The swelling is really not so bothersome as you'd think. What really aggravates is horrendous bruising that by all accounts seems to have come directly from the leg brace I was instructed to wear for 4 weeks. Or 3, or 2, or until I didn't feel like I needed it. Considering the worst of the bruising corresponded with the steel inserts of the brace, I ditched it in less than a week.
Pretty awesome, huh? Most of it is gone now. This was one week after surgery. Oh yeah, they almost postponed surgery because my blood pressure that morning was 80 over 50. I had to convince them that is normal, for me.
The vertigo isn't so bad as it was right before surgery. It is the worst when I lie down and close my eyes, or when I am in the shower and tilt my head back with my eyes closed. Then the room spins and I feel a bit tipsy. So far, so good, on not falling and shattering my tibia into bone splinters. My blood work doesn't show anything abnormal ... blood sugar is good, cholesterol numbers are great, estrogen is within normal range ...
The bad news is, my doctor also received findings from my surgeon, regarding the fluid in my knee, and of all things ridiculous and inconceivable, I have pseudogout. Basically, all my joints are going to go to hell, sooner or later. It isn't common in my age group; only about 6% of people in their 60's have it, and the percentage only increases to 25% for people in their 90's.
I don't like to feel sorry for myself, but the concept of [continuing] chronic joint pain does not excite me. I've learned to tolerate a great deal of it, especially over the past few months. The patello-femoral joint that was replaced had been bone-on-bone for some time, and basically shredded. How I was walking, much less riding horses, is beyond me. Must be my stubborn streak. I have no doubt THAT is genetic. I don't want to be needing a walker when I'm 40.
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