So far so good

One crutch? Check.  My physical therapist has me only on one crutch again.  Full time.  Just like it was before surgery, I keep the crutch on the left side that moves along with the right leg.  Sound confusing, but it isn't.  This frees up an arm to do stuff and hold things, giving my more functional mobility than I had even a week ago.  I could try the one crutch before, but my leg wasn't strong enough to handle the weight and movement or steady enough to balance.  The exercises that I have to do everyday for "homework" are working quite well, so I get stronger.  Now I have more tasks to complete during each homework session.  Balancing, lunges, and the previous exercises are added along with the use of an elastic band tied around something sturdy.  Once secured, the band provides resistance as I pull and raise my leg left to right and backwards to forwards.  I use the weight of the leg against me to make it stronger and give it more stamina. 

The lack of energy in my leg is still bothering me.  It just seems that the workouts that I am doing, especially on therapy days, are sapping my leg of everything.  I guess that is good, though, as it means that the workouts are working.  I can't take days off though, because I have to keep a schedule.  No matter how much I want to relax, these workouts only take 20 minutes so they aren't that bad.  Stretching, lifting, isolating the quad muscles, and all the rest of it.  Two weeks ago I could barely lift my leg enough to move it from point a to point be.  Now I can stand freely.

I was able to walk without crutches at all at the therapist's yesterday.  Not a lot, and certainly not with any kind of real pace, but still, I can move without the crutches.  I was told that I can do that in small doses around my apartment however if I want to go outside, I still need the assistance.  I'm cool with that.  I should be off of the last crutch within the next week or so, and then another week or two with the brace by itself.  At that point, I have another appointment with my orthopedist and I should be given some other kind of smaller brace.  But the big news from that should be, if my timeline is correct, is the ability to start driving around again.  They fear that my leg just isn't strong enough to mash down the brake pedal if I have to stop quickly.  I understand this.  The shitty thing that I have had this car for less than 6 months.  When I get back to being strong enough to drive, I'm taking a trip.  I don't care where, all I know is that I am driving there.

SD