About

My Story

I Didn’t Start Out Knowing Any of This

I was diagnosed with Fibromyaligia in 1998 and have managed it’s ups and downs pretty well. At that time I relied on a cane on the bad days and the support of my family.

Until my knees decided that they had a case of “main character syndrome”.

In 2023, I jumped out of my partner’s truck and my left knee went left and the rest of me went right. I tore my meniscus and had surgery in May of 2025. That was the second surgery on that knee for the same issue.

During the recovery from my surgery, I injured my right knee. Fortunately, or not, I had a follow-up appointment with my wonderful surgeon, and she ordered an MRI for my right knee. That took place in February 2026 and showed a degenerated meniscus that is pushing out into the joint space, with degeneration of the surface cartilage.

On my follow-up appointment with my meniscus surgeon, she reviewed the MRI and we knew it was time for TKR. She doesn’t do those surgeries so she’s referred me out. Once I was done in her office, I went straight to the Xray department and had an Xray of both knees. It showed severe but stable osteoarthritis on the left and moderate-severe and progressing on the right.

In the meantime, I was referred to physiotherapy. I attended with my crutch and was told in not uncertain terms that I MUST use a walker until things were stabilized.

I purchased my rollator and have been using it steady.

Unfortunately, my knees have decided now that even the rollator isn’t enough. As an obese woman, I get that, I wouldn’t want to have that much pressure on me either and I’ve started losing weight. I also bought a wheelchair to help me get around without incredible amounts of knee pain. I have a knee brace for my left knee, as the surgeon asked me not to get one for the right knee until I have a consult with the surgeon for my TKR.

Like everyone else, I have good days and bad. Some days that pain is too much to bear and requires Magic Bags, ice packs and Celebrex. Some days are OK, but I cannot push myself because I will end up in HUGE pain and in a flare.

It’s a balancing act and I’m learning how to walk the tightrope.