Generic Medication Name: DENIAL [ DEH-NY-ALL ]
Other Brand Names: Rebel, Avoidance, Evasion, Resistance
Drug Class: non-steroidal pain modifier; self-image fabricator; antidepressant
Active Ingredient(s): Fear (60%), Dishonesty (20%), and Defiance (20%) associated with Total Knee Replacements (TKRs). These active ingredients vary according to the degree of TKR pain and the amount of DENIAL previously consumed.
Inactive Ingredients: Tylenol, aspirin, and other NSAIDS serve as fillers and may only offer temporary relief associated with TKRs. Ingest with care knowing they only serve an immediate need to avoid pain. These ingredients do not protect from inevitable decreasing bone density, prosthetic loosening, and associated chronic pain that comes with aging and overuse of the joint.
Purpose: DENIAL masks pain associated with TKRs and is especially relied on by second and third-time TKR recipients.
Uses: Giving the illusion of having the same physical capacity as the physically unimpaired. Use of DENIAL helps users to complete standard daily household care, including grocery shopping, dog-park visits, and attendance at family or friend gatherings that may include walks, ocean swimming, or tedious standing. DENIAL is particularly advantageous for maintaining images of self-reliance, independence, and normalcy as defined by the physically unimpaired.
Warning(s): DENIAL may temporarily assist in managing stairs found in such places as subways, national monuments, rooftop cafes, or townhouses. However, this specific activity will endanger the life of a TKR. It is critical to stop using DENIAL when experiencing acute targeted pain, extreme joint stiffness, inability to maintain ergonomic balance, numbness in lower leg and/or foot, and increasing use of cane, walker, electric stair climber, wheelchair, or motorized vehicles for everyday routines. Failure to stop using DENIAL will lead to a third and often final knee joint intervention ranging from a joint replacement, knee joint fusion, or an amputation. Expect increased reliance on nursing and household assistance. Weight gain, family tension, divorce, and income loss are known to occur with persistent use of DENIAL. Depression is anticipated with increased use of DENIAL since pain, and its associated depression, is inevitable with TKR overuse. Therefore, DENIAL is not encouraged as a primary medication for recipients of joint replacements, of any age. Consult your orthopedic, osteopath, and /or therapist should any of the above conditions occur.
Directions: For adults aged thirty-nine and younger and with previous TKRs, DENIAL is encouraged in small, time-sensitive, and infrequent dosages, such as once per day for 15 minutes to complete standing or weight-bearing household chores or once a week for dedicated events. Adults aged forty and older, and depending on age of current prosthesis, are strongly encouraged to watch their diet, actively stretch, and lift simple weights. Pool use is highly encouraged. They are to immediately reduce activity upon experiencing pain and of the warnings listed above, and to consult with their carefully selected healthcare professionals.
Safety Tips: Measure and monitor use of DENIAL judiciously. Use attached DENIAL calendar (©) to record its use and by writing out DENIAL’s full name when applicable. Use of small fonts or icons to record is not encouraged since they can be easily overlooked. Consult with your healthcare professional if your weekly and monthly calendars result in a patchwork appearance indicating overuse of DENIAL. Remember, DENIAL is not encouraged as a primary medication for recipients of joint replacements, of any age.
Other Information: Store DENIAL in a mirror for transparency purposes. Use behavior-modification techniques to manage daily use of DENIAL. Consider “DENIAL’s Medication Bank Exchange” program (®) for use of DENIAL: Every time you deny your pain, pay your bank account. Soon you will accrue enough to buy a three-wheeled scooter, a stair climber, weekly home care, or to place a down payment on a Rambler style home if you have not already done so. Further information on this effective medication modification tool can be found on DENIAL. Fix.
Check expiration dates: Expiration dates vary but typically apply a date one month after your previous TKR surgery. USE of DENIAL is strictly forbidden when facing a third knee replacement, fusion, or amputation. These options indicate use of DENIAL long past its expiration date. Please note: As of April 2026, a law prohibiting the chronic use of DENIAL after a second TKR is pending.
Avoid interactions: Avoid use of DENIAL with mind altering drugs including, but not limited to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, magic mushrooms, chronic social media scrolling or television viewing since these will have adverse effects on more than just the joint involved.
Special populations: DENIAL is specifically not encouraged for use by pregnant and otherwise active individuals who still have years of life ahead of them and have not had a TKR. For detailed advice, consult a professional. Better yet, consult with a person who has faced the severe consequences of DENIAL overdose associated with multiple knee joint replacements.
AME (she/her) has appeared in East Meets West, West Meets East Anthology of Short Stories, The Washington Post, Washington Woman, St. Paul Pioneer and Dispatch, and Cultural Survival Magazine. She divides her time between the USA and Morocco, where she is currently undergoing DENIAL withdrawal following her third knee replacement and is actively reviewing three-wheeler scooters for her daily use.
Instagram: @amartinelbehri