I was talking with my physical therapist and she said that after we enter Phase 3 she would teach me how to walk on stairs again! I have been just taking each step one at a time with my bad leg straight. I've been doing that for so long that I actually got excited at the idea of being able to walk normally up and down stairs! And then I get a little embarrassed that I got a little excited. But seriously, my house has three floors and tons of stairs. I can't wait to relearn them!
She did say not to try it on my own first. That is definitely something to begin with her guidance.
I still plan on walking around the grocery store this weekend. If it goes well, I will start going into the office. My job has been great since they have been letting me work from home. Before my surgery, days in the office were my most painful. The concrete floors there just killed my knee. I am a little nervous about going back, but the grocery store seems like a good test to see if I am ready.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
No More Whining (13 weeks and 5 days)
I have been hesitant to post lately because the progress is so slow it just feels like whining. In reality, I am not whining much and am actually pretty happy with the current state of my knee. No, it's not feeling awesome. But it feels much better than it used to! So I will try to keep posting, but focus on what has changed rather than the current state.
I had an appointment with Dr. Trice today and he was pleased with my progress at the three month mark, but said I am about two weeks behind so he wanted me to wait another two weeks before beginning Phase 3 of the recovery protocol. Phase 3 is a substantial return to activity so I am obviously excited, even if I know that it will be gradual. He also pointed out that at this time the implanted cells should be changing from a jelly-like consistency to a waxy consistency, so I still need to protect them. No squatting or twisting! I really wasn't planning on doing that anyway. :)
I am feeling like I haven't pushed myself as much lately. The little things are getting easier, like walking into a store but not around it. That used to wipe me out just a few weeks ago, but this past weekend I was less affected by it. So I was thinking that I might try grocery shopping (like actually walking around the store) with my husband this weekend. If I get tired there are places to sit and it is nice and level, as opposed to walking outside.
I have noticed a change in how each step feels. I realized that as I took each step, the knee would settle into a position as the weight went through it. There was a lot of movement and shifting going on and I walked so very slowly to allow that shifting and settling to occur. As my muscles around the joint have gotten stronger, there seems to be less settling when I put weight through it. As a result, I am actually walking a little faster. I just noticed this happening in the past week, but I sure like it!
I had an appointment with Dr. Trice today and he was pleased with my progress at the three month mark, but said I am about two weeks behind so he wanted me to wait another two weeks before beginning Phase 3 of the recovery protocol. Phase 3 is a substantial return to activity so I am obviously excited, even if I know that it will be gradual. He also pointed out that at this time the implanted cells should be changing from a jelly-like consistency to a waxy consistency, so I still need to protect them. No squatting or twisting! I really wasn't planning on doing that anyway. :)
I am feeling like I haven't pushed myself as much lately. The little things are getting easier, like walking into a store but not around it. That used to wipe me out just a few weeks ago, but this past weekend I was less affected by it. So I was thinking that I might try grocery shopping (like actually walking around the store) with my husband this weekend. If I get tired there are places to sit and it is nice and level, as opposed to walking outside.
I have noticed a change in how each step feels. I realized that as I took each step, the knee would settle into a position as the weight went through it. There was a lot of movement and shifting going on and I walked so very slowly to allow that shifting and settling to occur. As my muscles around the joint have gotten stronger, there seems to be less settling when I put weight through it. As a result, I am actually walking a little faster. I just noticed this happening in the past week, but I sure like it!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Nearly 13 Weeks
I just reread the last post here and realized how slowly things are changing. On June 3rd I was hoping to drive soon and I was occasionally going without the cane in the house. Now it is June 21 and I am driving short distances and regularly going without the cane in the house. Hmm. That doesn't seem that much of a change for 18 days.
So it goes. I am getting a little stronger. Every few days I just catch myself feeling maybe not so weak. On Saturday I actually ran a few errands. I can't shop for groceries, but I could walk into the grocery store, find one thing in the produce section, and go straight to the checkout. It was a huge challenge! So, does that deserve a woohoo? Meh. I wouldn't have done that on June 3rd, so I guess it is progress.
The straight leg raises are still very painful and are really the only part of PT where I haven't come a long way. Whenever I do them, I try to do 40-50 total. The first ten are one at a time, and I rest after each. I try to visualize the pain as water flowing over me and dissipating, flowing down to the floor and away from me. The second ten I do in sets of 5, and if I can, the rest I do in sets of ten. They get easier as I go, which is why I can keep increasing the number in each set.
Last week I was having a particularly hard time and could only manage sets of 5 all the way through to 50. I had been pondering why and I think I have figured it out. It was the same culprit as before: those stupid prone exercises! My leg had been straightening easily so I thought I could cut them out finally, but spending a little time prone seemed to help something shift in the knee so that it was less painful to lock it straight. Honestly, the remaining pain I am dealing with is very hard to describe, so forgive me for failing to convey it. It just hurts whenever I rely on the muscles around the knee to support it. That occurs when I lock it straight, lift the leg in any way, or if it has been in one position for too long and the muscles cramp from holding it there.
I am still in less pain than before the surgery and I try to keep that in mind. However, I am pretty sick of being a little weakling. Meep.
So it goes. I am getting a little stronger. Every few days I just catch myself feeling maybe not so weak. On Saturday I actually ran a few errands. I can't shop for groceries, but I could walk into the grocery store, find one thing in the produce section, and go straight to the checkout. It was a huge challenge! So, does that deserve a woohoo? Meh. I wouldn't have done that on June 3rd, so I guess it is progress.
The straight leg raises are still very painful and are really the only part of PT where I haven't come a long way. Whenever I do them, I try to do 40-50 total. The first ten are one at a time, and I rest after each. I try to visualize the pain as water flowing over me and dissipating, flowing down to the floor and away from me. The second ten I do in sets of 5, and if I can, the rest I do in sets of ten. They get easier as I go, which is why I can keep increasing the number in each set.
Last week I was having a particularly hard time and could only manage sets of 5 all the way through to 50. I had been pondering why and I think I have figured it out. It was the same culprit as before: those stupid prone exercises! My leg had been straightening easily so I thought I could cut them out finally, but spending a little time prone seemed to help something shift in the knee so that it was less painful to lock it straight. Honestly, the remaining pain I am dealing with is very hard to describe, so forgive me for failing to convey it. It just hurts whenever I rely on the muscles around the knee to support it. That occurs when I lock it straight, lift the leg in any way, or if it has been in one position for too long and the muscles cramp from holding it there.
I am still in less pain than before the surgery and I try to keep that in mind. However, I am pretty sick of being a little weakling. Meep.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Slow and steady wins the race
I haven't posted for a bit, and I do think that at this point it makes more sense to post less frequently. Things are not changing on a day to day basis anymore as the recovery slows down.
Yesterday marked 10 weeks since I got a new chance at having a working knee again. It's been tough sometimes, but I am very lucky. Everything has been going to plan and there have been no complications so far. (And I just knocked on my wood desk.) My scar (GR 2) is healing beautifully and going through all kinds of fun colors. When I wake up, it is almost white. If I am cold, it turns dark purple. If I am hot, it is an angry sort of pink. And sometimes, one part of the scar is one color and another part is a different color. Whatever. I measured the scar too. It is a hair over five inches when my knee is perfectly straight, and 6 1/2 inches when bent. Not bad for scar bragging rights.
Last week I saw Dr. Trice again and he was happy with my extension (Yay!) so all that prone work paid off. At the time of the appointment I was down to using one crutch and he said to try to get off that remaining crutch within a week. Of course, I was very excited about that direction. About three days later I tried to switch out the remaining crutch for a cane. I was successful, but walking with the cane was quite difficult. I did notice that trying to walk with the cane made going back to walking with one crutch easier, so I am trying to continue the philosophy of going a little further than is comfortable and then pulling back. It makes the little steps more successful.
In fact, now I am trying to not use the cane when I am staying within one room in the house and there are surfaces I can reach for support. It is not good to do this too much, I think, because the limp is awful and I need the cane to practice walking correctly. But, I am hoping that walking a little without the cane will make it easier to walk with it. Go too far, and pull back. Another little step forward.
I working from home now and hoping that I might start driving again soon. It would be nice to be more independent and at least be able to get to my PT appointments by myself. My family has been wonderful in supporting me, but I really don't want to need so much support. It's been a year and a half since all this pain started and people have been compensating for my limitations for that long. I know that slow and steady will win out, but it's hard to feel like you might see the light at the end of the tunnel and not wish you could run for it!
Wow, I am full of clichés today, but at least I haven't broken out the sports metaphors. Well, now you all know I am still here, and I am still trying.
Heel, toe, heel, toe, heel, toe......
Yesterday marked 10 weeks since I got a new chance at having a working knee again. It's been tough sometimes, but I am very lucky. Everything has been going to plan and there have been no complications so far. (And I just knocked on my wood desk.) My scar (GR 2) is healing beautifully and going through all kinds of fun colors. When I wake up, it is almost white. If I am cold, it turns dark purple. If I am hot, it is an angry sort of pink. And sometimes, one part of the scar is one color and another part is a different color. Whatever. I measured the scar too. It is a hair over five inches when my knee is perfectly straight, and 6 1/2 inches when bent. Not bad for scar bragging rights.
Last week I saw Dr. Trice again and he was happy with my extension (Yay!) so all that prone work paid off. At the time of the appointment I was down to using one crutch and he said to try to get off that remaining crutch within a week. Of course, I was very excited about that direction. About three days later I tried to switch out the remaining crutch for a cane. I was successful, but walking with the cane was quite difficult. I did notice that trying to walk with the cane made going back to walking with one crutch easier, so I am trying to continue the philosophy of going a little further than is comfortable and then pulling back. It makes the little steps more successful.
In fact, now I am trying to not use the cane when I am staying within one room in the house and there are surfaces I can reach for support. It is not good to do this too much, I think, because the limp is awful and I need the cane to practice walking correctly. But, I am hoping that walking a little without the cane will make it easier to walk with it. Go too far, and pull back. Another little step forward.
I working from home now and hoping that I might start driving again soon. It would be nice to be more independent and at least be able to get to my PT appointments by myself. My family has been wonderful in supporting me, but I really don't want to need so much support. It's been a year and a half since all this pain started and people have been compensating for my limitations for that long. I know that slow and steady will win out, but it's hard to feel like you might see the light at the end of the tunnel and not wish you could run for it!
Wow, I am full of clichés today, but at least I haven't broken out the sports metaphors. Well, now you all know I am still here, and I am still trying.
Heel, toe, heel, toe, heel, toe......
Friday, May 14, 2010
Prone!
I have been seriously stepping up my prone exercises to straighten my leg. It has led to yet another lesson learned! (insert drumroll)
#11 Do a Complete Variety of Exercises. It was feeling hard to get all my exercises in everyday, so I ended up often skipping the same ones over and over. The prone exercise would usually make me feel unable to bend my knee very well for a good 30-60 minutes afterward (which made it harder to get other exercises in) so it was often the one I skipped. Once I started focusing on it though, it got so much easier and it got rid of that super painful "locking" in place that kept happening when my leg was straight. So, I guess all the exercises need to work together. If you can't fit them all in, make sure you aren't skipping the same one repeatedly.
Other than that, things are progressing pretty tentatively. After the microfracture last year, I was eager to get better and kept trying to do more and more. I don't know for sure if that led to the failure, but this time around I don't want to take any chances.
Dr. Trice and Sandy both said to use a scale to see how much 25-50 lbs really feels like. I did, and it is a lot of weight! I stood on the scale with about what I was initially comfortable to bear through that leg, and it only registered 23 lbs. I put more weight through it and it came up 38. I put as much weight as I possibly dared and it still came up only 47 lbs! So, as much weight as I dare right now falls inside Dr. Trice's guidance. That's good to know.
I am planning to start working from home next week (8 week mark). That was my initial plan and it still seems appropriate. My stamina is getting pretty solid and the swelling is really starting to come down, so I am looking forward to trying to work. However, I let work know that I wanted to work from home the first 4 weeks I am back. I think this will help prevent me from getting dangerously overconfident and push myself too far. It is a very real concern.
#11 Do a Complete Variety of Exercises. It was feeling hard to get all my exercises in everyday, so I ended up often skipping the same ones over and over. The prone exercise would usually make me feel unable to bend my knee very well for a good 30-60 minutes afterward (which made it harder to get other exercises in) so it was often the one I skipped. Once I started focusing on it though, it got so much easier and it got rid of that super painful "locking" in place that kept happening when my leg was straight. So, I guess all the exercises need to work together. If you can't fit them all in, make sure you aren't skipping the same one repeatedly.
Other than that, things are progressing pretty tentatively. After the microfracture last year, I was eager to get better and kept trying to do more and more. I don't know for sure if that led to the failure, but this time around I don't want to take any chances.
Dr. Trice and Sandy both said to use a scale to see how much 25-50 lbs really feels like. I did, and it is a lot of weight! I stood on the scale with about what I was initially comfortable to bear through that leg, and it only registered 23 lbs. I put more weight through it and it came up 38. I put as much weight as I possibly dared and it still came up only 47 lbs! So, as much weight as I dare right now falls inside Dr. Trice's guidance. That's good to know.
I am planning to start working from home next week (8 week mark). That was my initial plan and it still seems appropriate. My stamina is getting pretty solid and the swelling is really starting to come down, so I am looking forward to trying to work. However, I let work know that I wanted to work from home the first 4 weeks I am back. I think this will help prevent me from getting dangerously overconfident and push myself too far. It is a very real concern.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Weight
So my appointment with Dr. Trice was both good and bad. I'll start with the bad side.
Dr. Trice was not happy with my extension (straightening the leg) and was nearly about to make me wear yet another sort of leg brace/torture device. I really haven't been keeping up on the exercise that that helps this, which is called the prone position. You lay on your stomach with your leg straight out and the edge of whatever you are laying on only supports you from just above the knee and up. So, your knee and lower leg hang free and a weight is placed on your ankle to straighten the leg. Stay like that for 15 minutes. Sounds like fun, eh?
So, he asked me to do one of these prone stretches there in the office so that he could see how the knee extension looked afterward. Why it didn't occur to me, my mother-in-law who brought me, or Holly (Dr.Trice's surgical nurse) to note the time I started, I have no idea. One would think of the three of us that someone would have thought of that. So, my best guess is that I was in that position for 20 minutes or so. But, the knee sure did straighten after that! So, no new torture device was required. I am just supposed to step up the prone stretches to five times a day for 15 minutes each time.
The good news side is that Dr. Trice said I can put 25-50 pounds of weight through my leg and that when I reach the 8 week mark, I can work on getting to full weight-bearing. That is earlier than the generic protocol for the surgery! Woohoo!
So, in my PT session with Sandy yesterday, I did start putting weight through it. The heel of the bad leg goes down at the same time as the crutches, about 8-10 inches in front of the other foot. Heel and crutches, then weight, then good leg forward. It takes a surprising amount of concentration. I had random aches and pains from my muscles protesting, but my knee was silent. I kept putting weight on it when I walked all last night and this morning. The knee isn't hurting from the weight at all.
I am afraid to hope because after 16 months of pain and surgeries it seems like recovery is too much to hope for. Maybe maybe maybe oh just maybe this surgery might have worked!
Dr. Trice was not happy with my extension (straightening the leg) and was nearly about to make me wear yet another sort of leg brace/torture device. I really haven't been keeping up on the exercise that that helps this, which is called the prone position. You lay on your stomach with your leg straight out and the edge of whatever you are laying on only supports you from just above the knee and up. So, your knee and lower leg hang free and a weight is placed on your ankle to straighten the leg. Stay like that for 15 minutes. Sounds like fun, eh?
So, he asked me to do one of these prone stretches there in the office so that he could see how the knee extension looked afterward. Why it didn't occur to me, my mother-in-law who brought me, or Holly (Dr.Trice's surgical nurse) to note the time I started, I have no idea. One would think of the three of us that someone would have thought of that. So, my best guess is that I was in that position for 20 minutes or so. But, the knee sure did straighten after that! So, no new torture device was required. I am just supposed to step up the prone stretches to five times a day for 15 minutes each time.
The good news side is that Dr. Trice said I can put 25-50 pounds of weight through my leg and that when I reach the 8 week mark, I can work on getting to full weight-bearing. That is earlier than the generic protocol for the surgery! Woohoo!
So, in my PT session with Sandy yesterday, I did start putting weight through it. The heel of the bad leg goes down at the same time as the crutches, about 8-10 inches in front of the other foot. Heel and crutches, then weight, then good leg forward. It takes a surprising amount of concentration. I had random aches and pains from my muscles protesting, but my knee was silent. I kept putting weight on it when I walked all last night and this morning. The knee isn't hurting from the weight at all.
I am afraid to hope because after 16 months of pain and surgeries it seems like recovery is too much to hope for. Maybe maybe maybe oh just maybe this surgery might have worked!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
More Lessons Learned
Just adding a little more to the list....
#9 - Keep Taking Tylenol. The pain isn't so bad most of the time now, so it is easy to forget to take Tylenol before you do things that will make the pain worse. Taking Tylenol before PT and before bed are absolute requirements. The one time I did not take it before PT, I could not do a single straight leg raise. Why make it harder? It's hard enough.
#10 - Limit Exercises Before PT. Before one PT session, I was working on leg extension (getting it straight), but it just made the PT harder. Limit exercises within a few hours of meeting with your physical therapist to only quad sets and leg bending exercises. Those both help prepare you for the session, while other exercises can make actually make the session harder.
By the way, I have an appointment with Dr. Trice on Monday. We will likely be trying 25% weight-bearing, so I am very excited. I will let you know how it goes!
#9 - Keep Taking Tylenol. The pain isn't so bad most of the time now, so it is easy to forget to take Tylenol before you do things that will make the pain worse. Taking Tylenol before PT and before bed are absolute requirements. The one time I did not take it before PT, I could not do a single straight leg raise. Why make it harder? It's hard enough.
#10 - Limit Exercises Before PT. Before one PT session, I was working on leg extension (getting it straight), but it just made the PT harder. Limit exercises within a few hours of meeting with your physical therapist to only quad sets and leg bending exercises. Those both help prepare you for the session, while other exercises can make actually make the session harder.
By the way, I have an appointment with Dr. Trice on Monday. We will likely be trying 25% weight-bearing, so I am very excited. I will let you know how it goes!
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