I am still on crutches but able to move around a bit easier this week. Pain when standing on my surgical leg is less intense relative to a week ago. Changes are incremental and gradual, but moving in a positive direction. I am able to fully extend (straighten my leg), and I can bend it about 50 degrees. Bending the leg is very difficult as there continues to be significant swelling around the knee cap area. Seems that I can move more quickly this week on crutches, and I am placing more weight on the leg and using my arms less to support my weight. I still find it difficult to sit normally in a chair without elevating my leg on a stool or something parallel to my bottom. Since Monday, I have also been in the car as a passenger on two errands. I am most comfortable sitting lengthwise in the back seat such that both of my legs are resting fully on the seat. Sitting in a normal upright position is not comfortable as there is too much pressure and pain around the knee cap area.
On Monday, I visited Dr. Denzin for my first post-operative follow-up. They took xrays of the knee, and everything looked normal. Dr. Denzin seemed pleased that I could fully extend the knee. But he was hoping that I could bend the knee a bit more than I could. He gave me additional prescriptions including one for Physical Therapy (PT). My next follow-up with Dr. Denzin is January 10. Through PT, I hope to show Dr. Denzin on January 10th a 90 degree bend of the knee. I am currently at a 50 degree bend.
One mild concern here is regaining full flexibility of the knee. I would like to obtain 110/120 degree bend in the knee. If I am successful, I may be able to squat like a catcher and catch some balls from my son Eric who is a pitcher. I have not been able to squat like a catcher for 15 years.
One thing mentioned by the physical therapist at the hospital was that some knee replacement patients needed a manipulation procedure if they were unable to gain sufficient flexibility in the knee. Evidently, some patients do not invest in the physical therapy sufficiently to regain flexibility. Consequently, scar tissue forms around the surgical area which restricts movement of the knee. For these patients, a manipulation procedure is performed where they are brought into the hospitial, anesthesized, and the knee is forcibly bent to break through scar tissue. I will work in PT to avoid a manipulation procedure.
I begin PT later this afternoon. I am looking forward to doing the exercises, particulary the ones to improve bending of the knee. I will also do the same exercises at my home gym to accelerate knee flexibility. By January 10, I am hoping that I will have sufficient strength and flexibility of the knee to be able to use the car to drive myself to the next Dr. appointment. That is a goal.
Another milestone was reached today. I took my last shot of Lovenix. I no longer have to do shots, and I am switching to a single 340mg aspirin tablet to thin the blood for prevention of blood clots. For the next month I have to take one aspirin per day, but no more shots. Administering shots to my stomach area each morning for the last 14 days was one of the most revolting things I had to do as part of the recovery process from total knee replacement. I am very relieved to have completed the Lovenix shot regimen.
One of my car errands this past week was to accompany my son Eric to his basebal pitching session in Canton on Tuesday. Eric drove our Ford Escape, and I sat in the back seat with my legs propped up lengthwise across the back seat. I also took my ice bag to keep the knee iced. At the Canton facility, Eric found a couple of chairs, one for me to sit on, and one to prop my leg on. Eric practiced pitching with his trainer, and he also practiced some hitting. It was great to be outside the house watching my son practice. It was also heartwarming to see the concern in my 16 year old son's eyes as he glanced protectively over me sitting on the sidelines.
Seems that most of my day is doing simple tasks, taking pain medication every 4 to 6 hours, and icing the knee. The picture below taken by Chad shows me sitting by the fireplace with the legs elevated on a foot stool, and an ice pack on the right knee.
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