the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Westwood NJ , in a Facebook post Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo explains what he has instore :
Dear residents:
This year for my birthday, I am getting a long belated birthday present: a full knee replacement.
How long? Well, my son is now 25 years old. And when he was a WW Baseball Tee Baller, one of the moms (Julie Fedele) noticed my gait while I was walking ahead after a game. She’d asked JoAnn “ What’s wrong with your husband, he’s walking like he’s in pain?”.
Growing up in Brooklyn, we’d play basketball , hours upon hours of pounding up and down on any available surface; including asphalt over concrete. We played all year round. I played until I was 37 years old and have consequently developed an arthritic, bone on bone, grinding condition in both knees.
The “rooster shots“ (a gel injected into the the gap between the bones) are intended to replace the cushioning function of worn away cartilage. These once provided some relief, but eventually the gap became too narrow for the gel to seat effectively.
I’d also gotten cortisone shots which relieved the pain for some time. But the last time was four years ago. And that relief only lasted for two days. I’ve been playing a long, painful losing game …of diminishing returns.
I’d hoped to put off the surgery until I’d retired, but like many people my age, retirement plans are necessarily on hold with the sudden onset of inflation’s upward pressure on the cost of living and the devaluation of savings.
I have just concluded a work project that started pre-pandemic, and I have another one teed up to begin in early Spring. So I have a narrow window to get one knee replaced that I must, now, take advantage of.
The bad news is I will likely miss a Council and Planning Board meeting while rehabbing. However I will remain in daily contact with our Borough Administrator/ CFO, Clerk , our extremely capable Council President Chris Montana (whom I’d also tapped to sit on the Planning Board with me) and each one of your excellent Council members.
The good news is when I finally get both knees done, I probably won’t be so severely bow legged. (I am often mistaken for a professional barrel rider.)
The surgeon says the pattern of my worn away cartilage exacerbates that condition, while knee replacement necessarily straightens the leg.
So when both are finally done, the new knees should produce a new (straighter and taller) me!
Maybe 6 foot 4, (like never before!)
Fingers crossed!
Ray Arroyo
Westwood Mayor
TMI