Healing Slowly, But Surely

I've been kind of amazed at the healing process of my knee throughout this past week that I've been off work since the surgery. The first few days were rough. I couldn't bend my knee much, there was a dull ache, and my leg just felt really heavy and weak. I tried hard not to put much weight on it since it didn't feel very stable (I was told in the hospital that I could put some weight on it, but to be careful). At night, it was hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in so I did nap during the day for the first week. So tired! Each day, I have to say, has been better than the last. I've felt a little bit stronger, my knee has ached less and I am slowly, but surely getting more steady on my feet. Alex, my physical therapist, said I cannot ditch the crutches until I can walk with no limp. I'm not there yet, but my "walking" is a little better every day.

When the stitches were removed, adhesive strips were placed over the three incisions around my knee cap. Lesley, Dr. Dye's assistant said to leave them on and they would fall off on their own, probably by Thursday or Friday. Well, they don't seem to be moving much! Here is the latest photo. Knees aren't very pretty up close, are they? So far, I've been pretty happy with the amount of swelling, it's not too bad. This may be due to the drain left in my knee for the day after surgery, or that I have been trying to take it as easy as possible. Who knows? Maybe both. I don't remember a huge amount of swelling last time around, but obviously the fluid build-up in my knee persisted and did not go away on it's own. I hope that is not the case this time around.

I finally found the leg weight I was looking for today! It dawned on me that I had once stopped by a sports medicine shop connected to Saint Francis Medical Center, not far from where I live in San Francisco. I called the shop and it sounded like they had what I needed. I walked in the door and there they were, weights hanging on the wall in bright colors. They are called "Cuff Weights" and each weight option is a different color. The 5 lb version Alex asked me to buy is black. I thought, "Great! I don't have to buy a weird color." I don't know why that mattered to me. Alex will probably tell me I need to purchase a heavier version in a few weeks, probably the baby poop color... sorry Morgan! ; ) Its not about "style," I have to tell myself. It's about finally getting healthy again. Bring on the sweet potato color and egg shell white too!