Week 8 Post Op - The Good, the Bad, and Carrying On

THE GOOD NEWS... 51 Days after total knee replacement surgery and NO KNEE PAIN!

This was a day that I never thought could actually happen.

Of course you are told that you will not have knee pain after a total knee replacement, but because I lived with it all my life, I could not conceive that
#1 - it could be true
and
#2 - what it would feel like.

IT WAS AMAZING!  At 51 days post-surgery, I went on a hike and HAD NO KNEE PAIN. It brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

Our family was at our cabin in the woods and we went on a walk on trails and logging roads that have uneven footing that, for 30 years of walking in this area, had meant knee pain on every step.  When I first walked downhill to the lake and felt no knee pain, I was wondering if it could be true.  When I walked back up to the cabin, and no knee pain, I began to get giddy (but I kept it to myself).  After tromping around some more, up and down hills, I had to burst out and tell my family that I had NO KNEE PAIN!  It was pure JOY!

So we went on a longer walk and I felt FREEDOM that I've never felt with my knee.  Hoorah!

THE BAD NEWS - It Didn't Last and then I Paid

It is so easy to overdo when you want to get going again.  After my amazing hike in the woods, I went on another with my daughter 2 days later for New Year's Day.  My knee was a little more swollen to start and was clicking a little when I walked.  Ruh-Roh.

Then a big day at work (Bellingham Training & Tennis Club) - I teach our Healthy Knees Cycling and Cycle Moles programs and we were just getting started with our Winter 8-week session.  I LOVE these programs and was on the bike perhaps a little more than prescribed.  Plus I helped out at the front desk a ton which meant I was standing a lot.

My knee swelled, became quite painful (not IN the joint, but around the joint) and then didn't do much but try to recover for the WHOLE rest of the week.

AND NOW CARRY ON....

Sometimes you get derailed.  But that does not mean all is lost.  Don't throw in the towel!
Sometimes it feels like 2 steps forward and 1 step back... accept that there may be setbacks
...and that's ok as long as you get moving forward again.

Take a breath.

Get back on track, stay the course.