Hi Jack, New Turn, and Gav --- Wishing you both the very, very best. I so totally understand the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 breakdown you shared. Exactly! and frankly, I would guess that someday we may know how to get cartilage to regenerate and joints to heal. we just need to know how to "turn on" those cells.
In the meantime... we do have a wonderful possibility for returning to movement. I was down to a point of not walking anywhere, not even the one step from my toilet to the bathroom sink, from the hampers near the washer to the washer, anywhere without at least one cane, if not my two I used for any distance such as from the bedroom to the kitchen. I do not live in a big house!! My body had locked up in stiffness, to avoid intense pains I suppose. All movement became ridiculously hard. The last few times I rode my bike were a comedy hour... me using two canes to stay upright, one person helping lift my foot while another slid the bike horizontally at 10 inches or so under me and then getting it between my legs!!! yikes, how can this be?
And now I am 7 weeks out, and I have the simple pleasure of walking anywhere I want, all by myself
As for not being able to carry the baby in the carrier, that was me. Only I waited and figured it would all heal itself in time.... I have yet to get to kick a soccer ball, run around, walk anywhere much with that now 8 year old. I'm looking forward to that, though I never really kicked a soccer ball in my youth, so this ol' dog will need to learn a few new tricks too. My others are 11 and 16, and the time missed "playing" has gone by... they just kept getting older as I got worse and worse. So, Here's to mobility now!
I just have to say too, that the Countdown beforehand seemed so long. Waiting was hard once I had made the decision, finally. What has been so strange is how fast the post-op weeks have seemed to fly by!! I cannot believe I'm already 7 weeks out! The other side just moves along and the surgery is a memory! Wow!!
I can walk, walk, walk. Beaches, paths, sidewalks, streets, school hallways, grocery stores, soccer fields, friends homes. Anywhere! And when it's time, I want to skip again too! I remember that that was such a wonderful feeling.
I'm glad I FINALLY did it. Marilyn