RamSham: My Ongoing Knee Recovery Progress

Hello folks,

This week is 8th week since my ACL/meniscus reconstruction surgery (25-Nov-2014).  Here is my progress so far:

9-Dec-2014 – It concluded my CPM machine for two weeks.  I made a great progress!  Thank and good-bye, CPM machine!

CPM Machine

10-Dec-2014 – Completed my anti-inflammatory medicine a day before and went out for a dinner to celebrate and toast my amazing progress of my knee recovery along with a picture of my legs!

A pint of Guinness

As of 10-Dec-2014

 

Between 11-Dec-2014 and 13-Jan-2015 – I have been working hard on rehabbing my knee at physical therapy 3 times a week and attending 1 personal training session at my local gym and several sessions at two different yoga studios during the week.

13-Dec-2014 – 17-Dec-2014 – Nanette, my best friend, flew in from Texas to spend time with me and lend her support to my knee recovery progress.  It was wonderful to have her with us for a few days.  A huge thanks went out to her super husband, Paul, who made it possible for her to come out and took care of their family of 3 young kids.  It meant the whole world to me!  Here is a picture Nanette captured during my physical therapy session:

Roni & Ruth – Physical Therapy

Here is a picture of Nanette and me in the backyard on left – my hair color shone under the sun with fiery red.  Normally, it is not how it looks like inside!  🙂  Here is another picture of my hair looks like inside on right.

Nanette & Roni

Roni & Nanette

 

 

27-Dec-2015 – My parents took me out for outing – my first brief hiking on flat path at the J.A. McFaul Environment Park – my knee did well along with some soreness, but felt great!

J.A. McFaul Environment Center, Wyckoff, NJ

Early January 2015 – I finally was able to bend my knee 90 degrees, so I was able to sit in back seat of the car ever since.

Last Monday – 5-Jan-2015 – I drove on my own for first time.  I noticed some aching pain in my knee area, but not too sharp or painful.  I decided to keep my driving short – less than one hour.

On that evening, I hooked my right leg with my ACL knee brace around the chair leg while I was sitting down.  I accidentally applied too much force on my leg inwardly which caused my knee to pop in/out so fast that shocked the hell out of me.  It hurt like hell – similar to what happened to me on the trail (which I ended up collapsing onto my hands and knees) before the surgery, but at this time, it hurt even more!  I became panic thinking that I might damage or mess up my ACL!!!  I tested and found out that I was able to walk, but in pain and sore!  I applied ice for next five days along with putting arnica, popping in NSAID, and taking epsom salt bath.  I had a conversation with my physical therapist about this incident and she said that it does happen to any knee even perfectly “normal” knee since it occurs with force and knee has many joints.  It bounds to happen, anyway.  I asked her for the term of this incident and she said, “subluxation”.  She examined my knee and found my knee swollen, but other than that, shethought that I will be ok, but best that I called my doctor.  I called my doctor and after discussing, I decided that it was not emergency since I was able to walk and would see my doctor the following week, anyway.  Whoa…..a lesson learned, do not *ever* hook my leg around the chair leg again!!!!

After 13-Jan-2015 – After seeing my doctor for my follow-up appointment and was pleased with my progress, my physical therapy has been scaled back to 2 times a week and added one more sessions for my personal training at my local gym (it is my choice, not doctor’s order).  I continue to attend several sessions at two different yoga studios during the week.  My doctor said  I am allowed to walk/hike, but *NO* running and jumping.  Shucks!

If you recalled about my dilemma with changing my clothing due my wearing ACL knee brace full-time.  Here is updated listing of my clothing and boots.

• Gave up and put away 18 pair of my pants for storage –
  

  Pants to give up

• Around 5 skirts
• I get to keep leggings/yoga pants!!!!  I wear ACL knee brace to yoga studio over my leggings/yoga pants, then take my brace off during the session only.  My ACL knee brace digs into my skin and muscle during sessions, so I had a conversation with my physical therapist about this problem and got her blessings to have it removed only if I do not turn my leg inward or outward at all, put all my weight on my right leg, and putting my both feet apart beyond my shoulders.  My knee was not ready to perform that tasks yet.  I complied her requests and found my right leg doing much better without brace.  I just make some adjustment to make my right knee more comfortable and noticed a huge improvement of flexibility and mobility with my right knee over the time.  YAY!
• A couple of sweat pants – they are for home, gym, and physical therapy use only!
• Few long dresses
• Some shorts – I wear it most of the time.  LOL
• Ankle-high winter boots – I left it out to see if I can wear later in the winter.  Who knows?
• One pair of leg warmers – lovely gift from my mom!
• I haven’t shopped for a new skirts, dresses, wide-pants, and shorts since I am tight on money because money being spending on my physical therapy, gym, and yoga sessions.  So far, I manage ok with clothing, so I am not worried.

My current challenges with mobilization are:

• walk up/down stairs freely without brace
• turn/twist my right leg/foot pain-free
• pick up my right leg sideway to put socks/shoes on pain-free
• put full weight on my right knee
• full-squat
• push-up and sit-up pain-free
• stand on my right leg for five minutes pain-free
• sit down, pick up my leg, and ride bike click-free
• knee flexioning pain-free

I am still eyeing for going for snowshoeing/hiking sometimes by end of this month or next month.  Wait and see how my knee feels.  Onward to work on making some more amazing progress on my knee for next few more weeks.