Okay, so now we're approaching the 6th month mark. For me, that would be tomorrow. I still have to take ibuprofen or even a Tramadol if I'm on my feet all day. Still worried about walking a ton in DC and NYC in a few weeks.
But . . . this is what I did last week, which puts recovery into perspective. Golfed 18 holes (with a cart) four days, dug up 4 dead shrubs and one small dead tree and cut it all up for the trash can. Helped husband dig a three foot deep hole to plant a new, large shrub. Walked the pup at least a mile every day. Cleaned the house top to bottom - scrubbed bathrooms and floors, changed beds, cleaned closets, grocery shopped and did 10 loads of laundry. Cooked most meals. And . . . ta da! . . . .distributed my share of a load of 5 TONS of large gravel - hired someone to put it in piles around the yard, but my husband and I shoveled it around to the tune of 5 hours each over three
days.
So, basically, life has returned to normal, except when I ask the world of my knees I still need pain meds and ice.
My OS said at 6 months (tomorrow) I'd forget about the knee. He's wrong, but I'm asking a lot of it considering my activity level and the fact that I'm overweight. At least now that I can be active, I can start getting some of my excess weight off and I think that will be the final step towards a full recovery. I'm still stiff and sore at the end of the day, and repeated stair climbing makes my knee unhappy.
@vhoudy I think you are so very right when you say improvement is really slow this far out. Just when I feel I'm not getting better, I read a few of my earlier posts and realize I really am. I think you are doing really well. I hope your two days of walking Chicago is painless. I've a whole week of walking NYC and DC. Ice, elevation, plentiful breaks, and pain meds will see us through, right? Right?
@Judlepip I caught myself limping the other day, too. I do think when we catch ourselves limping, it's important to correct it. We don't HAVE to limp anymore so we must stay aware. 5 miles is quite excellent!
@Spiritbee51 It's good to see another golfer here! Hooray for golf. I figure the activity is better for me than being inactive, so I, too, take a Tramadol before a round. Two pills a week will do no harm. I'm curious if the '51' in your name is your birth year. If so, we're the same age! Is it possible (and wise?) to treat your restless leg with a medication specific for that, rather than pain meds?
@judgar You're getting there, too! It just takes some of us longer than others.
@chereb I'm still numb on the outside, too, to touch, anyway. My lingering pain is also on the outside - ligaments or something, I don't think the implant is at fault. It's improving ever so slowly but I'm not there yet. I have a feeling it WILL take a full year.