Knee Update : 8.2% at 2 Weeks & A Day

It is getting better...

I am now at 2 weeks and a day of ACL post-op surgery... roughly 8.2% of full recovery. The past two weeks seemed to have taken forever.. and I'm really just looking forward to hitting the 1 month mark. It is suppose to be significantly better with each passing week. So far, it's true. Week 2 is definitely better than week 1. But it is still not out of the pain/uncomfortable zone yet. The knee has all sorts of aches and pains and stiffness and swelling and twinges. On one hand, I don't want to move it, but on the other hand, I have to move it often to break scar-tissue and regain my range of motion. Intense physical therapy started this week. And let me tell ya, it is NOT fun, nor therapeutic. I am re-training all the nerves, muscles, tendons on how to move again, breaking down scar-tissue with new scar-tissue forming and then repeat of the cycle until the internals of the leg stabilizes.

I was foam rolling out the muscles and doing ROM (range-of-motion) exercises as early as I could withstand the pain in week 1. But my first PT session clearly demonstrated why PT is required for this sort of thing. My ROM going into my first PT session was at 60 degree angle. The orthopaedic had laid out a very detailed protocol for the PT to follow, and from that, I was already behind the curve. PT said I needed to be at 90 degrees by the end of the week! That's a 30 degree delta I needed to achieve in 4 days! Prior to that.. I had a 4-5 degree change doing exercises on my own.) The first session was not pretty. The PT cranked down on my leg past pain tolerance threshold. End of the session, she had gotten me to 72 degrees bend (though I couldn't keep it at that degree AND my leg was so numb and sore from the session that I couldn't walk.)

Right away, Ryan started working with me and doing our own massage/PT sessions every evening. Ryan is not as nice as the PT. When I scream out in pain, it does not even phase him. All in all, my life is mainly consumed with rehab - icing and elevating the leg every hour, throwing in foam rolling/massage/stretching as often as I can (usually prior to icing), PT sessions 3x/week for this first month post-op, and then my own exercises every morning/night, along with Ryan's version of PT. Emilia has joined in on the fun and she works on my good leg.

Today was the 3rd PT session...and deadline day. My knee is achy and sore, and twinges of pain are currently radiating at the site of the patella. But.. I DID hit 90 degrees today. Never mind that I can't get it to 90 automatically or even keep it there for long. The week of pain sessions have paid off. I have hit my first recovery milestone by the due date. I have another 2 weeks to hit the next marker, 125 degree ROM plus regain full quad activity and contracted definition. (Right now my quad is like jelloooo).

So..recovery is coming along ssssslowwwly. Brusing and swelling are much better now, and the stitches are off. Check out the gnarly!

All in all... I'm at 8.2%. Only 92% left to go til I can be back to my old self...