Robin's Story: Warrior Who Never Gives Up

I am Beautiful Disaster because I am a total knee replacement warrior who never gives up. I identify with Beautiful Disaster because it says I’m perfectly imperfect! I am 45 years old about to be 46 in February, but life has been hard with medical issues! In April 2021, I had gastric bypass surgery to be able to get my right knee replacement. I lost officially 130 pounds. I got my right knee replacement September 21 2021… After 6 weeks I still couldn’t bend it so they sent me in for manipulation to bend it under anesthesia - supposedly he got 120 degrees… went to physical therapy 5 days a weeks for a few weeks to get the same bend he did, but I never got there after 12 weeks of therapy…He released me to go back to work, but then I lost my job of 5 years from being out so long and not able to do what all that was need like bend down to file. I couldn’t walk with out a limp because my knee didn’t bend all. I have cried many tears. Still a year later, September 2022, have been perfectly imperfect for a year. My left knee started to bother me, so I went to a different orthopedic surgeon and he gave me injection in my knee to get me by because the right total knee replacement was a failure by the other orthopedic surgeon. He told me I was too young for him to work on because I am active and would wear out the knee. So he said we need to help you get your right knee functioning before touching the left knee. He said I needed a joint specialist not just an orthopedic surgeon. So he referred me 2 hours away from home to a joint specialist. I saw him in October for the first time and he scheduled a revision of my right knee replacement to give 80 percent usage of my knee back. He put in small equipment because of the way my body heals it builds up scar tissue really bad which is what was stop my knee from working the first surgery. I was told by the first surgeon if he went back in it would be worse. Well I didn’t like that, so my new surgeon the joint specialist told me different. I completed trusted him to do this revision. November 29, 2022, I was in surgery for my revision and there for 4 days I’m the hospital because I had a great chance of infection because of taking the old equipment out of my knee. So I was on strong antibiotics and pain meds. But, when I woke up in recovery my knee was bent first time in over a year. I couldn’t believe it. He immobilized my knee bent for the first 24 hours. Which is the exact opposite of what the teach the nurses and physical therapist because they want to make sure don’t loose you flexion or straightness. But because of my history he want to make sure it would still bend he did the immobilization. Today 1/9/2023, I am going for my 4th procedure on my knee… today is a manipulation to just make sure that I don’t get the same scar tissue build up. I am a little over 6 weeks post op and I can bend it thanks to my miracle surgeon and therapist! With my therapist help I can bend 110. On my own I can bend 98. Which is absolutely a blessing and miracle because I truly believe I would never be able to have my knee back. But, god provided the right path to get it back. I am that perfectly imperfect beautiful disaster warrior who never gives up! My favorite Beautiful Disaster item is the Warrior pull over hoodie in size large so it has room to be comfy for therapy.  The reason I love this sweatshirt because it is true in my life story.  Thank you for listening! Your company is my favorite company true life feeling show every step of the way! Love a warrior who never gives up.