4 weeks post injury

It has been 4 weeks since my injury. I have been in physical therapy for 2 weeks. Ryan is my super-nice physical therapist who makes me do painful exercises and doesn't mind all my questions. The exercises are so embarassingly simple....but so painful. The leg just doesn't want to bend. And the pain is now directly over the torn MCL when stressed. The only other pain is from the swelling, which is frustrating. It is an ongoing battle, and ice is my new best friend. Below is my lovely leg brace. I actually had two strangers today make a reference to the "Bionic Woman", so I am chanelling Jamie Sommers. "Gentleman, we CAN rebuild her.......we have the technology..."

I have a love-hate relationship with this brace. I hate how heavy it feels and the fact that it only fits OVER my clothes. But I love it because it gives me the security to walk around and not to have to rely on crutches.



The picture below shows the swelling stage. It is my nemesis. When it swells-no bending.....when you bend it a lot.....it swells. You get the picture. And the level of muscle atrophy is still pretty scary. I have one bird leg. While receiving an ice treatment in PT the other day, Ryan was wrapping the cold sleeve around my knee and he said, "Wow. You know...this doesn't usually fit all the way around anyones leg!" errrr....thanks?

And here I am at three weeks.....this is as far as the leg will flex. And that is as far as she goes.It is right about here that the knee feels as if it will explode right out of the inside of the knee. And.....ouch. But that is about twice as far as 2 weeks prior, so........progress.This by far, the hardest thing I have ever done. This is a horrible, slow-healing injury with very little satisfaction for all the pain and hard work. But I am finally wrapping my brain around the long haul ahead. I am finally seeing it as a goal, all by itself. And I have been busy rearanging
Jackson and Savannahs school curricula so that they can continue with school without interruption during my surgery/and initial recovery phase.

I went to PT today, and I was excited to see that the 70 degrees that I could bend my leg, 2 weeks ago, had turned into 110 degrees today. So, I guess my hard work is paying off!!!!

Nice ride, right?

Cheers!

melissa