Nymeria soaks in the bacta tank - (ACL reconstruction and rehab log)

[KB Girl]

That's a quick start, very promising. 

[Paradigm]

I'm so sorry I've been not posting! I feel bad I didn't get to wish you luck before you went into the surgery but I'm so glad you had such a smooth operation and you're already on the road to recovery. 

 

I'm surprised they have you into rehab already but hey, sooner you'll be walking normally again right? 

[Nymeria]

I'm surprised they have you into rehab already but hey, sooner you'll be walking normally again right?

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable, like Yuen, could correct me if I'm wrong. From what I've gathered, if you don't do early ROM work on the knees, they build up scar tissue and get really stiff. The early strength work is to help minimize the amount of quad shutdown and atrophy.

I've been able to reduce my pain pills to 1 every 4 hrs. I'm really not feeling too bad. Most of the pain seems to be from the incisions. I also just barely have enough quad strength to do my straight leg raises, which is an improvement over yesterday.

I still haven't done much weight bearing yet. In a few hours, I can take off the outer dressings, which will let me ice my leg more effectively.

[BigWill722]

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable, like Yuen, could correct me if I'm wrong. From what I've gathered, if you don't do early ROM work on the knees, they build up scar tissue and get really stiff. .

That is exactly why ROM exercises are done early.

[Nymeria]

Ugh. Now I just need to get over my paranoia about tearing the ACL graft. I'm afraid I'll somehow push too hard with my physical therapy.

[cobaltsword]

sorry for being late in updating but the forums have been down for me since thursday

glad to hear the surgery went well ^^ and it's of course very reassuring when the doctor is someone with a lot of experience ^^

hope your recuparation goes well

[obax]

Ugh. Now I just need to get over my paranoia about tearing the ACL graft. I'm afraid I'll somehow push too hard with my physical therapy.

 

I can't really comment from specific experience, but consider that this is not an uncommon injury and so they know what they're doing works. Your physio isn't going to give you exercises for immediately after surgery that'll be risky to the work that was done. Call them up and explain your concerns, in my experience with physios, they're always willing to explain the hows and whys about the exercises they give, and definite dos and don'ts about the doing of them, and they understand as well as anyone that people will be shy about using something that's injured and are good at allaying those fears.

 

Your fear is completely understandable, though, I'd probably feel the same way. It's not easy to trust in the process, but it'll get you there.

[Nymeria]

Just a small progress update:

First 24 hrs after surgery:

-could barely feel muscles for isometric exercises. -Needed a huge assist on the straight leg raises.

-needed 2 pills every 4 hrs for pain

-found any movement pretty painful

-couldn't even imagine weight bearing

Today (slightly over 3 days since surgery)

-good muscle response on iso exercises.

- No problems with unassisted straight leg raises

-1 pain pill every 6 hrs

-only slight pain at incision sites when I move.

-can slowly walk using leg in a brace and a small assist with the crutches.

I'm pretty sure I have full extension and about 80 degrees flexion. Everything seems to be on track. I can't wait until the doctor lets me keep the brace unlocked. Sitting and sleeping in a brace locked to full extension is pretty awkward and uncomfortable.

[Nymeria]

I'm having a minor setback today. I couldn't manage to get comfortable last night while I was trying to sleep. The muscles around my knee feel cramped and slightly pulled. My knee is more swollen today than yesterday, too.

I didn't feel like doing my exercises, but I slogged through them anyway. My ROM isn't as good today (probably from the swelling).

I've heard from any number of people that the rehab process is a lot of taking two steps forward and one step back. I just have to get used to a lot of setbacks.

[artemiscuous]

I'm having a minor setback today. I couldn't manage to get comfortable last night while I was trying to sleep. The muscles around my knee feel cramped and slightly pulled. My knee is more swollen today than yesterday, too.

I didn't feel like doing my exercises, but I slogged through them anyway. My ROM isn't as good today (probably from the swelling).

I've heard from any number of people that the rehab process is a lot of taking two steps forward and one step back. I just have to get used to a lot of setbacks.

 

Have you considered graphing your progress visually? That might help you keep perspective on the overall upward trend. It's hard to measure today's pain objectively, especially if yesterday you know you felt better. 

 

I am sorry to hear you are uncomfortable sleeping - I hope that gets better quickly.

[KB Girl]

x+2-1 = still getting where you want to be I suppose. 

 

How is the walking going?

[Nymeria]

I've decided to just do my PT, stop obsessing about my progress, and try to relax and enjoy the extra reading and video game time. I'm only 5 days post op, and I need to be patient.

I'm still having strange sensations in the femur toward the back of my knee that get worse when I weight bear, but I'm probably just feeling where the graft was screwed into my bone. I am still paranoid, but realistically, nothing could hurt my graft when my knee is locked out in a brace.

Sleeping is still uncomfortable, but I don't really have anything going on during the day that would require me to be well rested. I have my follow up on Friday, so hopefully I'll progress to having my brace unlocked, which should help somewhat with the sleep.

[Nymeria]

I figured out why I'm having weird pain sensations at the back of my knee. The back if my knee is covered in a huge bruise. I did some searching on the net, and it's apparently really common to have blood pooling at the back of your knee and then down your calf after this surgery.

I hate sounding whiny, but I really feel isolated and alone. I'm trapped in some surreal little bubble where my husband and the kids are living their lives around me, but I'm just stuck on the couch watching everything. I feel like an outsider even when I'm surrounded by my own family.

I don't know why I'm handling the injury and recovery so poorly. Each day, it's like I'm counting the hours until the day is over and I can check it off of my recovery days until I can start living my life again. Blah.

[cobaltsword]

i understand that being confined to rest when you're naturally actif is horrible i hate having to sit down and let my gf do eveything, i need to help else i'm going crazy

but i'm sure your kids and husband are doing their best to help you feel better and recuparate you'll get up and running soon enough.

Good thing you looked that up of the blood cloth forming behind your knee, i would be super scared if i'd find that

i send you all the best and will pray to the medecine buddha for you to get better

[Aeryn]

Aw, that sounds miserable. Do you have media and books and stuff to distract yourself with? Like, maybe find a series to work your way through, so you feel like you're doing something, even if it's not particularly productive?

 

Also, don't beat yourself up too much about all this - you're doing the rehab you're supposed to be doing, and that's all you can or should do right now - judging yourself based on your level of activity from when you were uninjured is just going to frustrate you. You are still your awesome self, even when you're forced to channel all that awesomeness into rehabbing your knee.

[artemiscuous]

It's okay to handle it badly. Try not to get upset about the fact that you're upset.

 

That said, I'm really sorry you are feeling this way. It sucks. 

[Elastigirl]

Sorry you are struggling. I don't think you are handling it poorly. You are used to being active and doing stuff. That is a good thing that you are used to being productive and that is your norm. This is just hard. Is there something you feel like doing that you can feel accomplishes stuff- knitting, scrapbooking, reading some non fiction subject you want to study?

[KB Girl]

It's okay to handle it badly. Try not to get upset about the fact that you're upset.

 

That said, I'm really sorry you are feeling this way. It sucks. 

This was well said. So what if you're handling it 'poorly'? 

Sometimes it's completely reasonable. Ticking off the days isn't such a bad plan. As long as you're not yelling/being grumpy at your family then being pissed off or miserable or sad seems pretty reasonable.

[Nymeria]

I'm feeling a bit better today. I'm close enough to 90 degrees flexion, have full extension, and I'm regaining quad control. So I think I should meet all of my benchmarks when I see my doctor on Friday.

I'm just not by nature a very patient person, and all of the people I've heard from with ACL reconstruction have said that the whole process is an exercise in patience.

Hopefully on Friday, I'll be allowed to keep my brace unlocked, which will let me sit at the table for meals and play board games with the kids.

[cobaltsword]

here's my fingers crossed ^^

[obax]

My fingers are crossed too! I feel like that'll go a long way to making it easier to get through everything.

 

artemiscuous said it way better than I ever could, so I won't try.

[Nymeria]

Day 7 post surgery: I can walk (well more like shuffle) across the room without my crutches but with my leg brace locked out, so I guess that's progress.

On the down side, I slept really poorly last night, my knee is a bit more sore than usual, and my flexion ROM is significantly worse than yesterday. Also, I'm feeling mopey again. This whole experience has been a huge emotional roller coaster.

One day at a time.

[cobaltsword]

one day at a time Nym, you're getting there ^^

[Paradigm]

You're doing awesome so far, Nymeria. Like cobalt said, just one day at a time. And you're far more positive than most people would be in this situation!

[KB Girl]

Shuffling is something. How are the kids doing?