The long road to recovery

IT has been exactly four months since I had my knee surgery. Readers may recall that I had written about my experience in deciding to undergo a meniscus root repair operation in this ­column.

It was a difficult decision because there were conflicting views from various experts that I found online. In the end, I figured an operation to fix the tear would be better than trying physio­therapy alone and hoping time would heal it.

Well, four months on, I am still unsure whether I did the right thing. I knew from the start that recovery would take a long time.

The initial period was the most trying in that my leg – the left one – had to be in a brace for six weeks and I could not put any weight on it.

So I had to learn how to hobble on my good right leg with the aid of a walking frame. When I went out, I used a wheelchair.

During my short hospital stay – it was just two nights – I was taught various exercises to stave off muscle atrophy. Luckily, the six weeks went by quite quickly and it was a happy day when I could take off the brace for good.

But despite my best efforts with the exercises, the muscles in my left leg had weakened after just six weeks. I learned first-hand – or leg, rather – the adage, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Not only that, but in just that short time, after hobbling on one leg, walking on two felt strange. I feared putting too much weight on it would adversely affect the repair. To ease me back to ­walking with support for the left leg, I used a cane. There are techniques for using it, especially going up and down stairs. And YouTube is jolly helpful with tips and advice.

The three small wounds from the key-hole surgery healed quickly, but I think one will leave an obvious one-centimetre scar below the knee.

And as mentioned in previous columns, I had, thankfully, very little post-surgery pain.

I was encouraged to opt for the surgery because meniscus root repair success rates are generally good – reportedly between 80% and 85% – although my success rate could be affected by my age and whether I had osteoarthritis and how severe it was.

To increase my chances of a good recovery, my best bet is to be diligent about my physiotherapy. I had several fortnightly sessions at the hospital rehabilitation ­centre, but once my insurance no longer covered the post-op expenses, I decided on the more affordable option of joining a nearby gym with the equipment I needed.

That’s my routine now: two hours at the gym three or four times a week. I work on strengthening all my leg muscles – quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh), adductors (the inner thigh) and calves – and doubling my flexibility.

Since I am already sweating it out, I figured I might as well ­tackle other muscles in my upper body and, yup, lose some belly fat and weight that would also be kinder on my knees. So far, that’s not happening, but I do feel fitter and stronger.

The general yardstick for meniscus repair recovery time is typically six to nine months, but for some it could be up to a year. And that’s if you don’t have the misfortune of repair failure.

That I learned online and found out the symptoms. So far, I don’t have most of them, like persistent or recurring pain, especially with activity, and no chronic swelling either.

But there are other symptoms I am keeping an eye on, like not having full knee motion and ­feeling that my knee is unstable.

I am also listening to how my knees sound. If they pop, click or crunch, those are symptoms too. I do occasionally hear a bit of a pop or crunching sound, but it’s ­coming more from my right knee.

I hope it’s just creaky bones from ageing joints, but it is concerning. My left knee has undergone repair and I really hope my right knee holds up and does not give way, too. Hence, the exercises to strengthen the muscles to ­protect both knees are vital.

I had put a lot of hope and faith in getting the surgery and I pray it was the right decision. I keep telling myself not to be impatient because it has only been four months.

I am able to stand and walk for quite a long time without any discomfort, but going up and down stairs one foot per step is still a challenge because of my knee instability. I also want to be able to dance again. Aunty can’t sing, but I do have good rhythm.

One thing my surgeon warned me against doing for the rest of my life is deep squats, and that’s hard.

After all, isn’t squatting on one’s haunches a most natural and ­popular position among Asians? My dad was very good at it.

Apart from my exercises, I was sold on getting a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) machine that, studies have shown, reduces pain and inflammation and ­accelerates tissue healing and bone strengthening.

I also faithfully take my supplements. One, prescribed by my surgeon, is made from extracts of avocado and soybean that is good for improving mobility and slowing down cartilage degradation and osteoarthritis.

The other supplement is glucosamine, which I have been taking for 25 years. My surgeon didn’t quite believe in it, but another orthopaedic surgeon I consulted for a second opinion had recommended it.

When I told him I had been on it for years, he opined that if I hadn’t been taking it, my knee could have failed earlier.

No matter how hard I work at trying to save my knees, there’s a high chance that they will give me more trouble in my later years and I could be looking at total knee replacements.

Still, there is hope. Already, there are artificial intelligence-­powered exoskeletons to help people walk, run and even climb. Where is that happening? China, of course. These so-called wearable, easy-to-operate robots are used in rehabilitation and are even available for rent at popular mountainous tourist sites to help visitors, especially the elderly, manage strenuous hikes.

Online shopping platforms already sell a few models, but their quality and reliability are unknown. However, the technology can only get better and, in time, could become quite affordable. Here’s one AI application I wouldn’t put my foot down from happening. Go, go, go!

The views expressed here are the writer’s own.