4 weeks post op

So yesterday mark my 4 weeks post op day. YEA! Today I ventured out to the doctor appointment and then went shopping. So nothing has changed except that I now know I have 3 screws in my leg. I get to wear this wonderful brace another 4 weeks.

No bandages now though!

I get to relax and only do the small number of exercises for another 2 weeks. No ROM for another 2 weeks. I can bear 25% of my weight. What the heck does that mean? Basically I get to put my foot down now not just my toes. In 4 weeks I go back to see the doc and then I should be able to start strength exercises and just possibly be able to sleep without the brace and maybe even throw it (stow it) away. We will see. The bone graft is healing well so that is a positive thing. I do have osteoarthritis in my knee but it isn't terrible it is actually just the starting of it. So that is good too, there are many things I can do to slow the process. So I have hope! It didn't go the way I had hoped but at least I am going forward and not backwards with this knee.

Now as for my left knee...that is a different story. It was my bad knee till I really injured the right one. It was doing so much better until I had the surgery. Now it is so aggravated I can barely walk. So I had it looked at today as well. Without the xrays and MRI I probably will need later on the doc says as of right now it looks like I have tendinitis...severe case. So I am now icing that knee and taking meds for it instead of my surgery knee. Thank god for wheel chairs. I would not be able to do much at all even in our house where it not for this wonderful wheel chair!Once I get past all this crazy knee stuff I may talk Sean into getting a gym set or even a gym membership.

If there is anything I can do to convince you to take care of your knees I can stress enough....TAKE CARE OF YOU KNEES!!!

I did enjoy getting out of the house. After the doc apt. we headed to WalMart. I was wheeling around in the wheel chair we have rented. I have to tell you if you want a good work out for your arms go wheeling through wal mart and go around the whole super store. My arms are so stinking sore! A good muscle sore though. It was fun today. Sara was being my helper and was
"pushing" me through the store. We went shopping for dresses and shoes for her. Her favorite things to do as Sean and Eli went grocery shopping. I got a lot of stares but I sure did enjoy getting out. I have to tell you when you are no longer mobile or independent any thing that seems like freedom such as shopping is a treat! It is no wonder all the elder men/women who are mentally fine but physically not and are put in nursing homes get depressed. I know understand why my grand-MOM was so depressed all the time. She wasn't able to drive and just go the last few years of her life. When you loose that independence it is a hard thing to deal with. I know! Although eventually I will get it back I now wish I had taken the time to understand what she was going through more and been a little more willing to just take her anywhere she wanted to go. She is now waking on streets of gold but if she could hear me now...SORRY MOM!!! Be good to your aging parents and grandparents! It is depressing when your independence is taken away...willingly or not!