Monday, May 24, 2010

Out with the Old in with the New

So today is the last day that I have to spend with my old knees. I feel as if I should have had a going away party or something. Granted I haven't felt quite up to it, but just the same, my knees and I have been through a lot.

As a baby I'm sure that I put some miles on them, crawling around, testing them, learning how to walk. Later, it was hopscotch, skip-it and jump rope. Tree climbing and bike riding. Hiking and swimming, my knees and I did it all and made it through life with only a few scrapes and bruises between us.

At a young age I had also found horses, my passion in life, and my knees were right there with me. Supporting me as I learned how to ride and how to jump. Picking me up when I lost contact with my saddle, and made contact with the ground. My knees and I were a team.

Then something happened. We started to grow apart. At first it was little things, like running and dancing. Then, my knees no longer wanted to take the impact that came with high level equestrian jumping competition. After a while,they resisted even small tasks such as walking, standing and climbing stairs. They had completely forsaken me, leaving me to spend my days in bed or experiencing life outside of my apartment, from a wheelchair, looking up at my world around me. Looking up at a world that I was so used to surveying from the back of a horse, or the limb of a tree. My knees and I had reached a cross road.

It was an easy decision. The decision to replace my old knees with new metal and plastic ones. I feel it was like the decision a major league coach makes when he pulls from the bull pen. He knows the man standing on that mound is done and worn out, even injured, but the game still needs to be won. So he brings in the relief pitcher, and with this new, refreshed pitcher, the promise of the chance to win the game.

So here I stand on my pitching mound ready, ready for relief, ready for promise, and ready to turn this game around.

8 comments:

  1. New Knees! w00t w00t! :D

    -Ian

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  2. Good luck tomorrow. I hope the new knees bring much happiness.

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  3. Good luck with the new knees – I hope they get you riding again. I haven't been riding since RA hit at the end of November. I miss my horse Lex, but maybe I'll go for a hack soon, especially now that the weather is warm. I've got my fingers crossed you'll do the same soon, too! All the best! :) Laurie

    P.S. Thanks for following my blog!

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  4. Hey Ashley! I'm sorry that you are going through this RA crap, but I am glad that you are moving forward and getting new knees! After all the healing and physio, there will be a new sense of freedom. Hope your surgery goes smoothly!

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  5. I hope this post finds you resting more comfortably now & on the road recovery. Looking forward to hearing about how it went!

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  6. Hi
    Just started to follow your blog. NEW KNEES? WOW! Everyone I know who has got new knees wished they had done it ages ago.
    I always cry before surgery. I get the wobbles! Anyway, looking forward to reading how you are getting on.

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  7. PS it isnt 3.58am here- its 11.58am

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