Day 2: My Routine
Here’s a copy of my routine. I got so fed up trying to juggle all the tasks and schedules I’m now on, that I reviewed all the paperwork I left the hospital with and created a 3-ring binder. The binder now contains all my knee-related information, including a handwritten sheet at the front of the binder that reads:
- Eat & drink plenty of cold water.
- Take 1-2 Vicodin every 4 hours, as needed. Take antibiotic 4 times per day.
- Do at least 10 minutes on the leg extender (”The Box”) with ice (”cryo cuff”). Do not wear the leg immobilizer for this.
- Do ALL exercises:
If doing them 5 times per day (prescribed as a goal by my surgeon), do 3 sets of 10 repetitions each time.
If doing them 3 times per day (the goal set by the hospital’s physical therapist), do 3 sets of 20 repetitions each time.- The Exercises:
- ISO knee extension (quad sets) sit: do without the immobilizer; hold for 6-10 seconds.
- AROM hip flex (SLR) supine: do without the immobilizer; raise leg 6″ off ground
- AROM hip abd sidelying: do while wearing the immobilizer
- AAROM knee flexion: do without the immobilizer; sit in a chair or on the side of the bed to do.
- PROM knee extension: do without the immobilizer; sit in a chair or on the side of the bed to do.
- Ankle Exercises: do 2 sets of 20 repetitions, 4 times a day.
- With “Theraband” (basically a big rubber band) looped over left foot and pulled toward me, press foot down/away.
- With Theraband anchored or held by a partner, pull foot toward face.
- Do the CPM device with ice (”cryo cuff”) for at least 3 hours, 3 times a day (Can be used while I sleep.) Do not wear the leg immobilizer for this. The Goal: 90 degrees of flexion — do not exceed without instruction.
If this looks like the makings of a hectic day, you’re right! I haven’t read a single book I collected during my pre-op nest building phase. 
Status Check: I’m still dealing with a good amount of pain, such that I took my Vicodin at nearly every prescribed time from 5:30 AM, when I ate breakfast, to 8:30 PM after dinner. I did skip my 9:30 AM pain meds, but otherwise I was taking them religiously every 4 hours. Every little movement of the leg just hurt too much, and I kept replaying what my nurse told me as she accompanied Justin and I out to our car when I was released — “Stay on top of your pain meds. You’re going to need them the first couple days; there’s no sense punishing yourself (by missing doses)!” I’m still taking the antibiotic 4 times a day.
My family visited this evening, and unfortunately I had a bout of nausea that had me wondering just how much worse this might get. And just when I thought I was getting over it, I brought it back on myself by getting out of bed and crutching around the house a bit. I guess I got a little ahead of myself. Thankfully, the nausea passed (thanks to one of Mom’s anti-nausea meds, Reglan, which she picked up from home specifically to help me.)
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