In celebration of my 1-year anniversary, I'm dedicating this blog post to highlighting the most important knee lessons I've learned over the past year. It's been a learning experience overall, but what I can now say about having a partial knee replacement is this:
1) Recovery is a process of steps; as long as you're not stepping downwards, you're progressing.
2) Your recovery does not have a timeline. Your knee does though, and it will heal independently of your expectations. This means that no matter how hard you work, you can only recover as fast as your knee wants to.
3) It it hurts, don't do it. "No pain, no gain" works when you're training for a triathlon, but not when you're recovering from a knee replacement. Find ways to build muscle without causing pain (see my exercise tips post).
4) Patience, patience, patience. And just when you can't take it anymore, be even more patient. You signed up for this, the least you can do is accept your limitations (see #2). When you're ready to move to the next level, you'll know it. If you're unsure, then try it. If you try it and it hurts, start over with patience, patience, patience!
5) Be realistic. Someone sliced your knee open, sawed through your bone, and replaced it with metal and plastic parts. Knowing that, don't be surprised when your knee swells the first time you ride a bike. Try not to be discouraged when you aren't back on the tennis court in a month. Manage your expectations accordingly.
6) Have faith. You've thought this over and have done your homework. If you've read my blog then you've done your due diligence and chosen a qualified surgeon that has addressed all your concerns. Once the scalpel drops, there's nothing more you can do except deal with the outcome. Be confident in yourself though, your surgeon, and your determination to have a successful recovery.
So the next question you're going to ask is, "was it worth it"?
Prior to my knee replacement, my knee was bad and it was never going to get any better. Now I've got a fresh new knee ready for conditioning. In other words, I took a bald tire and re-treaded it. Knowing that I have nowhere else to go but up from here is a pretty good feeling. I'm excited for the future and thankful for all I have.
1) Recovery is a process of steps; as long as you're not stepping downwards, you're progressing.
2) Your recovery does not have a timeline. Your knee does though, and it will heal independently of your expectations. This means that no matter how hard you work, you can only recover as fast as your knee wants to.
3) It it hurts, don't do it. "No pain, no gain" works when you're training for a triathlon, but not when you're recovering from a knee replacement. Find ways to build muscle without causing pain (see my exercise tips post).
4) Patience, patience, patience. And just when you can't take it anymore, be even more patient. You signed up for this, the least you can do is accept your limitations (see #2). When you're ready to move to the next level, you'll know it. If you're unsure, then try it. If you try it and it hurts, start over with patience, patience, patience!
5) Be realistic. Someone sliced your knee open, sawed through your bone, and replaced it with metal and plastic parts. Knowing that, don't be surprised when your knee swells the first time you ride a bike. Try not to be discouraged when you aren't back on the tennis court in a month. Manage your expectations accordingly.
6) Have faith. You've thought this over and have done your homework. If you've read my blog then you've done your due diligence and chosen a qualified surgeon that has addressed all your concerns. Once the scalpel drops, there's nothing more you can do except deal with the outcome. Be confident in yourself though, your surgeon, and your determination to have a successful recovery.
So the next question you're going to ask is, "was it worth it"?
Prior to my knee replacement, my knee was bad and it was never going to get any better. Now I've got a fresh new knee ready for conditioning. In other words, I took a bald tire and re-treaded it. Knowing that I have nowhere else to go but up from here is a pretty good feeling. I'm excited for the future and thankful for all I have.