The doctor pronounced my knee to be healing nicely with no more indication of infection. It is still wise to be watchful, because for some crazy reason, our bodies like to attack joints that have been replaced.
He noted that the scar is looking as it should and told me to not worry if it looked redder on some days. It is new skin and will take time to look "normal".
Here's the rest of his advice, nothing new or surprising to me, but after over 15 years in the fitness business, I have counseled literally hundreds of people to do these same things. Nevertheless, it's good review:
- Lose some weight. Every pound you take off relieves your joint of 3 pounds of impact.
- Eat a sensible diet: lean meats, LOTS of veges, fresh fruit, LOTS of water. Avoid coffee, sugar and excess fats.
- Wear good, supportive shoes...ALL the time. Whenever you walk in bare feet, sandals or other loose shoes, you are most likely wobbling and putting extra torque on your knees.
- EXERCISE! (My personal favorite) Avoid things that create extra impact on the knees, so don't take up a running program, or a sport like basketball that stresses the knees in a range of angles at fast speeds.
- Get enough sleep. That's when the body heals itself. Eight hours is the recommended minimum for adults. Some of us need more, some less. You know your own body!
- If you expose your scar to the sun, it WILL get darker in appearance. So if you care, and need to be out, make sure it is either covered or has sunscreen...or both. (Did you know it is possible to have suns exposure through some fabrics?--yes, it is.)
- and speaking of water...If you don't measure it somehow, you will most definitely NOT drink enough!!
This will probably be my last post until my 6-month check-up.
At this point in time, my personal journey will continue. My "good" (right) knee is now the "bad" one. It is different -- it hurts all the time, a little bit; whereas the left knee would send out excruciating bursts of pain from time to time. The x-rays show that my right knee is 80% collapsed on the medial side. In comparison, the left one was bone-on-bone on the lateral side.
I had hoped that the pain in my right knee was the result of over-use due to the decline of the left. But it is now looking like that is not the case. If nothing changes in the next few months, I will be looking at another repair. Hopefully by that time, I will have a better idea of how well my body is taking this first repair.
"Nothing is sure in life, except death and taxes." I don't know who said it, but it is so true. The partial knee replacement is a gamble. I have known from the beginning that it may only buy me time and a full replacement could still be in my future. I figured before I made the choice that it is worth the gamble.... and I still feel the same.
This surgery has given me back so much mobility! More than that, it has improved my flute performance, and made me less tired on a daily basis.
It was a GOOD CHOICE!
Look back for an update in November, 2013.
