Seven months post op

I celebrated my 7 month post op anniversary on vacation in the Rockies-- this photo was taken during a hike in the Grand Tetons. So, as an update to how things are going, I guess you could say I am nearly returned to normal at this point. I was able to easily spend all day, every day for 18 days, hiking, climbing, chasing the dogs, and sightseeing.

Those of you contemplating surgery or who are on the mend should note that I'm still taking pain meds for my back, which continues to cause me problems. The back issues are also caused by arthritis, but are in no way related to my knees. I mention this because I may be having some knee pain, but it is blocked because of these meds. If you are still experiencing some knee pain, I believe this is normal and should respond well to ibuprofen--if not, I would have a talk with your surgeon if you are beyond the 6 month point.

Other things that remain and probably will always remain--I do not kneel, I do not wish to kneel, and if I forget and kneel, it hurts. The joints are very vulnerable when they are flexed into the kneeling position, so people with artificial knees should avoid kneeling anyway. I took an aerobic dance class this past summer, and some of the side-to-side motions were clunky. I am doing more side-to-side activity in my workout routine now, and that seems to help strengthen those lateral muscles.

I have days on end when I forget that these are not "real" knees. I remain thankful for the replacements and would repeat the surgery in a heartbeat.