Knee Update

Knee Update

It has been a long time since my previous blog entry ended with the news of my upcoming total knee replacement surgery in late April 2025 which happened as planned. The recovery was brutal and made me wonder if I would have been better off just living with the arthritis and torn meniscus. 

My new hardware. The "zipper" is actually the staples used to close the incision.

Bob was a saint throughout my recuperation, planning and cooking meals, taking care of me and the house, driving me to my physical therapy appointments and just generally tending to my every need. 

Warming up for my PT exercises. 

Having the staples removed from my incision. I admit that I shed a few tears.

I was warned that it could take a year or more to recover from the surgery. As I approach the one year mark, I know that I still have trouble walking and even more problems climbing stairs.  I have come to the realization that I may never have a "normal" knee again. Still, I celebrate the small victories and keep plugging along. (At one point I wondered if I would ever be able to put on my own socks again!!)

The bigger victories have been especially exciting...getting back to my water aerobic classes at the YMCA, driving a car, and finally riding my bike again. At first I couldn't even make a full rotation of the pedals on the stationary bike at physical therapy. With time and effort I eventually graduated to riding my e-bike again this past summer and cycling the full 7-mile loop trail around the lake daily. Surprisingly, compared to walking, I feel very little pain while pedaling. 

I had hoped by the time we took our next cruise I would be ready to walk and explore the ports. Unfortunately with our trip just around the corner I know that isn't going to happen. 😞 I should be able to get around the ship easier, but walking the promenade deck "for fun" won't be on my schedule. 

From reading many Facebook posts by people who have experienced total knee replacement, I know there are others who have had much better results than me...but also those that have horror stories that make me thankful for how mine turned out.