27/11/2025
Hey everyone — I know it’s been awhile. ❤️ Happy Thanksgiving. 🧡 Life took me on a healing journey this past year, and I had to slow all the way down. Two knee replacements in one year… what a journey. I share the dramatic tale below. I’m so thankful for your patience and grace while I focused on my health. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Here’s what the past year really looked like behind the scenes: The post-surgery pain, the intense PT, and the work of literally learning how to use your knees again — it’s been a lot. There’s a strange mix of gratitude and grief when you’re (relatively) young and need new joints. I kept asking myself, How did I get here?
As a former long-distance runner, getting hit with early-onset arthritis felt cruel. Genetics, wear and tear, and some plain bad luck all collided at once. The emotional journey has been just as intense as the physical one.
I lived with bone-on-bone arthritis for nearly a decade, trying to put off surgery, working through pain that became its own full-time job. Not being able to work at full capacity has been one of the hardest parts. And leaning all the way into self-care? Also a challenge.
I knew it was bad, but I thought I could muscle through it — like I do with almost everything else in my life. Crazy. A few years ago, a friend saw me limping and asked what was going on. I shrugged and said, “Really? My knees just hurt.” She stared at me like I had two heads. She was horrified for me — and honestly, she was right. I knew how bad it was, but I kept trying to manage it with hot yoga and acupuncture, injections, draining the fluid off when needed, and convincing myself I could push through. OULA does mean “will and resilience,” but I definitely took it too far. But through all of it, I am deeply grateful — especially to my surgeon and physical therapist at UCHealth. I can finally imagine a day when my mind isn’t consumed with managing pain. Recovery is long. Each knee takes a full year. Maybe I’ll run again next year — who knows?
Sometimes strength isn’t pushing through—often the bravest thing you can do is admit you’re hurting and allow yourself to be cared for. Be gentle with yourselves friends.💋 Erika