Peace
Today was my second physical therapy appointment. There was very much pain and whining on my part, but not once did I hold back. I completed every set of exercises I was set to, some more easily than others.
It would seem that I have been avoiding bending my left knee for so long, I have managed to shrink the tendons holding my knee cap in place. Now that there is nothing impinging on the joint itself and, theoretically, it should freely bend as well as the right knee. In practice, though, not so much. I have improved since Monday, but demonstrating that improvement is literally excruciating. I'm talking involuntarily screaming in pain excruciating. I need to get the soft tissues that remain in that knee limbered up and prepared for a partial replacement. I will work as hard as necessary to make that happen. I want to be a model patient, displaying my strength and willingness to get better.
My physical therapist is a sweetheart, and as well as being a great cheerleader and emotional support when my instincts tell me to "DON'T DO THAT, IT'LL BREAK!" she is also good at giving reality checks, like reminding me that I had almost all of the cartilage removed from my knee as well as quite a bit of bone remodeling not even an entire week ago, so It's Going To Hurt. She comforted my ego by telling me that I am recovering a lot quicker than most of the patients she sees that undergo similar procedures.
Again, I am determined to make the most of the opportunity to be well that I was given. Carl has gone to a lot of trouble to take care of me, and try to fill my shoes while I recover. He has done an outstanding job of it, to the point that I sometimes feel like I am malingering and should be back at it already.
He bought me a neat thing that I wish I had had last Thursday, and that is a huge cold pad. Like, it covers my entire leg and feels like heaven when I've pushed the PT homework too hard. It is so much better than the sad little ice bag I was sent home with, that's for sure. Now to figure out how to get the insurance to pay for a TENS machine to use at home... and also be sure not to "experiment" with it.
My dog Trouble has been acting odd concerning my leg. Like, he is constantly sniffing at it, and will sometimes chew at it like animals do for fleas. He hasn't pawed at it, much. Mostly because I stop him immediately when he tries to scratch at it, since he likes to pick on the sorest part.
The last time he acted like this, Dad had cellulitis in his leg that he didn't know about until the skin became discolored. The physical therapist checked my leg for infection and said it looked good, so maybe he's still able to smell the betadine they soaked my leg in pre-op.
Anyway, my leg is getting stronger every day, I fall in love with Carl more and more every day, and if I compared this journal's entries Before Carl and After Carl, I would be able to believe that it had been written by two different people.
It would seem that I have been avoiding bending my left knee for so long, I have managed to shrink the tendons holding my knee cap in place. Now that there is nothing impinging on the joint itself and, theoretically, it should freely bend as well as the right knee. In practice, though, not so much. I have improved since Monday, but demonstrating that improvement is literally excruciating. I'm talking involuntarily screaming in pain excruciating. I need to get the soft tissues that remain in that knee limbered up and prepared for a partial replacement. I will work as hard as necessary to make that happen. I want to be a model patient, displaying my strength and willingness to get better.
My physical therapist is a sweetheart, and as well as being a great cheerleader and emotional support when my instincts tell me to "DON'T DO THAT, IT'LL BREAK!" she is also good at giving reality checks, like reminding me that I had almost all of the cartilage removed from my knee as well as quite a bit of bone remodeling not even an entire week ago, so It's Going To Hurt. She comforted my ego by telling me that I am recovering a lot quicker than most of the patients she sees that undergo similar procedures.
Again, I am determined to make the most of the opportunity to be well that I was given. Carl has gone to a lot of trouble to take care of me, and try to fill my shoes while I recover. He has done an outstanding job of it, to the point that I sometimes feel like I am malingering and should be back at it already.
He bought me a neat thing that I wish I had had last Thursday, and that is a huge cold pad. Like, it covers my entire leg and feels like heaven when I've pushed the PT homework too hard. It is so much better than the sad little ice bag I was sent home with, that's for sure. Now to figure out how to get the insurance to pay for a TENS machine to use at home... and also be sure not to "experiment" with it.
My dog Trouble has been acting odd concerning my leg. Like, he is constantly sniffing at it, and will sometimes chew at it like animals do for fleas. He hasn't pawed at it, much. Mostly because I stop him immediately when he tries to scratch at it, since he likes to pick on the sorest part.
The last time he acted like this, Dad had cellulitis in his leg that he didn't know about until the skin became discolored. The physical therapist checked my leg for infection and said it looked good, so maybe he's still able to smell the betadine they soaked my leg in pre-op.
Anyway, my leg is getting stronger every day, I fall in love with Carl more and more every day, and if I compared this journal's entries Before Carl and After Carl, I would be able to believe that it had been written by two different people.