This one-year scar comes from a manual knee replacement, although some surgeons also do robotic surgery. Note the difference in stitches with neat, tight ones becoming loops. Two different people closed the suture.
In 1994, when I reported for the Arctic Sounder in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), I was catapulted off a freight sled on the way out to a whaling camp. My left knee swelled and was strained by insulated overalls.
Because I was a cyclist, I manage for decades to avoid surgery, save for a meniscus repair (a C-shaped piece of tough, rubbery cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the shinbone and the thighbone). I got to watch the surgery on a video screen as I requested a spinal. Hardly any cartilage remained.
But by 2024, that knee became too painful to walk on and it disturbed my sleep.
I went to a male orthopedist, although I prefer a woman doctor, and he was arrogant, never touched me and refused the operation until I lost 30 pounds. "How can I do that if I can't walk?" No answer.
So, I wrote a letter to the head of the hospital's orthopedic department explaining my situation.
Never ever be afraid to do this if you feel you are not being treated properly and with respect.
The director had his secretary make an appointment with another surgeon and she was great.
Be aware of some changes
I had a complete blood test before the operation and one after, and I was shocked to see that the loss of blood during the operation caused me to become anemic.
The surgeon did not warn me about this.
In order to regain strength and heal, I ate lots of iron-rich foods like red meat, poultry, seafood, liver, leafy greens-especially spinach, tofu and tempeh, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, fortified cereals and bread, whole grains, and dried fruit.
To maximize iron absorption, I combined foods rich in iron with those high in vitamin C. For example, adding strawberries to a spinach salad or drizzle lemon juice over grilled chicken.
You'll also be tired because of the loss of blood and physical trauma to your body. Be kind to yourself.
Physical therapy brings you back
I had a physical therapist who I teasingly called, "Colin the Cruel," but he was excellent.
I found my new knee to be liberating-no more pain and I could walk far and wide again.
PT is painful and awkward at first, but lessens the stronger you become. However, you have to stick with it otherwise you'll lose the advantage of having a joint replacement. It's a waste of your time and the doctor's if you don't suck it up and stick with PT.
Going to a pool, like the two YMCAs in Anchorage, Wasilla and Kodiak, and weightlessly exercising helps recovery. The Anchorage Y on Lake Otis Parkway has water fitness classes. It also has a steam room.
The Y also takes the Silver Sneakers benefit some health insurances offer.
As far as equipment to help you in the early days of recovery there are walkers, either simple ones or the kind that has a seat so you can rest. Crutches like the
kind under your arms I find painful. However, forearm crutches, also called Lofstrand or elbow crutches, have a cuff that goes around the forearm with handles for your hand to grip. These encourage you to stand up straight whereas arm crutches cause you to hang on them.
When I had my meniscus trimmed in 1997, I used the elbow crutches for six months and was able to cover distances. They seemed much easier to use and best of all, using them strengthens your chest muscles.
I started out with a walker then used a cane and after a couple of weeks, my husband firmly held onto my arm as we walked around until I could do it on my own.
Next up? My left shoulder. Poor thing, I saw the X-ray and it looks like two sad sticks with hardly any cartilage. And it makes grinding noises when I move it. But the surgeon said I still had good strength and range, so I will just be doing physical therapy to surrounding muscles.
Once I looked at the contraindications of using the meds, I decided not to take them and just do Aleve.
Still, I wonder when a doctor just prescribes medication, that may or may not extend the life of a joint, I have to wonder why not just replace it?
And this is something you need to ask your doctor.
