Monday, August 30, 2010
Pho No
I learned something new today - MSG is bad for my knees and probably my liver. I had the delicious Vietnamese noodle soup, Pho, for the first time in way over a year last night. I was actually unprepared for that hearty and filling soup so I just ate about a quarter of the bowl. All night I could feel my knee in pain and this morning I can't really bend or extend my knee. Awesome, my Physical Therapist will really be happy with me. So let's add MSG to things that are toxic for my knees. No more Pho or Chinese food for a while!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Week Eight Update
(I won't name names, but a friend said he's getting sick of the knee puns, and frankly, I can't come up with a good one for this short update)
Went to see the doc today for my progress check and he gave me A+s for my knee stability, swelling, and flexion (up to 132 degrees!). I just have to work on extension. My damn knee just won't straighten. I asked him about re-starting Pilates and he said: "I don't know much about Pilates, but it doesn't sound like something good." Maybe he read the same newspaper article about how the Pilates backlash has started in Ireland. In any case, I'm just gonna ignore his M.D. and re-start Pilates, albeit slowly.
What I can do:
Also, the incision scars are slowly fading! Not that I really mind - I consider these shoulder and knee scars as little reminders to treat my body better. All in all, I'm quite happy with my progress, but I do need to keep up with PT 2x a week to continue regaining full mobility and strength.
Went to see the doc today for my progress check and he gave me A+s for my knee stability, swelling, and flexion (up to 132 degrees!). I just have to work on extension. My damn knee just won't straighten. I asked him about re-starting Pilates and he said: "I don't know much about Pilates, but it doesn't sound like something good." Maybe he read the same newspaper article about how the Pilates backlash has started in Ireland. In any case, I'm just gonna ignore his M.D. and re-start Pilates, albeit slowly.
What I can do:
- Spinning
- Run up and down stairs (very helpful to catch the subway)
- leave my knee brace at home
- wear heels!
- Pilates (but don't tell my doc)
- cutting sports
- run
- dance
- ninja kicks
Also, the incision scars are slowly fading! Not that I really mind - I consider these shoulder and knee scars as little reminders to treat my body better. All in all, I'm quite happy with my progress, but I do need to keep up with PT 2x a week to continue regaining full mobility and strength.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Guin-knees and Blar-knee in Ireland
I tried to be very diligent with Physical Therapy from weeks 2-5 because I wanted to be extremely mobile for our trip to Ireland. I took my knee brace, exercise sheet, and resistance band so I can do some exercises while on vacation. Well, I wasn't as meticulous as I'd hoped with the exercises and didn't really ice much, but I tried to do as much as I could when I had access to a gym. Otherwise, the knee was fantastic, I hardly used the knee brace!
If I was still on crutches our activities would have
been limited, but I'm happy to report that I was able to climb the steep steps of the Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone...
...the picturesque hills around the seaside town of Dingle...
...and the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, all without much difficulty! It was reassuring to know that we didn't have to limit the amount of walking or our overall activities on the trip just because of the knee. We also did plenty of other fun activities such as exploring the caves in the Dingle Bay via kayak, hanging out on a beach in Achill Island, boating around the Clew Bay, and plenty of Guinness and Murphys in pubs. It was a perfect vacation and I was happy to enjoy it with freedom of movement.
If I was still on crutches our activities would have
been limited, but I'm happy to report that I was able to climb the steep steps of the Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone...
...the picturesque hills around the seaside town of Dingle...
...and the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, all without much difficulty! It was reassuring to know that we didn't have to limit the amount of walking or our overall activities on the trip just because of the knee. We also did plenty of other fun activities such as exploring the caves in the Dingle Bay via kayak, hanging out on a beach in Achill Island, boating around the Clew Bay, and plenty of Guinness and Murphys in pubs. It was a perfect vacation and I was happy to enjoy it with freedom of movement.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Day Twentknee Eight Milestone: 115 Degrees!
Just a quick update on my Physical Therapy progress after exactly 4 weeks post-surgery. Here's what I can finally do:
1. Walk up stairs
2. Use an elliptical machine with zero difficulty
3. Use a stationary bike with some difficulty
4. Bend my knees to 115 degrees
5. Smile and allow myself to recognize that I've made significant progress
Here's what I still can't do:
1. Walk down stairs (I'm like a bear, or worse, a panda)
2. Go outside without my ugly black leg brace
3. Pilates :(
4. Play football or other cutting sports
5. Ninja kicks
Just a sideline comment: I absolutely can't stand Boston area sports, but I've hated on Wes Welker the least. So I have an extra special soft spot for him now that he's off the PUP list after tearing his ACL & MCL last January (with a torn rotator cuff!) and undergoing surgery in February. Obviously he's a world class athlete, but someone I can aspire to if he has rehabbed his knee and shoulder enough to be able to practice in 6 months and play in the season opener in 7 months.
1. Walk up stairs
2. Use an elliptical machine with zero difficulty
3. Use a stationary bike with some difficulty
4. Bend my knees to 115 degrees
5. Smile and allow myself to recognize that I've made significant progress
Here's what I still can't do:
1. Walk down stairs (I'm like a bear, or worse, a panda)
2. Go outside without my ugly black leg brace
3. Pilates :(
4. Play football or other cutting sports
5. Ninja kicks
Just a sideline comment: I absolutely can't stand Boston area sports, but I've hated on Wes Welker the least. So I have an extra special soft spot for him now that he's off the PUP list after tearing his ACL & MCL last January (with a torn rotator cuff!) and undergoing surgery in February. Obviously he's a world class athlete, but someone I can aspire to if he has rehabbed his knee and shoulder enough to be able to practice in 6 months and play in the season opener in 7 months.
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