I joined a "Total Knee Replacement" group on Facebook. Why? Because there are certain well meaning people that are clueless. Or at least I hope they're well meaning but clueless.
I had one person tell me that 4 weeks after a total knee replacement,an uncle (or someone) was back to mountain climbing. Kind of intimated I was faking or slacking. I passed this information to my physio and he said that claim was (and I quote) "F&&king bullshit." Seeing as part of the tibia is sawn off, a titanium peg hammered into the tibia, and a titanium cap clipped onto the femer, it would take at least 6 weeks before the surgery part healed. Then comes the swelling and rehab.
Then there is battling the scar tissue. The same collegan that makes my skin so nice an not so wrinkled is the same reason the scar on my knee is so thick and deep. Lotions won't fix this. Breaking the adhesions is the only method, and it frigging hurts like hell for days afteward.
Then, there is the sciatic shin pain, that no pain meds can touch, because it's a pinched nerve, not muscular.
The members of the TKR group know about all of this, and when I say "Wow, today I managed to wash and hang the laundry outside! Cooked dinner and even cleaned up the cat's sand boxes." they know what an achievement that is. I can walk around without limping for over a half hour, longer if the sciatic shin pain stays away.
I don't marathons, but that's fine, because I didn't run them before. But I'm getting back to doing... even the mundane things, with a cheerful demeanor.
Oh yeah, and I cooked a 3+ hr prep and work turkey dinner for Wing... and yes, It was a bragging moment for me.
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