The strength to keep going

The pain in my knee became too much. After desperate conversations, my doctor told me that nothing more could be done and I had to learn to live with it. It reached a point where I said, “If you can't do anything more about the pain, then just amputate it.“

But I couldn't accept that. I decided to consult different doctors to hear their perspective. It was difficult to tell them their treatments weren't working, and I often thought, “They studied for it, who knows better?” But I had to push my own limits and listen to my body. It required patience and honesty, but I stood my ground.

Finally, a doctor was willing to perform a complex knee replacement. With my new knee, I can slowly pick up my life again. I even find myself cooking occasionally, one of my favourite things to do.

That experience taught me that a good conversation with a doctor is about bringing the past and future together. To do that, you need a clear story of where you've been. Keeping track of my pain progression helps me with this, especially when things aren't going well. When I look back at the past year and see the steps I've taken, it gives me the strength to keep going.