6 Weeks Already

Okay, so I'm a little late writing this one again!  Life keeps getting in the way!  6 weeks post- op and feeling great.  I went to the orthopedic on 11/4 and they gave me the elliptical.  No arc trainer, but who's complaining?  Beggars can't be choosers.  They updated my orders for PT and sent me on my way.  1st stop, the gym for my 1st 5K on the elliptical since pre-surgery!  Woo-hoo!  The pictures below are from 11/10 exactly 6 weeks post-op.

                                   
                              Look at that, I can finally engage my inner quad muscle!

Physical therapy is going great now that I have the "great" PT's "I" selected and am doing more strengthening exercises.  They did inform me that the the orthopedic wrote NO RUNNING for 3 MONTHS on the new PT order.  Probably because they could tell I am getting antsy and wanted to reinforce that running is still a no-no!  I was actually talking to my PT about this.  My knee does feel great, but it doesn't feel perfect.  I know that there is no way that I am ready to run yet.  I am really paying attention to my limitations.  After trick or treating and a few trips to the mall, I now know I have about 60-90 minutes of walking in me before I need to stop.  Not because I can't walk any longer, but because I can hear my knee saying "Enough is enough."  I know that I can handle 60 minutes of cardio broken up between the elliptical and the bike.  I know that I can now put minimal pressure on my knee on a mat, but not on the carpet.  I know that even though I am feeling great, I need to proceed with caution because 6 weeks post-op is when most people re-injure themselves because their knee feels "great".  My PT said to me it is our job to pull people back when they get too ambitious....myself included of course.   Surgery was the easy part, (pain med complications put aside).....patience with the whole recovery is the hard part!

Weeks 4 & 5 Post-op

4 weeks post op was on Thursday the 27th....with the power outages I am just now getting around to updating.  This will probably be a long post because today is November 3rd and it's officially 5 weeks post op.

Let's start with 4 weeks post-op....everything is going great.  PT is helping, but is boring as hell! I've been on the bike at least 4X a week since I received the okay.  I am so happy with the progress I have made.  My physical therapist informed me that I'm at 140 degrees for ROM and my good leg is at 150 degrees.  So basically I have 10 degrees to go.....  Woo Hoo!  Here's a few pictures of week 4 before I took my massive wipeout....  What wipe-out you ask?  The one I took on some black ice, the day of the freak 1 inch snow fall, outside of Slade's school, right in front of a couple of his friends!   It was pretty bad.  I fell right on my bad knee and twisted as I went down. Worst part, I heard it pop!  Literally hobbled into the truck and called Keith crying.  I was convinced I had re-torn it!  Off to the orthopedic again to find out whether it would be a glass of wine or a bottle of wine kind of night.  Luckily, everything seemed to be intact, I just had a lot of swelling.  Thoughts being that the pop I heard was probably just some scar tissue!  Crisis averted and I did enjoy a nice glass of wine that night!

Week 5 post-op.  Not much has changed.  All my bruising is finally gone, my ROM is still at 140, the swelling is going back down and I'm still on the bike 4X a week.  I am going back to the orthopedic tomorrow.  My hopes are that I will be allowed some variety when it comes to cardio. I'm so over the bike.  I go from the upright bike, to the spinning bike to the recumbent bike.  That's about all I get for variety these days.  I am also hoping that I'll be able to start some light strength training on my own....God how I would love to be done with PT.  I know how important it is, but honestly I feel like it's an insult to me with some of the wimpy exercises I have to do!  Maybe I was just a bit annoyed with my therapist today because she was whining about how sore she was from running!  Witch!  Yes, jealousy may have got the better of me!  But really, not the place to be talking about running!  :) Or maybe it's because she treats me as if I'm just a number on the conveyor belt!  No variety for her, just cookie cutter PT!    There are 2 other therapists that I really like and truly seem interested in my recovery.  If I must go back, I am so going to hand pick my physical therapists.  Knowledge is power!  And I plan on using mine! Here are some pictures from today!

    I am finally able to start contracting my quad muscle.  Not completely, but it's getting there!

              Incisions are looking good.  A bit redder than before, but I did just fall on them!

No more bruising! Took exactly 5 weeks for it to disappear.