Yeah, I'm ready

[JDonovan]

I'm a 52 year old single mother who does a morning show on a radio station. I skied all of my life, played softball for as long as I can remember and have had more than my share of "blown out" knees. I knew they were bad, and I knew they would "eventually" need replacement. I had to give up skiing about 4 years ago because of the pain. I no longer ride my bike. Softball would never happen. Walking up and down stairs is unbearable. The final nail in the coffin was when I was on a dinner date at a restuarant that my daughter works at, I got up from the table and had to hold on before I could walk to the ladies room. The next day my daughter said to me "Mom, you can't go to my restaurant and get drunk like that" -- I had 1 count them, 1 glass of wine. That day I called my surgeon. I went in to see him and just started to cry. He said "you are ready and you will want to kiss me when this is done". He swears I will be skiing next year. I'd be happy to walk. Scheduled for RTKR November 19th

 

[Baystater]

Good story! Let me tell you I have done my fair share of hanging onto tables, car doors, kitchen counters - you name it! I suspect most of us with gimpy knees have....any time we sit for prolonged periods

You WILL kiss your OS if you do this it really makes a huge difference. I had issues with my right knee all my adult life and had RTKR in March. Very reasonable recovery and I was back to doing what I love by early summer. Now when I stand up there is zero stiffness in the new knee. I still hang onto the odd table or car door but that is because of the left knee. And that baby is coming out in October! New knees are awesome.

You are making the right decision and have come to the right place for support. It's so helpful to talk to others who are going through it or are on the recovery side.

Heidi

 

[cruise2013]

You have found a great place go to the library there so much great information I am having my RT knee on 093013 also all the people here are so wonderful and have helped me out when I was upset needed support,you can ask question and they will help you out.take care and welcome Karen

 

[Bionic woman2]

Welcome JDonovan, I'm glad you decided to make it happen. Someone will be along here in a minute to share lots of information to help through your recovery. I just had to tell you, if we switched a couple a things around this could be my thread. Never skied, my activity of choice was dancing.. All kinds, anything from freestyle to partner, to teaching children African and Latin dance. I too had the spastic stair experience, especially in the morning, and like you, I'm a "double-parent" but I have boys.

My last eye opening experience came during a children's movement club I ran after school. I was dancing with a bunch of K-1 graders and I was explaining to them that I had pain in my knees and I wouldn't be able to do a couple of the moves we were working on. Well, a sweet little 1st grader said to me, "that's so sad, you can"t jump." That combined w/my Tin Man knees, a similar "Stand and NOT Deliver" moment like you experienced at the restaurant, and a host of other painful events led to knee replacement.

I am less than a week out from my second knee and 3 months out from the 1st one, and I don't regret it. The journey is long... But it's worth them trip. You have definitely come to the right place for support, information and comfort. Oh, we prescribe laughter here on a regular basis.

CONGRATULATIONS on making a step in the right direction. We're here for you!

 

[JDonovan]

Thanks everyone!!

It is always good to know there are people out there who "get it". If one more person says "aren't you too young?" I will thank them for saying that, immediately before I deck them

 

[gazelle7777]

I remember having to hold on to things while just standing-- at work, at home, anything to try to take the weight off my poor knees. You have made the right decision. I was on this side of the board before surgery and now that I have had the surgery.... I want everyone who is considering it to know it can change your life!! I just want to yell it to the world!

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

I'd be happy to walk.

Just keep that foremost in your mind.

"aren't you too young?"

Just tell them "Yeah, I'm too young - too young to have my life so restricted and have to live with so much pain."

There's so much info on here that will help you prepare and many supportive people to help you get ready.

 

[B's Knees]

Funny story about your daughter thinking you were drunk.
Has anybody had the extra things that I have because of my knees? Because my right knee is somewhat worse than the left (although they're both going to be replaced), I have developed calluses on the bottom of my left foot. I guess I put most of my weight on the better leg. Because my knees don't really bend well, I bend from the waist when picking things up off the floor -- so my back hurts. Also, I've noticed that the harder it is to pick things up, the more I drop. Why is that? I also noticed that I don't always walk straight -- I sometimes kind of veer to the left, I think. Somebody mentioned on Bonesmart that they walked like a penguin, and I thought that's me -- I walk like a penguin, too.

 

[Butterfly]

No self-respecting penguin would walk as funny as I walk -- or walked -- I can't walk at all now without a walker. Soon to be remedied.

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Well, I have to keep going to the chiropractor and for massages because the limping messes up my back. Plus I notice that I stumble more and have some balance issues (but don't know if that's from the knees or just because I'm so inactive now). And I haven't been able to get up from regular height chairs without leaning on something or having help. Even with my cane, it can be difficult and certainly painful. So, yeah, the knee issues wreak havoc on our bodies and will only get worse without fixing the knees. That's why we're all doing it - not for the fun experience of surgery - but because our lives will only become more and more limited and we'll end up as invalids.
Since you were an active person and younger than some of us, I'm sure you'll chafe at your limitations for the first months, but just stay focused on how much better your life will be post surgery.

 

[JDonovan]

I, too, have had issues with my back and yes, the "penguin stroll" is also my gait at times. I think that, once the knee is done and I get back to a decent level of activity, that will lessen.

When my bf asked how I made out at the OS, I told him that my career as a professional ballerina may be over. He laughed and said "sweetie, I've seen you walk, professional ballerina was never in play." I will cut him one day

 

[Lovestoread]

I can't count the number of times I thought someone in a restaurant must have thought I was drunk....even when out to breakfast! I'll bet we've all done the standing by the table and holding on routine! Along with the knee problems come back problems, and foot and ankle problems. Two years ago I had a doctor tell me at age 55 that I was too young and that I had to wait until I was 65 to have TKR done. I found another doctor and had both done this past summer. Your ballerina days may be over....I told my doctor my days as a shorts model are over!

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

HA! Even if I wasn't what the doctors so kindly call "obese," I wouldn't be modeling for anything.

I have old, long, ugly scars front and back from gall bladder and lung surgery done back in the "olden days" and the scars look like something Dr. Frankenstein did.

So a couple more scars running up and down my legs will just add to the "beauty" and possible wonderment for future medical students if I donate my sad, old body to science one day. The last thing on earth I'm worried about would be the appearance of future scars,:rolleyes: but I suppose I can understand why it might be a concern to younger women with more pristine and attractive bodies.

 

[Butterfly]

Maybe your ballerina days are NOT over. Josephine has posted a picture on this forum somewhere of a post-TKR patient doing some kind of painful-looking ballet pose, with a smile on her face!!

Don't burn your tutu just yet.

Peace and love

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Don't burn your tutu just yet.

Oh, good advice for us all!

 

[JDonovan]

Oh Butterfly, my ballerina days never existed LOL I was a softball player for over 12 years, basketball and skiing forever....I'm about as graceful as an avalanche

Scars don't scare me either....I'm thinking that maybe I can come up with a tattoo to incorporate it....ok maybe not

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Yeah, someone on here was talking about getting tatoos of zippers over the scars!

 

[Butterfly]

JDonovan Who knows -- you might want to take up ballet someday! Once we all get all our parts fixed, hopefully we can do whatever we want (not ballet for me, probably, I'm 67, but maybe I can skateboard again with my grandsons).

 

[DwightLD]

Gave up skiing 2 years ago when I couldn't trust the knee to hold. Gave up walking in the woods. Struggled riding. That was the last straw.

Walk like Grandpa McCoy or Chester from the old TV shows.

Time for a change for the better.

 

[DAJ]

I do tend to drift towards the left at times, I notice when Im walking with someone. My left foot on the good side has been doing all the work for years and is now bigger and more muscley than the right. My scar from the osteotomy is quite lateral and on the side of my thigh where the muscle line is, so its not that noticeable. But having a scar run down the front of my knee which is hard to hide is something ill have to get used to. Winter time is coming up and once im healed Ill have to dress in snazzy tights.