Putting on Shoes

In researching for an appropriate picture to put with this post, I have discovered that the majority of people do not put their shoes on the same way I do!  I've decided that it must have to do with the size of my stomach being in the way!  Nonetheless, this is how I put on my shoes.  Decidedly unfeminine, but since I rarely wear skirts or dresses, this is the approach I have developed.  Now that I think about it, my father put his shoes on this way.  Anyway....

Taken from a random blog whose picture was posted in Google.

I was at physical therapy this week to get some needling to loosen up some of my quad muscles.  After my physical therapist finished, he picked up my shoe while I was sitting on the edge of the table with my feet dangling.  He placed the shoe in his hand, stretched the laces out, and was clearly going to put my shoe on my foot.  This is a really nice, serving type of guy, but it really was not necessary to put my shoes on for me.  It just all seemed a little weird. So I reached down, got the shoe, bent my left knee, and threw my left foot upon my right knee to put on my shoe.  That's when he said, "Most knee replacements cannot do what you just did."  Well, now it's making sense why he wanted to help me get my shoes on, but it really made me sad for others.  People, don't accept your range of motion from when you get released from physical therapy post surgery.  Keep working at it.  You can regain SO MUCH MORE.

Thinking about Knee Replacements? Do it!

Since today is my birthday, it seems appropriate to post.  It is just so nice to be getting older and not have the knee pain that I was having just 5 years ago.  That is when I realized that my knee stiffness was ongoing and not related to activity. As things progressed, I tried to postpone the inevitable with Supartz injections and physical therapy, but not to much avail.  I have never regretted once that I got knee replacements.  There have many ups and downs, but still, I am so glad that I can at least look forward to getting older without knee pain.

Not a lot going on on the knee front, but there have been some developments that I would like to report on.  In January, my husband and I traveled by car to Houston, which is a very long car ride. Even though we broke it up in 2 days each way, by the time I got back to Memphis, both of my knees were very stiff and sore.  I didn't know if it was from riding in a car so many hours or if the rental car seats had something to do with it.  After 5 or 6 weeks without much improvement, I talked to my physical therapist.  He suggested that I use The Stick on my hamstrings.  After a couple of weeks I had worked out the trigger points in both hamstrings, but my left knee was still quite stiff and sore.  I had regressed to not being able to walk when I first stood up out of a chair, and that walking was not without discomfort.  I returned to my PT, and he did dry needling on my left knee.  I got several needles in my quad muscle.  I don't know how many because I was yakking the whole time.  I felt the needles go in, felt the turning, but it was rather innocuous.  When he hit the trigger, my muscle would jump or spasm, and that did not feel good, but it was quite tolerable. The next day the improvement was remarkable.  I had another treatment 10 days later, and I am basically well.  For the first time since my surgery, I am not thinking about my knees.  Hardly ever.  It's kind of bad though because I don't think to go to the gym or ride my bike either!! (Remember the foot pain that threatened my Disney trip?  A few needles in my lower leg practically fixed that up, too.  It has been hurting me for over 2 years!)

The other thing I have done is become a semi-vegan.  In the past 9 weeks, I have lost 28 pounds.  ALL of my joints are so much better. This alone has encouraged me strongly to adapt this lifestyle.  I am now walking faster, and I'm sure my knees are thanking me since 28 pounds is equivalent to 112 pounds off my knees. I see many, many small things that are encouraging me to stick with it-- getting up and down more easily off the floor, doing yoga, riding my bike, etc.

At physical therapy, it was decided that my hips are weak.  I have been doing hip exercises for several weeks, and that has made a huge difference in my balance and step climbing.  I just feel like FINALLY things are looking up more and more.  I have always been proud of my progress, but discouraged at the same time by the progress of others whose progress seemed to be greater than mine. Thinking about knees replacements?  Do it!