Eventually a friend gave me the name of Dr. Nicola for a total knee replacement. He took one look at my knee and the pain I was in and said, "Your knee is shot. You need a new one." It took a while to get it approved. Finally, October 26, I was able to have a Total Knee Resurfacing (his word to replace replacement). He practises a quick recovery process. I knew I would be in pain, but to be perfectly honest, I was not prepared for the kind of pain I was in. However, that intense pain didn't last long. But what pain I have had, has lasted pretty long on top of the pain I have been feeling since New Years Even last year. A year (or nearly a year) is a long time to be in constant pain. It wears on you emotionally. And after my knee replacement, those emotions have been kind of all over the place. There have been times when I have doubted that this knee replacement was the right thing to do. "Will I always be in pain?" "Will I ever be able to do deep squats again?" "Will I ever be able to get on the floor and then back up again without pain?" It just feels like, even when I am getting better that what I really want is still so far off.
Of course, about the time I feel "hopeless", I have a PT appointment where I kick ass. Or I have a doctor's appointment where the doctors tell me I am so far ahead of the healing curve that they are thoroughly impressed. I belong to a closed Facebook group for Total Knee Replacements. I am not active on there, but sometimes I read things. Many people have had it so much worse than me. Bruising has been horrible for them. The pain has been too intense. They are 9 months post op and still taking narcotics. And there is me.....at 6 weeks post op I was wandering around Rochester, New York for hours on end playing tourist, and I was not taking narcotics (except at night when I slept).
Today I went to PT just like usual. They started with a warm up then did some massaging on my leg then set me lose in the "gym". The first couple of things they watched me do, but the last 4 exercises they just turned me lose on. What got me, was the bike at the end. I had to set it up on my own and I made a mistake. I set it for level 4. But what I didn't realize was that I set it for hills and it STARTED at level 4 and went up to level 7 and back down and then back up again. Holy Moly! I did it. It didn't hurt. It felt amazing. I talked to my PT after I was all done and asked about how much longer he thought I needed to be there. He told me that my schedule is changing now. I am down to twice a week for 2 weeks then down to once a week for maybe 2 weeks, and then I will be released. I am so close to graduating from PT. In January, I will be released from my surgeon. They say it takes a full 3 months to completely heal from the surgery I had. I swear this had been the longest 3 months of my life. But I am happy it is about over.
After PT, I came home. It was super snowy and super icy everywhere. I have been feeling so down lately. And the best way to get over that kind of feeling is to be of service to other people. So I pulled out my snow shovel and shoveled not just my drive way and my sidewalks but also the driveways and sidewalks of the neighbors on both sides. It took a couple of hours, but I did it. It felt so good to be helping other people. This shoveling required squats and bending my knees to save my back. I was able to do it without pain.
I AM getting better. I AM getting stronger. I AM beating this knee replacement and making it my .. well... I'm getting better. LOL. Just like anything else in life, I will always have to exercise to keep it healthy.
There are still things my muscles have to relearn.....like dancing. My left knee forgot how to do things like dip down to dance. That is kind of frustrating. But it will get there. I am getting my life back! Here is to a stronger, happier, healthier me!!!!
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