Judy’s Story
Before surgery, trying to walk was difficult unless I wrapped my leg tightly. I was extremely limited in getting around. As a young senior with no family in my state to help me, I had to do a lot of things while in extreme pain. My doctor suggested physical therapy to see if that would relieve some of the pain, but there was no relief. I consulted with two surgeons and was pleased to get a clear understanding that knee replacement surgery could give me my life back.
Eventually, wrapping my leg did not resolve the excruciating pain, and physical therapy hurt even more. I have a high tolerance for pain and a history of low blood pressure, but the pain was so extreme and my blood pressure was so high that it was frightening. I found myself going to the hospital to get strong pain medications until I could have surgery. I had lost a lot of sleep so trying to take care of myself was devastating. I could not do it any longer. I needed my life back, and surgery was offering it.
After surgery I am seeing life-changing results, and I like it a lot. I have lost some weight to help my leg heal better, and it is great because walking is so pleasurable. I feel safer without the thought of my leg giving out on me. I am standing tall and straight. I feel younger and excited as I adapt to the joy of walking and living with no pain. I work out at the gym in my apartment building, using exercise bikes and power walking. I feel like I have a new lease on life, and it’s exciting. I look forward to doing more with my life. I walk with confidence, so the surgery was worth it.
One of the most important things I learned was that surgery is unique to every person. Comparing myself to others probably gave me more anxiety than I needed. One of my physical therapists taught me to protect my ears from negative stories surrounding other people’s surgeries. I had to focus and listen to the wonderful people who were taking care of me and assisting me in this new adventure in life. Once I did this, it became liberating to watch and assist in the process. Joint replacement gave me a better life than I could have ever hoped for.
