Today was my last at-home physical therapy. I have to say I thought I would be much better by this point in time. I really expected to be back to almost normal in a month. This may seem unrealistic but considering my fitness level and background, I just expected to heal much faster.
So this is my reality: I still spend most of my time sitting with my feet up..not above my heart, but level with my hips. (I have had very little swelling. If I had more, then I would be long down with my feet above my heart.) I can manage about 90 minutes up and about, and then I am quite tired and need to rest and apply ice.
I can't bend my knee much beyond 90 degrees without feeling a lot of resistance from my incision, and it is so sensitive to touch that even the sheet laying across it at night is painful. The area where the new joint is in place is mostly numb. The spot on my shin where the computer leads were feels bruised. The spot just below my knee where the IT band inserts feels bruised. I can walk without a limp...as long as I think about every step.
Today my therapist taught me how to "desensitize" my scar..by gently brushing it with the softest fabric I have available. I think I am going to go through the roof as she demonstrates this technique for 2-3 minutes!
And she showed my how to gently massage and move the skin on each side of the scar to loosen up the scar tissue which has developed as a natural part of healing. This process will ensemble the scar to stretch and help me to bend my knee.
I still need a lot of help! I hope my insurance will consent to out-patient physical therapy.
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