ironclm's world

10 Weeks

A big day! I got into the competition pool via the ladder and got out at the end of my swim!!! No more old people's pool. I ended up doing 1100 m, mostly swimming but some kicking and some slow water running also. I don't have my prior stamina or speed, but swimming regularly should help both of those things.

Kicking on my back is fine. Kicking on my stomach with the kickboard is ok but I am so slow. We also have done a drill in the past where you kick on your side. I tried that but man, that felt freaky so I stopped! Kind of like the first time you try to lay on your side after surgery.

After that I showered and went to the hair salon and sitting around there for a couple of hours didn't help. Though it was way better than the time I went two weeks post surgery and they totally are cool about letting me get up and walk around whenever I need to. When I got home my whole leg was a bit sore and both of my legs had major leg twitches. So I might have overdone it a bit today, but at least my hair looks fabulous.

Yesterday I told PT Jonathan that next week one of the things I want to work on is getting down on the floor and back up. I want to try to do some ab work and some stretching that's not knee related.

And today was my last day of freedom since I go back to work full-time in the office on Monday. Of course this is the first week since I've had surgery that I really felt good enough to go out and do stuff. Figures.

9-Weeks

Things are coming along slowly. This recovery is not a straight linear thing. I may go if you days feeling better and better and doing more and then they'll be a day or two where I fall back and can't do it I was just doing. I guess this is completely normal but very frustrating.

For those of you who are curious about what the surgery is really like, here is a basic description.

They cut your knee open (6 inch scar), pull the soft tissues out of the way, turn your knee cap over, amputate the ends of your tibia and femur (the big lower leg bone and the upper leg bone), saw the bones, pound and glued the prosthesis in (metal on the upper bone and plastic on the lower bone). It is a major surgery and takes awhile to heal.

Well hell! No wonder it hurts like a *#€£{]!?! And no, I am not yet ready to watch a video of this surgery. In fact, many times I will ask PT Jonathan a question about what something is or what he's doing and he will respond, "Do you really want to know?" Which is our code for "I'm talking about the new parts of your knee."

I had one big breakthrough it in the past week. I can now get in and out of my truck without moving the seat! It's the small things that you have to rejoice about.

I can also ride the recumbent bike at PT pretty well. My next goal will be to try to ride my trainer at home.

P.S.

The pain killers have seemed to have knocked out all my taste buds.  The coffee and beer that I love - I can barely drink either.  And most food still doesn't sound that appetizing.  My favorite thing to eat right now?  Popsicles.

6 week update

WARNING - FRUSTRATION RANT FORTHCOMING

Well first of all, if I'd known how it would really be, I would have never have done this.  I feel like I've wasted 6 weeks of my life and I'd rather have the pain of bone/bone than not being able to ride, to walk right, bend my leg enough, feeling like crap most of the time and losing a lot of extra overtime money and missed travel.  And reading about other people who have +100 degree flexion the first couple of weeks really depresses me.  The ONLY good thing is that I've lost 20 pounds (in the first 3 weeks) and have kept it off (and will hopefully lose a lot more if I can ever train again.)

Yes, I am in a pissy mood. My life is sleep in, get up and lay on the couch, go to PT 3x/week, come home and lay on the couch, go to bed.  And, this week has been the week of the trip to Hawaii that I had to cancel , so seeing all my friends' photos is killing me.  

Currently my extension is anywhere between 5-10 degrees.  We know this will be slow since I lived 6 years never fully extending my leg after my arthroscope in 2009.  That is what my former surgeon wanted and I didn't know any better.  So my current surgeon is fine with that number right now since hamstrings and calf muscles are super tight.  Working daily on stretching them.  

Current flexion is only about 90 degrees, which is behind where I should be.  I have a lot of pain in the IT band and over the fibular head and calf (one pin-point area), with "tightness" over the front of the knee.  I can drive if I scoot the seat all the way back to get in the truck then move the seat up.  The surgeon said 90-ish is ok for now and he thinks I'll get more in the next couple of weeks since it feels "springy" and not like hardened adhesions.  Keep it going and he added 4 more weeks of PT.  

Back to work full time on November 1st and ease into it by working a few hours at home for the next three weeks.  

I did get to three hockey games in the past two weeks, including a Meet the Team party and opening night Gold Carpet walk.  Last night was the first night that I've made it for the entire game, sitting in my usual seat, so that's a plus.  

I haven't been walking as much as I should, since I don't like to walk around my neighborhood (long story) and I really have a very difficult time getting off the couch or out of bed.  But tomorrow, I am going to go to the pool and try swimming.  The surgeon doesn't want to see me until December 31st and said go for it regarding swimming and walking.