IPCA 2024 - K Munimah

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My knees have always given me problems, even from as far back as 2012, when I was in my late 40s. That was when I started experiencing knee pain and had trouble walking, so I went to see my company doctor, who referred me to a specialist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

At the hospital, I was given a jab to ease my discomfort, but the doctor told me that I had bilateral knee osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease where the cartilage has worn down and causes joint pain. The more permanent solution was to go for total knee replacement.

I was reluctant to go for the operation at the time. I was working full-time and my two children were still in school. I asked my husband to help with the household chores, thinking that the pain will go away if I reduce physical chores. However, the pain worsened. I was unable to bend my knees and my movements were slow.

In 2021, my husband passed away. Both my children have grown up, got married and moved out. My daughter lives overseas, so my son checks in on me every day. I rely on him to accompany me to my medical appointments and to shop for groceries and other necessities. Being a homebody, I am quite contented to stay at home doing the things I enjoy like cooking, reading and hanging out with my cats. By then, the worsening pain meant that I had to rely on furniture and grab bars to move around at home.

In 2022, I finally decided to go for total knee replacement surgery. Unfortunately, there were complications after the first two operations, which gave me joint instability and infection. In the end, I had to undergo two more operations in December 2023 to fix the issues.

The nurses did a great job caring for me and other patients in the hospital, but I could see how busy they were. To ease their responsibilities, I did my best to be as cooperative and independent as possible. When they advised me to walk and do my exercises so that my mobility can improve, I made an effort to do so in spite of the pain.

Despite the many celebrations and festivals like Deepavali, Christmas and my children's birthdays that I had to miss when I was in hospital, I also had a lot to look forward to – my siblings, friends and family members would visit me with festive cookies and home-cooked food. With the care and support I got from the people around me, I was slowly getting back on my feet again. I was finally discharged in January this year.

I believe that if you put in your best in your own recovery, things will only get better. I am looking forward to resuming my favourite activities again such as going to the temple or having my favourite food at Tekka Market.

"Munimah's determination to regain her mobility and resume a normal life is an inspiration for others facing similar situations."

Yip Shu Min
Senior Nurse Manager
Sengkang Community Hospital