Thirteen Weeks Post Surgery - Ending this Chapter and Starting a New One

This week I completed my scheduled physical therapy. I am excited to announce that I feel like this ends this particular chapter of my life. That unexpected chapter was titled "Torn ACL and MCL=Ruined Ski Trip" and it began on February 10th.

The journey is not over, I still have a lot of healing left to do and a lot of strength to still regain in that leg. I still get funny clicks and pops in my knee sometimes when I walk. I still limp a little when I first get out of bed in the morning.

However, I can now walk my dogs. I can sleep curled up in a fetal position with no big leg brace. Any soreness I have at this point is so minimal compared to the pain I had with the injury and surgery, I feel almost normal again. It's such a good feeling, I can't even describe it.

On the day I finished my therapy, I ordered a silver necklace from Tiffany to remind me of my accomplishment.

Exactly six months to the day after my injury is the day I board a plane for Jamaica. That will also be a fabulous celebration of how far I've come. (February 10 - August 10)

The last step of my celebration will be about a year after my injury. I hope to book a ski trip and celebrate my new knee by hitting the slopes once again. Once I successfully ski again, I will feel like I have come full circle. I plan to have a bottle of champagne waiting in the fridge for that night!

I know it's going to take a lot of trips to the Y to get my strength back and my scars may never completely fade, but overall, even though I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy, my surgeon, my physical therapist and my wonderful, supportive husband all helped me get through the worst of it and I know I'm going to be okay.

So, this weekend I will raise my glass to make a toast (even if it's only in my head)...here's to moving on, moving past bad experiences and using them to make you stronger. May 2008 only get better from this point on! Cheers!

Eleven Weeks Post Surgery - More Ups and Downs

I know it has been a while, but a lot has happened since my last blog.

First, I am now completely leg brace free. It is nice to have my freedom again. Once I get a chance to indulge in a spray-on tan, I may even wear a skirt for the first time in months!

Second, right before Memorial Day weekend, my 79 year old Mom fell, broke her femur, had to have surgery, and my husband and I drove 13 hours, overnight, after working a full day just to see her before surgery. (She is fine, she had a successful surgery and is in a rehab hospital in Pennsylvania. But let's just chalk this up to one more reason why 2008 sucks.) She had a steel rod put in her leg and I hate that she has to start doing physical therapy, now that mine is winding down. I wish I could do it for her.

Third, we have officially booked our trip to Jamaica. We are going in August. It can't get here soon enough. Really. Work has been so busy and stressful for both me and my husband lately. Some days I feel like Jamaica is the carrot dangling ahead of me that is keeping me going.

Fourth, this past weekend we made it to King's Island for a full day of riding roller coasters. It felt GREAT to ride a roller coaster again. My knee was a little swollen after the fact but it was worth it. Moving that fast made me forget that there was every anything wrong with my leg. We got through a whole weekend getaway without any problems AND I got to take advantage of some great handicapped parking with my still-valid handicapped tag! (Don't worry, there must have been about 100 unused spaces--I didn't take any from someone more deserving.)

Fifth, I am now only going to physical therapy once a week, but I have to supplement with trips to the YMCA to use the elliptical machine and the exercise bike. I love it. I love that I can start working out again. Soon I might actually have muscles again and maybe some cardiovascular endurance once more. It's very exciting!

Sixth, I was fitted for my "functional" brace and picked it up last week. Cost $987 (100% covered by insurance, thankfully). I really will probably only need it the next time I ski, but it's kind of exciting to have it. Sort of feels like a security blanket on my knee. I still know it will be terrifying the next time I ski, but there's a part of me that feels exhilarated about doing it again. I'm glad that I have the brace for when I want to venture out on a mountain again.

Seventh, just as we booked a weekend trip to Dallas for later this summer with our friend, Paul, we learned that his longtime friend, Walter, (someone we had heard hundreds of stories about, talked on the phone to, and were dying to finally meet) had passed away. I am SO disappointed. Again, I plan to flip the bird to 2008 on New Year's Eve. Is this year over yet?

I am really hoping that June will be a much calmer month.