Geek Habitat

Be sure to compare today’s photos to those taken just 4 days ago. Things have improved dramatically, as you’ll see!

11:40 AM: It’s “Chamber of Commerce weather” outside for the first time in at least a month, and with that my desire to be hiking or taking photos is immeasurable. I’m about to crutch over to the back door and spend some time outside soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful weather as best I can. The stone and wooden deck steps are still my nemesis while I’m on crutches, but there’s just enough room for me to sit in one of our deck chairs without having to navigate any of the steps.

I now have very good natural, as well as “forced” (through exercise), flexibility in the left knee. In fact, I am comfortably writing this while sitting on the edge of the bed with both my knees bent at 90 degrees. Most of my pain and swelling is now localized to the largest incison, directly below my kneecap. Swelling overall has gone down markedly in the past 48 hours — Justin just commented this morning that “it’s finally looking like a knee again!” and I do agree. It’s also feeling more like a knee again, much to my delight.

More later…time to soak up some of the sun’s vitamins!

Check out the photos (just don’t view them over a meal — 1 week post-op knees are ugly!)

• Surgery Day (Feb. 4, 2005)
• Rehab gear — CPM, cryo cuff, knee extender
• First Look @ the Knee (Feb. 7, date of 1st PT appt.)
• Still swollen (Feb. 8 )
• Bruised & Swollen (Feb. 9)
• Bruises yellowing / fading (Feb. 11)

9 PM: My brother and Dad visited me this evening, which is always a pleasure. We watched a family favorite, “Love Actually.” Unfortunately, I have a one-track mind right now — everything revolves around my knee. I find myself massaging, touching, stretching or bending my leg constantly, mindlessly fussing with it. Hopefully, that behavior goes away as soon as the glaring signs of my surgery (bruises and Steri-strips) disappear; it’s already annoying me, and isn’t particularly entertaining for others, I’m sure.

I’m actively trying not to refer to my left knee or leg as my “bad” knee/leg. I had surgery to repair a bad knee, not create one; it’s my “post-op,” “repaired,” or “new” knee, not my “bad knee”! I believe a positive, determined attitude is conducive to dealing with all challenges, including surgery and rehabilitation, and that mental state isn’t helped by labelling something “bad” when it’s simply healing. In short, I don’t want to build a mental crutch that I use long after I’ve moved beyond the physical crutches.