Nothing like a new knee in the new year!

Hello dear readers! 

I hope that all is well with you in your “worlds”. As for me and mine, I’ve had a big change, which I hope will prove to be a good one. On Tuesday, April 2nd, I underwent surgery for a full right knee replacement. I have been, and am still in recovery mode. 

First of all, I should share a little back-story. Do any of you remember me mentioning here on the blog that in the summer of 2021, I was having trouble walking? Well, as of a month ago (Spring of 2024), I was still struggling - even more so. Due to arthritis, not an accident, my right knee has given me pain for many years. For lack of a better word, I’ll say my condition had started to ruin my life. It’s also probable that the way I was walking began causing my left hip to hurt, too, which caused more pain while moving. It makes perfect sense, right? To favor my right knee, I leaned more heavily on my left.

I’ve been a pretty good sport, and have tried hard not to let the pain stop me from whatever I wanted or needed to do. I basically grinned and bore it. This method worked pretty well for me when I was at home, but… back in November, we took a vacation. We left Wisconsin and headed south, hit up some sites in Indiana and Kentucky, ultimately to experience the Smoky Mountains. Our final destination was to connect with Tony and family in Nashville, Tennessee for Thanksgiving weekend. 

It was a really nice car trip. Up to that point, I never had much trouble with my knee when I sat or laid down. However, as the trip wore on, the added walking - tours, museums, simply getting from point A to point B, became excruciating for me. When Tony (lovingly) suggested I use a wheelchair at the Country Music Hall of Fame, I began to protest the idea. When had my physical condition become so obvious? I wondered. 

I knew deep down that it would be best if I followed Tony’s suggestion, so I cast my foolish pride to the side. We got to the CMHOF when it opened, and they had chairs available to borrow, so I used one. The day went well, and I was so glad I had participated and not canceled my tour. It was just that… well… the experience had served as a real eye-opener for me. I guess I thought I’d been fooling everybody, but no… not even a little bit. 

Tony and Lesleigh made me promise that when I got home, I’d look into “next steps” for me and for my knee situation. True to my word, I visited with the string of doctors that a medical situation of this nature requires. The x-ray of my knee showed that I had been walking bone-on-bone. No wonder I was in so much pain. I tried a shot of cortisone in early December, hoping that it would patch me through the upcoming holidays and Todd’s retirement party. It actually did ease some of the pain, but exactly one month from the date of the shot, my pain returned. It was time. 

As the surgery date approached, I felt positive and matter-of-fact about it. I kept myself busy by filling out required questionnaires about my condition, along with ranking my pain levels from 0-10. I made a slew of phone calls, booked my post-surgery therapy appointments, and attended (with Todd, too) a required pre-surgery class. I can’t be 100% sure, but I’ll guess I was the youngest person there.

However, I’ll be honest. My positivity level did eventually take a hit. All of that talk of braces, canes, walkers, and wheelchairs was making me feel like somebody I had never been. Back in 2011, when I turned 50, I joked about being “fabulous”. In 2021, to me, 60 sounded like just another number. But I think that the old saying, “When you have your health, you have everything,” proves true for me. Being in a lot of pain day-in and day-out is exhausting. I’ve realized something else, too. Let me ask you… have you ever envied someone for their physical beauty, or maybe even for their wealth? I know it’s common to do that, but I no longer envy things like that; rather I now watch how gracefully someone walks, or how quickly they can climb a flight of stairs – sometimes even two at a time! I think Wow! I remember when I could do that. I wish I could still do that… Who knows? Maybe someday… 

So here we are. Three weeks have passed and I am working hard in therapy. I vowed to do whatever earthly thing was required to get back on my feet as soon as possible. I have a set of exercises that I am committed to complete twice daily. The surgeon is pleased with my progress. My Physical Therapist seems pleased, too. From here, it’s going to take time. They say that, “Time heals all wounds.” I’d like to insert “prayer” into the equation as well. Time, along with our perfect healer… 

I hope to be “back at it” (whatever “it” may be) very soon. Pray for me? 

Your friend, Katie

Katie Kolberg Memmel is the author of three books: "Five Fingers, Ten Toes - A Mother's Story of Raising a Child Born With a Limb Difference... 10-year anniversary edition, now with photos"; "From This Day Forward..." and "Silly Stories and Sentimental Stuff". For more information about Katie, and to order her books, please visit her website at: www.katiekolbergmemmel.com