3 Months Post Regenexx Procedure

Wow time is flyyyyiiiinnng. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s super easy to get used to NOT being in pain 24/7! It’s amazing! My energy is better, my mood is better, everything is BETTER!

3 amazing things that I’m SO grateful for 3 months post Regenexx.

1. NO PAINS MEDS

It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t on pain meds in the last few years. But now, I can successfully say that I’m off them completely! Zip, zero, none! Of course I carefully, and safely, weened off of them – but I haven’t been on them for a few weeks now 🙂 YAY YAY YAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

2. WALKING MORE & MORE

I’m walking more and more. Normally patients would be off crutches much earlier than I, but since I was on crutches for 3 years prior to my procedure, I’ve been pacing myself and taking it slowly. Around my house I’m using my crutch less and less – I still use it when I go out of the house. The other day I got up, walked down the steps and didn’t realize that I never grabbed my crutch until I got to the bottom of the steps! I subconsciously knew I’d be able to walk just fine 🙂 My water therapy is helping tremendously with getting used to walking again. It’s helped me work through not limping and it’s helped me build my strength back in my knee and leg. Every time someone asks me when I’m going to be off my crutch I always say, a few more weeks… a few more weeks. But I truly mean it this time. I really think by the end of July I’ll be off it for good. (I hope I didn’t just jinx myself!)

3. LOW TO NO PAIN

Before my procedure I was in pain. Constantly. Honestly, there was nothing I could do that would make my pain better or go away. I just had to deal with it. I got so used to living with it that it only really bothered me on days where it was about a 6/7 or higher (on a 1-10 pain scale). My knee would ache and burn every night, especially if I used my leg a lot that day. I can honestly say that my new normal now is mostly low to no pain. BUT, believe me. I’m NOT taking it for grated. I’m SO SO SO grateful and make sure to be thankful everyday that I have low to no pain. It can so very easily go right back to where it was, so I’m not taking it lightly!

I’m continuing to improve and feel better. I have had some swelling and some pain here and there, but it’s not been like the pain I had with my AVN – it’s definitely arthritis related pain. Having been able to identify triggers for inflammation and pain, I’m able to (for the most part) manage my arthritis. I have a rheumatology appointment next week where I’ll get my inflammatory marker numbers and I’ll see if I should go back on my humira or if I’m doing a good job at managing it holistically.

I can’t believe it… I’m actually getting back to ‘normal’ (if there is such a thing!). Pretty soon I’ll be walking just like all those non-AVN patients out there! And I cannnnooootttt wait for that day! Just practicing walking around my house is SO weird. It’s been so long that I’ve walked without my crutches. I’m like a little baby learning to walk again 😉

In terms of follow-up, I had a phone follow-up with my doctor 6 weeks out from my procedure. Now, I’m waiting til the fall (6 months out) to get an MRI to see how the bone is growing. I haven’t seen physically how my knee is transitioning/growing, but just going by pain and ability to move it I’d say it’s working EXTREMELY well! The only thing that is still bothering me is a ‘catching’ I get when I bend and straighten my leg. I get it a lot when I’m doing ‘wall slides’ in the pool or if I’m just bending and straightening my knee over and over. I have no pain with it, just the weird feeling of it not being smooth. I always thought this was my jagged bone, but when I was in Colorado Dr. Pitts said it was a discorded meniscus. Just something to keep an eye on!

All in all, I’m making progress, I’m getting better, and I couldn’t be happier about it! I’m even starting to think about the rest of this year and how there is the very real possibility of me returning to work and getting back to a ‘normal’ life!

Whoop whoop! Taking one step at a time, but I’m getting there 🙂

Click here to read about my 4th month post Regenexx!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!