Knee Surgery, 11

Seventy-two degrees, up from 58 when I first started physio last week, That’s how far my operated knee can bend when I’m doing my exercises. It’s still got a long way to go to reach the one hundred-plus milestone, but it’s an improvement. Small achievements are how it’s done. I can also lift my left foot higher, too, and use a five-inch aerobic stepper for one of the exercises, and an eight-inch step for another. Don’t get me wrong: these are baby steps, still. And while the pain has diminished, it is still pretty much constant enough that it sometimes makes sleeping difficult. However, I reduced my meds to a single extra-strength Tylenol morning and night.

Sleeping remains a problem because I still cannot sleep on my side. I have tried several times, but the awkward angle of my leg, plus the sensitivity of my operated leg to pressure, remain barriers to staying on my side comfortably for any length of time. I fidget all night trying to arrange pillows to make back-sleeping both comfortable and at the same time not snore-inducing.  Bella sleeps on the bed all night, too, and sometimes moves around to be closer to me.

I picked up two new exercises at my latest physio session, both involving bending. One of which is appropriate for the ‘roller skate’ slider I purchased earlier to help with these exercises. The other I can do using the bottom step of the staircase, basically a slow lunge. I try to remember to do these and the other exercises throughout the day, not just during my three exercise periods, so I can improve sooner. It’s a balance between pushing myself and overdoing it. I usually add five or more exercises to my routine for each one, but it also depends on the pain involved.

I’m also working to reduce my dependence on my walker and move to a cane. It’s much easier indoors, but when I go outside, the walker is still necessary because I am less steady on uneven ground. I have not tried to use it on our street because the potholes and uneven pavement make it like the surface of the moon in places. It’s long overdue for a repave, but the town prefers to ignore the conditions here in the west end of town. And most other residential streets, unless they can be turned into speedways for drivers. Townhall loves to see more cars on our streets.

I did make a short trip as a passenger in the car with Susan downtown today, and even walked on the main street sidewalk a short distance. I got into and out of the car with difficulty, but much less so than previously. I even managed to spend a few minutes in the local bookstore. What would a trip downtown be without a visit to the bookstore? Tired me out, but it was worth it just to get outside, even for a short while. And, of course, I bought a book. One can never have too many books.

I can also get outside to the decks to enjoy a little fresh air and sunshine, as long as it’s warm enough. My circulation is not quite restored yet, so I feel a bit cold even when it’s warm outside. I usually wear long sweat/leisure pants around the house, but today I put on shorts to enjoy some of the sun. Didn’t change back until evening.

My staples come out tomorrow. That should make the exercises slightly easier, but I won’t know until I start my routine after they are removed. And I’m not sure what it will mean for showering. Will I be able to shower without a bandage? If not, how long before the bandage comes off? And can I use my TENS machine on the leg?

Last post I said the cool weather was “almost depressing” but I really should have said discouraging, since it certainly isn’t the source of deep psychological trauma for me.

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