If ditching the crutches were the first milestone on the road to recovery, I've passed the second today as the stitches (well, clips, actually) were taken out of my knee, two weeks to the day after surgery. It's a small thing, really, but they were really beginning to pinch when the joint was bending, so it was clearly time.
While I suppose I am making progress, in many ways- both figurative and literal- it feels like I'm trudging through molasses. I think it's one of those cases where daily progress is imperceptible, but in aggregate I am moving forwards. I only ditched the crutches eight days ago, and I recall quite clearly that walking without them was more of an effort than it is now.
I see the ortho and the physical therapist in a couple of days, when I'll get a more objective take on my progress thus far. Until then, all I can do is keep at the exercises.
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Sunday 3 May 2009
The Little Things
It's a dozen days since the surgery, and I'm still not exactly Usain Bolt. Sure, I can walk about, but after more than 100 yards or so and it starts to get a bit uncomfortable. To be sure, the swelling is way down, which is of course a good thing. But while I am sure the internal mechanics of the joint are improving every day, as of yet I haven't noticed much improvement.
What is perhaps most irksome, however, are the little things to do with the surgery. I have a massive bruise on the inside of my knee, which makes it uncomfortable to sleep in any position other than on my back, something I rarely do. And the stitches are really beginning to irritate me; I can feel them pulling my skin whenever I try and flex the kn ee to any degree whatsoever.
While there's not much I can do about the bruise, or indeed the inflexibility of the knee, other than wait it out, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel vis-a-vis the stitches; they're supposed to come out on Tuesday the 5th, the two-week anniversary of the surgery. It may only be a little thing, but hopefully it will make the knee feel a bit better, which is surely cause for cheer.
What is perhaps most irksome, however, are the little things to do with the surgery. I have a massive bruise on the inside of my knee, which makes it uncomfortable to sleep in any position other than on my back, something I rarely do. And the stitches are really beginning to irritate me; I can feel them pulling my skin whenever I try and flex the kn ee to any degree whatsoever.
While there's not much I can do about the bruise, or indeed the inflexibility of the knee, other than wait it out, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel vis-a-vis the stitches; they're supposed to come out on Tuesday the 5th, the two-week anniversary of the surgery. It may only be a little thing, but hopefully it will make the knee feel a bit better, which is surely cause for cheer.
Thursday 30 April 2009
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
The good news is that nine days after surgery, the swelling has come right down. Oh, the knee is still swollen, but at least I've exchanged the watermelon for a nice grapefruit on the joint. The bad news is that as the swelling has receded, so has the sensitivity of the nerves in the joint. So ironically, enough, just as the knee is looking better, the level of discomfort has risen noticably.
Perhaps this is also a product of psychology; having ditched the crutches and seen the swelling recede, the mind would naturally expect things to improve in a fairly smooth trajectory. However, I recall that after the initial arthroscopic procedure two weeks after the injury, the most painful time was as the scar tissue started to break down a week or two after the op.
So history appears to be repeating itself. Given that everyone has said not to rush things or push too hard, I am trying not to push back too hard against this temporary reversal of fortune. I'm trying to minimize the amount of stair-climbing I do (for various reasons, on my first full crutch-free day, I was up and down quite a bit.) And when the leg gets tired, I am leaning on one crutch when using the stairs.
It's not ideal, but in the early stages of rehab, I think it's important to take feedback from what my body is telling me. And after taking a couple of good steps forward earlier in the week, it's now saying to take a small step back and consolidate where I am.
Perhaps this is also a product of psychology; having ditched the crutches and seen the swelling recede, the mind would naturally expect things to improve in a fairly smooth trajectory. However, I recall that after the initial arthroscopic procedure two weeks after the injury, the most painful time was as the scar tissue started to break down a week or two after the op.
So history appears to be repeating itself. Given that everyone has said not to rush things or push too hard, I am trying not to push back too hard against this temporary reversal of fortune. I'm trying to minimize the amount of stair-climbing I do (for various reasons, on my first full crutch-free day, I was up and down quite a bit.) And when the leg gets tired, I am leaning on one crutch when using the stairs.
It's not ideal, but in the early stages of rehab, I think it's important to take feedback from what my body is telling me. And after taking a couple of good steps forward earlier in the week, it's now saying to take a small step back and consolidate where I am.
Monday 27 April 2009
Buh-bye
Big day today. Six days after surgery, got the go-ahead to wave "buh-bye" to the crutches from Marsh, my physio. The goal was to ditch them within two weeks of surgery, so I'm pleased to be shot of them in less than one.
It's still early days with respect to physiotherapy, of course, so I am still focusing on low-intensity exercises designed to help break down a bit of scar tissue. The near-term goal is to be able to straighten the leg by next Thursday, when I go for my first follow-up appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon.
Overall, though, it is a real boost to be locomoting again under my own power. I feel like I'm right back to where I was after the first arthroscopic procedure to remove the ligament; I know that if I pur in the rehab work (but not too much!), I'll be back walking almost normally before long.
And then maybe I can start waving buh-bye to the feeling of lethargy and inactivity that I've had for most of the interval since my injury.
WHAT I CAN DO: Walk without crutches and bend the knee somewhat (50 degrees, maybe?)
NEXT MILESTONE: Straighten the leg
PHYSIO REGIME: Low-intensity exercises focusing on straighening the leg and flexing the various leg muscles to maintain some semblance of tone. Plenty of ice.
It's still early days with respect to physiotherapy, of course, so I am still focusing on low-intensity exercises designed to help break down a bit of scar tissue. The near-term goal is to be able to straighten the leg by next Thursday, when I go for my first follow-up appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon.
Overall, though, it is a real boost to be locomoting again under my own power. I feel like I'm right back to where I was after the first arthroscopic procedure to remove the ligament; I know that if I pur in the rehab work (but not too much!), I'll be back walking almost normally before long.
And then maybe I can start waving buh-bye to the feeling of lethargy and inactivity that I've had for most of the interval since my injury.
WHAT I CAN DO: Walk without crutches and bend the knee somewhat (50 degrees, maybe?)
NEXT MILESTONE: Straighten the leg
PHYSIO REGIME: Low-intensity exercises focusing on straighening the leg and flexing the various leg muscles to maintain some semblance of tone. Plenty of ice.
Sunday 26 April 2009
Like the NFL Draft
Like the NFL draft, which started this weekend, I am now PK-free. In the case of the draft, that means that good teams never select PKs (placekickers) with one of their seven precious choices; such players are largely fungible and the marginal difference between very good and mediocre is pretty small.
For me, it means that I had the last painkiller yesterday morning, four days after the surgery. Since then, I've been going au naturel, and to be honest haven't really noticed much of an uptick in discomfort. I'm concentrating on icing the knee as much as possible, using a combination of a cold-water Cryo-cuff, a conventional ice-gel pack, and frozen peas.
Perhaps my eyes are deceiving me, but it looks like the swelling has started to recede very slightly today. Let's hope it continues....I'm already tired of walking with crutches. I spent most of yesterday using one crutch rather than two, though in the end decided to go back to using two today. Hopefully the physio gives the all clear to begin dialling down the use of the crutches tomorrow, which would be well ahead of schedule (the goal is to ditch them after two weeks.)
The exercises are going pretty well; hopefully tomorrow I can get some electric muscle stimulation for the quad and hammy, as well as a broader set of exercises to do.
In the meantime, I'm plugging along, and hoping that my team selects some offensive line help on day two of the draft this afternoon.
For me, it means that I had the last painkiller yesterday morning, four days after the surgery. Since then, I've been going au naturel, and to be honest haven't really noticed much of an uptick in discomfort. I'm concentrating on icing the knee as much as possible, using a combination of a cold-water Cryo-cuff, a conventional ice-gel pack, and frozen peas.
Perhaps my eyes are deceiving me, but it looks like the swelling has started to recede very slightly today. Let's hope it continues....I'm already tired of walking with crutches. I spent most of yesterday using one crutch rather than two, though in the end decided to go back to using two today. Hopefully the physio gives the all clear to begin dialling down the use of the crutches tomorrow, which would be well ahead of schedule (the goal is to ditch them after two weeks.)
The exercises are going pretty well; hopefully tomorrow I can get some electric muscle stimulation for the quad and hammy, as well as a broader set of exercises to do.
In the meantime, I'm plugging along, and hoping that my team selects some offensive line help on day two of the draft this afternoon.
Friday 24 April 2009
One Small Step....
Day three and I feel like Neil Armstrong. No, not a groundbreaking pioneer in any way, shape or form, but rather a guy in a big, puffy suit who's chuffed to bits if he can take a step.
All the prehab work to strengthen the leg appears to have paid dividends, because I actually feel like I can stand and even walk on the surgically-repaired leg. That I have yet to do so has everything to do with the big puffy suit that seems to be encasing my little ol' leg; at this juncture, it would seem to be foolhardy to push myself to walk sans crutches when my knee is the size of a small watermelon.
At the very least, however, I am trying to wind down the painkillers; I've found that taking two 500mg hits of Codeine four times a day has left me dopey, incredibly irritable, and bunged up something awful. Actually, there might be something of a correlation between those last two.
In any event, I have taken the dosage down to one 500 mg tablet so far today, though I might take two this evening one last time. So far, the discomfort hasn't been noticably greater than it was on two; it's the size of the knee that's the issue at the moment. Hopefully the swelling will start to recede in a few days, and then I really can start to think about taking one small step.
All the prehab work to strengthen the leg appears to have paid dividends, because I actually feel like I can stand and even walk on the surgically-repaired leg. That I have yet to do so has everything to do with the big puffy suit that seems to be encasing my little ol' leg; at this juncture, it would seem to be foolhardy to push myself to walk sans crutches when my knee is the size of a small watermelon.
At the very least, however, I am trying to wind down the painkillers; I've found that taking two 500mg hits of Codeine four times a day has left me dopey, incredibly irritable, and bunged up something awful. Actually, there might be something of a correlation between those last two.
In any event, I have taken the dosage down to one 500 mg tablet so far today, though I might take two this evening one last time. So far, the discomfort hasn't been noticably greater than it was on two; it's the size of the knee that's the issue at the moment. Hopefully the swelling will start to recede in a few days, and then I really can start to think about taking one small step.
Thursday 23 April 2009
DayTwo
I woke up today with the knee looking like the size of a small melon and feeling all "slushy" inside. Yikes. I took some painkiller straight away, and while it seemed to do the trick, it also sent me off to La-La land. I slept most of the morning, which was particularly impressive given that we've had workmen in all day installing a quartz countertop in the kitchen.
I made it outside in the afternoon, however, and have kept up with the rehab exercises. I am pleased to be able to put as much weight on the leg as I can; standing up with no crutches and equal weight on each leg is, I think, possible, though it is premature to try just 48 hours after the surgery.
At this juncture, the biggest challenge is getting the swelling down; I think that once that's accomplished, I'll be able to make some good, quick progress.
I made it outside in the afternoon, however, and have kept up with the rehab exercises. I am pleased to be able to put as much weight on the leg as I can; standing up with no crutches and equal weight on each leg is, I think, possible, though it is premature to try just 48 hours after the surgery.
At this juncture, the biggest challenge is getting the swelling down; I think that once that's accomplished, I'll be able to make some good, quick progress.
Wednesday 22 April 2009
Homeward Bound
It's hard to believe that just 24 hours ago, I was out like a light, with the orthopaedic surgeon mucking about insude my knee.
It's funny....for any apprehension that I had before the procedure, the worst part of the surgical experience was getting something to eat afterwards. Not having eaten since the previous night, I was ravenous....and all the hospital would give me was a couple of plain cold sandwiches. They took an order for soup, but didn't get around to bringing it for ages.....and when they did, it was cauliflower, which I couldn't eat anyways. Good thing the wife and kids came to visit with snacks, or I may have had to order out for pizza!
In any case, I managed to get a full night's sleep without too much trouble, no doubt aided by the painkillers I was on. I did get sucked into watching Total Recall, but as soon as it was over dropped off.
The knee was too painful at all, no doubt thanks to the pills and, to a leser degree, the Cryo-cuff that I wore over the bandage. Perhaps the most irrtiating sensation of the night was the thrombosis-prevention macchine, which would apply pressure to my feet in a seemingly random sequence.
This morning, the day after the surgery, they fed me well and kept me plied with a teady diet of coffee. The physio came in and replaced the bandage with a Tubigrip, which I'll now wear until I see the ortho in a couple of weeks.
She also walked me through the initial course of exercises, which generally involve flexing the quad and hamstring muscles, rotating the ankle, and attempting to bend and straighten the knee.
It was good to see that they have me walking and applying weight to the surgically-repaired straight away-as much as it can bear. What was surprising was that at this juncture, the hamstring feels a lot more tender than the knee. Actually, maybe it's not that surrprising- after all, the surgeon did steal a bit of the hammy to make a new knee ligament.
I made it home without incident and spent the afternoon in the sun, watching the boys play football in the fron garden. Sigh. Can't wait to get back out there with them.
Anyhow, I am under orders not to push it too hard in the early going. At this point that won't be too difficult, but I can see the inaction starting to chafe in a few days or so. Still, until the swelling goes down and I am off all painkillers, it would be silly to do anything but the very basic stuff I've been advised to. I'm seeing my regular physio in 5 days; hopefully then we can map out a fuller plan of attack.
WHAT I CAN DO: Walk with crutches. Stand with most of the weight borne by the bad leg, aided by minimal support from crtuches.
PHYSICAL THERAPY: Basic muscle flexing and range of motion exercises. Following the RICE (rest, icing, compression, and elevation) treatment plan.
It's funny....for any apprehension that I had before the procedure, the worst part of the surgical experience was getting something to eat afterwards. Not having eaten since the previous night, I was ravenous....and all the hospital would give me was a couple of plain cold sandwiches. They took an order for soup, but didn't get around to bringing it for ages.....and when they did, it was cauliflower, which I couldn't eat anyways. Good thing the wife and kids came to visit with snacks, or I may have had to order out for pizza!
In any case, I managed to get a full night's sleep without too much trouble, no doubt aided by the painkillers I was on. I did get sucked into watching Total Recall, but as soon as it was over dropped off.
The knee was too painful at all, no doubt thanks to the pills and, to a leser degree, the Cryo-cuff that I wore over the bandage. Perhaps the most irrtiating sensation of the night was the thrombosis-prevention macchine, which would apply pressure to my feet in a seemingly random sequence.
This morning, the day after the surgery, they fed me well and kept me plied with a teady diet of coffee. The physio came in and replaced the bandage with a Tubigrip, which I'll now wear until I see the ortho in a couple of weeks.
She also walked me through the initial course of exercises, which generally involve flexing the quad and hamstring muscles, rotating the ankle, and attempting to bend and straighten the knee.
It was good to see that they have me walking and applying weight to the surgically-repaired straight away-as much as it can bear. What was surprising was that at this juncture, the hamstring feels a lot more tender than the knee. Actually, maybe it's not that surrprising- after all, the surgeon did steal a bit of the hammy to make a new knee ligament.
I made it home without incident and spent the afternoon in the sun, watching the boys play football in the fron garden. Sigh. Can't wait to get back out there with them.
Anyhow, I am under orders not to push it too hard in the early going. At this point that won't be too difficult, but I can see the inaction starting to chafe in a few days or so. Still, until the swelling goes down and I am off all painkillers, it would be silly to do anything but the very basic stuff I've been advised to. I'm seeing my regular physio in 5 days; hopefully then we can map out a fuller plan of attack.
WHAT I CAN DO: Walk with crutches. Stand with most of the weight borne by the bad leg, aided by minimal support from crtuches.
PHYSICAL THERAPY: Basic muscle flexing and range of motion exercises. Following the RICE (rest, icing, compression, and elevation) treatment plan.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
The Big Day
I've decided to chart my progress of recovering from an ACL reconstruction, with the goal of getting back out on the slopes to ski in February 2010. My original injury, described towards the end of this post, occurred on February 13, 2009.
Anyhow, the big day has started off on something of a sour note. I woke up in the middle of the night last night and took forever to get back to sleep. My wife, understandably enough, therefore let me sleep in a bit this morning. Unfortunately, I slept past my cut-off point for eating anything, and I'm allowed only one glass of water at 10.30 this morning before I check into the hospital at 11.30.
I suppose I am feeling a bit apprehensive, which I guess is natural. When I was a kid, a torn ACL spelled the end of an athlete's career; while the techniques have improved dramatically since then, the thought of getting holes drilled through one's femur and tibia and having a hamstring tendon stuffed through 'em is still not a particularly pleasant one.
Perhaps most of all, it is a bit of a downer to go back to where I was physically at the time I injured the leg- on crutches, with a largely non-bending leg, and a steady level of discomfort.
I think the early stages of rehab will be the most difficult- returning a basic range of motion to the joint- though I am quite looking forward to the later stages of rebuilding the quadriceps and hamstring muscles.
In any event, this little journal will hopefully provide me with a roadmap of my progress and provide some pyschological support when I see the progress that I've made. To get a more in-your-face measure of progress, I've had all my hair chopped off (#3 all over) and have vowed not to get a haircut again 'til I am cleared to play sports. We'll see what the missus has to say about that in a few months...
Anyhow, the big day has started off on something of a sour note. I woke up in the middle of the night last night and took forever to get back to sleep. My wife, understandably enough, therefore let me sleep in a bit this morning. Unfortunately, I slept past my cut-off point for eating anything, and I'm allowed only one glass of water at 10.30 this morning before I check into the hospital at 11.30.
I suppose I am feeling a bit apprehensive, which I guess is natural. When I was a kid, a torn ACL spelled the end of an athlete's career; while the techniques have improved dramatically since then, the thought of getting holes drilled through one's femur and tibia and having a hamstring tendon stuffed through 'em is still not a particularly pleasant one.
Perhaps most of all, it is a bit of a downer to go back to where I was physically at the time I injured the leg- on crutches, with a largely non-bending leg, and a steady level of discomfort.
I think the early stages of rehab will be the most difficult- returning a basic range of motion to the joint- though I am quite looking forward to the later stages of rebuilding the quadriceps and hamstring muscles.
In any event, this little journal will hopefully provide me with a roadmap of my progress and provide some pyschological support when I see the progress that I've made. To get a more in-your-face measure of progress, I've had all my hair chopped off (#3 all over) and have vowed not to get a haircut again 'til I am cleared to play sports. We'll see what the missus has to say about that in a few months...
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