Gold Star!
Saw the surgeon today for a two-month checkup. She's pleased.
I get to ditch the giant brace and start walking unassisted. I had been doing that on my own, but I was nervous about it, and now I have doctor approval. In fact, I need to be walking unassisted to get muscle and range of motion back. Both are coming along at a normal rate now, though obviously I still have a lot of work to do. I'm still a ways from weight lifting or impact exercises, but can start walking on the elliptical and attempting stairs.
The brace will still be necessary for the commute, and I may even keep carrying a crutch, because it encourages other commuters to give me seats and have more patience with my slowness and not knock into me. I'll also still supposed to work remotely as much as possible: surgeon generally doesn't like the idea of me on metro.
Best news: she performed all the standard stability tests and my PCL is completely solid. Like a rock. Or at least like a healthy, working ligament.
Eight weeks and all's well, it's a huge relief. Now back to work flexing muscles. I have been warned that work will be painful, occasionally very painful. My instruction was to ride the line on pushing so hard I need painkillers to sleep - that means I should back off, but I should be working myself hard enough that sometimes I need to back off. Breaking scar tissue! wooo! So, daunting, still, but I'm excited to get to do it.
I get to ditch the giant brace and start walking unassisted. I had been doing that on my own, but I was nervous about it, and now I have doctor approval. In fact, I need to be walking unassisted to get muscle and range of motion back. Both are coming along at a normal rate now, though obviously I still have a lot of work to do. I'm still a ways from weight lifting or impact exercises, but can start walking on the elliptical and attempting stairs.
The brace will still be necessary for the commute, and I may even keep carrying a crutch, because it encourages other commuters to give me seats and have more patience with my slowness and not knock into me. I'll also still supposed to work remotely as much as possible: surgeon generally doesn't like the idea of me on metro.
Best news: she performed all the standard stability tests and my PCL is completely solid. Like a rock. Or at least like a healthy, working ligament.
Eight weeks and all's well, it's a huge relief. Now back to work flexing muscles. I have been warned that work will be painful, occasionally very painful. My instruction was to ride the line on pushing so hard I need painkillers to sleep - that means I should back off, but I should be working myself hard enough that sometimes I need to back off. Breaking scar tissue! wooo! So, daunting, still, but I'm excited to get to do it.