Three Month Allograft Anniversary

Today marks exactly three months since I was the lucky recipient of some wonderful person's (donor) living bone and cartilage in my knee.


I was hoping to write a bit more about the experience but haven't because I've been hesitant to write the following words: I didn't know it was going to be so dad-blum, freaking difficult!!!!!!!!


Pain, tightness, restless sleep, vulnerability.


Okay, we got that out of the way.  Now on to the good stuff.  I'm using this as a time to learn how to become more relationship oriented.  Everyone who knows me well, knows that romance, long meaningful conversations into deep hours of the night and long walks on the beach holding hands make me want to gag.  I remember my good friend Ron advising me, when I asked him one day what would be a good idea for a date.  I was planning on having someone "special" over to my home.  He told me to go down to Trader Joe's, purchase a bunch of gourmet food, remove the food from the plastic containers, put it into fancy bowls to make it look like I'd been slaving over a hot stove all day, light candles and then rent a video - one of those romance movies that make you feel like the plot and love story really could happen in real life.  Okay, the candles I can light.  Gimme a break here.  All the rest of that?  Too much work.


My relationship with my husband of four years, after having been single for seventeen years, is flourishing post surgery.  Remember the old days when they used to hobble a person to contain them?  I suppose it's kind of like that.  Except for the fact that I'm now considering purchasing stock in Victoria's Secret.  When I was Super Woman Athlete, most of our weekends were spent on some type of extreme athletic event.  Now there's time slots open for, well, investing in Victoria's Secret stock.  I'm trying to be polite here.


Another update:  Today I took my one crutch, held it in front of me like a tightrope walker and WALKED across the room!  It felt so good I burst out laughing!  One of my yet to be realized life goals is the become a tightrope walker.  I even consulted with a professional at one point for some pointers.  You don't look down at your feet, you look at one point straight ahead, put your arms out for balance, and go!  There's a bit more to it than that, but that's how I'm retraining myself to walk.  The at home tightrope is just around the corner folks!


To my donor: Happy Anniversary Baby!