One month ago today I had Total Knee Replacement surgery for my left knee. Before undergoing the procedure, I did as much research as I possibly could. I knew the risks. I knew the timeline I could expect for recovery. I knew the range of outcomes. I knew that the more work you do in physical therapy, the better the outcome. I knew that the physical therapy would be very painful. I knew that I would need to rely on pain medication in order to be able to do what needed to be done.
And all of that information has been spot-on. But there was one bit of information that I probably should have known, but didn’t make the connection: while I was recovering from this surgery, I couldn’t drink alcohol. Opioids and alcohol do not mix!
It’s now been a month since I’ve had any sort of alcoholic beverage. Before the surgery, my wife and I would split a bottle of wine with dinner, and then later I’d maybe enjoy a bourbon later in the evening as the day wound down. Not anymore! I feel as though I should get my 1 month sober chip from AA (well, except for the minor detail that I’m taking opiods!).
I know this sounds a little crazy; after all, I have a brand-new knee! But it’s just one of those things that you really don’t think about ahead of time.
Here’s a shot of the knee today: the staples have been removed, and all but one of the little bandage strips have fallen off. Compare it to the photo I took 2 days after surgery in this post! I’ll have a nice Frankenstein-like scar on it, but other than that it’s amazing that I can walk and move around almost normally already. I still lack some flexibility, but I’m working on that!
So while I’m happy that the new knee is healing well, I’m longing for the not-to-distant future when I can be off pain meds and enjoy a nice glass of wine once again!