My knees are almost completely healed from their replacement last November … except, they still don’t bend quite as far as they should.
A friend had her knees replaced in May, but has just had an additional little procedure done by the doctor that broke up scar tissue that was keeping her knees from bending as well as they should.
So, that made me wonder if I had missed the boat by not asking about that procedure soon after my surgery. I was thinking I might make an appointment (I haven’t seen the knee doctor since December) just to see what the doctor had to say about my flexibility.
Then the other day (a very hot morning) I was watering flowers on the deck barefoot (which I don’t normally do) and discovered that that composite decking apparently really holds the heat, because it was reallllly hot on the bottoms of my feet, so I hurried to the two steps down to the yard to get off the deck.
But being distracted by hot feet and hurrying I missed the first step, lost my balance and fell, huge plastic watering can and all, face-first into the yard. (The picture flashed through my mind of people sitting behind windows in homes on the other side of the lake, sipping their morning coffee and chuckling at the free entertainment.)
I can’t decide if having the watering can in my hand was a blessing or not. On the one hand, it may have broken my fall because it hit the ground first. But, on the other hand, if I hadn’t been holding it, I might have done a better job of catching myself with my hands. My knees hit first (oh-ohh) and then I went down on my face. Luckily the grass somewhat padded the fall.
I immediately got up not wanting to entertain the neighbors any longer than necessary, if they were watching (ahh, vanity)) and was relieved that my knees still worked! But I was also surprised that while the fronts of my knees had some small abrasions, it was the backs of my knees that really hurt! So I went in the house, took a couple aspirin, and waited to see if they would get better or worse as the day went along.
They never felt any worse. In fact, the next day they didn’t hurt at all! And the big surprise is … they seem more flexible than they did before the fall!
So, I’m thinking my little unexpected fall may have done for me what my friend’s visit to the doctor accomplished. And my version was free! That seems to have turned out to be a very fortuitous fall.
Add Humor and Faith....mix well 
Well, I was kinda “scared” when I first started reading this….but wow…what an ending!! Thankful you have done so well, so very well, with your knee replacements. Husband is facing this down the road and our only full bathroom is upstairs…ugh. Don’t know what we are going to do, but we’ll face that later. (I have a frozen shoulder that is so so so “annoying” for lack of a better word….but I’m afraid to “accidentally” fall on it and see if that would break up all the adhesions and scar tissues. LOL) Have a great day!!
This is so funny, Dee. Because Hubby just got up and I read this post to him. When I was done, he said, “You probably should add a disclaimer about ‘Don’t try this at home'”. Then I read your comment about your frozen shoulder and that you didn’t think you’d try this as a solution. You and him were thinking along the same lines!
I’m sorry to hear that your husband has this problem too. My guess is that they will probably keep him in rehab longer because there isn’t a main floor bathroom at home. Even with that inconvenience, I encourage him to do it as soon as he can. In most cases, we’ll never be healthier than we are right now, so sooner is better.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Forth!!
Your knee surgeon should read your blog, but it would probably give him a heart attack. I’m so glad to hear that the fall doesn’t appear to have done any harm and may, in fact, have done some good. But no repeat performances for the folks across the lake, okay?
I’m glad you were not seriously hurt. I was biting my lip whilst reading this.
Like Dee, I’ve had a frozen shoulder and it took more than a year of regular to semi-regular manipulation and pressure (called Aggressive Release Therapy – ART) to get it back to mostly-normal mobilityagain. My neighbour had a frozen shoulder plague him for years until he fell one story, and landed smack on the bad shoulder. He thought it was the end of its mobility but found, just as you did with your knees that the impact must have broken up the scar tissue. After about a week it was like he’d never had the frozen shoulder.
Good to know that you’re feeling better and that no damage was done.
“Mobilityagain” sounds like a drug, doesn’t it? I seem to have spac ebari ssues. 😉
I’m so glad you didn’t injure your knees! Sounds like you are getting around pretty well!
“C”‘s sister-in-law had knee replacement last Dec. and was warned not to go around anyone with an infection for a year. Her elderly parents have both had serious health setbacks recently–her mother was hospitalized for a couple of months (unusual these days) and her father has been in the hospital with pneumonia. Well, last week she woke up in the middle of the night was a knee swollen and was in surgery the next day with a long recovery ahead of her! So BE CAREFUL–and stay away from hospitals!! Did they tell you this after your surgery? I was amazed that this could happen so long after surgery!
Glad you came through the fall ok! Be careful!
V
As usual, I seem to be the only person to get the point of this post….you are actually keeping plants alive for the first time in your life AND you own a watering can.
All your described “antics” could not distract ME from this modern day miracle.
You’re biggest fan
Ha! Your biggest fan is funny. And she’s right about the true miracle of this post.
Linda — Well, since you said something!… I’ll try very hard to avoid a repeat of that little “dive” into the yard. It’s probably a pretty good overall rule not to lead with your face in any circumstance! 🙂 I know my Dr. would probably not recommend alot of what I do. Let’s hope that “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”.
Hilary — I’m glad your frozen shoulder was able to be rehabilitated without having to fall off a roof! But your neighbor’s story makes me think maybe I’m NOT crazy to think that my fall helped. Thanks for telling me about his experience. btw, if there was a medicine called “mobilityagain”, I think there would be alot of people lining up to buy it!
Vicki — I have been warned that once you have a replacement joint, you will ALWAYS be more susceptible to infection. I have a prescription on hand at all times to take if I’m going to have any kind of medical treatment, including having my teeth cleaned! I guess that’s one of the negatives for joint replacement, but I think most people would say they are willing to make that trade-off. But thanks for the warning about hospitals, I hadn’t thought of that.
Jenny — I have found that i can raise plants — they just have to be very hearty plants! Well, at least I think I’m keeping them alive. I probably should look closer to make sure that Dad hasn’t replaced them with plastic to help me out!
Linda — Yeah, she’s a real “card”. Want to adopt her? 🙂
God certainly works in mysterious ways, and He has one heck of a sense of humor, too. I’ve had my share of such mishaps that turned out to be blessings in disguise. Nothing as drastic as yours, though. Glad everything is working better!
Thanks, Suldog! 🙂
While reading your story, I was also jumping ahead in my mind and thought you were going to say that you spilled water and slipped. So glad you fell onto the grass and not the decking.
Reminds me of when my husband had ganglion cysts in his hands years ago. His doctor told him that there was corrective surgery, but that “the family Bible treatment” also worked. Dropping a heavy book was supposed to do about the same thing to break up the cyst. Joe had neither treatment and they are gone anyway. He really didn’t want to try either one and I couldn’t help but think that the doctor was joking.
Incidentally, in your bungy-thingy post you looked really trim!