First Physical Therapist appt-3rd day post op.

Yay, I got to leave the house. Me and the wife dropped the kids off then headed to Leonardtown for my PT appt. I might try driving tomowrow, but the wife is still playing chaffeur at the moment. I'm being good and trying not to be a back seat driver ( this time it is literal). I was looking foward to getting the bandages off and seeing what the leg looked like. I also wanted to get an opinion on exactly what I'm allowed to do with the leg. Last night I was using the crutch less and less and wanted to make sure of how much weight it was safe to bare on the knee.

Before I forget let me rant about the receptionist at the PT office. I've heard about women complaining that when they go to certain establishments with a male, they are ignored and the sales person will deal directly with the male. Like if a women takes a car into a garage with her husband. Well I got that today, only reversed. The "good ole girl" (Leonardtown is in St.Marys county BTW) at the desk hands all the paperwork to the wife and gives her the directions on filling them out and when the doc would see me. That would have been fine, I am on crutches and looking rather grungy from not having showered since Friday but she never evan looked at me. Like I wasn't evan there. I didn't say anything, I took our location into consideration. She probly gets alot of couples in there and the guy plays dumb redneck who can barely print his name.

So the bandages come off, everything is kinda swollen but it doesn't really look that bad. I'm expecting alot of bruising. They haven't had time to form yet I guess. Measurements are taken of my extension and flexion. Extension is almost at 0 so thats good. The flexion when I first went in was at 54 degrees and after a few exercies it got up to 64. They didn't do a whole lot and I didn't really expect a lot.

I got on a machine that resembles a leg press where your body is completely horizontal. There was hardly any resistance but it was supposed to get the range of motion (ROM)up. They showed me a foot slide I could do at home which also helped the ROM. Lastly the put electrodes on either side of the knee and ran an electrical current through. This is supposed to somehow help the swelling. They also put a device on the knee which has cold water pumped through it. This felt good as I havent had alot of luck icing it down.

I did learn that I don't have to wear the leg immobilzer at home all the time and I can bare some weight on the leg. That'll make it alot easier just doing simple things. It's a pain always trying to keep the weight off of the leg.

The wife dropped me off at home and headed to work. I had big plans. With my newly discovered info, I was going to try to get into my truck and see if I could manage to drive. First I had to sit down and rest. I hadn't taken any pain killers today and the leg was hurting a little. I try not to take more drugs than I have too. The little rest turned into lunchtime and then a nap. Funny how that happens sometimes. I made it to the truck later and got inside. I had the immobilizer on. This keeps the leg perfectly straight. I slid in from the right side of the truck , keeping the right (bad )leg draped half way across the seat and operate gas and brake with the left foot. I was going to take a short test spin, but after exerting all that energy , it was rest and maybe nap time again.

Ok, its rest time again. I decided a little while ago that I'm not going to save drafts, so I might add to this later.
Ok , I'm back.

Pain finally won out around 6:00. I started back on the percocets.
I took my first full shower since surgery. Doc told me it would be safe after 72 hours but I wrapped a little plastic wrap around the incisions , just in case. On bobs acl board, I've been reading posts from someone who had the same operation and somehow got a staph infection. He's been going through hell. No one is sure how he got it, so I'm not taking chances with anything.

Tommy