Actually, Episode 1 probably started a couple of years ago. One of the generous gifts from my family DNA is a tendency to arthritis in my joints. I had a hip replacement three years ago, and a shoulder replacement a year after that. My left knee was starting to show signs of wanting to join the “bionic club” as well.
After two operations in two years, I really wanted a year without surgery. We kept the knee going with injections that provided relief for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. But over time, they were less and less effective; and it was finally time to replace the joint.
As soon as I mentioned that I would be having knee replacement surgery, I began to get advice. “Do the exercises. Don’t be afraid of the pain meds. The first couple of weeks will be brutal, but it will get better after that.” And over and over again, “Do the exercises.” The problem, they explained to me, is that it’s easy for knees to lose their flexibility as they heal. The exercises are designed to preserve the knee’s ability to bend easily as well as to straighten fully. So, “Do the exercises.”
Please excuse me. I’m off to do some exercises. To be continued in Episode Two.
An Explosion of Color and Texture 