Geek Habitat

1:30 PM: After a weekend of torrential rainfall prevented me from walking outdoors, I was a bummed to wake up to still more rain this morning. The rain stopped by the time I hit the road for my PT session, but if you looked one direction the sky was black and ominous, and if you looked the other way there was a hint of blue sky behind the clouds. Typical Texas weather, in other words! By the time I left PT around 10:30 AM, it was downright perfect outside — 68 degrees, light breeze and sunny, blue skies with puffy “fair weather” clouds.

Needless to say, I couldn’t pass the weather up and go straight home, so I got my walking in today. I learned today from Renee that I’ll be in my hinged ACL brace for another two months for normal walking, and for 1 year post-op for all hiking and other uneven terrain. At least I’ll definitely get my money’s worth out of the brace, this way!

I forgot my Garmin Forerunner 201 at home, and wish I’d had it for my walk since I took a different route today and have to approximate my mileage:

• 1 round-trip on the paved nature trail in my parent’s subdivision (1 mile, known)
• 1/4 mile or less walking backwards on a flat and debris-free segment (more challenging than you’d think, but an adjunct to the 3 minutes backwards I do on the elliptical trainer in PT now)
• Walking through the neighborhood (sidewalks and street) back to the opposite entrance of the trail (a little under 3/4 mile)
• Finally, continuing back from trailhead to trailhead back to my parent’s house (.5 mile, known)

Total Distance Walked: 2.5+ miles!

Hopefully, I’ll still have energy to incorporate some time on my rowing machine into my exercises this evening. I definitely feel the PT and walking right now — just muscle soreness, no knee pain (except where I just pulled out a small loop of suture material that’s been irritating my lateral incision.) Speaking of the incisions, the inflamed one over my tibia is looking much better. Airing it out after exercise helps considerably, as does switching to sheer Band-Aids instead of the padded 3M brand.

7 PM: Just finished up twenty minutes (33 rpm, 157 calories burned) on our rowing machine. Justin arrived home while I was rowing, and said, “Now you’re going to be sore!” I told him at least now, my upper body will hurt as well as my lower body! There’s something to be said for balance. All that’s left now are my knee and leg exercises, which will probably be fun now that both legs feel like they have lead anchors attached to them!

I discovered something cool while on the rower this evening — I’m in at least as good cardio shape, if not better, as I was when I was using the rower 3-4 times per week. After such a long absence (over 6 months) from the rowing machine, I should have been achy and winded at around the 10 minute mark, if not sooner, and instead all twenty minutes felt solid. All the stationary bike riding, elliptical training and leg presses in PT have made a difference in my cardio health, not just my muscle strength! I’m going to have to seriously consider a gym membership of some sort after I’m released from PT, so I can continue to use some of this equipment. Getting the rowing machine back in my routine is a good start, though! Both knees ached a bit on the rower, but I suspect it’s from all the other activities today.

My PT regimen has advanced since I last mentioned it. Current activities are:

• 6 minutes on the elliptical trainer — 3 minutes forwards, 3 minutes backwards (also known as “awkwards”)
• Leg presses on the Total Gym for 8 minutes at level 10
• Resistance exercises for my calf, hamstring and quad muscles (using black Theraband): 2 sets of 20 repetitions for each exercise (3 exercises — one sitting on a stool, the rest standing)
• Forward/Normal Steps: 2 sets of 20
• Side Steps (bends only the post-op knee): 2 sets of 15
• Ball (4lb.) toss into a trampoline, while balancing on a semi-circular piece of foam with my post-op leg: 2 sets of 30
• Wall squats w/a ball: 10 repetitions of 10 seconds each
• Supine Hip Flexion: 2 sets of 20 with black Theraband pulled by one of my PTs
• Calf Raises (previously I mistakenly referred to these as Hip Flexion, also): 2 sets of 20
• Lunges on the Slide Board: 2 sets of 15
• I-C-E for 10 minutes!

I’ve been doing this long enough to have developed favorite activities, now: 1.) anything that gets my heart rate up (elliptical trainer and, oddly enough, the Total Gym); 2.) The Ball Toss, simply because it’s fun.

PS: HI, Renee! See you in PT.