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PKR JusticeRider’s rehab adventure

Hey @CricketHip I’m glad you appreciate my details! I don’t seem to be able to keep them in check, so if they’re helpful at all I’m happy :heehee:

It is kind of funny how just laying in bed for a few days seemed to be exactly the kind of reset my knee needed. It was a good reminder for me to make sure and build in time for rest throughout the week. I gave myself permission to have some lazy days here and there.

I love my podiatrist, he is a keeper! He is very thorough but also has a very laid back vibe. Best of all, he takes a very holistic approach which I appreciate.
 
JusticeRider said:
had an interesting visit with my podiatrist today. I went in to see if I needed a different set of orthotics since having the PKR. He gave me the whole workup and said everything looks well balanced and feet and arches are in good shape.
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Glad to hear all well and you are continuing to make progress. Interesting what your podiatrist said about swelling.
Reminded me that if I still have any residual discomfort in a month or two I might go back to my podiatrist and get my gait checked.
It is wonderful to hear that your feet are well balanced and you have no limp.
That must be incredibly positive for your other joints- taking the strain off hip/ back and preventing future trouble.
 
@JusticeRider
I'm really pleased for you, it looks that your knee is coming along well! Good news.

Right now I'm going through a "very gentle" phase, trying to babe my opposite knee. I'm just doing a bit of cycling (no resistance) OR walking (I have got hold of a crutch again as my opposite knee is still very sensitive).. OR a bit of swimming (crawl and back style).. 30 minutes at the most.. and apart from that, Im doing a few exercises (isometric, no impact) to try to keep the muscle I gained..

I have signed for a few sessions with a new PT l, who seems to have the right approach and he told me to be patient with the opposite knee for a while.. all being well, there will be always time to strengthen my legs, he says.

So patience is the mantra indeed! ;-)

Slowly, like snails maybe, but we'll get there!
Enjoy your weekend everyone ☀️
 
Mariposa, I can sympathize with having to baby the opposite knee as well. My non operated (right) knee is doing a really brave job being the ‘good knee’ but I know it has damage as well and there are certain things it cannot do. I have to be careful with it and hope to help it last for as long as possible! Also, my hip never got a chance to fully rehab because of my painful left knee. So it also needs care and consideration. It all definitely complicates recovery!

I’m so glad you found a gentle pt to work with! That’s wonderful. I’m still hesitant to go back to pt yet because I fear they will try to push me. Even if they never touch me, I have that athletic drive to ‘succeed’ and if they ask me to do things that maybe aren’t so good for my sensitive knee I fear I will push myself too far.

But I am a believer in (good) pt so if you have found the right one and are smart that should be a huge benefit! I’ll be pedaling my stationary bike, doing my gentle stretches, and farm adl’s and my walks. I bet we’ll both keep making progress and end up doing great! From one snail to another… the adventure continues! :heehee:
 
@EalingGran thanks! Yeah, it was good to get everything checked out. I thought it was interesting about the swelling in my foot because I hadn’t even noticed it. And of course the affirmation that my walk looks ok was really nice! As you said, hopefully that will help the rest of my body that’s been compensating for a sore knee for so long.

I had to laugh because at the beginning of the appointment, he asked me if I thought my gait had changed since I last saw him. I said yes, I was pretty sure it had. He asked, in what way? I just had to laugh! I’ve had 3 surgeries since I saw him a couple years ago. I said “well, I’ve had to relearn how to walk three times, so I have no idea what it’s like now!” Luckily he has a sense of humor and we had a laugh together :)

I’m so glad you’re home Gran, and I hope you’ll be careful and take care of yourself as you recuperate. I know it must have been so dull and dreary in that hospital, but don’t go wild now you’re out! :heehee:
 
So, I posted over on @Darkang ’s thread about an exciting milestone I hit on Friday and wanted to share it here on my thread as well.

I finally rode in my saddle! I’ve been nervous to try it again because in the months after my injury and leading up to surgery I was convinced that if I could just push through the pain I’d be able to post the trot, stand in my stirrups, etc. I tried everything, but putting pressure on the stirrups resulted in intense stabbing pain. I kept trying it because I was desperate to really ride, and honestly thought maybe I just needed to toughen up. I haven’t been able to forget that awful pain and I needed a lot of time and more confidence in my knee to get back in the saddle.

I’m happy to report that the stabbing pain is gone!! Everything felt pretty good except for some twinges at the back of my knee when I posted the trot. First time posting the trot (without agony) in 2-1/2 years!! The twinges were fairly minor and felt like soft tissue stuff. It will take some time to get everything working again, but it was VERY encouraging! Whatever that feeling on the back of my leg is, I’ve felt it before in other situations, so I think I’ll ask my massage therapist about it next week and maybe she can find something there. Meanwhile, maybe riding will be a sort of therapy for whatever it is.

There is an added bit of challenge because of the way my horse moves. He is what you’d call a ‘big mover’, meaning he has a big spring in his step. He’s not bumpy or rough at all, more like a huge trampoline that launches you into the air :heehee: Fortunately he’s an absolute angel whom I’ve had since he was born (27 this year!) and will go very slow if I ask him to. I trust him completely. But he really loves to move out and eat up the trail. I can’t wait till I’m able to keep up with him again! It’s coming!
 
JusticeRider said:
finally rode in my saddle! I’ve been nervous to try it again because in the months after my injury and leading up to surgery I was convinced that if I could just push through the pain I’d be able to post the trot, stand in my stirrups, etc. I tried everything, but putting pressure on the stirrups resulted in intense stabbing pain
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That's great news! Congratulations. :flwrysmile: :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks EalingGran! (: It’s a big milestone and warms my hear for sure.

Jacey, thanks so much! It really is a special bond and I’m so fortunate to have THIS wonderful horse to help me heal.

Beachy, I do think the sartorius release and rest was a factor. Getting the tightness and swelling out of my knee and relaxing the hip was a big help in making me more comfortable getting in the saddle. And also just trusting the knee more.

For example, the ability to go up and down stairs correctly and the ability to stand up on the pedals of my stationary bike helped me trust the knee more in the stirrup.
:dancy: Slowly but surely…!
 
@EalingGran , we were chatting on another thread (maybe beachy’s?) and I mentioned I had seen some live music last Friday and it was the first time I had gone that my knee didn’t bother me at all. You asked me about it then but I didn’t want to hijack another thread. But I realized I wanted to mention it on my thread, both to answer your question and also for journaling purposes (milestone!).

The music is at a venue a few blocks from my farm (we have a cool country/city situation here on the farm!) and we walk there usually. The shows start at 8 but if you want a seat you have to get there when the doors open at 7. The bands usually play till around 11 and then there’s sort of an ‘after party’ where everyone gets one more drink and mingles and talks. So we usually get home around midnight. So it’s about a 5 hour experience. Some walking and lots of sitting, usually with the leg down.

Earlier in my recovery, we would drive down. I would be so uncomfortable sometimes it would be hard to enjoy the music. We didn’t stay after. But as time has gone by, it’s gotten better and better. We started walking down and staying after more often. Still, even more recently I would notice my knee getting uncomfortable later in the night. This last Friday, we walked over early, watched the show, and stayed after. Then walked home and I realized my knee hadn’t bothered me at all! :martini:
 
JusticeRider said:
mentioned I had seen some live music last Friday and it was the first time I had gone that my knee didn’t bother me at all.
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That is awesome! I had a mini experience like that a little while ago when I was out for coffee with friends in the daytime. But what you are describing is much longer and also going into the night. I am doing better and better during the day time but still get easily tired and slightly warm/ sore/ swollen by nighttime. To be able to feel normal right up to Midnight is amazing. I have turned into a pumpkin long before that .....!
 
Yeah, it’s nice to be able to go back to some of the fun social events that we enjoy isn’t it? Those first few weeks or even months can be so isolating. And you do get tired of thinking about The Knee all the time. That’s probably been the best change for me around 6 mo…that my knee isn’t on my mind ALL the time anymore (:
 
EalingGran said:
To be able to feel normal right up to Midnight is amazing. I have turned into a pumpkin long before that .....!
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Evenings are the hardest! My knee used to swell every evening. Truth be told, we’re pretty tired by the time midnight rolls around. But I think we are trying to hold on to our youth by our fingernails! We’re old enough to actually want to be in bed by 11, but young enough to make ourselves stay out later. (We’re still cool, right??) :heehee: I’m pretty sure our friends’ kids would tell you we are definitely NOT cool anymore. But we can still pretend!
 
JusticeRider said:
We’re old enough to actually want to be in bed by 11, but young enough to make ourselves stay out later. (We’re still cool, right??)
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"Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be gain" Eleanor Roosevelt
Enjoy and make the most of it! :) Glad you got out for some fun.
 
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