Well here I am, six month post op date around the corner... I’ve been doing great, able to increase my knee friendly cardio, finally getting my HR over 140 and doing interval training on elliptical, and getting better and better with the bike. I’ve been riding my horse, swimming, climbing stairs, walking up and down steep hills, walking huge strides, going out socially - all pain free. It’s still hard to stretch like I want, but I was relaxing and giving myself time. My history of injections, fluid removals, 3 scope surgeries, 16 years of injury, and the thick tight muscles that had to be rearranged for this surgery... I’ve been trying to do the right things but allowing myself time to heal on MY timeframe - with the help of folks here.
Then, I went to PT yesterday. They’ve been doing great work, mostly body work to help with scar tissue, some modalities to help me get back in the gym... but apparently that pesky 6 month goal was in their heads.
Yesterday, I got stories of people 20 years older further along than my paltry 110 degrees (if I push on a good day), and two therapists ganged up to test me. I said no and that it wasn’t a good time - but they punked me and pushed me past my pain limit. I screamed, leapt off the table (took everything I had to not hit someone), told them where they could shove their measuring tools, and drove home in tears. Now I’m afraid they’ve pushed my progress way backward... hoping this is a short temporary setback. The feeling of having a tight band around my knee is back, and it’s swollen again.
Before that I’ve been living an almost normal, relatively pain free existence. Able to do go out socially and stand / walk / climb stairs without pain is such an amazing thing - I don’t think I really knew how much pain I was in before.
But it’s taken me 6 months to agree with folks here - and I still maintain the body work - especially for me with my athletic injury history - was good. But now?
Can I be so bold as to say “F Physical Therapy!!!!”
(Let’s say the F represents “forget”.)
I’m ashamed I let my idiotic athlete pride keep me from leaving before this debacle happened. I knew better.