6th PT appointment today. It’s funny, within a few days of my ATR, my neighbor was telling me how bad PT was, “They are Physical Terrorists” based on his experience with a knee rehab. I’m not sure if it is because my recovery process is different than his was, or if it is the masochistic athlete side in me that enjoys being pushed, but I really enjoy and look forward to PT. I know deep inside that I believe you can’t progress without being challenged. And compared to running seemingly endless suicides in basketball when I was a kid or pushing through the boot-camp and kick-boxing classes as an adult, PT just doesn’t seem that hard.
Outside of PT, I’m continuing to have limited dorsiflexion as I can only get to -2 degrees. I continue to walk with a heavy limp. This is the case even though I’ve been good at stretching regularly during the day, doing my prescribed exercises, and icing and elevating at night, though I could probably stand to elevate more during the day. It is amazing though, when I go to PT how much extra ROM I get through the massage and stretching. A few times after some stretching tonight I felt like I was actually walking without a limp. That felt great. I think I’m going to try and push myself a little harder these next few days during my stretching exercises. Of course, the thought of rerupture (daveleft, I really feel for you) always seems to be nagging in the back of my mind, and probably makes me a bit timid.
I also got to ride the bike today for the first time. With minimal resistance (set to 5), I had to convince myself to keep my cadence at a reasonable pace, as I had the urge to go for the gusto and hit a sprinter’s pace. It felt great to get blood pumping and my heart rate up. I was allowed 10 minutes today, but it was hard stopping at the beep. I would have loved to stay on for a while longer, but with the massaging, stretching, and other exercises, my legs are pooped tonight, so I’m glad I stopped when I did. I will definitely be hitting the bike at the gym outside of PT now, so I can get that feeling back.
On a completely different note, we have an exciting, and busy weekend ahead of us. Our 12th wedding anniversary is Sunday. I have to work overtime as I was a bit of an ATR newbie during Mother’s Day and wasn’t able to step up for the occasion. Sunday also happens to be my oldest son’s 8th birthday. Drew has a birthday party on Saturday, and we’re all going to a baseball game on Sunday. I’m sure I will be ready for ice and elevation by the end of each day.
All-in-all, I feel that the amount of progress I’ve made over the last few weeks has been amazing. Very good for the soul. I looked at my bad leg this morning, and even thought that the atrophy wasn’t that bad any more. (I’m sure I was still half asleep at the time though) I think back on how slow the time went for the first 2-3 weeks of recovery, and how quickly the past 2-3 weeks have flown by. I also look forward to the joy of driving again (may try a little this weekend if time permits), being able to swim (still have a bit of a scab, so my PT says not yet), and jogging/running/simply going out and having fun with the family. I know those days aren’t too far ahead, and will be here before I know it. I also look forward to crossing the NYC marathon finish line, and am thankful for all you other bloggers out there who have helped with the journey, and will be crossing that line too!
Categories:
