Beautiful weather
It is beautiful outside with picture perfect weather. Fall has started and we have dropped out of the hot weather, it is definitely cooler. The temperature is hovering in the low 80's (28 deg. C.), sunny blue skies with low humidity, a day to be outside enjoying the sunshine.
Progress report
It is two weeks since surgery and I am walking around the house for exercise and having in-home rehabilitation. Yesterday we started using weights in rehab and that was it for the rest of the day. I crashed and iced the knee (under instructions) then slept thanks to the pain medication. Oh the pain was bad, this lets me know that I still need to take recovery slowly and I am not there yet. I want to walk, I want to run, but not yet. The pain in my right (surgical) knee is minimal and I can tell the knee is going to be fantastic to walk on when it is totally recovered. There is pain in my left arthritic knee, the normal pain not any stronger than before, and it will be wonderful when this knee is also corrected.
Using a stick
I thought that I knew how to use a walking stick from being on the camino but I didn't. It is a totally different motion when using a stick for an injured leg. Because it is my right knee that is injured the stick must be in my left hand. I am a one stick person on the camino and my stick is always in my right hand. I wondered how much the walking stick helps the knee so I weighed myself, then weighed myself using the stick, and it takes 27 pounds (12 kilos) of weight off the knee, amazing huh. Then it is said that each pound of weight is equal to three pounds of pressure, WOW that is 81 pounds (36 kilos) of pressure. Lets me know that it would be good for my knees if I could get that weight off my body. Hmm.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It's Spring in Oz, such a nice change after our first real winter in several years.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on doing so well! This is wonderful news!
And, yes, it's counter-intuitive about the stick, but it does go on the opposite side, so it takes weight from the injured leg without making you twist and lurch. "DON'T LIMP" was my physiotherapist's constant refrain as I recovered from ankle and knee injuries. Walking straight and evenly is much less stressful to legs and body. That's why I found two hiking poles better than one when I was preparing for the Camino - I could fall into a rhythm, left stick/right leg etc, just like cross country skiing, nice and smooth and energy efficient, with no limping or lurching.
Keep up the good work! I'm so looking forward to hearing about you walking around with no pain at all!
love
Andrée
I guess that I might find two poles better than one on my next camino. I am learning so much about my ankles, knees and hips from having this surgery and working with the physiotherapist.
ReplyDeleteI can tell that it will not be long before I am one of the people who say's, best thing I ever did, when I am asked about knee surgery.