Two weeks ago, I had a total knee replacement. And yesterday, I walked half a mile.
If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be writing those two sentences, I might have laughed. Or cried. Probably both. Because the road that got me here was long, confusing, and honestly, a little terrifying. But it’s also full of things I wish someone had told me before I started. So I’m starting this series to share it all with you—the good, the messy, and the hopeful.
Let’s begin with the part that kept me up at night for months: choosing a surgeon.
Fifteen Years and One Device That Changed Everything
For nearly 15 years, I trusted the same surgeon at HSS. She knew my knee. I knew her. That kind of relationship matters.
Back in October 2024, instead of a partial knee replacement, she recommended a device called the MISHA. If you’ve never heard of it, here’s the short version: it’s a small implant screwed into your patella and femur, designed to take some of the load off your knee. The idea sounded great. The reality? It didn’t work for me.
I gave it time. I really did. The staff tried cortisone shots. Then gel shots. I kept hoping something would click. Nothing did. The pain hung around like an uninvited guest who refused to leave.
Going Down a Rabbit Hole
Then my friend Madeline said something that changed everything. “Why don’t you go see Dr. Rozell? He was highly recommended to me.”
So back in May, I made an appointment at NYU for a second opinion. Dr. Rozell looked at my situation and told me straight: he’d take out the MISHA and give me a total knee replacement.
That’s when I went down the rabbit hole. I was anxious. I was depressed. And on top of it all, I had the Empire State Ride coming up in July, and my knee pain had me worried I wouldn’t make it.
I wasn’t ready to just say yes. So I did what a lot of us do—I gathered more opinions.
Three Surgeons, Three Different Answers
Here’s where it got complicated. HSS is ranked the best in the country for orthopedics. NYU is ranked #2. I had access to incredible doctors, so I decided to see two more surgeons at HSS.
The first, out on Long Island, told me to remove the MISHA and then wait and see if I even needed a total knee.
The second, one of the top-ranked surgeons in the entire country, told me to remove the MISHA and do the total knee replacement at the same time.
I was completely confused. One thing I knew for certain: I did not want to go through surgery twice. The recovery from the MISHA had been horrendous, and the thought of doing a total knee on top of that was scary as hell.
Why I Chose Dr. Rozell
In the end, I chose Dr. Joshua Rozell at NYU for a few reasons.
First, his reputation as a top orthopedic surgeon was rock solid. Second—and this mattered more than you might think—he responded to me immediately when I wrote to him. That responsiveness told me he’d be there when I needed him. And honestly? I just liked him.
There was one more thing. His name resonated with me because of my grandmother, who also had a bad knee but never got it fixed. It felt like a small sign, and I took it.
The Week Before Surgery
The week leading up to the big day, I watched Daisy, my daughter’s dog. Let me tell you, that was an adventure—and exactly the distraction I needed to keep my mind off what was coming.
That weekend, Brian, my husband, and I treated ourselves. Amazing food, gorgeous views along the East River, and more amazing food. It was the calm before the storm, and I soaked up every minute.
There was one wrinkle: I’d had a nagging cough for about a month. I let my surgeon know, and he actually called me the night before to check in. I told him I was okay and ready to move forward.
Surgery Day
When I arrived at NYU on East 18th Street, that cough turned on me. I couldn’t stop coughing and dry heaving, and somehow no one seemed to notice. While sitting in pre-op, my nerves were building until a nurse said, “Let’s walk into surgery.”
I was terrified. All I could see was big machinery with “Stryker” written across it.
Before surgery, I got an Iovera nerve block shot. It took about a day to fully kick in, but combined with Journavx, I felt better than I had in a long time. Going into the operating room, I actually didn’t have much pain. That was a first.
Then surgery happened. The next thing I knew, I was in recovery, and a nurse was giving me medication through my IV.
A Room With a Freedom Tower View
Eventually, they wheeled me to a room with an unbelievable view of New York City. The Freedom Tower was staring me right in the eye.
The view was the good part. That first day, the pain was brutal, and I felt the nurses were a little stingy with the medication. By the second day, I think they finally figured out what this particular surgery needed. I ended up on oxycodone.
On Day 2, I left the hospital with a stack of vomit bags—because I couldn’t stop throwing up for two full days. Brian drove me back to Long Island, where we settled in for the next 10 days.
The First Week Home
The first week was rough. I took medication around the clock, and the pain was still pretty bad.
My friend Michelle, who had her own TKR just a week before mine, checked in on me constantly. I appreciated her more than she knows. But here’s something I learned from her and from reading recovery stories online: everyone’s recovery is different. Michelle seemed to be doing better than me, and instead of comparing, I focused on what I could control—icing, elevating, and resting.
Dr. Rozell told me no PT for the first 10 days, so I leaned into rest. My daughter came out to sit with me one day, which meant everything. My friend, Jodi, came out one day and brought me lunch. She is amazing. I even asked my cleaning person to come in on an off day, just so someone was in the house. Brian worked from home a couple of days too. I was covered.
Quick tip from Michelle that I’ll pass along: some gear is worth it, some isn’t. The basket for my walker? Absolute lifesaver. The grabber and shower seat? I bought them anyway and barely touched them. Your mileage may vary, but I’d start with the basics.
Day 10: Blisters and a Surprise Rod
On Day 10, Brian and I drove into the city from our apartment on 53rd Street to see Dr. Rozell at his office on 38th. I definitely could not have walked there.
When he took off my bandages, my leg was covered in big blisters. On top of the knee pain, I felt it in my quad and my shin too. Then he showed me the X-ray and explained something I hadn’t expected: when he removed the MISHA, my leg wasn’t stable, so he’d added a small rod to make it sturdy.
The best news? He cleared me for physical therapy. He also told me I’d need another couple of weeks before I could get in the pool—which, as a swimmer, I know is going to feel like heaven.
Starting PT at SPEAR
The very next day, I started at SPEAR Physical Therapy in the city. My therapist gave me exercises to add to the ones I already had from NYU and explained that this is a critical window. The goal right now is straightening my leg and bending it. Range of motion is everything at this stage.
I chose SPEAR because they’re flexible. I can do therapy in NYC and out on Long Island, since they have an office in Bellmore. When you’re juggling recovery across two locations, that kind of convenience is gold.
Two Weeks In, and Hopeful
Yesterday marked two weeks from surgery. I walked half a mile and did strength work throughout the day.
I won’t pretend it’s been easy. But I’m hopeful, and I’m grateful I went this route. My eye is on the finish line I know best: swim, bike, run. I’m not there yet, but I can see it.
If you’re facing a knee replacement or wrestling with a big decision about your own body, I hope my story helps you feel a little less alone. Stick with me through this series—there’s so much more to share.
More soon. 💙
