31 Days Post-Op

I had grand plans to write this post at exactly 4 weeks post-op, but that didn't happen because I'm lazy. Well, not really, I'm feeling pressed for time at times, because it takes me longer to do everything now and I'm having to prioritize and schedule my day down to almost the minute so that I can get everything done that I'd like to get done, and that wasn't writing this post - until now.

If you follow me on Instagram {HERE} then you know that I've starting returning to most of my normal hobbies and activities. It has been glorious to be able to create things at my sewing machine again. I've gotten 2 new pieces of activewear sewn up! What?!?! 

So my last update was at 2 weeks after surgery, and here I am closing in on 5 weeks out! So the quick and dirty update is that my knee flexes to 115° and sometimes even 117°. My brace is set to 90° and I've been given the all clear to walk around inside my house without my brace as long as my knee feels stable. Surprisingly, it always feels stable... wink, wink. 

So now onto the more in-depth look at what's been going on. 

I used to be the person who if you needed anything, I was the person who would go out and get it for you. Even if I just got home. I loved being out and about. Not so much anymore. Oh, you want me to wear my brace? Do I have to drive? The answer is really dependent on how important it is. It's going to need to be fairly important for me to put that dang brace on. If I don't have to drive, you've got a better chance of me going with you, maybe. It does still depend on the importance, but to a lesser extent. That brace is just such a pain in the ass.

At PT, they've added a number of exercises to my repertoire, and now my PT visits take about 1:20 to get through. I'm doing 30 reps of straight leg raises, side leg raises, clamshells, mini squats, calf raises, walk-throughs, and step ups. I also get to integrate some of my favorite calf stretches, carefully, of course. The recumbent bike is still my first warm-up exercise for 10 minutes, but now we've added in the treadmill. I've been slowly increasing my speed on the treadmill, and my best is 2.1. My PT won't show me how far I've gone, because she doesn't want me competing too much. She rolls her eyes when I gloat over my speed. Speaking of competing - I did injure myself last week by doing too much. Last Thursday I had a banner walk with my Big Guy and walked 1.5 miles and maintained a 23:21 pace, which is close to my fastest pace yet. It's also quite a bit further than I've been doing, and I hurt my calf. Smart, Heather. Friday we focus on stretching out my calf because it wasn't loosening and I couldn't fully straighten my leg, which by the way is all I've heard about all this week because the leg doesn't want to get to 0°. I mean, it does eventually, but we really have to make that the focus of our sessions, and its annoying.

Thursday's stat picture, maybe not totally worth the calf pain, but close. 

 Saturday, I wake up in so much pain. It's so bad that Big Guy comes in and uses the stick to roll out my hip and IT band, which feels amazing, but the calf. The calf won't loosen and it's worse today than yesterday. Damn 2nd day. It's always worse the 2nd day. The hubs and I talk about what the best course of action is, and we decide that I lazy day is in order. I elevate the leg and use my ice therapy machine several times over the course of the day. Big Guy realizes late in the day that we didn't do my exercises and has a small freak out session, but I reassure him that rest is just as important as the exercises. I don't know that I convinced him. I did get my new capris and sports bra cut out that evening. That was my accomplishment for the day. 

Sunday found me in a little better shape calf-wise, and I get my exercises done. We walked a mile at a 24:54 pace. I know I shouldn't be focusing on those numbers, but I do. I'm still a runner inside. After that, its time for more ice and elevation. Yay! 

I actually really enjoy going to my PT,
but who doesn't love grumpy cat?

PT on Monday is bright and early, and my calf is still tight, but it's lessening every day. My PT was after my walking form. My left foot was being louder than my right. They need to be similar and my footfalls should follow a metronome. Man, who knew that learning to walk again would be so damned difficult. Walking on the treadmill is as much a physical exercise at this point as it is mental. I focus on how that foot is falling. Is my heel strike right? Am I coming off the ball of my foot ok? Is the leg straight? It feels straight, but my PT assures me it's not. It's not as bad as it was, but it's not straight. So then we add in the weight machine! It is not made for tall people. I have to lift the bad leg up so that it rests on the barre, and my left leg is fully flexed while I shimmy by backside far enough down on the back thing so that I can fit my shoulders below the brace thing. So much fun. We work on a squatting motion with more of the weight on my right side, about 80/20. Then we also do another calf stretch, while being careful not to overextend my knee, which makes me laugh because I'm still not at 0°. I know it's possible, but it's still amusing. After those exercises, it's onto the table, so let gravity work on straightening my knee. I get on my stomach and scootch down the table so that my knee is hanging off the table and gravity starts pulling the leg down. After this exercise, I'm at 0° and my PT is happy. Then its all the lifts and clamshells, followed by ice and compression. Oh, and my flexion is at 110°. 

I came home from PT and started sewing up my capris, and getting my leg to do what I wanted was interesting. It was difficult at first because while the presser foot is similar to a gas peddle, it's not exactly the same, and finding the fine motor control to control the pressure on the foot is interesting. There was a learning curve, but I got it figured out. The leg eventually remembered, but then it'd forget and then I'd have to teach the leg again. By the afternoon though, it was a lot better, but it might have had something to do with the fact that I was barefoot by this time, and using my toes on the presser foot made adjusting the pressure on it so much easier. Unfortunately, I am not as confident walking without my shoes on. 

Tuesday found me with a little less pain in my calf, but during our walk, my ankle started hurting so we cut the walk a little short, but still managed a .75 mile walk at 24:43. I got through my exercises and then did some more work on my capris. They're turning out so well, and it feels so amazing to be back at one of my favorite past times. Oh, I also had my 1-month post-op with the doc. I tell him about my calf hurting, but the knee feels good. He's happy with my flexion numbers, and he said that as long as I'm hitting 0° on the extension then that's all he's worried about. He gave me the 2.5-month talk about taking care with my new knee because I can injure it again if I'm not careful. He also told me that in 6 weeks, I get a new brace. Oooh, I hope it's a sportier model. 

We found a moment between storms to get our walk in on Tuesday, it was a family affair. 

My ankle was so swollen Wednesday that my PT made mention of it first thing. The leg still won't extend to 0° until the end of our session, and we've run through all of our exercises and added a new one. I get to work on stepping up on a 4" step. PT lady is pretty happy with my form on the step, but she wasn't happy with the not straight leg. By the end of PT, the leg was hitting 0°. The kids and I went to the pool after lunch, and I got in! I was afraid to swim through. Maybe next week, I'll be braver, but the knee did feel good in the water, so there's that. I finish my capris and start on the sports bra

Thursday was the only day where I had nothing going on. I had nowhere to be, the kids had nowhere to be, and I had plans to do nothing. I slept in, took a long luxurious bath, and then played video games. I half-assed my exercises while making pancakes for dinner, and I don't feel guilty about any of it. 

Today found me back at PT bright and early, and my PT lady fussing about the lack of straight leg. I worked on straightening the leg and had a couple of hitches while moving through my exercises. She added a leg weight to my clamshells, side leg lifts and the gravity fall for the knee. So fun. I got the treadmill up to 2.1, which is my quickest speed yet, but I was very focused on my noisy footfalls. PT lady didn't say anything about my gait today.  I have also finished my sports bra, so Sunday I might try to get some good photos of that to share the pattern review of them. 

The rest of the day is mine!