It was six months ago today, on August 13, that I had my knee joint replacement surgery. The time has gone by so fast! It's really amazing how much better my knee feels. My favorite thing is that I don't have any pain. My second favorite thing is that I can walk normally without limping. I am still surprised when I get out of bed in the morning and I can put my full weight on that leg and it doesn't hurt. I don't have to drag my right leg around for a few minutes when I wake up. It just works.
There are a couple of things that are weird. First of all, I don't want to put my knee down on the ground, you know, to be on my knees. There are a few yoga poses that are on the knees, but I don't like to do those. It doesn't hurt, but it feels strange. My aunt Pat told me she couldn't be on her knees for a couple of years after her surgery. I've tried using a pillow under the knee for the yoga, but it's just not right. I skip those poses.
The other thing that is weird is that I don't have full feeling back on the right side of my leg. The surgeon, Dr. F, said it would take time, but the feeling may never come back all the way. I have to be careful when I shave that leg. I can't press too hard when I shave that side because I can't feel it and I could cut myself up. That's a dumb little thing, though.
My scar looks good. It's straight and is fading nicely. The lower part of the scar is really light. The part that is at the top of the kneecap is the most visible .
As far as exercise goes, I can pretty much do everything that I did before the surgery. Dr. F told me not to do any high impact exercise, but I didn't do any running, jogging or jumping before the surgery, so I don't think I'm missing out there. The one thing I used to love and I haven't done is Zumba. Maybe I'll give that a whirl next month. I'll take it slow and see how it feels.
To be honest, I haven't been doing much exercise at all. I can definitely feel the absence of activity. I used to get up early and go to the gym pretty regularly. Here's what I know: when you stop getting up early, it's really really hard to get back into the habit. That is especially true when it is so very cold in the morning and the frost on the car windshield is thick. You have to allow a little extra time for your car to warm up a bit so it's easier to scrape the window. No thanks. I'll just sleep in. Yes, I could just work out at home, but I don't. I do want to get back into the workout habit, though. I've been babying my knee, but I know it can take whatever I give it, as long as I don't run, jump, jog or get on my knees.
You almost always hear these words from people who have had joint replacement surgery: "I am so glad I did it! I don't know why I waited for so long." I can tell you that two weeks after the surgery, I did not feel that way. Even a month later, I was unsure about my decision. Now, though, six months later, I can truly say that I am glad I had the surgery.
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