Ready for anything!

Well, anything related to knee replacement surgery, that is. 🙂 Yep, I guess I am now officially “old” since I need a knee replacement. I am still trying to get my head around this. All my life, I tried to be “good” and live a healthy lifestyle. This meant, eating well, being active and managing stress.

Once my knee started hurting a lot when I went for my walks, I decided it was time to get it checked out. It turns out I have Stage 4 patella arthritis (cartilage behind kneecap is totally gone) and Stage 3 medial arthritis (cartilage on the side of knee is pretty much gone). Shots won’t help anymore, so the only alternatives are to live with it or to replace the knee.

I asked my surgeon if my lifestyle contributed to this. His answer was a resounding, “No. For you, it is because of your genetics and your anatomy.” I also said to him if I just sit on the sofa and don’t move, my knee doesn’t hurt. He looked at me (we all know that look . . .) and said, “If you were a total couch potato, you would have other, very serious problems.”

So, being the Type A person I am, I wanted to be completely prepared for my upcoming surgery, which is scheduled for June 1. I joined several Facebook Groups for Knee Replacements. This has been a mixed blessing. It is helpful to hear from others what will help in recovery, but it is not helpful to hear people’s horror stories about knee replacements. I know that folks who usually post are those having problems, so I am trying to take everything with a grain of salt.

Here is the result of my planning:

There is a shower chair. You may wonder why there are two purple tennis balls on top of the chair. They are actually for the legs of the walker. The walker is in the back. You may notice a black thing on the back of the walker. This is a little basket for the walker so I can carry stuff. There is also a cane for use after I graduate from the walker. The purple thingie hanging from the walker is a stretch strap, which will help me lift my operated leg onto the bed. And last but not least, the white compression stockings to prevent blood clots.

It was like Christmas in July getting all this stuff. I had to forewarn Mr. Ken that I would be getting a lot of boxes from Amazon. He thinks I order too much stuff online, but I told him all this was required by my surgeon.

On the subject of order too much stuff online, so what if I am on a first name basis with our Amazon delivery guy and our UPS guy. 🙂

My dear friend Lisa and I are planning a trip there in a few days. I love sweets, especially cupcakes. Er, rather I love the frosting. The cupcakes from Wilson Farms taste just like homemade ones!

The existential question is, “Do I buy the cupcakes and other yummy baked goods from Wilson Farms?” After the knee replacement surgery, I will essentially be a zoned out couch potato for several weeks. Not exactly conducive to burning calories.

Hah, who am I kidding? Of course I will be buying the cupcakes and other goodies. Being happy while healing from surgery is just as important as healthy eating.

So, have you had surgery? What did you do to prepare?