This photo was taken in Jackson Hole, Wyoming my senior year in college. Yep. That’s me with the bota bag. Remember those? My friend and I stayed with ski bums who worked on the mountain as ski hosts. Little did I know drinking while skiing could be a very bad idea. I would face surgery becoming even more bionic thirty years later.
I thought my hairstyle was a good idea because…
Right after the first shot was taken, I skied down Pepe’s Run and face-planted. Another mistake had been made. A friend loaned me his skis with a warning the bindings had been clamped down. The skis never released and my knee dislocated.
Was this next shot a premonition?
When I went to a doctor back in Wisconsin, he believed it was only a deep bone bruise. It was left untreated and the tendon shortened. My knee cap slid over and I’ve had a bad left knee ever since.
This year I skied a couple of runs and knew it was time to go to the doctor. He informed me of a new robotic procedure called a Makoplasty Partial Knee Replacement. On Monday, Jan. 5th at high noon, he’ll make an incision into my knee and will flip my knee cap over. He’ll attach a plastic disk to protect it from further wear and tear. Some kind of wammer jammer robotic thingy will be inserted into my thigh. The doctor will use my cat-scan to remove the remaining messed up cartilage and a little bone. Youch! Using the robot, he will screw in a metal plate replacing the damaged cartilage.
In twenty minutes, it will be over. I will no longer have a knee cap which grinds on bone. I won’t sound like one of Cinderella’s step-sisters creaking away as I walk down stairs, (Hey! I can go stealth!), or have a knee that resembles a sack of potatoes.
My doctor said I’d be back to regular activity right away. What I didn’t understand is tennis and skiing aren’t considered regular activity. I need to heal up for six weeks and then this new and improved Wild Rider will be back and better than ever! I can’t imagine skiing without pain.
I have to stay in the hospital for antibiotics, so Monday night I’ll be live-tweeting during The Bachelor. (Wait. What other kind of tweeting is there?) I know. I don’t think my husband, Danny, will be able to handle it. Guilty pleasures will abound over the next few weeks. Bring it on 2015! I’ll be New and Improved!
I learned something. If you are going in for surgery, drink Vitamin or Smart Water the day before. Both contain electrolytes and make recovery easier. Who knew?
Do you have any old injuries which still bother you?
My Twitter handle is @susielindau.
Good luck – all best wishes for a speedy recovery!
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Thanks Matt!
I’m home already and will be using a walker for a few days. I’m planning on bedazzling it!!! (I can’t believe bedazzle is a word.)
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Best of luck to you with your latest bionic achievements! I would tell you to break a leg, but I wouldn’t want to jinx anything.
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No leg breakage at all! I’m home and resting, but tomorrow they want,me up every hour and moving. I’ll be real speedy with my fancy new walker from the Elks Club!!!
Thanks Jessica!
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Wow – you are one messed up chick. I had no idea. Do you have trouble in ariports? The price you pay for being a wild child.
I’m kidding, of course. I hope all goes well, recovery is a breeze and you’re back on the slopes and courts soon.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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I will shut the entire airport down the next time I fly! Yep. My Wild antics started early. The good news is I should see an improvement in sports so maybe I should take up hang gliding…..
Thanks Patricia!
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Wishing you a speedy recovery, Susie! About how long before you can get back on the slopes?
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Thanks Jackie!
I’ll be back to skiing in six weeks, but I’m using a walker right now. I may take an extra two and ease back into it. Then things should get reeeeeeeally Wild around here!
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Wishing you a speedy recovery. My knee still bothers me when it’s cold. Had reconstructive surgery in college. Supposed to be good as new, but still aches in cold weather but I think that’s the wear and tear of old age. 🙂 Happy TV watching.
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Hey Guat! I made it through the other side and I’m home. Woohoo! It’s pretty gnarly, but I guess it’s the best-looking Frankenstein knee they’ve ever seen!
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I would imagine that I’ll join the knee meteorological club too! Dang body parts..
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I had ACL reconstruction surgery this past April. I had a double graft ( one from hamstring and one from patellar tendon). It was a beast of a recovery requiring 4 months out of work and cabin fever you wouldn’t believe. I’m much better now and hope by this April to feel a ” normal ” knee. I tore the ligament in gymnastics 20 years ago and finally got it fixed .
Best of luck with your surgery . You’ll be glad you had it done!
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That sounds wicked nasty! I’m glad you’re almost back to normal.
I was laying down on my bed answering comments when my leg felt wet. I thought the ice machine was leaking, so I took it off. I was bleeding out! Did that ever happen to you? I put pressure on it for a half hour to stop the bleeding and thank god it did! I talked to my doctor and unless it’s still bleeding tomorrow, it’s considered pretty normal. Gave me a heart attack!
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No that never happened to me. Thank goodness bc I might have past out. Glad it finally stopped.
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I hope that all goes well. Oh yeah I have old injuries some of which is now arthritis.
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Arthritis is the worst! I’m hoping to avoid that. It went very well, thanks,
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I’m so glad that it went well!! Are you blogging from the hospital??
Yeah arthritis is bad. I just found out today that I have it everywhere. It explains the pain I’ve been in, but I haven’t wrapped my brain around the news yet.
I hope you have some good painkillers and sleep comfortably tonight.
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That is such a bummer. I think there are therapies available and stay active. The more you move the less pain you’ll have.
I’m home now, but had a problem with bleeding. I’m going to rest and let it heal! Thanks!
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Yes behave yourself and rest. 😉
I plan to stay as active as possible.
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Best of luck Susie. Broke my leg playing rugby at school and this damp weather causes me a spot of aching annoyance!
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Low pressure systems are killer on the body. That must have been painful! Danny broke his leg twice!
Thanks Jim!
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Hope you’re up and around and wildly riding again soon!
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Me too, Peg! The surgery went swimmingly, but I starting bleeding out when I got home. I guess that’s pretty normal. I sent Danny out for more bandages and a burger. I’m going to need the iron!
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Wishing you a full and speedy recovery! *hugs*
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Thanks August! I’m going to do everything I’m told. I may have to glitz out my walker and bedazzle it. 🙂
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From a fellow ‘bum-kneed’ person, I wish you a speedy recovery! 🙂
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Sorry about your knee. We really need that body part! Thank you!
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Hope it goes well, Susie! xxx
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Thanks Catherine! The surgery went really well. I’ll wait for it to heal a bit before starting PT.
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i hope your recovery is going smoothly and you’ll be able to hit the slopes pain-free later this winter. I know that taking it easy is unthinkable for you so I won’t suggest it.
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Hey V! It went well, thanks! It soaked the ace bandage when I got home and freaked me out. I guess that’s normal. Sheesh! After a small heart attack, I sent Danny out for more bandages and a juicy burger to up my iron intake and because burgers…. 🙂
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By now your surgery is over and I am sure it went well. Here’s hoping the “guilty pleasures” abound and that you have a speedy recovery. I’m thinking I should go in for a tune up as well.I’d end up being all bionic. 😉
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It’s amazing what they can do these days so we can continue our quality of life, it went great, thanks! Now comes the hard part. Bring it on PT!
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Ouch. I know that can be nasty. You’ll knock ’em dead!
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Sending prayers to you for a speedy recovery 🙂 Take Care xoxo
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Thank Renee! I had an amazing surgery. Controlling the bleeding while on blood thinners is a challenge. I’m going pop some iron pills and eat a burger! 🙂
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I hope you make a fast recovery and end up with the best knee you’ve had since the eighties!
As for old injuries – well, I have a silly one. You see, about thirty years ago I was walking down the stairs in my own house where I’d lived for fifteen years or so. I knew those stairs blindfolded, or I thought I did. When I got to (what I thought was) the bottom, I stepped out a little farther than I would have going down the stairs – and then I found out there was one more step to go. After a confusing couple of seconds, I came to a stop lying on my side, with the sole of my left foot flat on the floor and my ankle bent sideways at 90 degrees.
That’s not a direction ankles are supposed to bend.
After my ankle officially healed, I learned that it was still, forever, sore and wobbly, unless I walked enough to keep the muscles strong (so they could provide the support the ligaments couldn’t manage on their own any more). I’ll never be completely over the injury, but on the whole it’s been good for me: I don’t have the choice of sitting on my butt all day every day. That ankle wants to be taken for a walk.
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They say most accidents happen in the home. Wow. That sounds painful! I’ve rolled my ankle too many times in tennis and wear a brace. I’m glad you were able to make a positive lifestyle change out of it!
Th e surgery was more intense than I thought, but I have O T coming tomorrow to get me back on the road to recovery. Yay!
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Yes, it hurt. After a few hours I had a balloon ankle, and for a week I went up and down stairs on my hands and knees.
Yay for OT! It’s always tricky to find the right balance between letting your body rest and heal and on the other hand challenging it to get strong again – hopefully they can guide you to the best way to do both.
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That’s my plan! The lady I talked to yesterday said she would work on calming down the knee, then work on flexibility and finally, strength! Bodies heal fast. I’m glad you are up and around!
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Well I’m coming here post-surgery so I’m glad to know it all went well! And even though it nixes skiing for 6 weeks, this really has to be the best time of year to be laid up and indulging. By summer, you’ll be ready to conquer the world and/or twitter.
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The surgery went well, but recovery is more intense than I anticipated. I have an OT coming out today to crack the whip! At this point, I can’t imagine skiing in six weeks, but the human body is an amazing healer!
Thanks Aussa!
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Oh you will– you’ve already kicked cancer’s ass, you’ll be leaping about before long I have no doubt.
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Yah, you betcha! It won’t take long, in the scheme of things!
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I started a Bloglovin account and wondered if you are on any other similar sites. I still have to “claim my site.”
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Good luck with recovery! I dislocated my left knee three times before I was 25 (fortunately none since). It’s fairly useless now. Fortunately I don’t ask much of it, so we get along ok.
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Well that’s a very functional relationship! I bet that was very painful. Three times!
Thanks Cassandra! I’m getting through it….
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Hey, Susie, I’m playing catch-up on blogs and just found out that you had surgery. So glad it went well. Replacement parts are one of the great wonders of modern medicine. My husband’s new hip works better than the old one had in years. Just don’t push too hard too soon. Better to ski pain-free forever than to get out there too soon and mess things up. {{{Hugs}}} Kass
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I was just thinking about you! Thanks for stopping by and for the positive thoughts. It’s just what I need to hear!
I’m taking it really easy. I think regular activity by the weekend pertained to those not having tendons released. I’m looking forward to another session with PT!
Happy New Year!
What are your latest projects?
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Ouch!! Having tendons released… somehow I don’t think that is as benign as it sounds. I doubt they just open the gate and say, “Okay tendons, get along with you now.”
Keep on taking it easy until the doc says you’re good to go. Think of it as a great excuse to soak up some pampering.
As for my projects, I’ve got way too many irons in the fire at the moment. Working on two Kate stories in various stages, plus I’m trying my hand at a romantic suspense stand-alone, and an idea is percolating in the back of my head for a new series. Wish my brain would figure out that it lives in a 60-something body!! *sigh*
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Oh, and my hair still looks like that most days!!
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I wish I still had a curly do! If I sleep on it wet, it has a little body to it along with major flat bed head in the back. 🙂
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That is very good advice! I haven’t done any real work all week, just social media, PT and sleep!
Your projects sound exciting! 60, shmifty! You can DO it!
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Lindsay Wagner, watch out! Here comes the bad ass 2K version. And yes, if I can throw out a 70’s reference like that, I must also think that your hairstyle from back in the day was a great idea. And I do….very sexy.
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Ha! That was back when big hair was huge! I’m looking forward to the end of this week and taking my life back. I did feel well enough to write a blog post yesterday. I am zoned on Oxycodone. Wheeeeeee!!!
Are you going to watch the Broncos?
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You’ll have had the surgery by the time I post this comment. Trust all went well and looking forward to more Wild Rider stories!
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Thanks Kate! Great to “see” you!
The surgery was two weeks ago this Monday. It went well, but recovery has it’s ups and downs. I’ll post Monday about an epiphany I had. I’ll be riding wild again really soon!
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Just don’t take up Bull Riding… glad you’re all better,
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Wow! It’s so great to “see” you! Thanks! In another month or so, I’ll be Riding Wilder than ever. 🙂
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