Dec 26, 2014 - 7 weeks after surgery

7 weeks after surgery and I am now doing yoga and spin class. YAY! I have done two yoga classes and one spin class. I would say that I am able to do about 30-40% of yoga. I didn't try to do any of the standing poses that would put pressure on my knee. As for spin class, I mainly used it for companionship on the bike and to keep me going for 60 minutes. Its really hard to stay on the bike in a gym or at home for more than 30 minutes.

Walking - I am still stiff in the morning and when I sit for long periods of time, which results in limping, but generally, I am walking normally.

Biking - Like I said, I am riding for 60 minutes, but not standing up in the pedals or putting on big resistance.

High Heels - Same - I am wearing occasionally a 1.5 inch heel.

Range of Motion - I have full extension and am almost at heel to butt status, still.

Scar Tissue - Scar tissue is going away. My long incision is almost healed. What is taking so long?

Physical Therapy - OMG, so many exercises now. Here is how a typical physical therapy session goes:

• warm up on the bike for 10 minutes
• therapist massages my hamstring, works on my flexibility
• stretching exercises for both my calf and my hamstring
• using a stretchy band around my right knee, moving my knee back to lock my leg
• squats where I am now squatting down so my butt hits a bench, basically to 90 degrees
• mini lunges while leaning forward
• leg lifts with a stretchy band in all directions on both legs
• step overs, so stepping up with my right foot and then stepping down with my left
• lateral movement across the floor (side stepping) while knees are bent - WITH A STRETCHY BAND
• marching across the floor
• balancing on my right leg on a soft balancing pad so that I have to stabilize
• leg presses with both legs and just with my right leg - increased weight this week
• bridge pose - not sure what this is helping with...
• 10 minutes of icing to finish up my session

Dec 22, 2014 - 6 weeks and 3 days after surgery - allowed to do YOGA!!!

Can I just say how happy I am!!!!

I was at physical therapy today and my new exercise was bridge pose which made me think, 'Hmm, can I do yoga?' So, I'm not shy. I asked and my physical therapist said 'yes, just be careful and stop any pose if it does not feel good.' Yippee!!!

So, off to my first yoga class this evening and my recovery hits another new milestone.

Just another note. At physical therapy today was another ACL patient who had surgery at the beginning of September. He ran 7 miles last week. SEVEN MILES.... did you hear that? Oh, so, I am thinking in February and perhaps at the beginning of February, I will be able to run! Meeting him was really inspiring and encouraging!

Dec 19, 2014 - 6 weeks after surgery

6 weeks after surgery and after my little set back, I am back on track. Here is a look at where I am.

Walking - It still does not feel natural on the inside, but I look mostly normal on the outside.

Biking - I am now riding with more resistance and getting my heart rate to the low end of the aerobic zone.

High Heels - I am wearing occasionally a 1.5 inch heel.

Range of Motion - I have full extension and am almost at heel to butt status. I did not get measurements this week.

Scar Tissue - Scar tissue is going away. My long incision is STILL healing. What is taking so long?

Physical Therapy - OMG, so many exercises now. Here is how a typical physical therapy session goes:

• warm up on the bike for 10 minutes
• therapist massages my hamstring, works on my flexibility
• stretching exercises for both my calf and my hamstring
• using a stretchy band around my right knee, moving my knee back to lock my leg
• squats where I am now squatting down so my butt hits a bench, basically to 90 degrees
• mini lunges while leaning forward
• leg lifts with a stretchy band in all directions on both legs
• step overs, so stepping up with my right foot and then stepping down with my left
• lateral movement across the floor (side stepping) while knees are bent
• marching across the floor
• balancing on my right leg on a soft balancing pad so that I have to stabilize
• leg presses with both legs and just with my right leg - increased weight this week
• 10 minutes of icing to finish up my session

Dec 16 - Whew! Everything is okay.

So, I went to physical therapy today after having spent the last couple days icing my leg and only getting on the bike for 10 minutes each day to stretch my leg. My physical therapist spent about 30 minutes massaging my muscle, told me to take it easy for a couple days and then had me do all the same exercises and even added more! So, note to self, be careful about twisting. And, don't overdo it!!!

Dec 13, 2014 - Hold On... Not so fast!

So, it has happened! I have slid back just a bit. I went to the gym in the morning and rode the bike for 45 minutes, did the rowing machine for 30 minutes and did all of my physical therapy exercises along with sit-ups and my upper body workout.

I was feeling really good, and then I was getting into the car, and twisted my upper body and left my foot planted and had an acute pain in the back of my leg at the bend of my knee. I am pretty sure it was a strain to my hamstring muscle and have been icing and will obviously resting until it feels better.

Interestingly, my muscles feel fine with my leg extended and with my leg bent, it is the in between where I feel the strain. Walking is tender because I going through that in between position.

I knew this was the "danger zone" for me. I start to feel really good and then do too much. Was it the extensive work I had done in the morning or just a freak movement in the evening? I do not know. But, it just reminds me that my muscles are tender and to be careful!

Dec 12, 2014 - 5 weeks after surgery

Oh hi! It has been 5 weeks since my surgery and since I like to compare it to last time, here we go.

Walking - To outsiders, I am walking normally, but I can still feel all the mechanics involved.

Biking - I am now riding with more resistance and getting my heart rate to the low end of the aerobic zone.

High Heels - I am wearing occasionally a 1.5 inch heel.

Range of Motion - I have full extension and am almost at heel to butt status. I did not get measurements this week.

Bruising - All gone. Yay!

Scar Tissue - I still have scar tissue on the 3 little incisions and the long incision is still healing and am using Maderma for the scars.

Physical Therapy - OMG, so many exercises now. Here is how a typical physical therapy session goes:

• warm up on the bike for 10 minutes
• therapist massages my hamstring, works on my flexibility
• stretching exercises for both my calf and my hamstring
• using a stretchy band around my right knee, moving my knee back to lock my leg
• squats where I am now squatting down so my butt hits a bench, basically to 90 degrees
• mini lunges while leaning forward
• leg lifts with a stretchy band in all directions on both legs
• step ups with my right leg, making sure my right leg is locked and lifting my left leg like I am marching
• step downs with my left leg, touching down with my heel first
• lateral movement across the floor (side stepping) while knees are bent
• marching across the floor
• balancing on my right leg on a soft balancing pad so that I have to stabilize
• leg presses with both legs and just with my right leg
• 10 minutes of icing to finish up my session

Dec 5, 2014 - 4 weeks after surgery

It has been 4 weeks since my surgery and like last time, I want to summarize where I am.

Walking - Not quite normal, but almost there. I actually think I am farther along than I was in my previous surgery.

Biking - I am allowed to ride the bike with resistance. I actually rode this morning and had my first sweat and increase in heart rate to an aerobic zone. I am really thankful for that since that is the only way I am going to stay in shape.

High Heels - Not so much. I did wear boots with a 1.5 inch heel and it was ok for a very limited amount of time. Day 55 after surgery was how long it took last time. I expect the same this time.

Range of Motion - I have full extension and am about 1.5 inches from my heel hitting my butt. My PT told me that 6 weeks is the goal for complete flexibility. This is definitely ahead of where I was last time.

Bruising - Mostly gone, just a little discoloration is left.

Stairs - Oh, this is fantastic. I am walking up and down stairs with one foot on each stair. I have been doing this for over a week.

Sleeping - Oh, how do I love to sleep! And now, it is so much easier. It was about the middle of the week that I was able to start sleeping on my stomach. When I sleep on my side, I still feel tenderness when my knees touch.

Scar Tissue - I still have scar tissue on the 3 little incisions and the long incision is still healing.

Physical Therapy - The latest exercises are marching with step ups, lateral movement across the floor (side stepping), squats, mini lunges, leg lifts in all directions and balancing.

I am really happy with my progress so far.

Nov 28, 2014 - 3 weeks after surgery

It has been three weeks today that I had my surgery.

So, time for a little recap of this week. Where am I on day 21?

I am walking slowly trying my hardest to have a normal gait, but in the morning, my leg is stiff and at night, it is fatigued. I am still having a hard time sleeping. Getting into a position that is comfortable for my leg is hard. I have numbness (not sure if I had mentioned it before) on my shin and the bruising is ever so slowly going away. I am able to get my leg to full extension pretty easy in the morning when I am doing my exercises and have pretty good flexibility, although, I have not been measured in a while. I am able to balancing exercises, mini squats and lunges, ride the bike (for flexibility) and walk in the pool. My incision is healing nicely, but not completely healed and the scar tissue will need to be massaged to get it to reduce in size and eventually go away.

Nov 25, 2014 - 18 days after surgery

Traveling yesterday meant no time for exercises, except for the quad strengthening and trying to keep. Today was filled with gravity pressing down on my knee to keep the full extension and time for my exercises. I am starting to feel like walking is normal, even though it is not completely and sleeping is now getting easier.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 3 sets Bicep Curls: 3 sets Tricep Curls: 3 sets Quad Strengthening: 2 sets Knee Flexion: 2 sets Calf Stretches: none Balancing: 1 set Squats: 2 sets Lunges: 2 sets Bike: 10 minutes Walking in the pool: 15 minutes
Icing	Just after the exercises.
Moving Around	Walking on my own, bending my knee more, more, more!
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	When will it go away?
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 23, 2014 - 16 days after surgery

Back to the normal exercise routine today with biking and walking in the pool. I am starting to forget that my leg is not yet healed. When I am driving, my leg feels normal. When I am sitting, it is not throbbing anymore. Sleeping is almost normal too.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets Bicep Curls: 2 sets Tricep Curls: 2 sets Quad Strengthening: 2 sets Knee Flexion: 2 sets Calf Stretches: none Balancing: 2 sets Squats: 2 sets Lunges: 2 sets Bike: 15 minutes Walking in the pool: 10 minutes
Game Ready Use	I am now just using the ice.
Moving Around	Walking on my own, bending my knee more, more, more!
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	When will it go away?
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 22, 2014 - 15 days after surgery

Today was a day off from all the exercises except stretches in the morning and a day of walking. It was good to practice walking with a regular gait, but my leg got really tired and I had to stop and sit a lot.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: none Bicep Curls: none Tricep Curls: none Quad Strengthening: 1 set Knee Flexion: 1 set Calf Stretches: 1 set Balancing: none Squats: none Lunges: none Bike: none Walking in the pool: none
Game Ready Use	I am now just using the ice.
Moving Around	Walking on my own, bending my knee more, more, more!
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	The yellow color is gone and bruising is going down..
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 21, 2014 - 14 days after surgery

Physical Therapy today introduced new exercises: step ups with my right leg, balancing instead of weight transitions and hamstring stretches. My full extension had regressed a bit and working it back was really hard. It feels like a really thick rubber band that you are trying to stretch out to get around something and you think you have it stretched far enough and then it just goes back to it's original form.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 200 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets Bicep Curls: 2 sets Tricep Curls: 2 sets Quad Strengthening: 2 sets Knee Flexion: 2 sets Calf Stretches: lots (standing with my foot on a wedge and leaning forward, sitting and using a strap to stretch) Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): this has transitioned into balancing on my right leg for 10 seconds, 10 times. Squats: 2 sets Lunges: 2 sets Bike: 2x10 minutes Walking in the pool: 10 minutes
Game Ready Use	I am now just using the ice.
Moving Around	Walking on my own, bending my knee more, more, more!
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	The yellow color is gone and bruising is going down..
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 20, 2014 - 13 days after surgery (the second week)

I am starting to feel like my leg is back to normal, say when I am sitting. So, then I go to get up and remember, you can't just get up, your leg is 13 days out of surgery, you need to be careful. Since yesterday's physical therapy, I am consciously bending my knee when I walk and that is becoming more natural. I went to the office today and that takes a lot out of me, so did not do more exercises than just 1 set.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: none Bicep Curls: none Tricep Curls: non Quad Strengthening: 1 set Knee Flexion: 1 set Calf Stretches: 1 set Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): none Squats: none Lunges: none Bike: not today Walking in the pool: not today
Game Ready Use	I am now just using the ice.
Moving Around	Walking on my own, bending my knee more, more, more!
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	The yellow color is gone and bruising is going down..
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 19, 2014 - 12 days after surgery (the second week)

Physical Therapy today and I got some new exercise. First, I was able to ride the bike on level 1. Yay! My heart rate was 77 when I started and 10 minutes later, 20 calories burned, my heart rate was 74. How is that possible? Okay, on to the new exercises: I worked on bending my knee and lifting while walking by having to walk over those little orange workout cones. Also, I did calf stretches standing against a wall vs. just the calf stretch sitting down. Progress on range of motion was good, but I did not get measurements.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: none today Shoulder Presses: none Bicep Curls: none Tricep Curls: non Quad Strengthening: 1 set Knee Flexion: 1 set Calf Stretches: 1 set Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): 2 sets Squats: 2 sets of 10 Lunges: 2 sets of 10 Bike: 10 minutes - level 1 Walking in the pool: not today
Game Ready Use	I am now just using the ice.
Moving Around	Walking on my own, trying to bend my knee more, more, more!
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	The yellow color is gone and bruising is going down..
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 18, 2014 - 11 days after surgery (the second week)

Milestone: Went to the office for a couple hours!

I did all my exercises at the gym today. It felt great getting out and going to the gym. About going to the office, when I came home, on plopped myself on the couch and iced my knee all afternoon. I will do anything to get this welling down.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 reps at 10 lbs Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 reps at 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 reps at 10 lbs Quad Strengthening: 2 sets Knee Flexion: 2 sets Calf Stretches: 2 sets Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): 2 sets Squats: 2 sets of 10 Lunges: 2 sets of 10 Bike: 15 minutes - just pedaling Walking in the pool: not today
Game Ready Use	I am now just using the ice and not the compression. The compression was bruising my shin and calf.
Moving Around	I took the cane to the office, but only used it on my way out as my leg was tired..
Swelling	My knee is still swollen. Constant icing is working.
Bruising	The yellow color is gone and bruising is going down..
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 17, 2014 - Ten days after surgery (the second week)

Milestone: I did squats and lunges in physical therapy!

Physical therapy today and I was walking better, did all the normal exercises and added squats and lunges! I do not remember doing squats and lunges so early last time. I tried finding a reference in my old blog, but could not find one. I was really surprised that I was able to do lunges. They are quite intricate with all the movement: launch foot out in front and land it flat, straight and not twisting your knee, put weight on it and then move more weight into it, stay for a second or so and then push back, landing your foot steady next to your other foot. Well, the first one I did holding on to make sure all the parts worked out. Yep, it was fine after that. But, it was certainly a mental challenge to convince myself it was all going to go as planned.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: none Bicep Curls: none Tricep Curls: none Quad Strengthening: 3 sets Knee Flexion: 3 sets Calf Stretches: 3 sets Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): 2 sets Squats: 2 sets of 10 Lunges: 2 sets of 10 Bike: 10 minutes - just pedaling Walking in the pool: not today
Game Ready Use	More today to get the swelling down
Moving Around	Walking with a cane when I am out, otherwise without inside.
Swelling	My knee is still swollen. When will the swelling go down?
Bruising	My shin is yellow.
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 16, 2014 - Nine days after surgery (the second week)

Milestone: I am driving.

Yesterday I was exhausted after my day "out". So I decided to take it easy today and get back to my physical therapy exercises instead of walking in the pool. I really need to work on my flexibility and as much "not fun" as those exercises are, I need to do them. Walking in the pool is good too, but I think at this point I will get more benefit from the flexibility exercises.

Oh, and about the bruising, my leg is now completely discolored, kind of like the stuff they put on your leg before surgery. I think that the C&C machine is contributing to this. Once all of the blood is absorbed, I am sure my leg will look better. Until then, it is very yellow.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 200 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Quad Strengthening: 2 sets Knee Flexion: 2 sets Calf Stretches: 2 sets Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): none, but worked on walking Bike: not today Walking in the pool: not today
Game Ready Use	More today to get the swelling down
Moving Around	Walking with a cane when I am out, otherwise without inside.
Swelling	My knee is still swollen.
Bruising	My shin is yellow.
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 15, 2014 - Eight days after surgery (the second week)

Sleeping is still uncomfortable as the only position that feels good for my knee is to sleep on my back. If I were a back sleeper, that would be great! But, I am not! Today was a big day. I was out for a number of hours and went in the pool (walked for 15 minutes) and went to the grocery store and walked around. I am pooped and am now sitting on the couch. I came home and immediately put the C&C machine on.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: none Shoulder Presses: none Bicep Curls: none Tricep Curls: none Quad Strengthening: 1 set Knee Flexion: 1 set Calf Stretches: 1 set Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): 1 set of 2 times for 1 minute each Bike: not today Walking in the Pool: 15 minutes
Game Ready Use	after doing a set of exercises and a couple times in the evening.
Moving Around	I am now walking WITHOUT the cane at home, but using it when I go out as insurance.
Swelling	My knee is still swollen.
Bruising	My shin is still bruised.
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 14, 2014 - Seven days after surgery and post-op appointment

Post-Op Check Up: Everything looks good, I am making great progress. Interesting, did I mention that I had both a hamstring graft and a cadaver graft? They could not get enough of my hamstring so had to go to the cell bank to get a cadaver to supplement. One exercise he recommended was to walk in a pool. I am so excited about this and am definitely going to hit the pool as soon as I can drive. On the driving question, I am going to test it out in my neighborhood this weekend and see how I feel.

As for my exercises, I am just continuing to do them 3 times a day and then icing after I do my exercises. I am now back to being able to touch my toes (while sitting with my legs straight out) and stretching my hamstrings.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Quad Strengthening: 3 sets Knee Flexion: 3 sets Calf Stretches: 3 sets Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): 2 sets of 2 times for 1 minute each Bike: not today
Game Ready Use	after doing a set of exercises (3 times)
Moving Around	Continued walking with a cane today and my gait is much better, although my first step is always difficult.
Swelling	My knee is still swollen, but I can see a reduction.
Bruising	My shin is still bruised but reducing.
Range of motion	No measurement today

Nov 13, 2014 - Six days after surgery and physical therapy session #2

Physical Therapy Report: My gait is better, my swelling is down. My therapist massaged the soft tissue above my knee to help with the stiffness. (I feel like my whole knee is stiff). My therapist worked on my extension by pushing my knee down (deep breaths got me through this) and worked on my flexion by bending my knee and pushing it forward to my chest as I was lying down (lots and lots of deep breaths got me through this). Then, I rode the bike for 10 minutes. You may say, "rode the bike, really?" Well, this is how it went down: I sat on the lifecycle (turned off) and put my feet on the pedals and the objective is to see if you can pedal all the way around. I remember last time (9 years ago), the first time I got on the bike, I could not move the pedals all the way around in the beginning and had to work my way up to it. But this time, I was able to bend my knee enough to pedal all the way around and did it for 10 minutes.

Other exercises at physical therapy: work on transferring my weight from my left foot to my right foot, both in a forward / backward position and in a side to side position. I was able to lift up my left foot and have my right foot bear all my weight.

You know how I described how my hamstring muscle was tender and it was hard to sit down on a chair because of where the edge of the chair hit my hamstring. Well, that tenderness has gone away.

And about driving, I can drive when I feel safe to do so. He suggested that I wait until next week.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Quad Strengthening: 3 sets Knee Flexion: 3 sets Calf Stretches: 3 sets Weight Transitions (forward / backward & side to side): 2 sets of 2 times for 1 minute each Bike: 10 minutes on the lifecycle to just get my leg moving, no power
Game Ready Use	after doing a set of exercises (3 times)
Moving Around	Continued walking with a cane today and my gait is much better, although my first step is always difficult.
Swelling	My knee is still swollen.
Bruising	My shin is still bruised but reducing.
Range of motion	Extension = 0 and Flexion = 110 (15 degrees progress from the first session)

Nov 12, 2014 - Five days after surgery

Same exercises, just another day. I have to remind myself not to be discouraged. Progress will come, I just have to keep pressing on with the exercises. Getting my flexibility back is really hard as I am working full extension and flexion at the same time. All the progress I make at the end of a day seems to regress at the beginning of the next day. It won't always be that way and I am continually reminding myself of that.

Activity	Data
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Quad Strengthening: 3 sets Knee Flexion: 3 sets Calf Stretches: 3 sets
Medication	none
Game Ready Use	4 times throughout the day
Moving Around	Continued walking with a cane today and my gait is better.
Swelling	The swelling is going down. I can see that I have an ankle, but my knee is still swollen.
Bruising	Shin is still bruised.
Range of motion	No measurement today.

Nov 11, 2014 - Four days after surgery

Physical Therapy and the exercises you need to do are hard, don't feel good and you will get discouraged. You need to stay positive and do them. They are time consuming and you feel like they are doing no good. Just stick with it and you will notice the difference. All of the exercises hurt and are tough, and it is okay to moan and groan while you do them. Get it out. Verbalize, but keep doing them.

Activity	Data
Weight	128.4 - Meds are completely out of my system.
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Quad Strengthing: 3 sets Knee Flexion: 3 sets Calf Stretches: 3 sets
Medication	none
Game Ready Use	most of the day - 30 minutes on, 1.5 to 2 hours off
Moving Around	Continued walking with a cane today to make sure my form was good.
Swelling	The swelling is going down, but still there.
Bruising	Shin is still there.
Range of motion	No measurement today.

Nov 10, 2014 - Three days after surgery & first physical therapy appointment

I was a bit nervous about showering again today, but it was easy. Now, when I say easy, it is all relative. I am moving around like a turtle. Every movement is carefully calculated and slow, slow, slow. Normally, I would be up out of bed, in the shower and getting dressed in like 10 minutes. It took about 40 minutes.

The bruising on my chin and knee are starting to go away. That was an unexpected surprise.

Drugs: No drugs since yesterday at 9:30am, and that was Advil.

Physical Therapy: I have lots to talk about here.

Walking - First, my walking/hobbling was no good. I was walking but was only bringing my right foot up to the point of my left food, not beyond, like you would with a normal stride. We corrected that right away and I was told that if I could not walk with a normal gait, then I need to use a cane or crutch. So, I am working on the normal gait, but using a cane to ensure I am walking correctly. If I continued walking (limping) then I would stress my left side and cause problems to those muscles.

Swelling - My swelling should have been more reduced. I was not lifting my leg high enough while on the C&C machine. Ok, I have corrected that since physical therapy. Just a note about this... this is not really comfortable because it also puts pressure on my knee to achieve full extension, which is good, but is uncomfortable.

Exercises - This is my homework: 1) Quadriceps - tighten my quad muscle and push my knee down for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times and do it 5 times a day or more. 2) Knee Flexion - work on my range of motion by sitting with my legs flat on the ground and then bringing my right heel to reach my butt or as close to it as possible and hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times and do it 3-4 times a day. 3) Calf Stretches - flex my foot and stretch my calf for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times twice a day.

None of this is easy or comfortable, but is necessary. Moaning and groaning is okay as long as I do all my homework. And last thing about this all... it takes a lot of time. I am actually spending more time rehabbing than I did on a daily basis with squash / tennis / running / yoga.

Activity	Data
Weight	130.6 - That is why I stay off medication. I definitely see the correlation between not taking drugs and my weight.
Exercise	Situps: 100 Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 15 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 15 of 10 lbs Quad Strengthing: 3 sets Knee Flexion: 3 sets Calf Stretches: 3 sets
Medication	none
Game Ready Use	all day - 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off
Moving Around	Walking unassisted, but limping, of course, have corrected this and am using a cane temporarily.
Swelling	Foot, Ankle, Shin & Calf and Knee are swollen. Working on this with increasing the height of my foot when on the C&C machine.
Bruising	Shin & Knee
Range of motion	95 degrees (bent - so this means I can bend my leg past perpendicular while sitting) and almost 0 degrees, I actually did not get the measurement (straightened) - This is way ahead of where I was 9 years ago with my first PT appointment about 2 weeks after surgery vs. 3 days after surgery!

Nov 9, 2014 - Two days after surgery

I took my bandages off today and took a shower. I remember last time that my first shower was really scary and I did not or should not have had weight on my leg. Not so this time. Since I am already bearing weight on my leg, showering was much easier. Oh and it felt so good.

Okay, so for the unveiling of my knee... I have three tiny incisions on my knee and an incision below my knee with stitches. My calf is all bruised and swollen. The bruising hurts more than my knee. I have no pain in my knee.

Drugs: I took OxyCotin at 1:30am and 5:30am, but switched to Advil at 9:30 and so far so good.

One thing I have not mentioned yet ... my hamstring is sore, so sitting down where the backs of my legs touch the edge of the couch, hurts. I remember this last time as well but not sure that I ever wrote that down.

Last time, I did leg lifts right away and was told to do them each day. This time not so much, and am just letting my leg recover via the C&C machine. My first physical therapy appointment is tomorrow. I can't wait to see what they have in store for me.

Activity	Data
Weight	133.6 - No change! Perhaps when the swelling goes down?
Exercise	Situps: 100 - Got the hang of getting up from the floor. Shoulder Presses: 2 sets of 10 with 20 lbs total Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 10 of 10 lbs Tricep Curls: 2 sets of 10 of 10 lbs Leg Lifts: 2 sets of 10 on each leg
Medication	Advil - just at 9:30am .... no more throughout the day
Game Ready Use	all day
Moving Around	Walking unassisted, but limping, of course
Swelling	Foot, Ankle, Shin & Calf and Knee are swollen.
Bruising	Shin & Knee

Nov 8, 2014 - The day after surgery

Last time, day two was really tough. This time, it was not bad at all. I prepared for it by taking the OxyCotin every 4 hours, even in the middle of the night. I also kept the C&C machine on my leg all night long. When I walked around, I did not use crutches, bearing weight on my leg. I did not feel pain at all today.

I went out to the grocery store to get supplies for the evening party. Nope, I did not drive, but walked around the grocery store with crutches just because it was more walking than I had been doing.

My plan is to go off the OxyCotin tomorrow. The 1:30am dose will be the last dose.

Activity	Data
Weight	133.6 - I attribute the 4.6lb weight gain to surgery and not to the chinese food from last night!
Situps	100 - It was hard to get up from the floor, but thankfully I have strong triceps.
Medication	OxyCotin, still every 4 hours
Game Ready Use	all day
Moving Around	I have put the crutches to the side and am putting weight on my leg. This is so different from the last time.
Eating	Coffee, eggs & toast Lots more Pellegrino Salad Cheese & Crackers, almonds, carrots, grapes, you know ... healthy party food without the wine
Rest	I feel completely lucid and not feeling like I need to nap.
Swelling	I did not notice yesterday because I had socks on all day, but can see today that my foot is swollen. Nothing to worry about, though.

Nov 7, 2014 - Surgery Today!

I survived the surgery (no big surprise)!

So, this is how it went down.  I needed to be at the surgical center at 6am with no nail polish on my fingers or toes.  Darn it!  I had a nice pedicure and needed to remove it.  I could not eat or drink except for clear liquids.  I chose no liquids.  My surgery was scheduled for 7:30am and with all the paperwork and instructions, it took up most of that time.  They gave me anesthesia probably around 7:10 and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room, still groggy with heavy eyelids.

The game ready device was around my knee and already cooling & compressing (from here on out, I will refer to it as C&C).

I got a prescription for OxyCotin and took a pill at 9:30am and can continue to take one pill every 4 hours.  My plan is to take them today and tomorrow only and then switch to Tylenol.

Oh, and no brace this time!  Yippee. Last time, I had to wear the brace for a couple weeks and it really was a pain.  Also, I can start to put some weight on my right leg, and do not need crutches.  I can use them in the beginning, if I want, but Dr. Fleeter suggested trying to not use them.

So, compared to last time, I am having the same experience, no pain, feeling good about it all.  Initially I was groggy when I got home.  I called my parents immediately and then an hour later or so, thought, 'Oh, I need to call my parents." and when I did, they told me that I had already called.  I had no memory of it until they reminded me.

I am going to keep some stats for posting, so here is day 1:

Activity	Data
Weight	129.0
Situps	100 (done before surgery)
Medication	OxyCotin, every 4 hours (Siri, set a reminder to take my medicine every four hours. -- Darn it! Siri can't do that. Okay, Siri, set an alarm for 5:30pm; Siri, set an alarm for 9:30pm; Siri, set an alarm for 1:30am .... and on and on.)
Game Ready Use	all day
Moving Around	I am able to get up on my own, use crutches, and am starting to put weight on my leg. With all the Pellegrino, most of my getting up is related to going to the bathroom, but I did do a little "walking around".
Eating	cookies & water in the recovery room quinoa soup (I made it yesterday in prep for the week to come.) coffee!!! Yep, I had to wait all the way until 12:30 for my first cup of coffee and it was so good Pellegrino, lots of bottles... I think another case is in order and I hope that the spring does not run dry! Chinese Food: really small portions of wonton soup, egg roll, fried dumplings, shrimp & walnuts, and sesame beef - oddly enough, we forgot to order anything with vegetables (since all I eat normally is vegetables)
Rest	dozing off periodically throughout the day

My blog post from 9 years ago for the same day.

Oct 26 - Nov 6, 2014 - The days leading up to surgery

Yep, pretty much the same experience as last time.  My knee is still swollen, I am limping and managed to get surgery scheduled for Nov 7, 2014.  Only 14 days after the injury! I am doing the same procedure as before, a hamstring graft.

New this time is this device called Game Ready.  This device integrates cold and compression therapies and is supposed to work miracles!  I am supposed to use it for the three weeks following surgery.  The proof will be in the pudding.  Check in later to see if it works.

October 25, 2014 - The day I tore my ACL

Last time I did this, it was Dec 4, 2005.  This time, I was up in NYC, playing doubles squash.  Beth enlisted me to play the doubles tour this year and I was psyched to be back on the squash court after 17 years.  I was up in NYC for a marathon training weekend with 4 games scheduled in two days and the possibility of even playing more!  Naturally, this happened on Saturday morning, during our first game.  I was running to the front of the court and heard a pop.  I walked it off and played a couple more points until I made a move that gave me a sense that my knee was unstable with lateral movement.  That was it.  I walked off the court and spent the rest of the weekend under ice.

Swelling was slow to come, but then it never went away.  I was able to walk, hobble, I mean and just like last time, it really did not hurt.