Danette Lake thought surgery would relieve the pain in her knees.
The arthritis pain began as a dull ache in her early 40s, brought on largely by the pressure of unwanted weight. Lake managed to lose 200 pounds through dieting and exercise, but the pain in her knees persisted.
A sexual assault two years ago left Lake with physical and psychological trauma. She damaged her knees while fighting off her attacker, who had broken into her home.
Although she managed to escape, her knees never recovered. At times, the sharp pain drove her to the emergency room. Lakeâs job, which involved loading luggage onto airplanes, often left her in misery.