It's Like Learning to Walk Again, Again

So, in May of 2022 I had a total right knee replacement, and part of the therapy and aftermath was learning to walk again, literally. We learn to walk as part of growing up and being a toddler, and realistically, the gait we adopt at that point in our life, is generally how we walk for the duration of our lives. But learning to walk then, is a natural part of life. Re-learning how to walk is a bit different. It looks a bit ridiculous watching a person think while they are walking, but it's the only way to do it when you're an adult. This learning to walk again thing was a bit difficult the first time around. "Heel strike, land the foot, roll across the ball of the foot, flex the toes, and repeat." Sounds simple enough, but when the appendage has been surgically modified, it takes some work and thought. The first knee replacement gave me roughly 2 of 3 decent months, but it never really took, so to speak. It remained unstable, painful, and swelled up regularly, which made it difficult to walk most days, not to mention almost impossible to exercise. Many Dr visits and various imaging found "no compelling evidence" to recommend anything more than physical therapy. Well, none of that made a worthwhile difference. Just before Christmas, while shopping with my beautiful wife, my right knee crashed out and I took a headfirst tumble into a shelf at a store. Store employees were quick to act, first-aid and AED were quickly onsite, and an ambulance was summoned. The ER Dr determined I had a concussion and the CT scan of my right knee showed ligament damage and torn muscles, and I had a lower extremity that just kinda hung there. Could barely move my right foot. Fun times....NOT! Six days after the fall, my right knee replacement was "revised" with a "hinged" prosthetic. Three weeks later, I'm learning to walk again, and did not remember how hard this was the first time. It truly takes some effort. Once again, I'm going to physical therapy twice a week and telling myself, "It doesn't hurt that bad." LIAR! Another few weeks of therapy and I should be back to walking, as normally as possible. The motor skills and functions we all develop as children are easily taken for granted our entire life and re-learning them can be a greater challenge than a person may think. Anyway, that's my current status, learning to walk again, again.

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