Week 6 - Progress Report

By this point in my recovery I'm pretty much walking normally and have been out with my dogs for an 8 block walk. My limp is all but gone and I'm going up and down stairs with almost no visible difference than before the surgery. My incision line is all healed except for maybe a one inch spot that still has a hard scab. 

Improvement still needs to be made on the numbness behind my knee and along the incision line but I'm pleased with my improvement thus far. Even if I never improved any further, I would still be able to live a normal life from this point forward. But I am still trying to get the best result. 

And to that end, I began going to physical therapy. This was not offered by the doctor. I had to request it. And I'm glad I did. My insurance plan covers 20 sessions per year. I'll use them as needed, but not more than necessary. It's best to save the others sessions just in case something unexpected happens later in the year that might require PT. No sense in burning them all if I'm feeling good.

If you're like me, and never been to Physical Therapy, here's how it works.  On the first visit you will be assessed. Expect to answer a lot of questions as they devise a plan to best address your needs. They'll inspect your incision line and test your mobility. For me I was still unable to completely straighten my leg and there was still swelling on the side and behind my knee that was preventing me from making a deep knee bend. 

The therapy started with wrapping my leg in a hot blanket for a heat-treatment. It was really hot but it did feel so good. Then there was a lotion message of the entire leg with the therapist sharing some info about scar tissue. I guess it depends on the therapist but the guy I got was a wealth of information and was very willing to share what he knew. That was good for me and made me believe that no PT would have been a big mistake. He also showed me how to message my incision line to reduce the hard scar tissue that had developed.

Then he attached ankle weights and had me do a series of exercises to start the process of restrengthening my leg. Not easy at first, but by now I've been pretty much completely inactive for the past three months. I've also gained about 6 lbs, so getting back to exercising is way overdue.  I'm not someone who loses weight just be starving myself.  I really need to incorporate exercise, and without any exercise, I will not be able to keep myself from gaining weight.

So the good news is that everything continues to work well and I'm passed the point where I'm concerned about any complications. The only lingering issue is the swelling that remains in my calf, knee, and ankle. I keep hearing that it will go away in time, but certainly not fast enough for me.