This is a big week for Bessie! Tuesday was her 6 week anniversary, and Monday was her Doc appointment.
The doctor was very impressed! He took an x-ray. It must have been ok because he didn't tell me there were any loose parts inside!. He liked how much I could straighten her, and he was impressed by my 100 degree bend. He was also impressed by how well I was walking, and how quickly, with no cane or other assistance. The nurse also complimented me, as did the secretary! Doc wants to see me again in 2 months. He said to keep working on my bend - he wants me to get to 110-115.
Doc cleared me to get back in the pool. He said my incision looks very well healed. He also encouraged me to go back to Water Aerobics, which I am anxious to do and will start in Sept.
Doc also said that I can expect the stiffness from swelling for months. He said it really takes a year before the whole healing and strengthening process is over.
In the waiting room with me was a woman who still had her TED hose, her leg pumps and her walker. I thought to myself how glad I am that I am past that stage of the process!
Shortly after my doc appointment, was my PT session. Kristen put a 4" step-box in the middle of the floor and had me step up on it without anything to hold on to! That was scary, but I was able to do it. (20 times from the front and 20 times to the side.) She said I need to learn to trust myself more!
We discussed my PT schedule. I will have 6 more sessions after this week. She agreed with me that it would be better to go once a week for 6 weeks rather than 2x for 3 weeks, especially since I am good about doing my own exercising at home. So I will be going every Thursday through Sept 5.
I think I have mentioned this before, but I am going to repeat it. Both of my physical therapists have mentioned having patients who don't do their own exercises outside of PT sessions, and then they wonder why they don't get better faster. Really? DUH!!! The biggest advice I can give to anyone out there who is considering surgery like this is that you HAVE to be diligent about exercising if you want to see progress. You can't rely on a therapist to do all the work for you. They give guidance, but YOU have to do the work yourself if you want results! 3 times a day for 3-4 weeks, and then 2 times a day after that. You have to keep moving and walking. You can't just sit in the chair or lie in the bed and expect to be able to walk well. If you don't keep moving and stretching and squeezing early in the process, your joint will stiffen up, and it will be even harder to move. Also, when you do exercise, you see daily progress and that is a great motivator!!
To sum up my 6 weeks status: I am totally off my cane now. I still limp at times, but not all the time. My leg feels stiff most of the time, but it doesn't really "hurt". There are times when I actually forget I had surgery. I am very cautious walking outside on uneven ground or in public places, but I'm very confident in the house. I do fine getting in and out of the car. I have not tried stairs, but I suspect I could do them with a sturdy railing to hold on to. I can sleep in any position in bed, but my leg does get stiff when kept in one position for very long, so I still have to move around a lot in bed, and often have to get up and walk in the wee hours (today I made it until 6 am!). Overall, I am very excited about my progress!
Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for reading and supporting my efforts! I'll talk to you again soon!
:)Amy
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