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I decided to have my knee replaced when..
How my life changed after knee replacement

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Can't get out of the tube

The Traveler
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In May of 2012 we left for a two month vacation in our 30 foot 5th wheel camper. Our trip took us to Kansas City, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Buffalo NY, Montreal, Quebec City, West Virginia, various places in between and back to Palm Coast, in all just short of two months. On the third day out we visited Lookout Mountain Tn. where I was barely able to walk the grounds of the Civil War battlefield because of the pain in my left knee.

Everywhere we went I was only able to do only minimal setting up and taking down of the camper, at least I still could drive, thank god for cruise control. Throughout our vacation my wife and our dog got to see a lot of beautiful things, while I got to see the inside of the truck. It was a pain to get in and out of the ¾ ton truck, (big step up).

We would pull into a campsite for a couple of days and the knee would feel better but as soon as we packed up the camper and hit the road the knee would drive me crazy. In Manitowoc Wisconsin I bought a cane which I used for the remainder of the trip, it helped a lot but after a couple of weeks my left hip started hurting as much as the right knee.

The final straw was going to Crystal River State Park, Fl in August, to visit some friends who were camp hosts there. One afternoon we all floated down the Crystal River in tubes. a beautiful trip except that my daughter had to help me in and out of my tube, which was no easy task as well as a bit humiliating. Then while the rest of the folks walked briskly back to the truck I hobbled in extensive pain the half mile back to the parking lot.

At this point I was 60 years old and the only think I could do that did not hurt was sitting in my Lay-z-Boy. Through all this I have not mentioned that I love to play golf and during our vacation I played golf once and it was a pitiful exercise.
Comments
Mrshonesty
wow, except for you being a male, you doing the driving and you camping for 2 months you sound just like me! hope you got that knee replaced!
knobbyknees
Age means nothing when it comes to bad knees. I am only 61 and I had mine replaced on the 17th of August, 2015. I wanted my life back and my hubby and I want to start traveling more extensively, so now I am recuperating.

I hope you got yours replaced and have moved on with your active life. Good luck!!
Baileyjack
I know how you feel, watching everyone have a good time while you nurse your knee. I hope you got it look after. I had my Left Knee Replaced and the other due next year
Elainemusic@att.net
wow, getting on & off tour buses has become too painful. Hobbling around Thailand in January forced me to see the surgeon. I haven’t been scheduled for surgery as yet but I’m planning a trip to Norway in October. do you experienced folks think I’ll be ok to go up & down stairs 3 months after surgery?
JoannaC
Absolutely! I was doing stairs on Day 3, it’s not difficult.
LuvennaMathis
I have always been very active and busy. Just about every job that I worked, was on concrete floors, and on and off a sit down forklift for 16 year that took a toll on my knees. It had gotten to the point of my right knee just giving out on me, which caused me to fall over 5 times, on very hard surfaces. So my doctor set up an appointment with a very good orthopedic surgeon. And after trying several procedures that did not help. We talked about surgery. At that point I wanted to stop falling and be out of the pain. So on October 17th 2023 I went through the process of a total knee replacement. I just wish that I had did it sooner. I am still not 100 percent back to my old self but I’m on my way.
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