Update! My right knee is now over 5 months old and my left is about 8 1/2 months old. I had a follow up appt. with my OS this past Monday. My main complaint was over my right knee/leg. It was continuing to stiffen up on me and be painful at times. Standing, climbing stairs and straightening my knee after it had been bent were the most painful. While it didn't seem all that swollen I could see that it kind of was and it didn't seem to have the right shape to it. Even though I'm a bigger girl

I never had fat knees. My left knee achieved a normal shape and I could see the knee cap sitting on it like it should, a long time ago. But my right knee was seeming to be just stuck in time for several months after the initial, big healing phase had taken place. My OS is such a great guy and doesn't possess the typical surgeon ego at all. When I told him I was still unhappy with my right knee he said, "Sweetheart, show me where it hurts." He poked around on it and felt I was in a chronic inflammatory condition. This doesn't surprise me in the least. My body just loves to be inflamed over one thing or another almost all the time, somewhere. So, he suggested giving me a cortisone shot in my right knee. I was scared to be honest because the very last thing I want to have happen is to get an infection but he swore to me he has never had a patient get an infection from this injection. So, I agreed! By Tuesday morning it felt worlds better! And now, on Saturday evening, my right knee is knee shaped with no remaining swelling that I can tell at all. Even though I take Aleve twice a day, every day it just wasn't enough anti-inflammatory to beat this back, I guess. I was up on it for 5 hours today cleaning and I'm no worse for wear this evening.
I've been very active lately and until this week I was paying for it by late afternoon or evening. I didn't really have a choice though. We all have lives to live and the time comes to move on. I'm always mindful though of being careful and not causing myself or my knees any permanent damage.
Next weekend we leave for our 5 week vacation and I'm stoked now! I'm sure I will still have to pace myself some and will definitely allow for some down time but that's part of the reason we planned to be gone so long. This way we will have plenty of opportunities to do and see the things we want without killing ourselves in the process. Or worse yet, damaging my new baby knees
I'll probably continue to be MIA for awhile with the trip and all. With my mother in law passing away 2 weeks after we moved them to assisted living and then moving him to a smaller unit last weekend and downsizing them twice in the process it's been a bit hectic. But, I do think of you all often and wonder how you all are. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up some day. (((hugs)))