Three months after my partial knee replacement, life is finally starting to feel a little more normal.

I’m switching to once-a-week physical therapy, walking longer distances, and getting out and doing more. My knee pain still makes its presence known, but it’s taking up a little less of my day and that feels like progress!

If you’ve been following along, you may have read about my first two weeks of recovery and where things stood at two months. Here’s what has changed since then, and what I’m still working through.

Walking Farther, with Fewer Breaks

One of my biggest accomplishments recently was walking the full Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, about 2.5 miles down and back, with only a couple of short rests on a bench. I was gearing up to attend the Oceans Calling Music Festival, which ended up getting cancelled due to the nor’easter that caused significant flooding and beach erosion.

At two months, I was happy to be walking almost normally without a cane, but I still needed frequent breaks and was losing my balance regularly. Being able to cover more distance now feels like a meaningful step toward getting my usual stamina back. And my walking form looks “normal” with no obvious limping or awkward strides.

Stairs and Low Seats Are Still a Challenge

Walking farther doesn’t mean every movement has become easy. Getting up from a low seat is still difficult for me… which is why I have to do it 30 times with a 15-pound weight at PT, I guess. Getting up from the ground is an even bigger challenge! If you saw me at the Power to the People Festival at Merriweather Post Pavillion, you may have witnessed my repeated struggles to get up and down from my legless chair on my blanket. I’m also still working on walking up and down stairs with a normal alternating stride, especially without a railing.

These are such ordinary movements that I barely thought about them before surgery. Now they’re little reminders that I still have strength and confidence to rebuild.

The front of my knee also remains numb and tight. Even when I’m having a good day and moving around more easily, it doesn’t quite feel like my old knee.

My First Flight

I recently flew to Wisconsin for a work conference and was pleased that sitting in my airplane seat for several hours didn’t cause any major issues. I could extend my leg a bit under the seat in front of me, which helped me stay reasonably comfortable.

Standing up afterward was another story. I was quite stiff and a little shaky getting off the plane. That flight went better than I expected, but those first steps reminded me that sitting comfortably and getting moving again are two different things. 

When I was returning to Maryland, my first flight was delayed and I ended up walking faster than I’ve walked in two years to try to catch my connecting flight in Detroit back to Baltimore, trying to make a 20-minute layover work. I made it, sprinting straight into the boarding line, but by the time I stepped onto the plane the flight attendant was asking if I was okay as I was huffing and puffing and sweating and flushed, handing me a bottle of cold water as I stepped on the plane. 

Broadway Seats Were Much Less Comfortable

Over Labor Day weekend, I did not even consider the fact that sitting in a theater chair would be an issue for my knee. I purchased tickets to two Broadway shows on a trip to New York City. I was so miserable in those cramped seats with zero legroom. There wasn’t enough room to stretch or extend my knee at all, and keeping it bent throughout the performances was very uncomfortable. At intermission, I jumped up to get some relief.

I love being able to go out and do these things again, but I’m also learning how much the seating and the room to move my leg affects how much I can enjoy them.

Nights Are Still Interrupted

I’m still waking up with some pain during the night. I try to elevate it as much as possible. I still ice occasionally and take over-the-counter pain relievers on some days. Other days, I don’t need them. So, while life is feeling more normal, recovery is still part of it. A longer walk or a successful trip doesn’t mean the nighttime discomfort has disappeared.

Getting back to normal is happening a little at a time. I originally hurt my knee in the summer of 2022, so in the big picture, the ability for me to walk normally is 100% better. There are still some minor issues that I feel like I’ll be dealing with for a while, but I’m extremely happy with the surgery and the outcome.

A Resource You May Find Helpful

My first two knee replacement posts have become some of the most popular posts on my blog. Clearly, many people are looking for a better idea of what this experience might involve.

Through sharing my recovery, I was introduced to a comprehensive paid PDF guide from a knee specialist in the UK, Tom Morgan Physio Solutions. The guide is over 100 pages and I found it to be much more detailed than the information I personally received from Johns Hopkins for my surgery. I wish I’d had something this thorough to read as I prepared for surgery and recovery!

You can learn more about the Total Knee Replacement Physiotherapy Guide and decide whether it would be useful to you. If you purchase the guide through this link, I receive a referral fee.

Click here and use the discount code ALISSA10 to get 10% off the published price, (£24.99 reduced to £22.49).

A few things to keep in mind: the guide comes from the UK, where recommendations and care practices may differ from those in the United States. Sharing it does not mean I endorse every recommendation it contains. Please discuss any changes to your exercises, medications, or recovery routine with your own physician or physical therapist first.

For me, its value is having more information in one place, and more questions to bring to my healthcare team.

Disclaimer: This is my personal recovery experience, not medical advice. Every recovery is different. Follow the guidance of your own surgeon, physical therapist, and healthcare team.

All of my knee surgery blogs:

Knee Surgery: Two Weeks Out
Knee Surgery: Two Months Out
Knee Surgery: Three Months Out