Frustrations Seven Months after Knee Replacement with my OTHER knee!

Its been seven months since my knee replacement.   I am VERY pleased with how it works.  I have complete flexibility and can even flex side to side some.  The best part is there is very little pain.  I can't say pain free because every once in a while there is a little twinge but its very minor.   As you can see from the picture, the scar has healed well.   The only complaint I have about the operated knee is that there is a click that occurs with each step.  It reminds me of one of those older lawn chairs with the dial on the side that clicked into different positions.  I can feel it more than hear it but it is annoying.   The docs said it is completely normal and it will probably do that forever but that I will eventually get used to it and not notice it.  We will see.

The bad news is that my OTHER knee is painful.   Its not as bad as the first knee was before surgery but it is quickly heading that way.  I limp with each step and have to rest after standing for a bit as it gets too painful. Standing is worse that walking by far but both hurt.   On Sunday I went to ride and decided it was just too painful to get on - not good news.

I am currently trying a pile of remedies to see which will work best including icing, heat, round the clock anti-inflammatories, and stretching.  I have also scheduled a physical therapy appointment to see which exercises will help and which will inflame.   I am also trying two new supplements that have worked for others - circumen and boswellia.  It takes a bit for them to work so I am not sure yet if they are being helpful.

Lastly I am trying to convince myself to use a cane when walking and standing.   This is the hard one.  I know it makes it feel better and it will extend the life of my natural knee but wow... is that a hard one to get over mentally.   I just feel old and decrepit with it and I am positive everyone is staring at me wondering what the heck is wrong with me.  I am typically not a very vain person but this one thing is apparently past my comfort zone.

I've been reading quite a bit about arthritis and the various remedies.  One promising one is using stem cells to regenerate the cartilage and bone.  They take 7 ounces of fat from your belly (a win win in my book!) and inject the stem cells they grow from it into your knee.  They have had some good results from it but I think its far from FDA approval so I am not sure my knee will make it to the date they do approve it.

So I am just immensely frustrated with my body.  I want it to do more than I was structurally set up to do but I am determined to get the most out of what I was given.  One step in front of the other.