Three Months post-surgery

I am still making little, delightful discoveries about my "new" knee. The other day I was at a cafeteria-style restaurant where you carry your food on a tray to find a table. It was quite busy, and as I backed away from the counter with a tray full of drinks, twice I had to stop suddenly and back up a bit because another customer backed up in front of me. No big deal, right? Right. Here's the big deal: I executed this simple little move without any sensation of loss of stability. It was so totally cool!!

There's more:

• I can carry a bag of groceries without feeling pain in my leg and knee.
• I am teaching a Zumba Gold class for the summer...no pain, no sensation of weakness in my leg.
• The numbness on the other side of the incision is almost gone, so it feels almost normal when I brush my hand over it.
• A shopping trip to the garment district in LA was no big deal...walking several blocks, and in and out of fabric stores.
• My music is still delighting me...I can stand with such solidness and confidence. It is a thrill to feel so secure while I play, and frees my mind to focus on tone, air-flow, finger movements. So special and sweet.
• And finally, my other leg is not hurting so much. I hope that means it is getting a much-needed rest!

Now, here are the other realities that are not-so-nice, and which, in comparison to the positives, relatively unimportant.

• I still have a sense of discomfort in the scar itself. It sometimes feels tight and "pulls" when I bend my knee.
• Often it feels "itchy" - but I don't want to scratch it, so I rub it with the palm of my hand.
• Clothing over the scar is still sometimes annoying, but much improved.
• I am not yet putting weight on my knee in a hands-and-knees position. My doctor told me to not try that until now, but I know it is still quite sensitive. This limits my Yoga practice, so I hope to conquer it by the time I make a 6-month update.
• The scare above my knee where one of the stitches didn't heal nicely is ugly. It looks like a scab with skin over the top of it. 
• My leg still tires and needs rest and elevation in the evenings.
• I can no longer sit with my legs crossed--either way! This is probably a good thing in the long run, but it is very uncomfortable right now. My hips are just not comfy with both legs down...so I am in love with my exercise ball which I use as a footstool!
• I get quite exhausted if I sit for more than 1 hour at a time - so going out to a play, or a longer meeting is uncomfortable, and likely to make me more tired the next day.

So, this is what 3 months after partial knee replacement is like. If I did not have the experience as a personal trainer, I would still need the help of a good physical therapist. As it is, I only had the 3 weeks of in-home therapy, and there isn't a lot that can be done while the joint is still swollen and stiff. (Although the therapy I received was much needed!)

I need to be focused on specific strength and stretches on a daily basis. (I don't always manage this.) I am not quite 100% back to normal, and yet I am doing pretty much anything I want to do. And that is pretty good, indeed. 

I am so grateful to the doctor, the nurses, assistants and hospital personnel. This has been a truly rewarding experience.