Sunday Story…The Knee revisited
I am 31 days out from the knee replacement. The progress
has been anything but linear. There have been days (few, admittedly) when it
works better than ever and other days (less now) when it doesn’t work at all!
Sleep has finally returned but it is still
inconsistent. What has improved greatly is the range of motion. I have just now
begun to be able to do Russian step-ups and squatting past parallel. The
challenge is now in more dynamic movement…fast squats for example. The stretch
reflex from the bottom of the squat is still quite painful.
I still have kept most of the weight bearing off my
right leg, although I have picked up some heavy weights (225# deadlift!) and 2x
88# kettlebells. I will start some lightly loaded leg work next week
in addition to my physical therapy exercises and upper body work. I am just now
shaking off the last of the anesthesia remnants. That was one of the more
surprising side effects…how long it took for that to clear my system.
And even now, 31 days later, my vital energy is still not where it was
pre-surgery.
The other truly odd thing is the numbness
in the knee area. It’s hard to the touch but unfeeling. It was almost as if
that part of my leg was disconnected from the rest of my body. The swelling
continues to abate but it is still very prevalent. The other complaint is how
much fatigue I have after limited effort. It is as if there just are no energy
stores to draw upon.
All in all, though, the recovery is going along very
well. The physical therapist is amazed at the progress, but let’s be honest I
may be more physical than 99.9% of his clients!!
John Mariotti
775-338-2412
