Inch by Inch

As my therapist told me today, the last few degrees are the hardest, and I suppose that's true considering my progress today.  Fortunately my appointment today was before lunch, so after a quiet and relatively short morning which consisted of breakfast, shower, computer time, and thirty minutes of icing and elevating, Stan drove me to physical therapy.  He's still awfully sniffly so I tried to convince him to stay home, but he insisted he'd like to get out a little. 

My therapy sessions progress predictably these days.  My therapist starts with about ten minutes of massage before progressing to "manipulation."  This consists of pressing down hard on my knee which is stretched out straight on the table. Ouch!  After a bit more massage to loosen my muscles, she begins to move my leg up and down, back and forth, bending my knee ever more tightly.  By then it's time to measure my ROM which today was 115.  It had been 113 on Monday and I was hoping for more progress, but oh, well.  At least it was progress, but I'd exercised a lot last night (after writing my blog entry) and thought I'd stretched my kneecap muscles more.  Still, however, it was definitely progress.  Just five more degrees to go!  This all takes the first half of my therapy and, after that, it's several different exercises.  Some are the same (leg lifts, squats, etc.) but there's usually at least one new form of "fun" each time.  Today it was wobbling around on the balance board.  It's not that it's physically demanding, but I really don't enjoy it.  After several more exercises, I finally get to put my leg up and enjoy ice for ten minutes--always a relief!

Stan, who had gone to buy a loaf of bread while I was in therapy, was obviously not up to doing much else, so we went straight home, had lunch, then both napped for an hour and a half.  He was tired because of his cold, and I was, as usual, semi-exhausted by my therapy session.  I'm always somewhat surprised that it tires me so because at the time it doesn't seem that strenuous but I almost always feel like staggering out the door when it's over! 

Still, I have to say that I feel almost normal now.  It's been days since I've even thought about needing to use a cane.  I can climb up and down stairs foot over foot.  I can walk and walk and walk without any discomfort at all.  Aside from PT days, I need no pain medicine except my usual morning aspirin.  Everything is going super well and I'm surprised, delighted, and gratified, all in equal amounts.  Despite being many years older than my previous experience, I think I'm doing better than I was at this point 8 1/2 years ago. Go, me!

So, aside from the mundane of details of weather, dinner, evening, that's it for the day. We're already thinking about an early bedtime!  See you tomorrow...