It is Tuesday and I have been on the antibiotics since Friday. The infection is slowly going away, but I have lost my full extension, and I am not able to bend my knee quite as much as last week.
I went to see my doctor today and he said that I probably caused the infection by putting the vitamin E on the incision before it was scarred over. I used my finger to apply the vitamin E instead of a sterile q-tip. Lesson Learned!!! He said that by putting the vitamin E on using my finger, I transferred that bacteria into the incision and then sealed it in there with the oily vitamin E. He was not too worried about loosing my flexibility or full extension. He said that you will have highs and lows and if you work particularly hard, you could have a set back.
Then, I went to physical therapy, and my physical therapist definately felt that my knee joint was tighter. She said that because of the infection, there could be swelling in the joint and not to worry about it. I continued to work hard at PT and even added the leg press as a new machine. My knee feels good as I am doing the exercises.... while it is all warmed up, but then, when it cools down, it stiffens up.
I have to take the antibiotics through Thursday. Let's hope that by Friday I am back to where I was last Friday (minus the infection!).
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
5 1/2 Weeks after Surgery
So, this week has been filled with ups and downs.
On Thursday, at physical therapy, I added new exercises with weights! I did the olyptical machine and it felt great. My walking gait was progressing along quite nicely and at home I was riding my bike and increasing my exercises.
Then.... my incision got a little infection from the inside. I watched it from the beginning of the week and it seemed to get better then worse and back and forth, until Friday afternoon when I went back to my doctor's office to have him look at it. He tested my knee joint and the infection did not get into the joint. He prescribed these horse pills... did I say that I have issues with swallowing pills? .... needless to say, these are the largest pills I have ever had to swallow. They are like the size of an appetizer weiner in a blanket!! Still, coming out of my doctor's office, I was feelilng great. I came home and did my workout, and took the horse pill expecting the infection to disappear right away!
Friday night, my leg started to get tight... like my hamstring muscle was just tightening up and I was loosing my flexibilty that I had worked so hard for. I had a tough time sleeping because I could not get my knee in a comfortable position. The incision was sore and when I laid down on my side, I could not find a good position for my knee.
On Saturday, my leg was still stiff. Now, I do know if this was because of the extra hard workout on the olymptical and weight machines or because of the infection. I did my exercises... but where riding the bike was easy for the last week or so, today it took 10 minutes to loosen up my knee enough to get a smooth circular motion.
Now it is Sunday. and I am on the 3rd day of antibiotics and still waiting for the infection to go away. The incision does look a little better, but it is like watching water boil! I am doing stretching exercises to get my full extension back, and it comes back through the exercises, and then say a half hour later, it is tight again..... It is going to be a day of stretching!!
On Thursday, at physical therapy, I added new exercises with weights! I did the olyptical machine and it felt great. My walking gait was progressing along quite nicely and at home I was riding my bike and increasing my exercises.
Then.... my incision got a little infection from the inside. I watched it from the beginning of the week and it seemed to get better then worse and back and forth, until Friday afternoon when I went back to my doctor's office to have him look at it. He tested my knee joint and the infection did not get into the joint. He prescribed these horse pills... did I say that I have issues with swallowing pills? .... needless to say, these are the largest pills I have ever had to swallow. They are like the size of an appetizer weiner in a blanket!! Still, coming out of my doctor's office, I was feelilng great. I came home and did my workout, and took the horse pill expecting the infection to disappear right away!
Friday night, my leg started to get tight... like my hamstring muscle was just tightening up and I was loosing my flexibilty that I had worked so hard for. I had a tough time sleeping because I could not get my knee in a comfortable position. The incision was sore and when I laid down on my side, I could not find a good position for my knee.
On Saturday, my leg was still stiff. Now, I do know if this was because of the extra hard workout on the olymptical and weight machines or because of the infection. I did my exercises... but where riding the bike was easy for the last week or so, today it took 10 minutes to loosen up my knee enough to get a smooth circular motion.
Now it is Sunday. and I am on the 3rd day of antibiotics and still waiting for the infection to go away. The incision does look a little better, but it is like watching water boil! I am doing stretching exercises to get my full extension back, and it comes back through the exercises, and then say a half hour later, it is tight again..... It is going to be a day of stretching!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
5 Weeks after Surgery
January 25, 2006 and I am now 5 weeks after surgery.
I have stopped taking the Alleve and my knee is not swelling anymore than the little bit around the knee. That will just take a while to go down. I am not getting any increased swelling after I do my physical therapy or exercises at home.
I rode my bike (on the trainer) today for 15 minutes and I am pedaling quite fast. I have come a long way since the first day that my physical therapist let me get on the bike. When I am on the bike, it feels like nothing is wrong with my knee.... it feels great!
I am now walking up and down the stairs with one foot per stair. It is not completely smooth, but I am able to go up and down almost normally. I actually am doing better on the stairs than I am with getting my walk back to normal. The one thing that I still have an issue with on the stairs is my quad control when I am going down the stairs.
I am still limping a bit when I walk. I am having a really hard time lifting my foo t up behind me. That is the action that you need to use when you walk. I can march just fine, but the kicking off the back when walking is still hard. We are working on that in physical therapy.
A couple of days ago, I wore a pair of loafers with a half inch heel, and my calf and leg was really tired the next day. I thought that I could wear a loafer with a tiny heel, but apparently not!
I am doing a lot of different exercises, some with my physical therapist, and some at home. At physical therapy, we have been working on my walking, and so we are doing marching, walking backwards, walking with tiny steps, putting a band around both legs at the knee and moving sideways to the right and then sideways to the left. Then, working on the quad muscle, I am doing quad contractions, and leg raises while lying down. For my hamstrings, I am doing an exercise where I put my feet on an exercise ball, while lying down with my legs fully extended. Then lift by butt up and holding that position, working the hamstrings. Then, in the same position, bending my knees and bringing the ball close to my butt. Both of those exercises work the hamstrings.
For balance, I am using an exercise band wrapped around my good leg and a pole. Then, standing on my bad leg, I am extending out my right leg increasing the tension on the exercise band.... This makes my bad leg (left) work on the balance, while my right leg is engaged in activity. Another balance exercise is to stand on a balance platform with my left leg, and balance for 30 seconds and then repeat a couple of times. It is easy for the first 30 seconds, but by the time I get to the 3rd set, my leg gets really tired.
At physical thearpy, there is this machine that they refer to as the monster. When hooked up to the monster, you can make your leg work in isolated exercises and measure the force that your leg is working.... in addition, you can work on controlling your muscles....don't ask me how it works... but it does.
I am still doing the killer heel slides, which are not so much of a killer anymore. I am able to slide my heel almost up to my butt. I am also doing squats, but in a very limited way. I am ready to increase the squats. Oh, and I just added weight to my leg raises today. I put on a 1 pound weight.
The physical therapy appointments are about 1.5 hours now... they used to be just 1 hour, but there is more to do now.
At home, it takes me between 1 hour and 1.5 hours to complete all of the exercises.
I have stopped taking the Alleve and my knee is not swelling anymore than the little bit around the knee. That will just take a while to go down. I am not getting any increased swelling after I do my physical therapy or exercises at home.
I rode my bike (on the trainer) today for 15 minutes and I am pedaling quite fast. I have come a long way since the first day that my physical therapist let me get on the bike. When I am on the bike, it feels like nothing is wrong with my knee.... it feels great!
I am now walking up and down the stairs with one foot per stair. It is not completely smooth, but I am able to go up and down almost normally. I actually am doing better on the stairs than I am with getting my walk back to normal. The one thing that I still have an issue with on the stairs is my quad control when I am going down the stairs.
I am still limping a bit when I walk. I am having a really hard time lifting my foo t up behind me. That is the action that you need to use when you walk. I can march just fine, but the kicking off the back when walking is still hard. We are working on that in physical therapy.
A couple of days ago, I wore a pair of loafers with a half inch heel, and my calf and leg was really tired the next day. I thought that I could wear a loafer with a tiny heel, but apparently not!
I am doing a lot of different exercises, some with my physical therapist, and some at home. At physical therapy, we have been working on my walking, and so we are doing marching, walking backwards, walking with tiny steps, putting a band around both legs at the knee and moving sideways to the right and then sideways to the left. Then, working on the quad muscle, I am doing quad contractions, and leg raises while lying down. For my hamstrings, I am doing an exercise where I put my feet on an exercise ball, while lying down with my legs fully extended. Then lift by butt up and holding that position, working the hamstrings. Then, in the same position, bending my knees and bringing the ball close to my butt. Both of those exercises work the hamstrings.
For balance, I am using an exercise band wrapped around my good leg and a pole. Then, standing on my bad leg, I am extending out my right leg increasing the tension on the exercise band.... This makes my bad leg (left) work on the balance, while my right leg is engaged in activity. Another balance exercise is to stand on a balance platform with my left leg, and balance for 30 seconds and then repeat a couple of times. It is easy for the first 30 seconds, but by the time I get to the 3rd set, my leg gets really tired.
At physical thearpy, there is this machine that they refer to as the monster. When hooked up to the monster, you can make your leg work in isolated exercises and measure the force that your leg is working.... in addition, you can work on controlling your muscles....don't ask me how it works... but it does.
I am still doing the killer heel slides, which are not so much of a killer anymore. I am able to slide my heel almost up to my butt. I am also doing squats, but in a very limited way. I am ready to increase the squats. Oh, and I just added weight to my leg raises today. I put on a 1 pound weight.
The physical therapy appointments are about 1.5 hours now... they used to be just 1 hour, but there is more to do now.
At home, it takes me between 1 hour and 1.5 hours to complete all of the exercises.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
4 Weeks after Surgery
Okay, so here is my status:
Walking - not normal yet, but getting better.
Bike - I am allowed to ride a stationary bike for 10 minutes.... and I can pedal pretty fast.
High Heels - Not yet!!!
Bending - 135 degrees
Full extension - YES!
Bruising - GONE!
Normal Household Duties - I am back to normal, and not getting tired standing on my leg.
Stairs - I am starting to take each stair with only one foot.
Sleeping - I still cannot curl up like I would like, but I am sleeping much easier.
Scar - It is healing quite nicely... using vitamin E!
Swelling - There is still some swelling and I am taking Alleve each day.
Physical Therapy - So far so good..... doing balancing, step ups, and working on control of my quad muscle.
Walking - not normal yet, but getting better.
Bike - I am allowed to ride a stationary bike for 10 minutes.... and I can pedal pretty fast.
High Heels - Not yet!!!
Bending - 135 degrees
Full extension - YES!
Bruising - GONE!
Normal Household Duties - I am back to normal, and not getting tired standing on my leg.
Stairs - I am starting to take each stair with only one foot.
Sleeping - I still cannot curl up like I would like, but I am sleeping much easier.
Scar - It is healing quite nicely... using vitamin E!
Swelling - There is still some swelling and I am taking Alleve each day.
Physical Therapy - So far so good..... doing balancing, step ups, and working on control of my quad muscle.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Friday the 13th!
I went to physical therapy yesterday (Jan 12, 2006). It was my 3rd appointment and it went very well. I got my knee to bend 125 degrees. And... I rode the bike again. I am still not walking with my normal gait, and we worked on that quite a bit. I actually feel like all that work paid off because I feel like I am walking better today.
The hardest exercise thus far is the heel slides. It is like doing extreme stretching. You think that there is no way that you can bring your heel any closer to your butt, and then you do.... ouch!! I have been using a martial arts belt under my foot so that when I do not think I can bend my knee any further, I pull the belt a little, very gently, to bring my heel closer, and thus bending my knee more.
My scar: Since I had a hamstring graft, I have an incision under and to the inside of my knee.... The incision is heeling quite nicely, and I am using the vitamin E for the scars.... but there is a build up of scar tissue under the scar. My physical therapist said to just massage the scar to start to break up the scar tissue.... so I have and I think it is starting to break it down.
The hardest exercise thus far is the heel slides. It is like doing extreme stretching. You think that there is no way that you can bring your heel any closer to your butt, and then you do.... ouch!! I have been using a martial arts belt under my foot so that when I do not think I can bend my knee any further, I pull the belt a little, very gently, to bring my heel closer, and thus bending my knee more.
My scar: Since I had a hamstring graft, I have an incision under and to the inside of my knee.... The incision is heeling quite nicely, and I am using the vitamin E for the scars.... but there is a build up of scar tissue under the scar. My physical therapist said to just massage the scar to start to break up the scar tissue.... so I have and I think it is starting to break it down.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
January 10, 2006 - Second Day of Physical Therapy
I have been doing my "homework" from physical therapy each day... well, except Sunday because my leg felt really tight and I did not want to hurt anything.
I am still icing my knee every night, and remember the bruises that I had on my leg as a result of the surgery, well, they are a faint yellowish - green now.... almost gone!!
My scar is healing nicely and I am starting to put vitamin E on my scars a couple times a day so they go away as much as possible. My leg even looked nice enough to wear shorts today (it was 52 degrees today) out to physical therapy!!
Okay.... so my second physical therapy appointment..... I started warming up my leg on one of those air fan stationary bikes.... since I was not sure if my leg would bend enough to make it all the way around, I was able to work the pedals back and forth to stretch out my leg, and about 6 minutes of rocking, and guess what? you got it.... I made it all the way around and actually rode the stationary bike for another 5 minutes.... it was soooooo slow.... and my therapist said that I am not ready to ride my bike at home yet..... yes, I have clipless pedals on my road bike on a trainer in my house.... but getting into the clipless pedals is not trivial, and even though I already put the shoes in the pedals, and figured that I would slip my foot in and out.... my therapist said that I was not ready yet.
After the bike, I proceeded to do exercises to help with my extension... pushing my knee down and flexing my quad... after these exercises, I was at FULL EXTENSION! Then we went on to work on my flexion. I started at 114 degrees, and by the end of the day, I ended at 120 degrees. The heel slides are the killers.... nothing really hurt, but it felt like you were stretching a rubber band to its limit and then more. It feels like at some point it is going to snap... but it never does. The exercises were tougher today than the first time, but I never got to the point were I felt like I could not do it.
The other thing that I am starting to realize is that I will have good days and bad days... so I may have a really good workout and feel great, and then the next day be a bit tired and sore. My physical therapist said that this is normal, and just to expect it.
Also, since I went back to work, I am exhausted by 9:30 at night.... I can not find a totally comfortable position sitting or standing for a long time, so it seems like I am constantly shifting around, or if I get engrossed and forget to move around, then I am a bit still and slow to move.
I would say that overall, I am doing pretty well, and I am happy with my progress...oh.... I am not walking normally yet, but another week and I should be.
I am still icing my knee every night, and remember the bruises that I had on my leg as a result of the surgery, well, they are a faint yellowish - green now.... almost gone!!
My scar is healing nicely and I am starting to put vitamin E on my scars a couple times a day so they go away as much as possible. My leg even looked nice enough to wear shorts today (it was 52 degrees today) out to physical therapy!!
Okay.... so my second physical therapy appointment..... I started warming up my leg on one of those air fan stationary bikes.... since I was not sure if my leg would bend enough to make it all the way around, I was able to work the pedals back and forth to stretch out my leg, and about 6 minutes of rocking, and guess what? you got it.... I made it all the way around and actually rode the stationary bike for another 5 minutes.... it was soooooo slow.... and my therapist said that I am not ready to ride my bike at home yet..... yes, I have clipless pedals on my road bike on a trainer in my house.... but getting into the clipless pedals is not trivial, and even though I already put the shoes in the pedals, and figured that I would slip my foot in and out.... my therapist said that I was not ready yet.
After the bike, I proceeded to do exercises to help with my extension... pushing my knee down and flexing my quad... after these exercises, I was at FULL EXTENSION! Then we went on to work on my flexion. I started at 114 degrees, and by the end of the day, I ended at 120 degrees. The heel slides are the killers.... nothing really hurt, but it felt like you were stretching a rubber band to its limit and then more. It feels like at some point it is going to snap... but it never does. The exercises were tougher today than the first time, but I never got to the point were I felt like I could not do it.
The other thing that I am starting to realize is that I will have good days and bad days... so I may have a really good workout and feel great, and then the next day be a bit tired and sore. My physical therapist said that this is normal, and just to expect it.
Also, since I went back to work, I am exhausted by 9:30 at night.... I can not find a totally comfortable position sitting or standing for a long time, so it seems like I am constantly shifting around, or if I get engrossed and forget to move around, then I am a bit still and slow to move.
I would say that overall, I am doing pretty well, and I am happy with my progress...oh.... I am not walking normally yet, but another week and I should be.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
January 8, 2006 - Still getting stronger!
So it has been a couple of days since my first physical therapy appointment, and I have been doing my "homework". My of the exercises that I am doing at home are focused on bending my knee. I have noticed that I have regressed a bit in my full extension, so I am trying to work on that as well.
This is my 4th day without the brace, and I have no feeling of insecurity with my leg. I am having to relearn how to walk... Heel, toe, heel, toe....straight, bend, straight, bend. Also, I am still walking up and down stairs using one stair at a time. I am taking showers with no sitting.... oh, it feels so good!!
And sleeping.... I cannot just move my leg around under the covers they way I used to, but I am able to get in a comfortable position, and slowing move to another position.
The other day, I went to do some errands, and I was on my feet for about an hour, and I was exhausted when I got home. My leg just gets tired. I cannot stand in the kitchen and make dinner. I still need help.... it is just the time on my feet.
I am still icing my knee every day after I do my exercises to keep the swelling down.
Oh, and for those Martina Hingis fans..... can you believe she made it to the semi's of her first tournament back? Her next matchup is Justine Henine-Hardane..... go Hingis!!!
This is my 4th day without the brace, and I have no feeling of insecurity with my leg. I am having to relearn how to walk... Heel, toe, heel, toe....straight, bend, straight, bend. Also, I am still walking up and down stairs using one stair at a time. I am taking showers with no sitting.... oh, it feels so good!!
And sleeping.... I cannot just move my leg around under the covers they way I used to, but I am able to get in a comfortable position, and slowing move to another position.
The other day, I went to do some errands, and I was on my feet for about an hour, and I was exhausted when I got home. My leg just gets tired. I cannot stand in the kitchen and make dinner. I still need help.... it is just the time on my feet.
I am still icing my knee every day after I do my exercises to keep the swelling down.
Oh, and for those Martina Hingis fans..... can you believe she made it to the semi's of her first tournament back? Her next matchup is Justine Henine-Hardane..... go Hingis!!!
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Physical Therapy - Day 1
4 January 2006
I went to my first physical therapy appointment today, and guess what.... NO MORE BRACE!!!
My therapist said that my muscles are strong enough to support my knee and I can "burn the brace!"
She evaluated my extension and flexibility, as well as my swelling, and the strength of the ACL.... I am almost at full extension.... like a millimeter away from full extension. In terms of flexibility, I started out at being able to bend my knee to 85 degrees, and by the end of the session, I was up to 90 degrees. I still have a little swelling under the knee and less on top of the knee.
Then..... the test for the ACL ..... she tried to pull my lower leg away from my knee... it sounds painful.... but it really wasn't.... and the ACL would not give way. GOOD NEWS.... the surgery worked!!!!!
She said that all of the exercises I have been doing in the last two weeks really paid off, plus probably my original fit condition attributed a bit too. Anyhow, it looks like I am a bit ahead of schedule.
I am scheduled for 2x per week of physical therapy instead of 3x per week (the normal amount to start) I think mostly because of my progress that I have made in the last 2 weeks.... I have exercises that I will do on my off days of physical therapy....
NOTE TO SELF - Don't forget about the upper body and abs when doing the exercises at home!
Oh.... some people I talked to who have gone through this have said that the physical therapy is painful... I did not find it at all... sometimes it felt like things were being stretched in my knee, but I would not use the word painful.
All in all... this was a great day..... still, no high heels yet... my therapist just laughed at me.
I went to my first physical therapy appointment today, and guess what.... NO MORE BRACE!!!
My therapist said that my muscles are strong enough to support my knee and I can "burn the brace!"
She evaluated my extension and flexibility, as well as my swelling, and the strength of the ACL.... I am almost at full extension.... like a millimeter away from full extension. In terms of flexibility, I started out at being able to bend my knee to 85 degrees, and by the end of the session, I was up to 90 degrees. I still have a little swelling under the knee and less on top of the knee.
Then..... the test for the ACL ..... she tried to pull my lower leg away from my knee... it sounds painful.... but it really wasn't.... and the ACL would not give way. GOOD NEWS.... the surgery worked!!!!!
She said that all of the exercises I have been doing in the last two weeks really paid off, plus probably my original fit condition attributed a bit too. Anyhow, it looks like I am a bit ahead of schedule.
I am scheduled for 2x per week of physical therapy instead of 3x per week (the normal amount to start) I think mostly because of my progress that I have made in the last 2 weeks.... I have exercises that I will do on my off days of physical therapy....
NOTE TO SELF - Don't forget about the upper body and abs when doing the exercises at home!
Oh.... some people I talked to who have gone through this have said that the physical therapy is painful... I did not find it at all... sometimes it felt like things were being stretched in my knee, but I would not use the word painful.
All in all... this was a great day..... still, no high heels yet... my therapist just laughed at me.
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