I have had so many direct questions about the status of my health that I thought I would share what I know. So many of you sent good wishes and even suggestions for natural cures; I thank you for your kindness and concern.

As you probably don’t remember (but I can never forget), I tripped down some outdoor steps on April 5, landed on my left knee, and pretty much demolished some necessary ligaments and tendons. I had surgery on May 9 for a total knee replacement at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery. Many people wrote to tell me that this operation is routine and that their sister, brother, mother, or father had it and felt great after about two months.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work so well for me. I was making steady progress but then, after two months, developed a huge hematoma on the operated leg. The blood from the bruise seeped into my knee, making it impossible to bend.

On July 31, I had what is called “manipulation under anesthesia,” in which my surgeon “cracked” my knee, forcing the bottom and top together, which was supposed to break up the adhesions (scar tissue) that prevented me from flexing my knee. That didn’t work either. Within a day or two, the adhesions had grown back, and my knee remained inflexible.

So now I am engaged in aggressive physical therapy, with a wonderful practitioner who is trying to break the adhesions by vigorous massage of the knee and exercise and lots of icing. It is helping but I don’t know whether it will be enough to bring back my mobility. If it doesn’t work, I will require yet another surgery to scrape out the adhesions. I seem to among the few who sprout scar tissue internally with amazing speed. I am totally focused on getting better, and at the same time exploring options about where to have this surgery done, with the best after-care, if it turns out to be necessary.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your expressions of concern. The blog has kept me going at a time when I am eager to think about something other than my poor knee.