A journey update

Well, I still have my original knees - but they are carrying a little less weight.

The previous photo went back to 2008, and this one goes back to my birthday in 2001. It was right after 9/11 so it was a chance for levity at the firm I used to work for. We had a tradition of doing a little office party for people’s birthdays.

I didn’t realize it had been three months since I did my original post about what I’ve been going through, so I figured an update was in order.

This is a piece of what I wrote in August:

In the meantime, though, I’m sort of stuck with a walker to get around and a brace on my knee. After consulting with my personal physician next week, it’s likely I’ll be put on one of those semaglutide medications to help with the weight loss. (It sure beats the surgery route.) I’ll also have to sadly cut out some of my bad habits, like peanut M & M’s. (My wife said, “you can have 10” but I’d rather either have a whole couple full cups of them or none at all.) I am also consulting physical therapy to look for help there with the issue.

Indeed I was put on Zepbound and have been on it for 11 weeks now. Not saying the weight is rapidly falling off, but I am down 22 pounds since I went to the doctor’s office back in August, and it works well in curbing my appetite. (As proof: we went out to eat the other night and I took half of my sandwich home. Ask my wife - that never happens.) So I’m about halfway to my goal, although my personal physician said the other day when I saw him that he would like to see me about 80 pounds lower. I’m just in it for getting the knees done, thanks. One reason: since I don’t have a heart issue or chronic illness I have to self-pay for the meds and it runs about the same as my car payment. (However, I am blessed that I can work that into the budget.)

I also went through the course of physical therapy and it was good - I had a couple fantastic therapists. My problem is doing the same at home, but part of it is me just not making an effort at it. That’s something I need to work on, since the exercises themselves aren’t all that hard except the sit-and-stands.

If I were to hazard a guess, I would think I am on track to have this procedure done early in 2026. There are a couple other items I have to work around, such as cardiac clearance and a colonoscopy that’s overdue. But if you figure I lost 22 pounds in 10 weeks, that puts me about at the upper end of where my surgeon wants me to be in 10 weeks’ time, and that’s about the end of the year. My edema is also much better, since I now have a pump that helps take care of it, so it’s basically maintenance from letting it get too far out of control. (Not falling helps, too.) The pump will also be helpful when one knee is done since I’m sure that will create some edema in the other leg.

But, honestly, I need to tell you that I’m not used to pants being so loose. I’m almost afraid I’ll be swimming in my suit for a wedding I’m involved in next week. (I was fitted in September, so that may be the case. I think it barely buttoned, though, so I should be okay.)

Hopefully in three months I’ll have a picture from post-op, but I’ll try and spare you the scar.

In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, (or maybe my next month’s supply of meds) since I have a page there now.