Look What I Can Do!

For the past three days, I've been forcing myself to walk up our stairs leading with my right foot.  I have not been climbing the stairs foot-over-foot, but have pulled the other foot onto the step before stepping up with the other foot....if that makes sense.  This morning as I climbed the stairs, I started out that way on the first step: lift my right (surgery) leg, then bring up the left foot so that both feet are on the same step.  Then I stopped myself and said, "Self, you need to up your game.  See what will happen if you don't stop on the step, but just keep going."  Self gave a little shudder and then, whoa!  It worked!  I yelled out to Stan to come see what I could do.  I walked up the whole staircase, foot over foot.  That is a milestone, folks!  I haven't been able to do that for years due to the sad and bad shape of my right knee, but today, I rejoined the world of people who can walk up the stairs!

With that exciting accomplishment behind me, I went to physical therapy figuring I could do anything, and while I can't, of course, do "anything," I did do everything my therapist asked me to do, up to and including pressing 90 pounds with my legs.  And, since it's all about the numbers, I am happy to say that I'm still 0 extension and now 110 flexibility.  Just 10 more degrees and I'll be at the goal of 120!  That all sounds wonderful, right?  Yes, of course it is, but everything comes at a price, and the price I paid for doing all this is that every single muscle, joint, and bone in my right leg aches!  If I hobble across the floor clutching furniture as I make my way slowly, it's for that reason.  Where have these muscles been all my life?  Here they are hurting, and I didn't even know I had them!  But it's all for the good, and I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning...maybe.

It was well past our usual lunchtime once we got home, so we had lunch, and then, I'll be honest, I collapsed on the couch and there I stayed for the next 1 1/2 hours.  Mostly I read, I closed my eyes but never went to sleep, and then before I knew it, Stan was leaving to go pick up one of the granddaughters.  While he was gone, I did lots of dinner prep and put everything in the refrigerator, then read again until he got home, I cooked, and we ate.  And that, as you should know by now, was it for the day.  Our evenings are usually the same, and although boring I'm sure by the standards of many, our quiet evenings suit us.  Besides, I wasn't going to do anything that involved being on my feet!