Six weeks after surgery

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Friday the sixth, was the final visit from the therapist for this round of therapy.

On Wednesday, March 11, I saw the surgeon for my first follow up exam. He says the x-rays look good and I can stop wearing the leg brace. Tomorrow will be six weeks since the surgery so I am well ahead of the 8 to 12 weeks he told me to expect to be wearing it. Later his nurse told me I was off the brace because I had been "compliant" in wearing the thing all the time -- 24/7.

The doctor sent a message to my therapist that now the brace was off the therapy can get more aggressive. And he prescribed two more weeks of at-home therapy to be followed by four or five weeks of out-patient therapy.

A few days after I stopped wearing the brace I decided it was time to take a shower standing up. This was partly because I knew I had enough bend in my knee so I could manage to step into the tub. Also I had noticed there was a chrome grab bar at the back of the tub at shoulder height. I had never noticed it before, but it's right there above the shelf for shampoo.

I managed the shower without falling down. It was, however, a challenge to stand up that long. I have gotten so weak and shaky from the lack of exercise. But it was progress for sure.