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!