Aci recovery- we have lift off
18 AprYesterday I was able to lift my leg off of the therapy table! Whoo hoo! It will be five weeks since my surgery as of tomorrow- I feel like I’m making progress, but can’t imagine walking 3 weeks from now. Swelling is still pretty significant but my rom is improving. Random thought: God I miss running! Anyway, back to work full time- which is tiring but not too horrible. Took a shower this morning (as opposed to the night before) and still made it to work on time. Small victories…
Day 32- moving in the right direction
17 AprI am a little over 4 weeks post op. And finally starting to get some movement in my quad. I can’t lift my leg off the couch- but I can move it now. Started PT last week and religiously did my exercises over the last four days (pretty unpleasant). I am hoping to get some positive feed back tomorrow. Being that I am used to following training schedules, and actually liking them- it is not difficult to follow a routine. However going from a marathon training program involving the goal of 26.2 miles – to a schedule involving the lifting of a leg off the couch is a bit of a let down… I may need to find a new hobby…like wine tasting…my patience is running thin and I admit to being in low spirits with not a whole lot to look forward to, but I try to keep it in perspective- much worse things happen to much nicer people after all! Ok, so all my friends and my husband are going on a vacation I have to skip (after having already bought plane tickets) buy hey- I was the one who decided to go thru this ridiculous (I mean innovative and ultimately worth it) operation…:) that is all the whining I will allow myself right now- I’m off to do leg lifts.
Let the PT Begin
10 AprWent to the doctor today because I was getting worried about the lack of function in my quad and pretty much getting sick of dragging a dead limb around town. Doctor said that I am slightly behind on recovery, probably because my muscles are refusing to override my fear of pain response being sent by my brain. Translation – I’m a whimp. Bummer. He says I have “mentally divorced my left knee.” Ha – I wish I could! Anyway, he said that I needed some tough love PT for a few weeks – which I am totally cool with. I start Thursday, which will further mess up my work schedule, but I can’t help that really. I anticipate that this will be painful. However, I would rather feel pain (knowing I am not hurting my graft) than sit around lugging around the dead weight of my left leg.
Things I am grateful for at this point 1) take out; 2) clothes that do not need to be ironed; 3) places with no stairs; 4) the internet- allowing shopping from the couch; 5) people who help me out; 6) the fact that I do not have a terminal illness or that none of my loved ones are in peril; 7) that my great dane sleeps most of the time, and therefore only occassionally steals my food or gets in my way; 8) my awesome plastic shower seat; 9) the fact that surgery apparently steals your appetite so I am not getting fat while I sit here; 10) that I will be off crutches 4 weeks from this Thursday! Things which I need to improve: 1) my children’s ability to put dishes in the dishwasher, fold clothes and pick up stuff they leave ALL OVER the house; 2) muscle control; 3) range of motion in my knee and 4) placing the foot of the offending leg flat on the floor while crutching to keep it from turning blue. AHH so much to look forward to…. Until next time…
Day 23 – making progress
7 AprI decided to try to return to weight lifting today. Obviously only upper body. As an initial matter the logistics of getting on the bow flex brought me to tears. But where there is a will there is a way. I was able to do all but two of my typical upper body exercises (the other two require standing). I cut the weight down by 10-20 lbs. but probably could have done the regular weights. Prior to surgery was doing 300 raised leg sit ups a couple of times per week, but can’t figure out how to do even one yet- since leg is still painful and has very little function. I actually have to pick it up to move it. Going to work 1/2 days for one more week. I keep reading posts on various boards of people who just give up on sports like running after this surgery so I am bummed out. I know that there are successful surgeries- maybe its just whiners like me who bother to blog about it. I have accepted that I will not be running full marathons most likely ever again (although I admitt that one percent of me hopes I’m wrong). But I’d at least like to run a few more half marathons and lots of 10ks – we shall see. When I lay in bed at night I start worrying that the whole thing will fail … In the morning I try to remember that I am the person who almost never got sick, healed really fast, was in great shape and worked out almost everyday right up to the day before surgery. I guess I just have to keep a positive attitude and hope for the best! I may try to go tothe grocery store today with my husband and ride in one of those motorized carts- awesome – just the look I’ve been hoping for!
ACI – A DAY IN THE LIFE – DAY 18
2 AprWell, I managed to drive my kids to school for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks. After the drive, I came home, rested a few minutes, changed my clothes and went to work for a half day. I was really tired after that half day because I did not sleep well, so I came home at 1:00 and decided to make a sandwhich.
Let me describe making a sandwhich. Step 1) crutch to refrigerator, lien on one crutch to free up arm. Locate chicken salad and grab container. Carry container by grabbing it by the corner in my teeth. Step 2) crutch over to the bread box with container in teeth. Drop container on counter and then realize you do not have a knife. Step 3) Crutch back over toward the knife drawer. Get knife and a couple of plastic bags. Slip these in my pocket. 4) Crutch back over to where the chicken salad is. Lien on one crutch and make a sandwhich while standing on one foot. Chicken salad container goes back in teeth and crutch over to the refrigerator to put it back. Spy pickles in refrigerator. Take those out and put some in a baggie (all while standing on one foot). Put pickles back. Step 5) Crutch to kitchen door to let dogs in (fatal mistake). Step 6) Scream like I am giving birth while waving a crutch as great dane begins to remove sandwhich from the counter. Step 7 ) Curse at dog. Scream some more. Dog drops sandwhich on the floor (on the napkin of all miracles). Continue screaming at great dane until his tail goes between his legs and he becomes concermed for your sanity – he is thinking “it’s just a sandwhich afterall! She did not freak out this bad when I ate the whole chicken leg in one swallow!”. Step 25,000) Retrieve sandwich. Inspect for teeth marks and replace top piece of bread. Place in baggie. Put pickle bag and sandwhich bag in teeth. Begin to crutch to the couch in the next room. On the way, spy IPad on counter, reach for it. Drop it on good foot (this is really painful). Bend over to pick up IPad and spill pickle juice all over my pants. So much for wonder baggies. Forget IPad . Crutch over to the couch. Foot hurts. Fall onto couch too tired to eat. Take a nap. Wake from nap in pain – in the foot where the IPad hit.
This explains how one can stop working out entirely (after working out 5 days a week for a decade) and start to loose weight….. Ahh well, I got not where to go but up. Holly cow, what will I do about dinner?
Aci – slow recovery
1 AprSo it’s been 2 1/2 weeks since surgery. I have gone to work twice for half days. It’s exhausting. My job involves listening to people and makining decisions. This is challenging when my leg is throbbing. I need to come up with a way to prop up the offending limb in a dignified fashion. Yesterday I felt pretty down. This morning I feel some what better. My husband leaves for a two day business trip and my sitter is out of town. I’m nervous. Kids might have to miss some sporting events – as driving for more than 20 minutes is uncomfortable. Oh well- not the end of the world. My doctor did not prescribe a cpm machine- which seems odd since all the websites on aci surgery recommend using one for 6-8 hours a day. I’m going to call him about starting PT soon which will undoubtedly hurt. I feel like I have physically aged 10 years but mentally I have turned into a baby. I have shed more tears in the last 2 1/2 weeks than I have in the last 2 1/2 years. I can’t stand being around me – I’m no fun! Good thing no one reads this as I am not exactly inspirational!
Aci Recovery
28 MarWell, I,m almost 2 weeks out from surgery. I am going to try to go to work for a half day tomorrow. This has been much more difficult than I imagined. As a marathon runner, I always kind of ignored discomfort and had a “get on with it” attitude. I’m not particularly patient. This surgery brought things to a grinding halt. I gave in pretty much immediately to taking pain pills- which I only take at night to sleep now- but all last week it was around the clock. Right this minute I can’t imagine that I will ever run again, but I figure as time goes by that negativity will pass. Here is what i have learned from these two weeks: 1) my husband is a prince. 2) My daughter really can be quite sweet and selfless even at 13. 3) My son is a boy…4) I can’t will my body to heal even though I can will it to endure and continue to move when running 26.2. 5) Television really does stink. 6) Red wine does not help with knee pain. 7) Great Danes don’t like crutches. 8) A lot of money can be spent on the Internet without getting off the couch. 9) the easiest way to pass time is to sleep. 10) Life keeps moving forward even if you are not participating. Would I do this again if I knew then what I know now? Too early to tell- depends on if it works!
Aci – complete
19 MarWow- so the insurance gods gave a thumbs up, the cells grew, and now I am 4 days post op. To be honest – that really hurt. Can’t really get off the couch much. Can’t actually move my leg at all. Hope that is normal. First two days I spent wondering what on earth I was thinking about when I voluntarily submitted to this. Now I am trying to look forward and to keep a sense of humor. I will go back to work next week – which should be interesting. For now I am trying to figure out how to get my leg moving and how to work the t.v. that I absolutely never watch.
desperate2run 