Knee Report Card

Husband and I drove to Nashville today for my three-month checkup at the doctor's. We went with a certain amount of trepidation because we didn't know what would happen based on the progress I have made in rehabilitation since my surgery on April 10.

At six weeks the doctor threatened to put me back into the hospital, sedate me, and physically manipulate my right knee to break up scar tissue which had formed and was causing tremendous pain during therapy. This scar tissue was also preventing me from flexing my knee as much as the doctor wanted (at least 120 degrees). If this procedure was performed, I would have to start physical therapy all over again. I instead opted to continue physical therapy five times a week and concentrate on exercises to increase flexion. This has been very difficult to say the least. To date I have only been able to flex my knee to 105 degrees and I was very worried that the doctor would insist on performing the manipulation.

We were very surprised, therefore, when we were told that they were extremely satisfied with my progress to date. The nurse practitioner said that at three months past surgery I was exactly where I should be. She ordered therapy to continue three times a week for the next three months and then I would come back for another checkup. She told me that normal recuperation from this type of surgery is typically a year. Here I thought I wasn't doing as well as they wanted and now both husband and I are satisfied that things are going better than we expected.

All of this is good news. I have worked very hard to get over this major surgery. I had my doubts about replacing my knee because this is a permanent deal. For the rest of my life I must take antibiotics prior to any dental procedure and any other medical procedure. For the rest of my life I must visit the doctor once a year to ensure that my body is not rejecting this prosthetic or that I have not acquired an infection that could threaten my knee or that it had not worn out or that it had not loosened because of use or abuse. For the rest of my life I will not be able to jump or do anything that could damage my knee. For the rest of my life I may not be able to kneel, do the twist, or bowl. For the rest of my life I will have to show a little card when I go through airport security to explain why all the buzzers are going off.

I thought I would be able to handle this surgery with no problem because I was a superwoman who had two kids with practically no medication. How bad could this procedure be? I found, much to my astonishment, that I had three months of surprising pain. I couldn't believe that I was such a crybaby dependent upon a lot of pain pills to dull the torture of therapy.

Today I am not in pain like I was before and I'm learning that I can walk again like a normal person. Hopefully one of these days I will forget that I have stainless steel and plastic implanted where real bone and cartilage once resided. Hopefully one of these days I will not think twice about going for an extended walk and worrying whether I will be able to make it back to the house or car without crawling or crying. Hopefully one of these days I won't feel like an old invalid.

Considering all I have been through, was it worth it? I would have to say yes. Would I have my left knee done? I would have to say maybe not. But, I will cross that stream when I come to it. After all, tomorrow is another day.