So, I Had Knee Replacement Surgery!

Photo credit: National Cancer Institute

So, I Had Knee Replacement Surgery!

Yup, after breaking both ankles in a skiing accident in December, I decided to get my knees replaced eight weeks apart. I found that I had an over-abundant supply of tenacity and resilience and what better way to apply them than through a round of surgery!

My trusty surgical team sliced me open last Thursday and I’ve not felt like writing my blog until today when a strange thing happened…well, strange for me. I didn’t sleep well last night, getting up for the bathroom and pain meds, so after a Zoom call at 8 am, I went back to bed hoping to recoup some the lost hours snoozing. 

I think I did drop off for a few minutes but was awakened with an annoying itch on the bottom of my right foot. The more I scratched at with the toes of my left foot, the more insistent it became until I was angry. Angry at my self-inflicted surgery, angry at the pain meds that knocked me for a loop, angry at being 74 and my body changing in not so good ways. 

I was angry at my inability to work at my steady pace, get my blog out, run errands, make marketing phone calls, etc. So, I threw the blankets off my legs, grabbed my walker, grumbling to myself that this isn’t me, I don’t do this, I bounce back and do what needs to be done.

I had a small to-do list of things that I wanted to accomplish this week even with a big ice bag on my knee with an ace bandage holding it in place.  I knew that if they were to get done, I’d have to swallow my pride and ask for some assistance.

When you are at the mercy of a slow recovery period and have a type A personality you have to make concessions. One of them is asking for help. I would rather walk on broken glass than ask for help…really! But I have great friends who stepped up and ran a couple of errands for me, picked up a few things I needed and with a small visit with each one, I got to see friends, and cheer myself up. Sometimes resilience comes in the form that we least expect. I generally bounce back quickly, but to get angry this morning was unexpected.

Years ago, when he was at the top of his game and fame, Lance Armstrong said in one of his interviews, that finding anger in a bike race was energizing and he would capitalize on it. Maybe that’s what happened to me, I don’t know, but it definitely motivated me to get up and get goin’!

I’m in no way advocating that you go out and get angry at someone to get your energy up. But you can get angry at yourself for not having the imagination and tenacity to push yourself harder to get finished the purpose you’re after. I’m the biggest baby when I’m sick or injured and I need to kick myself in the pants occasionally to get the motor running.

Remember to take a TRIP for a lifetime, not a trip of a lifetime.

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion…mine!

Keith......