Knees News
July 18, 2019
I had my right knee replaced twelve years ago. The surgery went smoothly. The recovery did not. Physical therapy hurt. Working from my sofa was painful. It took about a year for the swelling to go away. To this day, people tell me I have a run in my stocking because I have a ten-inch vertical white scar through the center of my knee.
I decided that one knee replacement was enough. I vowed to keep my left knee unreplaced forever.
About a year ago, I began to have a little discomfort in that left knee. I ignored it until I couldn’t. I decided to wait until summer was over before I sought help, but my friend/trainer Kathy said waiting was a bad idea because you have more options if you catch it before it is bone-on-bone. She mentioned something called Synvisc, a shot that puts a gel-like cushion between the bones.
My X-ray showed severe osteoarthritis, but it wasn’t bone-on-bone yet. My primary care doctor referred me to orthopedics.
I haven’t had much good medical news lately, so I was prepared for the worst. But, not only did the doctor tell me that my replaced right knee still looked great, she gave me a shot of Synvisc in my left knee that has already, just four days later, given me noticeable relief.
Good news for a change.
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