extention I cant seem to get.

 

[James Miller]

The bar for the 355t has pretty much the same tail as the old poulan bar I'm running. I'll try it on mine and see how it lines up and let you know and count do on one of my chains.

 

[svk]

@svk or @James Miller , the Oregon site lists the 2300 bar as an A041 Mount, that’s the same as my 18” 400 bar. If I machine a picco rim to fit would my 400 bar work and be able to use the 400 chains? As I said, not a “Pro”, a rookie.

I don’t see any reason why not

 

[muddstopper]

For my patients, 120° of bend is the aim. More than that is nice but not always possible. In any case, you had a dud PT. Waiting for the swelling to go down is a recipe for failure.

Rehab after replacement is simple (but yes, painful). There are only two exercises that you need to do post knee replacement. One is called 'bending' and the other is called 'straightening'. 10-12 reps of each every couple of hours and you need to push it hard enough to hurt. If it doesn't hurt, you're not stretching it. Ice it several times per day for 20+ mins to minimise the swelling. Avoid walking excessively or doing strengthening exercises in the early stages. Why? Because the knee will have a very limited exercise tolerance after the surgery and if you burn through it doing stuff that is not a priority then it will swell more and not respond as well to the stretching that is the key thing in the first few months. As long as you have enough strength to walk steadily, you don't need to work on leg strength. The thing is that regaining strength is not time-sensitive but regaining range of movement is. I normally suggest that people walk as they need to but not to go for a walk for the sake of it. Again, feel free to PM me.

Don't bother with the diuretics. Dehydrating yourself won't influence the swelling within a joint, whoever told you that it would doesn't know how these things work.

I have at least 130* or more of bending, but I believe the last extention was still a negative of about 3*. I also believe you are correct about the strenghting exercises. I was in a hurry and was going in to PT early so I could warm up and often I stayed after to ride the bikes and treadmill, I was also going on days inbetween appointments. My Pt guy got on to me for overworking the knee. He said the reason I was always in pain and why pt hurt so much was because I wasnt giving the knee time to heal. I do know that when I stopped going everyday to the gym, my pain started easeing off.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

The bar for the 355t has pretty much the same tail as the old poulan bar I'm running. I'll try it on mine and see how it lines up and let you know and count do on one of my chains.

Thanks man. Found a 410 picco rim on EBay. All you did was bore it to fit the 490 shaft?

 

[Cody]

Ok, it's not exactly firewood, but if I'm asking about burning the skin when it's less than 20% moisture can I still post it? Probably my favorite scrounge out of the garden so far.

Not necessarily, they charge less for folks who pay cash or do not have insurance.

We have a high deductible plan. My daughter needed stitches and they told us it would be $900 before insurance kicked in. We asked how much if we just paid cash on the spot. $180 out the door.

My son had an allergic reaction this spring to dust in the garage. Brought him in and said I would be paying personally. We were in the clinic for several hours and between multiple Dr consults, tests, and X-rays. Bill was $160....I was expecting 6-800 bucks.

I haven't had health insurance for a few years now, it's all just a big joke to me anymore. I had a low deductible plan that once I paid 2600 I was only required to pay 10% from there on out. Went to my local chiro and got charged nearly $150 a visit just because of the insurance, it's usually around $60 a visit if you pay cash. I go to a different chiro now that's better anyways, and it was $90 for the first visit, $40 for every adjustment thereafter.

It's funny, but it's not. I was looking for a quality knee brace and was recommended to a supplier. When I walked in the guy asked how I got in? Front door. He said it was usually locked, they only sold to doctors and no walk in sales. But, since I got in, he took my insurance info, and said your insurance covers this free to you. I asked what it would cost if I had to buy it? He said about $90. I left with a great brace. About 10 years later I was going to get one for the other knee, having the name and model I checked ebay. A whopping $25. Same brand, same model, with upgraded better fasteners. It's a shame, no other way to put it.

I think it was in 2011 when I took a nasty spill out of a tree stand, did some damage to my right knee that I ended up opting out of surgery for. So far so good on that but they charged me $500 for a knee brace that you could buy for around a hundred bucks on ebay. IMO, that's a lot of what's wrong with healthcare, there should be one set price for everything. That CT scan or MRI or w/e they are, was around $1200 for my knee, my SO had one for her reproductive organs and it was over $2500. I understand it's not the exact same, but still don't see why it's twice the cost. By the way, best sleep I've ever had in that machine.

 

[svk]

Oregon site lists no bars for a 490 in 3/8.

He did a custom sprocket to run 3/8 LP.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I don’t see any reason why not

Thanks.

 

[svk]

How many dl do you have on your 16” bar. Going to see if Oregon makes a 16” or 18” bar for the 490 in 3/8 lp, just wondering what dl chains I’ll need.

Standard A041 bar is 56 DL. The proprietary Echo bar that comes on the 310 and 352 is 57 DL. Hate that stuff. Stick with an aftermarket bar as the 56 DL chains are cheap. The last two pack I bought was 6 bucks.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Standard A041 bar is 56 DL. The proprietary Echo bar that comes on the 310 and 352 is 57 DL. Hate that stuff. Stick with an aftermarket bar as the 56 DL chains are cheap. The last two pack I bought was 6 bucks.

Yep. My 20” 590 is 70 dl instead of 72.

 

[svk]

Thanks Steve, but I'm looking for a couple NOS or near mint Homelite bars. Would really like to find one with good lettering on it, for less than my house.

I’d be happy to help look but as you know this isn’t big bar country. Maybe see if you can make nice with one of the west coast guys who appreciates another classic iron guy.

 

[svk]

Yep. My 20” 590 is 70 dl instead of 72.

At least that’s a semi common loop as the new Poulan 5020 as well as older Poulan, Homelite, and Mac all used that count.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

At least that’s a semi common loop as the new Poulan 5020 as well as older Poulan, Homelite, and Mac all used that count.

My 6401s are 72. Wasn’t paying attention one day and tried to put a 590 chain on a 6401. Let’s just say the frustration level was very high over those 2 extra dl.

 

[svk]

Ran a full tank through the 346 tonight cutting off tops piles. This may be the perfect saw for this type of cutting.

I noticed the 346 gets better fuel mileage that the 550 which is interesting being that it is low tech. Granted it’s 45 versus 50 cc but similar port numbers from the same builder.

I filled the truck with a loosely thrown load which was around a half cord but didn’t even come close to loading all of the wood I cut tonight. Two more racks to fill before Sunday as I don’t think I’ll be cutting for a while after next week.

 

[svk]

My 6401s are 72. Wasn’t paying attention one day and tried to put a 590 chain on a 6401. Let’s just say the frustration level was very high over those 2 extra dl.

I hear you. Take a Husky/Stihl and an Echo in the woods. A buddy and I had 60, 64, 68, 70, and 72 DL chains for our two saws and couldn’t swap a one of them lol.

Edit. The 16” both used 60’s but he didn’t have a 16” bar.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I don’t see any reason why not

I don’t know this one either, a 3/8 rim doesn’t know if it’s a 3/8 lp or not, correct. So a 3/8 rim from one of my 6401 could work too if I have enough stock to machine?

 

[svk]

I don’t know this one either, a 3/8 rim doesn’t know if it’s a 3/8 lp or not, correct. So a 3/8 rim from one of my 6401 could work too if I have enough stock to machine?

3/8 and 3/8 LP are not identical. 3/8 LP will spin on 3/8 for a while but expect premature wear on the chain which will then wear the nose sprocket and drive sprocket.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Got it. Guess I’ll buy the one I found online that matches the one he used. Gracias.

 

[svk]

The problem with doing swaps (without the help of a guy like Homelite410) is that when you are using rim sprockets you have three different patterns (small spline, large spline, and Stihl small spline) plus the fact that Oregon normally only makes rim sprocket drums for pro saws. It can be maddening to find the right pattern bar with the right nose sprocket and then find the right pitch of rim that fits your drum. Maddening. Again if all of the mfgrs could have worked together it wouldn’t be an issue. Oh well.