Dr. Peter Gott offers sound medical answers to reader questions in the new Lifestyles section...
Sharon Martin was only 50 when doctors said she needed both knees replaced.
Many years of skiing wore out the joints to the point where the first-grade teacher needed a wheelchair.
"I didn't want to stop teaching," she said.
It was recommended Martin, who lives in Lewis, have both knees replaced at the same time.
That was 16 years ago.
"They had two doctors; one to operate on each knee at the same time," she said. "They put in two stainless steel knees and I have had no problems since."
Elizabethtown's Al Kurtz was 85 when it was decided that one of his knees needed replacement.
"I had trouble with my back, and the doctors figured out it was because of my knee," he said. "It was just age that caused my knee to wear down."
His surgery was four years ago, and his knee works just fine.
"I'm really satisfied," Kurtz said. "I wouldn't wait too long."
Barbara Papineau of Keene had both knees replaced, one four months after the other.
Osteoarthritis caused the damage to the joints.
"It was very apparent that I needed to have my knees replaced," she said. "I couldn't do the outdoor things I loved. Now I can continue to go hiking, cross-country and downhill skiing," she said.
Her advice?
"If you go into it physically fit, you'll come out of it better off," Papineau said. "You have to work on it 'til it hurts."
At the age of 69, Marion Norton of Elizabethtown had both her knees replaced at the same time.
It took her about six months to get back on her feet, she said.
"With both knees, it was difficult and extremely painful."
After her surgery in Burlington, Norton went to Fanny Allen for a week of rehabilitation and then had nurses at home.
"Everyone who took care of me was great," she said.
Reflecting on the experience, Norton added, "Now, everything is well. I couldn't have gone on without having it done."
Six years later, Norton goes to physical therapy from time to time to keep in shape.
New Russia resident Cynthia Kortepeter had knee replacement this past November at age 72.
"My cartilage wore out from just wear and tear. I knew it was getting worse and I would have to do it. I was having problems with swimming. My daughter Serena (who is a doctor) said I should do it while I was still young."
Kortepeter, as is commonly done, was given exercises to do weeks before surgery. She attributes following the prescribed regimen with her fast recovery.
Willis White, 74, of Elizabethtown had problems with the cartilage in his knee dating back to 1973.
"My knee got gradually worse. I ran on it for about 20 years, averaging about 20 miles per week. In 1993, they told me I was a candidate for a new knee."
White finally had surgery Oct. 27, 2009.
Reflecting on his recovery while peddling on the NuStep machine, he said, "It seems slow to me, but the doctor and PT have told me it's going well."
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