Roseanne's Story
Roseanne, 65, is a paralegal who describes herself as “energetic, impish and outgoing” – and far too young to have her mobility limited by severe knee pain.
In 1992, Roseanne underwent arthroscopic surgery to alleviate osteoarthritis pain in her right knee. While the surgery was successful in providing relief for several years, Roseanne’s knee pain resurfaced in 2004.
“I felt like an old lady, and I hated it,” Roseanne said. “I had a pronounced limp, and I felt like I always had a scowl on my face because of the pain.”
Roseanne tried multiple methods to control her knee pain, including cortisone and hyaluronan injections, as well as prescription medications, but nothing seemed to provide relief.
Previously, Roseanne was able to enjoy gardening, hiking, long walks and marathon shopping excursions to nearby outlets, but as the pain intensified, she found herself more and more limited in her daily activities.
"At one point my niece and I took a day-long shopping trip at a mall several hours away from our homes. After shopping all day, we stayed at a nearby motel so we could return for more shopping the next day," Roseanne recalls. “I woke up in the middle of the night and almost couldn’t move because of the pain. I ended up having to crawl to the bathroom. My niece couldn’t believe that this had become normal for me.”
Roseanne soon found herself confined to the first floor of her home, because stairs were simply too difficult to maneuver. “Doing laundry was impossible because the washing machine and dryer were both in the basement, and I stopped going up to the second floor of my house completely,” Roseanne says.
Roseanne finally decided it was time for a change when the pain began disrupting her sleep. “Losing sleep was driving me crazy,” Roseanne says. “I was also tired of being in a bad mood all of the time.”
In February 2005, Roseanne underwent surgery to replace her right knee. “Because of my condition and activity level, my surgeon recommended that I get a Rotating Platform knee,” says Roseanne. She also describes her recovery as phenomenal. “It’s true that physical therapy is initially very painful, but I believe the more you put into it, the more you get out of it,” Roseanne says. “My physical therapists were quite surprised and pleased with my progress.”
Within three weeks, Roseanne was riding a stationary bicycle with full rotations, and was able to resume driving within five weeks. “I could have stopped physical therapy within eight weeks, but I decided to stretch it to 12 weeks to make sure my mobility was where I wanted it to be,” Roseanne explains. “The whole recovery process was really a team effort. It took a lot of support from my surgeon, my therapists and my family – and a lot of hard work from me.”
Today, Roseanne’s limp is gone, and she can easily maneuver stairs again. She’s also thrilled to be able to dance again. “I used to hate going to wedding receptions and having to sit and watch other people dance. Now I can get up and look like an idiot on the dance floor,” Roseanne jokes.
Roseanne says knee replacement surgery has had a very positive impact on her life. “I feel like myself again,” she says. “The only limitations I have are the ones I put on myself, and that’s a great feeling. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long!”
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. Only an orthopaedic surgeon can determine whether an orthopaedic implant is an appropriate course of treatment. There are potential risks, and recovery takes time. The performance of the new joint depends on weight, activity level, age, and other factors.
Last Updated: 06/11/2009