Goodbye knee....

Eighteen months ago, when my orthopedic surgeon told me that in the near future I would need a knee replacement, I thought that he was just exaggerating,... he wanted to scared me so I would stop running,... I am still young (48?), this type of surgeries are for older people,.. these american doctors are easily willing to operate for any minor issue as long as they make extra money,... no way, it is my knee and though it is a bit messed (since I had an ACL surgery in Spain, 25 years ago), I will stick to it for many years... a prothesis? NO WAY!!!

Well, tomorrow, October, 21st, I will have a total knee replacement surgery so hopefully I can get back to normal and do not start limping after barely walk a few blocks. The surgeon told me that it is not a bionic knee or, in other words, if I couldn't run a Marathon before, most likely I won't be able to run it afterwards. However, it seems that I will manage to perform any type of sport activity as long as no high impact is involved. Anyway, no worries, an artificial knee will not represent a serious setback in my sport career.

Postoperative machines...

I remember that when I had my ACL in Spain (again, 25 years ago), the doctor who checked my leg on a Tuesday evening, invited me to join him at the operating room on the next Thursday morning, just a after a blood test the previous day. Well, as you can imagine, here in the USA things work slightly different: Let aside the blood tests, scanners and EKG, by now, I have had 3 different training sessions to learn about the surgery, the pre and post operation, the rehab process and the 8 types of drugs I will be taking (pain killers, nausea control, aspirins... anti-constipation). I have been also trained to walk on crutches and (just in case) to use a walker (yes, a walker!) and finally I was strongly suggested to rent 3 different devices to use during the first 2 weeks at home:
-A knee CPM to bend the knee
-An anti-blood clots
-and finally an Ice Therapy unit to control the knee swelling

.... as always in this country, not too much room for improvisation, but quite honestly I would be happy if with so many pills, machines, exercises and PAIN, I don't go totally nuts!!

See you soon.