Moving right along...

I’m sitting in a ridiculously packed waiting room waiting to see Dr. Z for my 6 week follow-up appointment. I’m certain to catch some nasty virus just sitting in a closed space with all of these people. But it’ll be worth it if I have a good visit!

Last time I saw Dr. Z was a month ago. A whole month ago!  I remember him telling me at that visit that he would see me again in a month, and I started crying. And now here I am. 

Interestingly...
*A month feels like an eternity when you are healing from surgery or dealing with an injury.
AND 
*A month feels like it might as well be next week when you are a runner training for a big race. 

Funny how your perspective can shift so dramatically. 

So I’m here at 6 weeks, anxious to see what he has to say. 
*****************************************
My visit was brief. He was rushing off to a motorcycle -vs- car accident guy that sought him out as “the guy to fix really messed up legs” who needed reconstructive surgery. 

Dr. Z is delighted by my progress. 
He couldn’t be happier. 
I’m a “model patient.”

All really amazing stuff. 

My “marching” orders:
-Keep up with PT
-Gradually increase my weight bearing as my quad gets stronger to WBAT 
-Wean off of the brace...wear it definitely when I’m at risk of falling or getting bumped into
-I can get in the pool for pool walking but no strength work anytime soon
-Come back to see him in 6 weeks. 
*DON’T FALL*

*******************************
So, this is day 3 of trying to get this written. 
Can you tell I’m back at work and it’s the holidays so I am unable to sit around and write about my special leg for hours on end?! 

Anyway.
Like I said earlier, my 6 week follow-up went really well. Next time I see him I’ll be walking normally (that’s the plan at least) and will likely be anxious to do more with this sad “little” atrophied leg. 
When I see him next, I’ll hopefully be very low on pain and swelling and I’ll move into the strengthening phase of recovery.

Weeks 1-6 are healing 
Weeks 8-12 are maturation
Weeks 12-24 are strengthening
Dr. Z says weeks 12-24 are when I’m most likely to injure myself again. I’ll be feeling “normal” and the reality of how much work he did on my knee will be hard to think about. I’ll be pain free and I’ll be wanting to do all of the things. He promised me he would remind me to behave at my 12 week visit. 

So I am *WBAT* right now. 
 *weight bearing as tolerated*  
I’m still using the crutches until my left leg feels like it will support me when walking. It’s been rather amazing how quickly I’ve gone 3 days ago from being like “yeah right, how will I be walking anytime soon?” to today “oh wow, I feel like I’m barely using the crutches!”
The rapid progress on that front feels good. Dr. Z says he expects another 2-3 weeks needing crutches. Naturally I’m aiming for the 2 week mark. 

 
It’s been terribly treacherous getting around on crutches with these pop-up snow storms, so no crutches would be amazing!


Also, the sooner I’m off crutches, the sooner I can stop having nightmares about getting my crutch stuck in the elevator tracks at work and being somehow killed. 



AND, these hand callouses are really out of control. So I’ll be happy to start getting my baby-soft hands back. Geeze, the ridiculous things you suddenly become self-conscious of!  

And I swear, ever since I have stegosaurus skin growing on my palms, every person I meet is suddenly a hand shaker. Isn’t this cold and flu season?  Why are we shaking hands? You heard about my gross hands and wanted to feel for yourself didn’t you?


One sad thing...I’m sleeping in my brace again. 
Ugh. 
The hate. 
The insomnia. 
The stupid brace.
I’ve lost some of my extension (leg getting perfectly straight) in the last week. Likely because I sleep on my side with my knees bent, and I sit at my desk with my knees bent and I drive with my knee bent, and I stand up with my knee slightly bent to avoid putting too much weight on it. 
So I need to focus on keeping my leg straight. And sleeping with it straight will help. So yeah. 

At least I’m not in it during the day anymore unless I’m caught in a bizarre snow storm (happened twice this week) and am crutching around like an idiot. I also wear it if I’m at a playground with the kids, or really anywhere that I could get bumped into or knocked over. 

PT is going well, and getting hard. I go twice a week now and everything is less comfortable and more exhausting...like this home version of passive knee extension stretching. Yuck. Hate it. The exercise bike is great. No resistance yet but at least I feel like I’m moving! I can get in the pool now for pool walking so I’ll do that this week. 

Overall I’m feeling pretty great. I’m getting around faster and feeling less needy. Being back at work has been fantastic and the holidays provide a nice distraction!  


That’s it. Thanks for reading and caring and checking in on me!

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