41°f this morning, only warming to 64°. Frost expected in some areas tonight.
And indeed there was frost on the truck this morning, which melted off quickly. So cooler weather seems to be here to stay, at least for the coming week.
Slogging on here, not much fun stuff to report. The physical therapy yesterday and today like to killed me and I see no improvement in the future on that score. I think PT really stands for Physical Torture. Especially when you have some young, bright thing who obviously has never sustained more than a scratch in her life, assuring you it won't be that bad. This granny wanted to tell her, oh yes it is that bad!
So apparently they want you to be able to lay your knee flat against a table, and my knee has not done that in years. I have 7° to go, whatever that means. And then there is the other measure of how far back your knee will bend: they expect 70-90° a week out of surgery, and I am at 75%. So I have a ways to go to get to their goal of 110%. Meanwhile, lots of pain, lots of PT, and lots more pain. Why did I sign up for this? Trying to remember!
Still, I am getting around pretty well, and will probably give up the walker for a cane next week. Thinking I want a 4-legged cane though, for stability. Which of course I don't have yet.
I also don't have the right pants for PT. They are using this machine like a TENS Unit, but much much bigger, that sends electric pulses to certain muscles. Like getting many mini shocks at one time. The electrodes attach way up my thigh...and my pants were too tight. So I told the tech to just cut them up the seam. She was hesitant but did it. Those pants weren't much good anyway. Got home and on Amazon to order stretchy jersey shorts.
There are so many unexpected expenses like that. I thought there would be, but there are many I did not expect or even think about. Learning as I go.
I have heard that the beginning PT is very painful, but it's worth it for a better recovery. Wishing you strength as you work your way through these early weeks.
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely in the no-fun stage right now but be patient. Or as patient as a patient can be during the Physical Torture part of your recovery. It will get better and I think you're doing very well so far. (I hated the sweet young things that put me through it too and so did Judy.) The wife of my chiropracter nephew used the time-worn expression with me: Motion is Lotion. But it's true. I'm sympathizing as well as I can.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am taking many things for granted far too long...seriously though knee against the table is one of the easiest thing ever...my husband says that he can't (not even as a kid) touch his feet standing upright.
ReplyDeleteI guess PT will eventually help though now sounds quite painful.
Physical Torture... I am so sorry, have been there, too. It WILL get better.
ReplyDeleteYou signed up because you know it´ll be worth it. I still cannot do all the things like before but I am MUCH better.
Oh, boy, the shocks-thing I went through once. Not nice!
But! Nice we can get this help...
I was young and spent my pocket money on pain killers.
Sending hugs to you. Just imagine this happened a hundred years ago or such... we´d been lost. Doomed, whatever.
To strength! And maybe some good food and a nice hot cuppa of tea or chocolate?
...move it or lose it.
ReplyDeleteQuietly taking notes in the back ground here. Yesterday, my knee was pretty awful. The last time I saw the doctor, he said, "You're not quite ready for surgery yet, but you are nearly bone on bone." He assured me that when it happened, I'd know it. I think I'm there.
ReplyDeleteHere's to you for staying the course, and going through the effort which might be a bit of "sweat and tears" I'm afraid. But I've never really done things that hurt bad. I do work on PT exercises still at home...not as religiously as I should probably. You have the benefit of meeting your goals and then you can stop PT and just walk normally again...soon!
ReplyDeleteSorry you've been having a tough time. Everyone I know who has had a knee replacement talked about how difficult the first post-op months are, but it's one thing to know that and quite another thing to live it. Especially for someone as active as you are. I hope it gets a bit easier very soon!
ReplyDeleteGolly, I don't think my knees could do that, and my therapist told me that I am still somewhat flexible. I have been shorts to physio, but I had to wear joggers over top this week.
ReplyDelete