I have a lot of gratitude for my champion knees that carried me countless miles in this life…and propelled me to the #1 podium, over, and over, and over.

This week though, my body literally needs me to move slowly for a beat – and you’ll mostly see me snuggling on my couch with my dog, Carmen. I’ve been taking time out to read, watch tv shows (something I almost never usually do) and just to be. And recover. 

Two Fridays ago, I had my second knee surgery. My right knee.

Nothing actually happened to my knees other than years of bowling, combined with genetics that made my knees possibly more prone to wear. The hard truth is that I didn’t have a lot of cartilage left in either one of my knees due to overuse. My physical therapist, Paul from Fast Track Physio, explained it the best. “Think about how many miles you’ve put on your legs over the decades of bowling. Game after game. Hour after hour.” The result? No more cartilage to pad my inner knee joint.

Realistically, and considering how many miles I’ve put on it at the approach, I probably had the knees of a 85-year-old. And the reality is that I’ve had problems with my knees for a while.

Few people really knew about my knee issues before my first surgery two years ago. Because I don’t complain about it. I have always sort of powered through. I will admit that I usually downplayed it.

But I do think it’s important that we acknowledge our hurdles. Even though, deep down, it was a bit disappointing that my knees were giving me this pain, I realized a couple years ago that we shouldn’t try to hide what is real and true, no matter how disappointing it is.

It’s also important to take care of ourselves. We all face different issues, and it’s okay to seek outside support for things we can’t fix ourselves. For me, that meant accepting that all of the kinesiology tape or physical therapy in the world wouldn’t fix the underlying issue. My knee cartilage was not going to miraculously regenerate itself. Outside of surgery, I had done all of the things. Literally, everything. And it was time to seek surgical support.

I know a lot of people just carry on even when they are facing chronic pain like this. They may say, I’m just going to find a way to live with it. They may even let it get worse.  But I’m a doer. I’m going to research, look at all of the options, and ask questions. And I am not just going to talk about the solutions I find. I’m going to take action on them. And for me, that solution was surgery, which led me to find a specialist trained in corrective knee surgery for elite athletes.

The surgeries I have now had on both knees are partial knee replacements, called a Makoplasty. It’s done by a surgeon-controlled robot, allowing the surgery to be highly precise.

Surgery pushed me far outside of my comfort zone. Before that first surgery in September 2022, I had never had surgery before. I had never even been put under anesthesia. But, as I always say, the only way to the other side is through the struggle. It’s like reaching many important goals. You have to commit to the process to reach your long-term goals. And I want to be able to bowl again pain-free…and spend long days walking around European cities on trips with my family. I want to be able to climb stairs without thinking about my knees.

Getting these surgeries has become part of my commitment to my long-term well-being. The surgeries are not easy, and recovery takes time – but it is so worth it.

My nurse during my first surgery told me that when I recovered, I would probably wish that I had done it sooner. She was right. That first surgery made such a difference. But I also was advised to do one knee at a time. I thought starting with my left knee made sense. It holds my body at the line. It’s crucial for stability at the line. For leverage, and strength.

Now, after another 3 month recovery period, I will feel as though I never even had surgery on my right knee. I’ll just feel like I have a better, stable knee. I already feel so much more stable. The first week of PT was at my home, but today was my first outpatient PT. I had the same amazing physical therapist, Dan, who I saw for my first recovery. He measured the bend in my knee and we compared it to what my left leg was 2 years ago. It turns out I’m already ahead of schedule. I can already feel the stability in that knee joint.

My left knee recovery has been pretty miraculous. I have ZERO pain and full mobility. My left knee will be my reminder to keep pushing even through the hard and painful therapy days while the right one follows its lead. I am going to outpatient PT three times a week for two hours each time. It goes back to my old reminder, you get out what you put in.

Do I wish I could have done the right knee sooner? Sure. But, timing is everything. And I am just grateful to be where I am on this journey now – starting to stand on this recovering knee with renewed strength.

I am as committed as ever to the rehabilitation process. And now that I’ve been here before, I know what to expect. I’m embracing the process, but especially excited for where I’ll stand when I get to the other side of this. And, what magical places this new knee will take me.