"What Are You Doing This Weekend?"

Would you believe I was asked that question 3 times on Friday?

Given my little "situation," I found that humorous. I guess some people were giving me more credit than I expected...

My focus this weekend was going to be on continuing my exercises. Period. End of story. That's it.

I wanted to be very productive with my time. In fact, I wasn't going to take the weekend off just because it was there...

As of Friday, I've been in Physical Therapy for one week. When I arrived, Kendra got me on a table and I started doing my stretches.

They had someone "observing," so she asked me a lot of questions ("What happened? Were you active before the accident? How much has your life changed?"). This girl was a student at the University of North Texas and was deciding if she wanted to go into therapy.

Oddly enough, after one of my exercises, my knee started bleeding. It was coming out of the left side of the knee - the area where the lateral release was. Kendra asked me if that ever happened before, and I said no. It's still very swollen, so the skin is just very tight around that incision.

I finished up on the bike (2o minutes and I got my cadence/rpm up to 55!), then left. I needed to go to the grocery store, and I wasn't looking forward to it (I was very sore). But, as soon as that task would be over, I could get home and rest on the couch.

Friday afternoon I did one therapy session, then ended up grabbing a nap. I think everything was catching up to me on the week. I was very sore and tired.

I spent Saturday working my tail off on the exercises, and I was able to ride the bike 3 times at 20 minutes each. It gets pretty boring riding the bike - so I play "Tetris" on my iPhone while I'm on it. Ha!

When I wasn't exercising, I was smoking... meats! I smoked two chickens and two racks of ribs. They turned out great - I'll give one of each to my folks. If you know anything about smoking, it takes 3-4 hours for each session.

Sunday was a mirror of Saturday without the smoking. However, I was pretty tired from Saturday's exercises so I only did two therapy sessions.

To me, I believe all of this hard work is starting to pay off. While I am much more comfortable when I'm on the couch, the knee isn't hurting as much when I walk on it. It's still big... but I think I'm starting to develop the muscle mass to support everything.

I have been thinking about this a lot - not going through therapy before, I don't think I had the strength to support myself (or as much strength as I have on my right leg). Thus, the traumatized knee was probably taking all of that weight...

At least that's what my "couch potato" thought process came up with...

This week I start back to work (Wednesday). I plan to work from home Wednesday and Thursday, then go into the office on Friday. My therapy sessions this week are Monday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Oh, and Tuesday I go see Dr. Ramsey. I'm interested to see what progress he thinks I've made in the last two weeks.

So if you're wondering, "What does Regan do all day?" - the answer is "exercise!" It takes me about an hour and a half now to get through a session. Once I'm through, I take about an hour break and then I get into it again.

That's my plan this week... at least Monday and Tuesday. When work starts up, I'll lose that time... Which is why I'm pushing so hard right now to take advantage of what I have while I'm at home.

Changing the Subject...

About a month ago, I shared pics from my Cruise. It was an awesome vacation, and we had a lot of fun. If you missed them, here is a link to the blog: Link

Well, above are the pics from when David and I went snorkeling in Cozumel. Given the heat we're going through in Texas, this is like a tall glass of iced tea!

Enjoy!

Making Progress...

Today was my 3rd Physical Therapy session, and I was really interested to see the progress I've made.

Since Tuesday, I've been a "focused indoor athlete." I went through a combined 6 workouts between Tuesday and Wednesday. That's a lot... especially knowing where I was this time last week!

I rode the bike 4 different times, and was able to get my time up from 10 to 15 minutes in a workout.

So, walking into today's session, I was excited to show Kendra what I've been doing.

Did you notice I said, "Walking?" Yes... I haven't used a crutch since Wednesday. And on that day I used it sparingly. It was weird leaving it at home... but I walked (albeit, very slowly) into the room with an approving Kendra following.

As I went through my exercises, I got a lot of "good job!" and "you're doing awesome!" comments. She increased the difficulty on that meter that is attached to my quad... it was tough but she said I did great.

When it came time to do my favorite exercise (heel slides - and yes, sarcasm!), she brought over the ruler to check my flexibility. On Friday I could only bend it 85 degrees. Today I'm up to 110 degrees... and our goal is to match my other leg, 125 degrees. She was like, "only 15 more to go!"

Kendra also introduced a new exercise - clam shells. I did that prior to the surgery, but I think she held back due to the stitches. Anyway, I lie on my side with my legs bent and together... then I lift the top one. She asked me to do 30 on each side. I did 50. :0

I then did 5 laps walking over the cones... I'm OK on that, but my balance is still off unless I'm concentrating. It's odd trying to learn how to walk straight.

Finally, it was time for the bike. Kendra said, "If you're doing 15, try 16... 17... or 18." Well, I did it for 20 minutes. It was tough, but I really wanted to press forward and see if I could do it.

More impressive, at least to me, was I could only keep the RPM on Tuesday around 25. Today I was able to maintain 45! I'm trucking along!

I go back tomorrow to see Kendra, and then I have 3 sessions next week again. She told me I'm doing fantastic. It's very motivating having someone that encouraging behind you...

So I drove home and I got a wild hair. I've been walking a lot in my house... what about on a straight-away? What is my endurance level... how far can I go? I put on my iPod and decided to try and walk to the end of my street and come back.

That was the goal... but I told myself I would turn back if it felt weird. Well, I made it about 3/4 the way and I was really feeling it. But, if you know me, I'm a bit stubborn. Seeing that the end of the street was just a little bit further, I pushed on but I walked slower.

Anyway, I made it. Down and back. I was very proud of myself.

The human body is amazing... last week at this time I was still using the walker and wasn't too excited about having to stay at my folks house (someone to watch me). I was hooked up to the ice machine still, and I was in a lot of pain.

Today, I walked to the end of my street. I biked 20 minutes... plus an additional 15 when I got home. I underwent two different workouts, and I'm being told everything is going great.

You really don't know what you had until you've lost it. I'm still struggling with pain, swelling, and general weakness. But, I'm finally seeing progress!

I can't wait to see where I am this time next year!

Still a Bit Swollen...

I've been asked quite a bit, "How's it going?" In fact, I get a daily phone call from my mom around 5 asking the same question.

So, here is my knee... in all its glory.

What you're seeing is it side-by-side with my right leg. I wanted to show the comparison.

It's still swollen, but I think it's going down a little bit each day.

You're also seeing 4 of the 5 holes. The 5th hole is just over the outside of my leg (if you see that white-ish mark at the top of the picture, it's just beyond that).

Each hole contains at least one stitch, except the one on the original scar - there are 3 or 4 on that one. Why so many? That's where he had to do cut out the sutures (from what I was told), so he needed to make a larger hole.

Most of my pain is on the outside of the knee. It is very sore to the touch, and has most of the swelling. This is where he had to cut (internally) my kneecap from the outside of my knee. This is also the area that looked like a sausage was stuck under my skin a week ago!

Speaking of, can you believe it's been 2 weeks? It seems like a month! I was still trying to understand/absorb the reality of having a machine attached to me at this time on the 21st. I was wondering how long this would be on me, and if it would impede me going back to work on that next Monday.

Little did I know how bad things would turn...

I appreciate all of the warm and encouraging comments. I think everyone is hoping this is it... this is the surgery/therapy that finally fixes this problem. I know I do...

As my cousin Lori says, "We gotta believe!" So, I'm believing it!

Believe with me!

More Physical Therapy...

Today was my 2nd PT session since the surgery. Had I not had the complications, this would have been my 4th.

Going into it, I wasn't exactly sure what Kendra's feedback would be. I've been feeling very sore lately. However, I've been working my tail off trying to regain everything that I've lost.

As you know, Kendra assigned me homework. One thing I learned is that PT is not just when you go to your session. It's "all the time." She told me before that this is my full-time job right now. Well... that's just about right.

The sessions are for her to see if I'm progressing, and what needs to be adjusted. The real work is what I do on my own between the sessions. This means I typically have a workout in the morning and two workouts in the afternoon.

So if I just educated you on what physical therapy is all about, then I figured I need to explain what the "routine" is really like.

A session typically goes like this:

I get up on the table and Kendra does a quick inquiry as to how things are going, any problems I'm encountering, and asking what my pain level is like. She also asks me to unwrap the leg so she can see the knee and how it's healing.

Physical Therapy, at least what I'm going through, is a lot of stretching. It's terrible and awesome all wrapped up together - terribly painful but it makes me feel so good.

The first stretch is called "Bridging." This is the one where I lie on my back with my heel resting on this foam "thing" for 10 minutes. It's supposed to stretch/align my muscles via gravity. By minute 7, it's really painful.

I next go through 3 sets of hamstring stretches where I push my knee down for 30 seconds and lean forward. That feels really good.

The other stretch I do is gastroc stretches - I'm given a dog leash and wrap it around my foot. I then lean forward and pull. 3 sets at 30 seconds each.

Then Kendra hooks up these electrodes to the top of my quad, which are hooked up to this electronic device. She sets it up where I have to flex for 5 seconds/relax for 3 seconds... and when I'm flexing this digital bar goes up. My goal is to try and keep it at a high level in the green. I do 45 reps, but when I'm home I don't have the machine so I just have to time it for 5 minutes.

Next comes the leg raises. Lying on my back, and with the device still hooked up to my leg, I have 45 reps where I'm lifting for 5 seconds/relaxing for 3. Again, I'm watching that meter to keep it flexed above a certain level. Today, Kendra commented that I'm doing a really good job and that she can tell I've been working hard at home.

Heel slides (see picture above) are next. I can't tell you how much I hate these. They hurt like a mutha. For 5 minutes, I'm pulling with the dog leash my heel as far as I can... holding for 3 seconds... and then pushing it back. Once it's stretched back flat, I have to flex my quad/lock the knee... then repeat. Seriously... these are the worst!

My next exercise is "cone walking." This is where I walk over little cones to train my leg to pick up my foot from the toe and land back on the heel... then lock the knee. After two laps with one crutch, Kendra came over and said, "Let me see that crutch." Once I gave it to her, she then said, "OK... let's see how it goes without the crutch."

Well, this was pretty dang awkward. I started walking with my hands out to maintain my balance. She said that was normal and that I need to learn how to adjust... so whatever helps me is fine. I went down and back twice and she said, "I want you to try and not use a crutch while you're in your home... but you should use it when you're out and about."

So, that's pretty good news I think. I don't think she'd push me more than what I can handle, and she must see that I'm progressing enough to get to this point. Amazing to think that less than a week ago I was struggling just to hang onto my walker.

Kendra then told me to follow her and we headed to the bike. This was a big moment - I really was interested to see what the "rotation" would feel like.

She wanted me to ride for 10 minutes... if you remember, prior to the surgery I could only go about 8 minutes and I was in a lot of pain. PRIOR TO SURGERY...

My first few cycles weren't very good... it locked on the first time around. Not a good sign. We then made a few adjustments, and I was then able to go around (very slowly) without it locking/stopping.

Kendra assured me that the goal for today was not speed (thank goodness!) but rotation. She wanted me to get the feel of going round and round. Well, my cadence was extremely slow... about 25 RPM. That's insanely slow, but I was just glad to be doing something... you know?

Anyway, I made it 10 minutes and the knee wasn't killing me. That really made my day. After I got off the bike, I was finished. I go back on Thursday.

My "homework" is to do two more workout sessions this afternoon and ride the bike once more tonight (I have a stationary in my house that belongs to my parents).

Anyhoo... there you go. That's what PT is all about.

Cleaning...

Last week, when my sister came to help out, she took on the "Martha Stewart" role.

Within a few minutes of arriving (after a long drive up from Houston), she started cleaning.

At first, I thought she was just doing my laundry and picking up the kitchen.

However, after a while, I noticed she had turned into a cleaning machine!

While maintaining my post on the couch, I watched in amazement as she cleaned the kitchen (countertops, sink, dishes, floor, appliances, etc.), dining room (dusting, baseboards, etc.), bedrooms, and living room.

She wiped down all of my baseboards, mopped the floors, ran the dishwasher, cleaned the bathrooms, and probably did (I think) 5 loads of laundry. She also vacuumed every room. It was a sight to see!

This all took place during the course of 2 days...

Both she and my Mom said "You need a woman in your life!" Ha! I'm not really a pig. I guess I just don't notice things since I have a housekeeper that comes once a month. Seems clean to me...

Rachel left saying she's going to remind me of things I need to tell Karen (housekeeper) to clean each month. Basically, giving her a little extra something to do each month.

So because the house looked so great, I decided to take advantage of me "sitting around" and scheduled for Dalworth to come out and clean my carpets and tile.

I used them last year, and the same guy (James) showed up today. He's really nice and extremely humble. One thing I like about him is he seems to really take pride in his job.

For the past 4 hours, I confined myself to my bedroom while James cleaned everything. When he finished, I was really impressed. The carpets look fantastic, but I'm floored (pun!) by the job he did on my tile. I've never had my tile/grout cleaned... it's a huge difference!

The carpets are still wet, so I'm just staying in my bedroom. Lord knows I don't want to slip on that tile from a wet foot! Probably will be "dryer" in a few hours.

Anyway, if you've been putting it off, look into getting your floors done. It's totally worth it! Dalworth had a deal for 25% off tile work and 4 rooms for $99 (carpet) - I'd bet other companies in your area would be running similar specials.

My Weekend...

Joel dropped me off at my house on Friday around 3, and I immediately took up residence on the couch. This would pretty much be my routine for most of the weekend.

I went through another therapy session (homework), and then grabbed a nap before Jason showed up to keep me company that evening. We watched Defiance (very good) and ordered a pizza.

Before he left, I had Jason fix up my ice machine and move it to my bedroom. I have decided to just keep it in there for the nights and I'd ice my knee with ice packs during the day.

Saturday I got up and decided it was time to start getting into a "routine" again. So, I made coffee and went out to get my paper. I realized I'm a very slow mover... normally I have enough time to come back in and read a section before the coffee is ready. By the time I made it back into the house, I heard the cofee finishing up. Oh well...

After eating a light breakfast, I started my workout. I went through the full session, which takes about an hour, because I wanted to finish it up before my parents arrived. It's hard to explain it... it's not difficult because it's strenuous, but it's difficult because it's painful. I just keep telling myself that the more I do this, the further along I'll be in my recovery.

Next, I hit the shower. This would be a different one than the previous showers - I was given permission to clean up without having the trash bag duct taped to my leg! You have no idea how great of a relief that is!

My knee is still very sore to the touch, but it felt good to get it cleaned up. The nurse did a good job, but I still would rather take care of that on my own.

Mom and Joel showed up and we went to lunch here in town. I had never been to Amelia's, and they had excellent Mexican food. I think it was a winner in their books, too.

They dropped me back home and I got back into my comfortable clothes and went through another session. This time I took longer with it... meaning, breaks in between the exercises. Which, of course, led to another nap after I finished up.

My cousin Lori called and we caught up (Finally!) on the events of our lives over the past two months. I haven't seen her or my other relatives in Beaumont since Thanksgiving 2008, so I'm planning a trip again this year.

Oh yeah, Saturday was my first "let's try and not take the pain pills" day. I made it through the day taking Tylenol every 4 hours. Again, trying to get my "normal" life back.

Last night I reheated leftover pizza and watched some shows, then headed to bed around 11. I also wanted to try something else out - no ice machine. You see, for the past 10+ days I've had to sleep hooked up to that machine. It's extremely uncomfortable, and I have to sleep on my back and the opposite side of the bed.

So I moved to my "normal" side, took a pain pill (figured it would help), and off to La-La-Land I went. It was an interesting night. I could feel the heat coming from my knee - it's like when you have a sunburn and you can feel your skin pumping heat out.

I figured if it got too bad, then I'd go hook up the machine. Anyhoo, it was fine. I did get a pretty restful night of sleep, though. I even slept on my stomach!

This morning was similar to Saturday - coffee, paper, breakfast, and therapy. Chandra showed up and I showed her my scary pictures (from the camera that went inside my knee during the surgery). Of course, she was grossed out and we had to flip them over after we were done. Ha!

She had come to visit because I wanted to get out. We went to lunch (Mexican - always good!) and then I wanted to go shoe shopping. If I'm going to start therapy and working out again, I wanted some new shoes...

I knew exactly what I wanted - one of three different options of shoes from Asics - so we went to DSW. They had one of them, but not my size. Next we went to Dick's Sporting Goods, and I actually found my number one choice.

Once purchased, I was pretty much done. My knee had seen enough of the "real world" for the day, and we headed home.

After Chandra left, I've rested and gone through another therapy session. I thought I would get a nap, but it got too late in the day. I've since made dinner and now I'm back on the couch (of course).

I'm still feeling a lot of pain, but not as much. My knee is still swollen, but not as much. But most importantly, my spirit is still heading in the right direction. I have a good attitude about all of this, and I see "normalcy" returning in the near future.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement...