Knee Replacement Update
It’s great to be back! I hope your 4th of July holiday was great. Spending some time in Nashville with a few thousand of my closest friends just before the 4th, one of the questions that I was often asked was “How about an update on your knee?” I’ll tell you how I’m doing, but before I do, I just wanted to let you know that Paula will be getting her left knee replaced later this month and probably the right one next year. My knee was bad because of the 20-degree sideways deviation of my lower leg. Paula’s knees are much worse due to arthritis, and she’s really going to benefit from having them replaced.
As for me, I think the thing that surprised me the most was the length of time it took to gain the confidence in the knee to return to full mobility. I had reached the range-of-motion target within a few weeks. Strength I’m still working on. But the fine muscle control necessary for side-to-side movements, turning, posture, and especially balance took at least a year. That doesn’t mean I was inhibited from walking, climbing steps, and doing yard work, but walking downstairs, moving quickly side to side, and even turning sharply is not always there yet. I feel like I’m at about 95% right now.
I’m also terribly frustrated. I’ve been using the recumbent bike, elliptical trainer, and upright bike to exercise. I’ve also been walking outside when the weather permits in the winter and most days of the week now that it’s summer, but for me there’s nothing like running. Could I go back to it, even in some limited capacity? We’re told we can’t run after a knee replacement, but is that accurate? I’ll tell you what I found on Saturday.
Next Wednesday is the next Insider conference call. You have plenty of time to sign up for an Insider membership so you can participate. Get your questions answered and listen to the answers to other Insiders’ questions. Sign up by 8 p.m. on the 19th and you can participate live or listen to the rebroadcast at a later time.
What are you prepared to do today?
