Off Crutches....But I Got Work to Do!

For those interested in the knee status…….

It hurts.  It hurts something fierce.  It pretty much feels the same way it did at mile 18 of the marathon back in Hawaii, which I recall was paired with a pretty ugly grimace.  I came off the crutches a week ago.  I was a little wobbly at first as the leg muscles tried to remember how to walk again but by the next day I was pretty stable.  If I stood for too long it would get to quivering a bit since the muscles were so weak but that didn’t last long.  I didn’t feel much pain in the knee those first two days back as a biped, but the calf muscle and Achilles were really aching as they struggled to make up for the shortcomings elsewhere.

I went for an easy 1000 yard swim the next day and just refrained from pushing off the wall with that leg.  Last weekend I also went for an easy bike ride: 80 minutes at about 16 mph.  That bike ride was the only time I felt no pain.  Therefore, biking equals therapy.

It hurts to walk.  It hurts to stand.  The inside of the knee is painful to the touch.  And I’m not gonna lie…….it’s been pretty discouraging.  But Dr Hasty and Charlie Kresho the PA both said the knee would be irritated for a while and that I need to be patient.  I’ve also read from others online that have had microfracture surgery say that the first 2 weeks of load bearing were miserable.  So, there’s not really much I can do but cowboy up and take ‘er easy.  As long as what I’m experiencing falls within the realm of “normal” I suppose I can deal with that.

I’ve got a good start on a roll of fat around my midsection, and I’ve already retired two pairs of work pants until further notice.  I haven’t seen hair on my legs in years, so the fur is an unfamiliar look for me.  And the knee is a bit swollen and mis-shapen……..but for the sake of functionality I don’t mind most any bit of disfigurement as long as I’m not scaring kids away or nothing.

It’s good to be off crutches though and not have to plan ahead how I’m going to get my soda can from here to there, or how to get a hot baking dish out of the oven with one hand while balancing on one foot.

I guess this is progress in some fashion!