…I’m scheduled for a partial knee replacement on September 10th. Scary, yeah? For the last year, my right knee, which is actually in better shape than my left one, has really been hurting bad.  I had to give up spinning for awhile…horrors! Last year at Oregon Flock and Fiber I was hurting so bad I hardly saw anything at all. It was very disappointing, though it was wonderful being in that atmosphere.  My primary care doctor gave me a cortisone shot, which took the edge off, but ultimately he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon…

…who, by the way, was pretty surgery happy. Full knee replacement, lose weight (I knew that part), and though he gave me good information, we didn’t click at all.  My PCP gave me a referral to the surgeon with whom he’d worked before and who’d done surgery on a family member, so I went to see Dr B up in Vancouver. I was really impressed. He wasn’t surgery-happy, and we started off with a cortisone injection (this was several months after my first one), and that did help make it possible for me to use my spinning wheel and get back to the gym. I did both, gladly. Ice became my friend. And I worked hard losing weight.

But I still needed surgery. And I was terrified of having a general anesthetic. Absolutely terrified. Dr B told me that he doesn’t use one; that he uses a spinal block and an IV anesthetic.  Well then. I told him I was in, and I started the process.

I learned all kinds of things in the booklet I was given. Like having to get dental clearance, a CT scan, take a class with Nolemana, have some bloodwork and an exam done, etc. Once I got the dental clearance, my surgery date was set up.

Dental clearance: Check

A1C bloodwork: Check

Rx for all dental work for the rest of my life: Check

Talked with pharmacist/friend about post op meds. Check

Installed grab bars in the bathroom: Check

Keep exercising: Check

Keep losing weight: Check

And in the meantime, I’m still able to spin and participate in this year’s Tour de Fleece. I’m alternating between two wheels and not spinning long on my treadle wheel. My mascats keep me company while I spin.