Jim, Knee Replacement

“The accident years ago and general wear and tear had taken its toll… I kept putting [knee replacement] off. I wore out a lot of braces and had a lot of shots. I dealt with a lot of pain.”

I’ve always been active. I played baseball at Milligan College for a bit, and graduated from there with physical ed and business degrees. I taught for seven years, and then I got into the floor covering business. I opened a shop and did flooring about 35 or 40 years.

I have 100 acres out here in Elizabethton where I also used to raise cattle, but I’m out of that now and just lease the farm out.

My wife and I are retired and though our bodies are falling apart, we’re living the life. She is my best friend, and we do everything together. We travel a good bit. We’ve been overseas a few times, and we have a time share in Aruba.

I got hit by a car probably 40 years ago. It messed up my leg and I had to have surgeries and metal plates put in my leg to get it straightened out. Doctors put me back together many times. Dr. Jim Goss at Sycamore Shoals Hospital had been telling me for a while that I needed to get my knee replaced. The accident years ago and general wear and tear had taken its toll. I kept putting it off. I wore out a lot of braces and had a lot of shots. I dealt with a lot of pain.

The pain and stiffness in my knee started making it difficult to travel. I could hardly go anywhere. We’d drive to Nashville to visit our son and by the time we got to Knoxville I had to pull off the road and walk around to loosen my knee. And when I flew in airplanes, you know how they don’t want you walking around? It killed our travel time.

I had done everything I could for that knee and finally decided I had to get it replaced. I had total knee replacement surgery at Sycamore Shoals Hospital. The staff treated me well and were there for me 24/7. Whatever I needed, they took care of me.

I’ve got very good motion in my knee now, and it doesn’t hurt like it used to. Dr. Goss did a fantastic job.

My knee still feels stiff from time to time, and I get a little pain in the knee when I overdo. But Dr. Goss says that’s normal, off and on, for the first year. Each day it gets better and I see a difference. I’m so much better now. I flew on an airplane for five hours and I didn’t have a problem.

I still do my exercises every day to help me stay fit. I We have a recumbent bike and a treadmill at the house. My favorite way to stay in shape is swimming in our pool. When you’re in the water, it’s freedom. It’s very relaxing to me and helps me stay fit enough to travel.

That’s why we planned our next trip. Soon, we are heading to Venice and getting on a cruise ship to celebrate my new knee. We’re really looking forward to the trip. We’re going to do a lot more traveling now that my knee’s better. We already have a lot of other trips planned for next year.

Before I had my knee replacement surgery, I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. I was miserable.

Now I get in the car and take off, and I don’t have to stop unless I need gas.

I told my wife, as long as my heart keeps ticking and we’re still above ground, we are going to keep traveling and keep living the life.

Is knee replacement for you?

If you think surgery might help you get moving – and travelling – again – like it did for Jim, learn more about total knee replacement here.