The end of this week marks 18 Weeks since my ACI
surgery. I’m so sorry I haven’t updated sooner. Since going crutch free a 6
weeks ago, life has really gotten back to normal ie – Busy. Which is a far cry from the first couple of
months of this process!
The best way to think to update on the last month is to
break it down into What Has Stayed the Same vs. What has Changed.
What Has Stayed the Same – My knee still swells
almost every day which requires icing it several times a day or at the very
least once at the end of the day. I go to
my local gym to do my own rehab 3-4 times a week to strengthen my knee and
quad. And for all you who are wondering my
quad is still pretty wimpy and atrophied - a very sexy non symmetrical summer
look. I still where my Don Joy brace
almost every day, it helps the knee not to swell and ache as much. Last Friday I left the house without it and I
could have kicked myself for not getting it, my knee was screaming at me at the
end of the day! Lesson learned = wear
the ugly brace that cause strange tan lines because it’s worth it! When I go out to dinner, or sit during
church/movie I still need to elevate my leg to reduce swelling. Also my flexion seems to have maxed out, I’m
not sure what my number is but I will check today when I go to my last rehab
appointment.
What has Changed – I no longer go to rehab at my doctor’s
office with a PT!! Well that is after my
last appointment today. I have not been in
4 weeks and today’s appt is to track my progress on my own. I am able to do all the rehab exercises at my
local gym, which helps on the pocket book!
I have been cleared for the last month to use the elliptical and ladies
and gents it has changed my cardio world!
I never thought I would say that I missed that machine, but I apparently
did! Of course using it for 15 mins
yesterday my knee seems more swollen than normal, which with my luck would
happen today on my last rehab day!! Gesh
can’t a gimpy girl get a break!
Probably the best change in the last month is that I can
schedule multiple activities in a day. If
Brad and I want to go to the movies and out to eat in the same night I
CAN! That is if I haven’t had a huge
work day that made me tired. As of Jan
of this year I started my own design business and it has really kept me busy,
but I still have to be careful how I schedule appointments, more specifically
how many I make in a day/week. But for
example my friend Ricia and I went to the Famers Market Saturday and walked
around/ate lunch for over 3 hours. I
went home and iced my knee and rested a couple of hours, then went out to
dinner and to a movie. Granted that was
a very very full day and was the max of my activities for a few days. I’m still trying to learn balance, and when I
think I get the hang of it life decides to add activities (even fun ones) that
zap my energy.
After 18 weeks I still can’t say that I’m in less pain that
I was before I had my ACI, if I’m being honest, which helps when writing a blog
J. I was a grad 4 (which is bad) but I wasn’t in
extreme pain before the ACI. I just
needed the surgery before any bone damaged occurred which my doctor said is
when the real pain starts. I’m glad I
did the surgery (only if you ask me that now…if you asked that the first 2
months forget it I'd have said Heck NO!) because I can feel and see the potential that my knee will
have. But it still is uncomfortable and aches most days. But as I always
have to remind myself – IT’S PROGRESS!
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