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 to Wilson Farms 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?
Nancy Loderick's Blog 
Eileen Feigenbaum
May 27, 2026
it will be great! You’ll get your life back. Coincidentally I will be having a R TKR two weeks after you on June 15. It will be my 4th joint replacement. The other 3 are still working great and I can’t wait to get back to a more active life. My main piece of advice is do your PT. Good luck, you will do great.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
May 27, 2026
Hi Eileen,
Thanks so much for your comment. It is very, very helpful to hear firsthand how successful your surgeries were.
And, yes, I have heard overwhelmingly from folks that the key is to keep up with your PT (even when you don’t feel like it.) Also, to stay ahead of the pain and don’t try to be a hero.
Best of luck with your R TKR on June 15!
Let me know how it goes.
Nancy
LikeLike
Ken Loderick
May 31, 2026
It certainly looks like you are well prepared for your surgery! I’m praying that all goes well and that you make a full recovery. I’m looking forward to going on many more adventures with you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
May 31, 2026
Hey Mr. Ken,
As my “designated caretaker” (Hah, lucky you.), you are entitled to extra donuts so you can keep up your strength. 🙂
Nancy
LikeLike
Richard Read
June 3, 2026
Hi there. Hope that the op went well. From my experience (one done in Jan 24), the recovery is daunting but in fact it seemed to go much better than expected. Keep exercising as much as you can. Stairs are a perceived problem but I found it helpful to go up and down them often to loosen the tension on the knee.
I discarded one crutch after a couple of days and the other one after about 7-10 days (can’t remember exactly) and didn’t need the chair in the shower.
i was fortunate in that I had support from family as well which helped.
Here’s to a full recovery soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy Loderick
June 16, 2026
Hi Richard! Thanks for the comment and sorry for the delayed response. surgery was June 1st and it’s now June 15th and these past few weeks have been a fog of pain meds trying to do exercises, icing elevating. trying to do some simple everyday tasks like getting up and using the bathroom. My husband has been an absolute angel throughout all this. he’s my primary caretaker. and I have two friends that are also absolute Angels. they check in on me everyday. and I’ve learned to celebrate the small successes. when I first got done with the surgery I could not lift my leg at all and then slowly it was a half a millimeter. then it was a millimeter and now it’s up to 2 mm. I also have an awesome physical therapist who comes to my home three times a week. she’s tough but not too tough.
Nancy
LikeLike