ACL Update: 12+ weeks post-op
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had a follow-up appointment with my orthopedist, Doctor Beim, on Friday. She said that my knee is looking solid and she approved me to run and hike on flat/smooth trails. Well, I gave up running 5 years ago, basically, because my body just couldn’t hack the impact anymore. But, it’s nice to know I have the option. We really don’t have any flat/smooth trails in Crested Butte, and Dr. Beim knows that. So, she suggested hiking up the roads or some of the smoother trails at the ski area and taking the lift down. She said hiking downhill is a bad idea.
At any rate, I guess things are progressing as they should. My quad is still very weak. It will take some time to get that back. I have a feeling this is contributing to some of the poor balance I seem to have on that leg as well. Many of the exercises I am doing for balance I am struggling with. The worst part is that I’m not seeing a lot of improvement in my balance as a whole. But, I know it will eventually improve. I can stand on that leg with decent balance. But it’s some of the other things I can’t do correctly. For instance, my physical therapist has me stepping up onto a platform with a squishy “balance pad” at the top of the step. For some reason this balance pad makes things 100 times more difficult. I can do it easily with my uninjured leg. But I struggle with my injured leg. The other week I struggled so much with it that I fell off the stair!
Alas, these are the trials and tribulations of post-surgery recovery. I’ll move past this plateau eventually! Sometimes it’s frustrating though. I just need to focus my energy on recovering. And that’s the best that I can do!
I have been getting in some good rides on my bike. I’d be riding even more if the weather was a bit better. We have been plagued with a very rainy/cloudy spring. It’s hard to motivate to ride when the roads are wet all the time or there are constantly black clouds in the sky threatening to let loose- probably most likely when I’m well into my ride. I am hoping for some sunny days soon, but they have yet to be in our forecast and really haven’t been in our forecast for nearly a month.
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