Knee Surgery – Forward

Posted by DetectiveEstes in Detective Estes' Corner, Uncategorized      No comments

Apr
6

I’ve been remiss. I noticed my last post on this subject was on March 13. It has now been 76 days since my knee surgery on January 21st. This is the continuing saga of my recovery until return to 100% knee usage.

As stated in other previous posts, one of my reasons for having this surgery was to return to rifle shooting correctly. On March 17 I competed in a high power rifle silhouette match. I won part of that match. My replaced knee did not hurt at all.

I am getting close to the end of therapy. Jorge has set up two more therapies and both he and Liz have measured my range of motion recently. Jorge got my knee to bend at 125 degrees, and this past Thursday Liz got it to bend at 127 degrees. Their goal was to get the bend at 120 degrees! I’m there!! I can also straighten my leg completely out so it is flat, or even if the heel is raised somewhat, I can stretch the leg so it bends backward some. Jorge & Liz are introducing new exercises to regain leg strength to go with the range of motion. Jorge said that the therapy is to bring my range of motion back to 100% or beyond what it was prior to the surgery. He also commented that the strength will have to be worked out by me after therapy ends.

Recently, I noticed that I am having some difficulty and achyness going up stairs, coming down stairs, getting out cars, especially on the driver’s side, squatting & returning to standing, and in general, things that require bending the knee and returning upright.

This evening I went to a viewing of a friend who used to work at the PD and then at the Sheriff Department. I arrived there around 6:20 and left at about 7:30. I stood the entire time I was there. By the time I left, my right knew was nearly to the point of not being able to function. The right knee is the knee which has not been replaced. My left knee, on the other hand, was slightly achy, but only when it was severely bent getting back into my car to go back home.

Another thing that is bothersome is I feel like I’m not quite on balance. I can walk. I can turn. But I am not easily able to walk and turn. For example, to turn my body to enter the car, before surgery I could step on the ball of my foot and turn 90 degrees then step forward into the car, and bring my left foot in afterwards. Now, so far, it’s difficult to get in and out. I have not done the ball of the foot & turn since the surgery. When stepping into the car, my right knee aches. After stepping in with right foot, and sitting (which is now a relatively slow process), I then attempt to drag the left foot in while lifting it up over the floor. This is an achy proposition at this time.

Now, all of this may seem like I’m whining. Not so. This is a blog to all who read so they might know my feelings as I recover from knee surgery. It’s also for myself so when I get my right knee done I’ll already know the facts of recovery and what to expect. I am trying to show that not everything is peaches and roses during the recovery. Even though this surgery has been a great change from a knee which was near useless to be able to do things I wanted to do, it has not been simply a surgery and off I go living happily ever after with no pain. Not quite true, but almost.

I guess this is why Jorge commented that I would be 100% in about 6 months to a year.

The saga continues….