Speaking of which. I am two weeks post op from a total knee replacement! Tomorrow I will have the staples taken out and get a better idea of what the rest of my rehabilitation looks like. I have a zillion questions.
I have a limited amount of mobility and I have never felt so dependent in all of my life. My functionality is limited to working with my physical therapists, hobbling about on the lower level of my house (which frankly leaves me feeling like i just finished a work out), moving from the sofa to the recliner and back again. Ultimately, I head upstairs to bed. This routine is basically on repeat.
How well do you know me? On a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being "I am grateful for the chill time" and 10 being "I am about to go crazy" - where am I? Ding, Ding, Ding!!! You got it. I am really trippin' out over here! LOL Just serious!
I injured my knee in Basic Training over 30 years ago. Since that time, it has grown progressively worse. I abused it even further when I decided to take up running in my 50's. I was told by my Chiropractor on many visits that I was doing the kind of damage that could only be reversed by surgery, but I kept running regardless.
Ultimately, after a torn meniscus surgery in 2014, I was forced to give up the running. And, I knew that the total arthroplasty was in my near future. I held off for as long as I could.
By the time I made the decision, I could no longer stand up straight and my knee was ALWAYS swollen. There were several exercises, at the boxing gym, that I had to modify. I was in severe pain if I sat for longer than 20 minutes. I could no longer wear any type of heel which really wrecked my flow.
Then. I fell. I was in Miami Florida at a conference with 25,000 people at the American Airlines Arena. Yes, the spot where the Miami Heat play. I had walked down several flights of stairs so that I could grab something to eat. No problem. When I began my ascent, my knee buckled and I hit my head on the stairs. My food flew everywhere along with my purse. It was all bad. One of the security guards insisted that I had to go and see a medic but I knew that, no matter who I saw for treatment, they had nothing for my extremely bruised ego.
Slowly but surely, I had gone from someone who had extreme confidence in her ability to maneuver to someone who was cautious about every step. My mom used to talk about the way that I walked into a room and it always made me laugh. I was not conscious of it, it was just me.
So, I returned from the conference knowing that I would have the surgery as soon as I could. I got a referral from my acupuncturist and I immediately fell in love with my Doctor. The pre-op was two hours. Surgery was done in less than two. I spent a total of 3 days in the hospital.
My oldest daughter was a life saver. Her and my husband held me down, big-time! My youngest came toward the end of the first week and stayed until recently. They both agreed that if my son was here, neither of them would have been allowed near me. Thank God for family, right?
This is what I know. You can not fix what is wrong without going through some agony. This is true for relationships, financial hardships, weight control and ________________(fill in the blank). The agony may be physical or it could be mental. In my case, it is both. Physical Therapy is agonizing. Not being able to hop in my car and drive to the store is frustrating. It's temporary.
What are you willing to work on now so that you can be in a better position, tomorrow? I can already stand up straight. My knee is no longer curved inward and I am looking forward to further progression.
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