The past two years have been life-changing for me. As we all get older, we exhibit aches and pains that we learn to live with. Two years ago, my left knee started to bother me. I had arthroscopic surgery about 20 years previously, and I thought it may be time to get re-treated. 

An orthopedic surgery group determined that the ligaments in that knee were not the problem; rather, there was some bone-on-bone contact on the mesial aspect of the joint as well as slight arthritis. I decided to ride it out, but the discomfort became more intense over time. I remember traveling to a lecture and riding the moving sidewalk at Metro Airport in Detroit, looking up the heavens and saying to myself, “I just can’t do this anymore!” The pain when walking was becoming burdensome. 

Coming back from another lecture in Louisville, I was walking to my car with my computer bag on my shoulder and my carry-on rolling behind me. A stranger grabbed my left shoulder. I immediately turned and said, “Excuse me?” The lady simply looked at me and said, “I pray that your leg gets better and that you can walk better soon.” Wow, that was mind-shattering. I realized that I was not hiding the fact that my gait had changed dramatically. 

The following week, I was having dinner with a dear friend in northern Michigan. He had just returned from a vacation in Mongolia. As we ordered dessert, he asked if he could tell me something. He said that he had noticed that I had put on a lot of weight and he and his staff were concerned about my health. Wow, here we go again. From that point on, I decided to do something about it. Lecturing can be challenging sometimes when it comes to meals. I was always rushing, grabbing whatever fast food was available. Then, after a lecture, I socialized with my hosts over a cocktail and then had a dinner of a 14-ounce bone-in ribeye, loaded baked potatoes, a glass of wine and dessert. The next morning’s breakfast consisted of eggs and bacon. Not such a great diet. 

I decided to simply cut my meals in half. Not an easy feat, but one that I took very seriously. I began eating less red meat and more fish and chicken as well as getting a green vegetable to replace the baked potato. I still had a cocktail, but only a few bites of dessert. 

The pounds started to melt off rather quickly. I remember stopping at a local deli to get my normal corned beef sandwich. Lo and behold — I could only eat half of it before feeling full.

I lost 62 pounds and went through several transitions of clothes and suits. My knee improved a bit, but not completely. I began physical therapy, and a dear friend suggested that I try Pilates. I had no idea what Pilates was. It certainly was not in my wheelhouse. I even tried acupuncture and did three sessions of stem cell infusions to help the healing process. Just before Christmas this past year, I was traveling, and my left knee was aching miserably. I called my orthopedic surgeon friend who told me that I did not have to do anything immediately, but, no matter what I tried, the pain was not going to get significantly better. I decided then to schedule total knee replacement. I figured I would take some time off during the holiday season, but there was no way I could take six weeks off after not being able to work for nine weeks during the COVID-19 shutdown. 

Surgery was scheduled for a Monday morning and was done by 7:30 a.m. I was back in my recovery room by 10:30 a.m. and discharged at 3:30 p.m. I had my first physical therapy session the following day, and it was uncomfortable. The Wednesday morning session also was not so pleasant. However, by Thursday, I was only taking ibuprofen for discomfort. I had promised my orthopedic surgeon that I would not go back to practice for at least three weeks, not the six weeks recommended. And I abided by that direction — mostly. Three weeks to the day, I was back full time at the office, and my knee was feeling amazing. My bowed leg had straightened, and I was well on my way to recovery. I am still doing Pilates, and I like to say that I went from having a keg in my belly to having a two-pack. I’m feeling great, and my health is awesome.

My advice is that, at some point in life, one needs to realize there’s a problem and create a solution. In my case, I needed to eat less, eat better and work at getting healthier. I have improved the quality of my life dramatically. It helps to have the support of inspirational people surrounding you. If I can do this, so can you!