Day 27: Milestone Reached!!

It was on day 27 last time around that I discovered a little blister at the base of my incision. If you look back in the archives you can see the result of that. It set me back 2-3 weeks in my recovery process! So one goal this time was to keep my activity levels lower up to this point. I have felt like I could be moving around and doing more, but for the last 7 days I have made it a point to rest and elevate more than I thought I needed to. 

Today the incision looks good, no redness, no tenderness. Yay! There are still 2 scabs of dermabond, and the tape the nurse applied at the bottom where the dermabond came off at the 2-week mark. But if I press gently along the edges, there is no tenderness like there was when I developed the infection last time.

Progress so far:

• I drove the car around the block yesterday. It felt surprisingly normal. My husband rode along, and at his insistence I made a quick stop to imitate what would happen if someone pulled out in front of me suddenly. So I can now may short trips driving, although I am not in a hurry to do so.
• I can walk up any of our stairs with alternating steps. The front steps are a bit of a challenge, as they are very high, but I can do it!
• Still walking a mile most days, still slowly, but I am less tired at the end.
• Still very tired and crabby at the end of the day..tired of sitting, tired of not bending my knee. At this time, I try to focus on progress made, and relax.
• I can lay on my right side for 10-15 minutes, on my left side with a pillow under my knee for about 5 minutes. It gives my back a little relief.
• I still spend most of the day on the couch, legs either elevated or extended.
• I apply ice after every exercise session..about 1-2 times a day now.
• I can bend my knee comfortably when sitting in a chair.

My goal at this point: back to normal activities by the end of two more weeks.