Day 27 - Post Surgery - What's Going on Inside?
Well, I'm beginning my 4th week after surgery.
My big challenges right now are that I still have some swelling around the knee and I am having some trouble getting it to bend more than about 100 degrees. They seem to be pretty pleased with how straight I can extend it, so at least that is one thing that I have going for me!
Today, I got to try a machine for the first time that would bend and straighten my knee over and over again. It was a little strange to experience that at first. Okay, I'll admit, it was downright scary. (I kept thinking that if that machine didn't stop in one direction or the other, it wasn't going to be pretty.) However, after the first few bends, I relaxed and let the machine do the work for me. As my knee loosened up, they adjusted it by a few degrees and then a few more, and after about 20 minutes, I had probably increased my knee bend by about about 10 degrees. I was so impressed by my progress, I asked to do it again next time!
I spent some extra time at therapy today doing leg lifts with weights, using the weight machine, bike, treadmill, calf raises, hamstring curls, stretches in addition to my new "knee bender".
I finished off with electrodes on my knee (to help with swelling and pain) and a nice big sleeve of ice around my knee. (Aaaaaaahhhhhhh, that's my favorite part of therapy.)
One thing that really hit home today was spawned by my frustration at my own progress. I was complaining that I wished I was moving along a little faster than I am. My therapist turned to me and said, "Your scars are small due to advancements in technology, but one thing you have to remember is that you have had MAJOR SURGERY on your knee, even though it doesn't appear that way on the outside."
Wow, isn't that the truth for most things? What you see on the outside, or what appears to be going on, isn't necessarily what is really going on inside? That's the case when other people judge us, when we judge ourselves and when judge other people.
As strange as it sounds, I really think I am getting a lot out of this experience. I'm learning patience, endurance, strength, tolerance, dependence, trust--and the list goes on.
It's odd, but I think I will walk away from all of this with a lot more than just a reconstructed ACL.
My big challenges right now are that I still have some swelling around the knee and I am having some trouble getting it to bend more than about 100 degrees. They seem to be pretty pleased with how straight I can extend it, so at least that is one thing that I have going for me!
Today, I got to try a machine for the first time that would bend and straighten my knee over and over again. It was a little strange to experience that at first. Okay, I'll admit, it was downright scary. (I kept thinking that if that machine didn't stop in one direction or the other, it wasn't going to be pretty.) However, after the first few bends, I relaxed and let the machine do the work for me. As my knee loosened up, they adjusted it by a few degrees and then a few more, and after about 20 minutes, I had probably increased my knee bend by about about 10 degrees. I was so impressed by my progress, I asked to do it again next time!
I spent some extra time at therapy today doing leg lifts with weights, using the weight machine, bike, treadmill, calf raises, hamstring curls, stretches in addition to my new "knee bender".
I finished off with electrodes on my knee (to help with swelling and pain) and a nice big sleeve of ice around my knee. (Aaaaaaahhhhhhh, that's my favorite part of therapy.)
One thing that really hit home today was spawned by my frustration at my own progress. I was complaining that I wished I was moving along a little faster than I am. My therapist turned to me and said, "Your scars are small due to advancements in technology, but one thing you have to remember is that you have had MAJOR SURGERY on your knee, even though it doesn't appear that way on the outside."
Wow, isn't that the truth for most things? What you see on the outside, or what appears to be going on, isn't necessarily what is really going on inside? That's the case when other people judge us, when we judge ourselves and when judge other people.
As strange as it sounds, I really think I am getting a lot out of this experience. I'm learning patience, endurance, strength, tolerance, dependence, trust--and the list goes on.
It's odd, but I think I will walk away from all of this with a lot more than just a reconstructed ACL.
posted by Nonblond @ 4/14/2008
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