Thursday, February 1, 2018

Day 44; six weeks and two days after knee replacement surgery. To say this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do is an understatement.
The physical therapy is both great and horrible. I look forward to using the gym equipment, especially the NuStep to warm up. The stretching is the worst as it is painful.  How would you like to be pushed, pulled & bent in ways your leg just won’t go?  Yes it does hurt like hell.

During week 2 or 3 the PT measured the angle at which my knee could bend.  Based on that she said I could ride the exercise bike. I tried, (yes I tried), backward, forward, oh how hard!  Stuck, wouldn't
bend, just couldn’t get it around.  She said she would help me push it and I screamed NOOOO!!!!  Finally, the next week, determined to do it before I set off on a biz trip I did it.  Had a lot to do with me relaxing.  Luckily you were spared my grunting, “uhhh, gruhh” I muttered each time that leg reached the top of the pedal. Sheer pain, agony is more like it.

Fast forward six weeks and I look forward to the bike as I can do it (10 minutes).  It’s the last thing I do after all the exercises and stretching.  Keep at it Julie.

Yesterday I had a breakthrough at Pilates. Working on my own, feet in straps, after doing some leg work I did what we’d normally do, just came to me instinctively:  inner thigh stretch. Put your index finger in the rings, stretch legs out in “V”, then cross left leg in parallel to floor, foot towards right knee while you lean right -tugging on strap for a stretch.  Was able to bend & do this with right knee.  I smiled to myself & said,” yes Julie, you are back”.

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