Medical Update
I decided for this week’s story I would give you an update on the status of my knee replacement, whether you wanted to know or not. To do this, I must take you back to the beginning of my decision to have the surgery.
For the last two years, I have been experiencing problems with my knees, especially after playing basketball. I went to see a doctor, and X-rays showed that the right knee had lost all of the cartilage and was basically bone against bone. We started doing cortisone shots which worked well for about nine months, and then it didn’t help much at all. The next step was to have a total knee replacement.
I had the surgery at Mountain View Hospital, and everything went great. I had several people tell me the key to success was to make sure to follow all the instructions for physical therapy and not to skip any steps. I took this to heart and made sure I did everything I was supposed to do.
I felt like everything was going well until I went to the gym on Saturday January 21st. I rode the stationary bike for about 20 minutes, and then soaked in the hot tub. Usually, my knee feels so much better after my workouts, but that day my knee felt pretty sore. It didn’t get any better over the weekend, so I went in to have it checked out. I found out that my knee had developed a staph infection. We had been told earlier this was the worst diagnosis you could get about knee replacement surgery. The doctor explained that they would need to go in and remove the replacement knee and put in a spacer. Then I would be on IV anti biotics for 6 to 8 weeks, and then if everything looked okay, in three months they would do another knee replacement surgery. My heart hit the floor and it felt like someone had run over me with a dump truck. I spent the rest of that day and the next day being bitter and angry. This had put all of the plans I had back at least 8 months.
I have often said in life it doesn’t matter what happens to you, it’s what you do with it. Now it was my turn to take this statement and apply it to myself. I didn’t have to look very far to realize there are people very close to me that are dealing with situations so much worse. They are dealing with situations that are literally a matter of life and death. I thought about so many cancer patients that I have meet that have a positive outlook and are grateful for what they have. I realize what an amazing wife I have and how much she does for me every day to take care of me.
I know these next few months will not be easy, but I know I can get through them because of the strength and love I get from my family and friends. I appreciate all of you for your support and thanks for reading.
P.S. I am also driven to get better so I can return to basketball. I still have fouls that need to be distributed.