Day 901

14 WEEK CHECK UP.

This morning was my 14 week check up following surgery. It went well...I guess. My physical therapist is happy with my leg, but wants me to 'stick to the current weights without adding any' for THREE WEEKS!!! WTF!? I don't get it. I did exactly what he asked me...added small amounts of weight in a timely manner. Sometimes I was able to add weight every couple days...sometimes I didn't add weight for a week or more. I am up to 200lbs on the leg press...he was a bit upset because its much more then I weigh and I should only be at that weight at this point. No offense, but why didn't he give me a 'cap' then?!

I told him I am sick of riding the bike 45mins a day, five days a week. His response? Ride it longer. SERIOUSLY?!?!

My surgeon seems VERY happy with my progress. I am still about 3-4 weeks, or more, ahead of schedule. They claim release after this surgery is usually 9-12 months...I'm on course, per Dr. Coward, to be released at 6 months. Woot, woot!

Day 895

Woot, woot!!

Woke up this morning...no swelling!! I had two FABULOUS days with the leg in a row!! I kicked ass in the gym and in the pool with my physical therapy...if there was a time where the knee would swell, it would have been this morning. NOPE!!! No limp, no swelling...I think I have hit another one of those 'moments' my physical therapist told me about...

"People find that just one day they wake up and they are 'better'. They can do more and something that hurt just a few days ago, no longer does. We don't know why this happens, but it does. And I just try to go with it."

Yup. Thats me. I had yet another one of those moments. However, this is by far, the most significant one that I have had!! I was beginning to feel like I was destined to be one of those people that limped off and on every day, the ones that say "oh, I can't do that, its my bad knee." I wouldn't settle for that, but I was really worried that it would be my destiny. No more!

Good, bad...not so sure. But it had taken me a SOLID 12.5 weeks to get to this moment. The moment where my knee went from killing me every day...to me finally killing IT everyday!!!

Day 893

WOW! The difference only a few days makes!! It was literally just a few days ago when I wrote that I couldn't do so many things...and believe me, I tried them, or some level of them, and it HURT. Not this time!!!

I went to the gym today, as I usually do. I felt no better, but definitely no worse. I hopped onto the stationary bike and BAM!! I KILLED it!! Not only was a flying, the resistance was up and there were absolutely NO issues in my bending. Usually, it takes me about 5 minutes to get my leg warmed up enough to bend and even then, I usually point my toe a bit at the peak. NOT TODAY!!! I went right into a full pedal, no need for adjustments!! It was the best, most solid 45 minutes on the bike I've had since surgery!

Then, I jumped onto the elliptical machine. This machine usually gives me trouble. Not in the bending and such, but it is my first stage of beginning walking as exercise. It has always gone fine, but the knee usually feels...funny. I don't know if it is stiffness, soreness, or just pure fear. Today was a different story! I hopped on, it felt normal, and I flew on it!! Its only 10 minutes, so I have nothing to lose!! ;)

I went straight to my weight machine exercises. It isn't much, but I was easily leg pressing 170lbs, 3 sets of 30 (just like every machine) as I am told to do. 70lbs on my calf raises. 130lbs/120lbs on my adductor/abductor machines.

I came home, iced as usual, then got into the pool for more exercises. I kick with a kickboard a few laps, then tried the exercises that Georges St. Pierre did...and they didn't hurt!!! I did 5 more exercises, got out, iced again.

Best part...minimal swelling tonight and it genuinely feels AMAZING!!

Day 888

12 weeks since surgery. As of today! Tomorrow is my first day back at work. Okay, lets not forget that I have a meaningless, fun job at Gap Body...one that I work barely 3 hours a week at...one that I really only have because of the fabulous discount! I am pretty excited to feel a bit more 'normal' though, and going back to work will help me to do that. Too bad the girls are out of school tomorrow...because work might not happen after tomorrow :( I am feeling good about my leg and its progress...finally. However, it is hard to watch videos of Georges St. Pierra (the UFC fighter) that had ACL surgery the first week of december. Although I am quite aware that he has not only more money then I do to pay of special facilities and physical therapists, I also realize (per his interview) that he had a completely different injury and surgery then I did. He ONLY tore his ACL...he had no damage to anything other ligaments, muscles, etc so he only had to repair his ACL...and he used a allograft patella tendan (aka cadavor ligament). As I think I stated before, I not only tore my ACL completely at the bone (his was shredded at the middle of the ligament, much like my first ACL injury) but I also needed a repair to my meniscus that was sewn and reattached in some places and parts were just removed. Still, I can't help but feel I am far behind when I see him sitting on the edge of a pool, ankle weight on, and thrashing his leg back and forth. There is no way I could do that today, at exactly three months, like his video stated he was at. He also had a roller on the ground and was pushing it inside and out...I don't think I could do that today, either. He was still on crutches, last I saw, at 4 weeks...I had neither a brace or crutch. I did like to see though, that he was like me, and used a CPM machine. I see my doc in a couple weeks...don't think I won't be asking him all this stuff!!!!!

Day 887

Today was a WONDERFUL day for physical therapy!! Today was the first day that I felt AWESOME!! I took a much need, forced, four day break off of physical therapy...and I really think that was the reason I did good today! I was able to easily complete my 45 minutes on the bike (20 minutes on the recumbant bike, 25 on the stationary bike), I was able to do my leg press, calf raises, adductor and abductor machines (all machines are 3 sets of 30) with ease. So I threw in 10 minutes on the elliptical...and it did great on that too!!! I usually leave the gym limping, sore and swollen. Not today!!!