So today I’m at the office – the doctor’s. Not just any doctor – the knee surgeon’s.
Dr. Lobback stepped into the examination room. We chatted. I asked if his children had ever been to Israel — 1998 to be exact. Yes, they had. Some of our friends had gone over with them to Israel. Gave him their names to pass on to his kids.
He asked if I wanted knee replacements. I figured this would take some convincing on my part. He said I was a young man — too soon for knee replacements. But then he claimed that my knees were in bad shape and I needed to have the surgery. I was not just to get one bone worked on — my knees were too far past that. I was not to just get one knee worked on — both knees needeed attention.
So, six months to a year from now I’m hoping to get surgery. I can’t act like a twenty year old – although they say my knees will feel like it. At least a month needs to be booked off for recovery (I won’t be able to stand up to preach — maybe I’ll need to get someone to do some of the preaching). At least three months of phsiotherapy.
I knew I didn’t have too much planned for this coming year. And now I’m going to start working on alternate plans. In many ways this is just what I need — to let other work in their area of giftedness instead of doing all the work myself.
Now, let me explain my title. I was told that grouting is what holds the knees replacements on the bones. I always used grouting to fix my tiles in the bathroom. I wonder if they coat the grouting with silicone?
The knees are expected to be high flex — more than 90 degrees of motion when they are in place. Older replacements were not quite as flexible.
And finally — is this an urban myth? I understand that when you are born you do not have knee caps. They develop in the first year. I guess my knee caps could use a little more development — they are a bit worn. Do they do knee cap replacement — or do I become like a child and grow them back?