Strange, but I’ve sort of measured my life the past couple weeks from the perspective of how my recovery from knee surgery is going. I guess that’s because I haven’t been able to really get out and do too much. It’s something of an undertaking just to go out to dinner or to see a movie, since I’m on crutches. There have been a couple days where I’ve “overdone it” – trying to go too far on my crutches. If you’ve never been unable to use one leg and had to hobble around on crutches, it’s hard work! And very tiring. I know my arm muscles and abdominals have gotten a workout, that’s for sure!
Anyhow, so here’s a quick rundown of milestones.
1/9/2006 – the surgery
1/11/2006 – back to work thanks to telecommuting; took the bandages from the surgery off – wanna see? – and replaced them with gauze and tape from home; took a shower, being careful to cover the knee with clingwrap
1/14/2006 – first attempt to ride our stationary recumbent exercise bike – the attempt failed because my leg was too stiff to go all the way around the pedals
1/15/2006 – tried again on the exercise bike and succeeded with some effort; now able to turn the pedals all the way around (without resistance)
1/17/2006 – visited surgeon’s office for first followup appointment; got stitches removed and replaced with “Steri-Strips”
1/18/2006 – took a shower without clingwrap for the first time; went out to dinner (Taigun) and a movie (“Narnia”) to celebrate the 14th anniversary of when Beth and I met; over-exerted myself hopping around at the movie theater on crutches
1/20/2006 – the first day I didn’t take any Percocet at night – until now the pain was enough at night that it would occasionally wake me up
1/21/2006 – removed Steri-Strips – now there’s nothing covering the surgery wounds; first day I didn’t take any painkillers at all (not even Advil)!; knee was flexible enough to move the seat on the exercise bike forward into a more normal position and ride for quite a while
You’re doing wonderfully well!