And here we go again….!

Now that my left knee is so fabulous, my focus shifts to the right knee. It has also been in a state of deterioration for a number of years, just not quite as bad. I was told 6 years ago that I was looking at steady deterioration in both knees, with 8-10 years of pain management and then full knee replacement. So I am not surprised to be back doing this again.

My left knee was fully collapsed on the lateral (outer) side. The right one is 80% collapsed on the medial (inner) side. So you may be wondering why I don't wait to fix it? Simple: it hurts ALL the time! It is different from the other leg, but the pain is enough to keep me from sleeping, and inhibits my activities. The biggest reason though is this: I don't want to be the cause of an accident where someone (as well as myself) gets hurt. The right leg is the braking leg, and there are times when the pain in the knee makes me feel like I need to pull my foot off the brake. Not good.

So, the Monday before Thanksgiving, I will once again undergo MakoPlasty repair of the medial side of my right knee. How do I feel? Excited, mostly. The nice thing about this is that I remember a lot of the first experience. I will be better prepared. Already I have set up a medium sized storage box with bandaids, povidone-iodine, Q-tips, gauze pads. I also washed my TED stockings and tucked them into the box. It is stashed under the end table by the couch where I will spend my days. I have an electric tea kettle which will sit on the end table, and a small cooler so I can have my husband put bottles of cold water and juice in it at the beginning of the day. 

Tomorrow I will assemble the shower chair, and set up the bathroom. I know where my crutches and canes are. I have a quilt I have been working on all pinned so that I can work on it on my lap and not need to sit on the floor to work on it. The needles, thread and everything needed to work on it are in a little box. I have some crochet work that needs repairs, and that is being collected in a box. I have a few books I have been wanting to read tucked next to the couch.

I pulled out my list of exercises, and have reviewed them. I am also working at building up my glutes, hamstrings, and quads in preparation.

So onward I go. I will continue to post my progress here. Hopefully there won't be any more surprises, and no infection to set back my recovery this time. 

My knee is 6 months old!

Time to celebrate!! 🎉🎈🎉

I am so happy with my knee! It feels wonderful, and I am now doing (almost) everything I want to. At times when I am walking along, I suddenly become aware of how incredibly strong it feels, and then I giggle to myself. 

The only thing I am not (yet--I hope!) able to do is to crawl on hands and knees. This may not be a big deal to most people, but I really want to be able to do certain Yoga positions, like cat/dog sequence, which require hands and knees positions. Now, to be honest, I have not worked at it in a controlled progressive way. It's more a matter of occasionally putting myself in that position, with no weight on my left knee, then gradually allowing a bit of pressure. I do this ONLY on a cushioned firm surface (good carpet and pad). 

Happy, happy me! This surgery has given me a new life. What an awesome thing.