The Starting Blocks

In the next couple of weeks I will be sharing my experience with knee replacement surgery.  You may wonder what this has to do with athletic excellence and promoting integrity in sports nutrition.

Let me tell you a little about myself and maybe you will see the connection.

I have lived with the challenges of rheumatoid arthritis for 46 plus years.  I have never let the arthritis limit me.  I have been a coach as well as an athlete.  For 10 years I competed on the international level in the sport of quad (wheelchair) rugby.  You may know this sport from the movie Murderball.  I experienced firsthand the preparation, dedication and perseverance needed to  successful  achieve a goal.  For knee replacement surgery to be successful, I will need all three.

Preparation

Just like any athletic endeavor, you must prepare for knee replacement surgery.  Doctor diagnosis came first.  After that there was the approval of my health insurance company and figuring out what expenses I will have to cover myself.  Every doctor appointment comes with $30 co-pay and I must pay a $350 co-pay to be admitted into the hospital.  I cannot forget the preparations at work and with the business my wife and I own.  At work I had to apply for FMLA leave and plan who was going to cover my duties while gone.

There has also been physical preparation.  My workouts have been focused on building upper body strength and core strength to enable me to use crutches. I did a lot of accent and descent of stairs using forearm crutches.  This actually gives a good core workout because it requires the use of core muscles to keep your balance.  Try balancing while only placing weight on one leg and two crutches.

You also use your lats, pecs, traps, triceps and biceps.  Nutrition has been very important too.  I had to maintain lean muscle mass without putting on any extra weight.  Good body chemistry has been a must.  Supplements and diet must prepare the body for stresses put on the body. Supplementation must also help keep my immune system strong.   I will include information on specific  supplements I use in future updates. 

I am about 12 hours away from surgery as I write this.  I have had numerous surgical procedures so I have a lot experience.  I am  not sure if this experience makes me any less apprehensive.  I don’t have fear of the unknown but my memory serves me to well.  I remember the needles, tubes, bandages, medications and pain.  I also remember all of the dehumanizing things like hospital gowns, eating hospital food, sleeping in a hospital room and being totally dependent on others.

I am confident that it will all have a successful outcome.  Join me in my adventure the next 6 weeks.  I will make updates when I able.