Rockgirl4
Former BoneSmart staff member
15 & 1/2 Week Update
I haven't been posting much lately because life has been so crazy. That's a GOOD thing because it means I'm out and about running errands, keeping up with the family, exercising again (though slowly adding things back in), and not spending too much time at home in front of the laptop. Here are the highlights:
1) The upper shin pain, right below the knee, is occurring less and less each week. It all comes down to how much standing or walking I'm doing. The amount of these activities have increased drastically each week though, so for anyone dealing with that awful shin pain, please know it WILL decrease as you heal.
2) I still get a lot of swelling above the knee and in my lower leg. No way around it----any standing and activity add to it. Luckily, it doesn't bother me a whole lot, as long as I take care in not letting it get too bad. It does limit my bending a bit by the end of the day, but I can still get down the stairs like a normal person, and that is my benchmark.
3) I've now walked our 1.1 mile subdivision, including it's massive hills, 4 times. The downhill parts are a little rough, and I get a few weird aches during the walk, but the only downside is a bit more medial
knee soreness and swelling. I have to be super careful and only walk every 3 days or so. I can go downhill better than I have in 4 yrs though. That made me cry the first time it happened last week!!
4) I wish my other core/abdominal exercises were a bit easier, but I tend to do them later in the day when the knee has swollen some, thus reducing bend. I have to be super careful to keep my hip alignment perfect while doing these things, as my left hip and L4-L5 move out of alignment so easily, but I CAN do it. It just makes the knee a bit more achy. Maybe this will be a good nudge to work out earlier, not later.
5) Life in general-----I'm no longer planning my life around my right knee. Yes, the left knee isn't great, but it's done remarkably well the last 4 months. I think I could even do a 2-3 hour road trip as the primary driver, though I don't have to test that out for 2-3 more months. I even get up in the morning and don't even think about the knee. I never thought this would happen!!
6) Next week will be the first time I try to clean my entire house by myself. I hadn't been brave enough to try. My husband is my rock, and he hates for me to even try (and possibly regret it), so he's been insisting on helping with any cleaning. I'm pretty sure I can do it as long as I don't walk the subdivision the day before.
7) To everyone struggling with getting their range of motion back----The best piece of advice I can give is do NOT focus on the numbers but what you CAN do and what you WANT to do. My numbers at PT never got above 104 when I finished at the 12 wk mark. However, within a week after that, I was able to go down stairs normally, lower the seat on my stationary bike, and do everything else I need to. The "wants" are a little slow to come (like certain exercises mentioned above), and I still need my right hip to get stronger, but it's all coming in time. I don't even care what my flexion ever measures, as it's JUST a number. My surgeon is all about function, and everyone needs a guy like him in your corner.
I haven't been posting much lately because life has been so crazy. That's a GOOD thing because it means I'm out and about running errands, keeping up with the family, exercising again (though slowly adding things back in), and not spending too much time at home in front of the laptop. Here are the highlights:
1) The upper shin pain, right below the knee, is occurring less and less each week. It all comes down to how much standing or walking I'm doing. The amount of these activities have increased drastically each week though, so for anyone dealing with that awful shin pain, please know it WILL decrease as you heal.
2) I still get a lot of swelling above the knee and in my lower leg. No way around it----any standing and activity add to it. Luckily, it doesn't bother me a whole lot, as long as I take care in not letting it get too bad. It does limit my bending a bit by the end of the day, but I can still get down the stairs like a normal person, and that is my benchmark.
3) I've now walked our 1.1 mile subdivision, including it's massive hills, 4 times. The downhill parts are a little rough, and I get a few weird aches during the walk, but the only downside is a bit more medial
knee soreness and swelling. I have to be super careful and only walk every 3 days or so. I can go downhill better than I have in 4 yrs though. That made me cry the first time it happened last week!!
4) I wish my other core/abdominal exercises were a bit easier, but I tend to do them later in the day when the knee has swollen some, thus reducing bend. I have to be super careful to keep my hip alignment perfect while doing these things, as my left hip and L4-L5 move out of alignment so easily, but I CAN do it. It just makes the knee a bit more achy. Maybe this will be a good nudge to work out earlier, not later.
5) Life in general-----I'm no longer planning my life around my right knee. Yes, the left knee isn't great, but it's done remarkably well the last 4 months. I think I could even do a 2-3 hour road trip as the primary driver, though I don't have to test that out for 2-3 more months. I even get up in the morning and don't even think about the knee. I never thought this would happen!!
6) Next week will be the first time I try to clean my entire house by myself. I hadn't been brave enough to try. My husband is my rock, and he hates for me to even try (and possibly regret it), so he's been insisting on helping with any cleaning. I'm pretty sure I can do it as long as I don't walk the subdivision the day before.
7) To everyone struggling with getting their range of motion back----The best piece of advice I can give is do NOT focus on the numbers but what you CAN do and what you WANT to do. My numbers at PT never got above 104 when I finished at the 12 wk mark. However, within a week after that, I was able to go down stairs normally, lower the seat on my stationary bike, and do everything else I need to. The "wants" are a little slow to come (like certain exercises mentioned above), and I still need my right hip to get stronger, but it's all coming in time. I don't even care what my flexion ever measures, as it's JUST a number. My surgeon is all about function, and everyone needs a guy like him in your corner.