Wow, rehab is slow as heck. I think I'm making snail like progress though. The knee feels a tiny bit more flexible than it did a week ago. I'm up to 15 minutes on the bike trainer now, and adding an additional minute every day as instructed. It still feels pretty stiff though. And Mr. Pain is still in the house. My short term goal is to able to drive again by the beginning of next week. The way it feels now, I'm not really confident that will happen, but I'm setting it as a goal nonetheless. People are right when they say a huge part of this rehab is mental. I've had mood swings galore. One minute I'm super depressed and feeling like mondo crapola, and the next I'm far more upbeat than I should be for a temporary gimp. Gotta stay positive!
I found one of the better outlines of the whole microfracture process here today. It covers types of cartilage, the procedure itself, and rehab. It even has neat pictures so you can play along at home!
2 comments:
Hey James,
I was reading through your blog and wanted to show you the ice packs that I am using to help with my knee. They work great and aren't much of a pain to swap in and out of the freezer. I talked the nurse at the hospital into giving me two of them. They ice the entire knee all the way around and provide compression as well. I pretty much feel no pain when I have one on and they seem to get cold very fast as well. Here is a link:
http://www.betterbraces.com/ViewProducts/DonjoyDuraSoftKneeSleeveandKneeWrap/435.aspx
As for the ups and downs, I am right there with you. I was having a horrible couple of days last Wednesday and Thursday. But, Friday and the weekend were great. Just keep at it. Like you I am back to work quickly. But, I think that might help.
Last, I am not sure if you have trouble sleeping. I did after I had my stitches out and the bandage off. Last night I finally figured out that I need to wear and ace wrap around my knee to compress it. It was my first full night of sleep without waking up since the surgery. That little bit of support really seemed to help alot.
Take care,
Zach
Hey Zach,
Thanks for the brace link, I'll be sure to check it out. Peas alone don't provide a whole lot of compression!
Yeah, I think going back to work does at the very least, help out with the mental aspect of recovery. You're not just sitting around moping and such.
Luckily, I haven't really haven't had much trouble sleeping. I havbe been wearing an ace wrap since my surgery, per my doc's instructions, so maybe that has been helping. It's supposed to come off tomorrow, so we'll see. I might just leave it on until the swelling appears to be gone.
I'll be keeping tabs on your progress.
Take Care,
James O.
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