Now we're getting somewhere! On my 4th rehab appointment with Sam, we started doing some weight-bearing exercises. He laid a scale down on the floor next to a phone book. I hopped up on the scale for my baseline weight (it was not a pleasant number, but I'm grateful I haven't gained any more weight since the surgery). Then I stepped onto the phone book with my good leg, leaving my surgery leg on the scale, standing "normally." Sam had me calculate the % weight I was putting on my surgery leg (25%). Then he told me to increase it to 50%. Seriously, I wasn't expecting a math quiz, and it's really early in the morning! But I manage to divide my actual weight by 2 (hey, I figured out 25% easily enough), and start to lean. And lean. And lean some more. I tell Sam I can't possibly reach 50% without falling over, since I'm leaning so far to the right. He just laughed and said I still had a little bit to go before I was simply standing straight up. Wow! My equilibrium is toast.
Once I figure out 50%, we go to 60% (more math!), and then back to 50% for exercises. I now get to add:
1. Mini-squats - same as a regular squat, but not as far down. Full weight-bearing!
2. Calf raises - also full weight-bearing
3. Standing internal/external rotation
4. One more isometric - quad lifting
Sam decides to check and see if I am ready to start driving yet. For this, he places a pen on the ground, just inside my right foot. He instructs me to pick my leg up and place my foot on the other side of the pen, just like moving from the gas pedal to the brake. As has happened so many times before, I will my leg to move and it just sits there. I stare dumbly at my foot, wondering why it won't respond. I stare harder. It twitched. Yay! But the pen has defeated me, and I have one more week to wait before I can try the driving test again. I'd say I'm disappointed, but if I knew there was a driver on the road who couldn't make her leg move just by thinking "hey, leg - move!," I certainly wouldn't want to be on the road with her. I'm content to wait.
I also switch to 2 appointments per week, so now I'm seeing Sam on Mondays and Wednesdays. My first Monday falls within Week 3-4, so I focus on really nailing my new exercises so I can pass the pen test.
The standing leg rotations are done with my good leg on the floor, and my "bad" leg bent at 90% from the knee, with my knee on a stool. These are killing my kneecap. All of a suddon, the squats hurt my knee, as do the leg extensions. Really sharp pain, just under my kneecap. I mention this to Sam on my Monday appointment, and he looks concerned. But as my appointment went on, we started to see a trend - the pain intensified when I put pressure on my right knee. We decided I would either skip the leg rotations or add additional cushioning to see if it was just my weight on my kneecap that was causing the problem.
Also on Monday, I am happy to report that I was given authorization to toss one crutch out the window. I can now mobilize about my house with a free hand! This is an amazing accomplishment, and I spend Monday evening, all day Tuesday, and most of today moving things from one place to another, just because I can.
Sam wants me to build up to 45 minutes on the bike. I can do that by doing 4 10-minute sessions, and running them all together, or just continue adding time onto a single session until I hit 45 minutes. I opt for a combination, and am doing 2 bike sessions per day, adding time until I hit 22.5 minutes each. I'm up to 16 minutes each, and then I can feel my tendon start to twang. Have I mentioned how much I love my Game Ready ice machine? I extended my rental another month because it is so wonderful to just wrap that cuff around my hip and have the ice water course around the entire area. It just feels so good, and no fussing with towels and melty ice packs. Plus it calms twangy tendons down in a hurry! If you can get one of these, I highly recommend it.
My next rehab appointment is today at 5:30. I bet I pass the pen test today. Pedestrians, beware!
Showing posts with label physical therapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label physical therapy. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
How I Got Here
Hi there!
I'm starting this blog a bit late (nearly 4 weeks post-op), but thought it might be helpful to others. So a little back-tracking is in order.
A few years ago (2007?), I began having some pain in my hip. Nothing major, just some twinges here and there if I did too much activity, like a 7-hour cleaning session or a full day at a festival. It didn't impact my normal activities, so I ignored it. The pain snuck up on me gradually, coming on sooner and lasting a bit longer. By 2009, I knew I had a problem, but still I pushed on. I was trying to lose weight and get in better shape, and I didn't want anything to stop me.
Previously, my activities included training for triathlons, half-marathons, and half-century bike rides. Six days a week, I was either biking, swimming, or interval jogging. My weight kept me from running, but I was making progress. By June of 2009, I was limping at the end of my jogs. I was also crawling up the stairs after cleaning for an hour. So of course I decided to join Tae Kwon Do to build up my strength and flexibility.
During class, I noticed that my hips would crunch and catch during some of the kicks. I also noticed severe range of motion limitations when comparing my kicks to other students. When asked to do a front kick at head height, try as I might, I could only get to chest level. I started to wonder what was wrong. Just my weight getting in the way? Or something else?
During self-defense training, I popped my knee a good one and took a month off to heal. Went back and popped my other knee, prompting me to go to a doctor for help. I didn't want to be off another month. By this time, I had competed in my first triathlon of the year, with a record finish time and the satisfaction of having run the entire 5k - no stopping! I also competed in a half-marathon, but my hip gave out so quickly that I walked most of it and had to get a massage afterwards to be able to walk.
The doctor prescribed physical therapy at the sports medicine clinic. He was a marathon runner, and knew what it was like to be sidelined. I believe with all my heart that it was this fact that led me to the right place. Would I have received the same treatment at a standard therapist's office? Perhaps, but I personally doubt it.
My therapist found that I had exceptionally weak hips, which could account for the knee pain. I spent the next 3 months strengthening my hips and resolving my IT Band inflammation. At the end of 3 months, we did a post-evaluation. As the therapist moved my leg up and across my chest, I had a sudden burst of intense, sharp pain and yelled out. He immediately told me that the location and severity of that pain was an indication of a cartilage tear and I was to discontinue therapy until I consulted with a surgeon.
I was referred to Dr. Patrick Birmingham, an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in hips. He completed his fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Washington, DC, learning his technique from Dr. Kelly. He is also a follower of Dr. Philippon's procedures, and meets with him regularly. He was brought to Wisconsin as an assistant professor at the Wisconsin Medical College, where I happen to go for all my treatment. Lucky me!
I was nervous, but went ahead and consulted with Dr. Birmingham.
I'm starting this blog a bit late (nearly 4 weeks post-op), but thought it might be helpful to others. So a little back-tracking is in order.
A few years ago (2007?), I began having some pain in my hip. Nothing major, just some twinges here and there if I did too much activity, like a 7-hour cleaning session or a full day at a festival. It didn't impact my normal activities, so I ignored it. The pain snuck up on me gradually, coming on sooner and lasting a bit longer. By 2009, I knew I had a problem, but still I pushed on. I was trying to lose weight and get in better shape, and I didn't want anything to stop me.
Previously, my activities included training for triathlons, half-marathons, and half-century bike rides. Six days a week, I was either biking, swimming, or interval jogging. My weight kept me from running, but I was making progress. By June of 2009, I was limping at the end of my jogs. I was also crawling up the stairs after cleaning for an hour. So of course I decided to join Tae Kwon Do to build up my strength and flexibility.
During class, I noticed that my hips would crunch and catch during some of the kicks. I also noticed severe range of motion limitations when comparing my kicks to other students. When asked to do a front kick at head height, try as I might, I could only get to chest level. I started to wonder what was wrong. Just my weight getting in the way? Or something else?
During self-defense training, I popped my knee a good one and took a month off to heal. Went back and popped my other knee, prompting me to go to a doctor for help. I didn't want to be off another month. By this time, I had competed in my first triathlon of the year, with a record finish time and the satisfaction of having run the entire 5k - no stopping! I also competed in a half-marathon, but my hip gave out so quickly that I walked most of it and had to get a massage afterwards to be able to walk.
The doctor prescribed physical therapy at the sports medicine clinic. He was a marathon runner, and knew what it was like to be sidelined. I believe with all my heart that it was this fact that led me to the right place. Would I have received the same treatment at a standard therapist's office? Perhaps, but I personally doubt it.
My therapist found that I had exceptionally weak hips, which could account for the knee pain. I spent the next 3 months strengthening my hips and resolving my IT Band inflammation. At the end of 3 months, we did a post-evaluation. As the therapist moved my leg up and across my chest, I had a sudden burst of intense, sharp pain and yelled out. He immediately told me that the location and severity of that pain was an indication of a cartilage tear and I was to discontinue therapy until I consulted with a surgeon.
I was referred to Dr. Patrick Birmingham, an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in hips. He completed his fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Washington, DC, learning his technique from Dr. Kelly. He is also a follower of Dr. Philippon's procedures, and meets with him regularly. He was brought to Wisconsin as an assistant professor at the Wisconsin Medical College, where I happen to go for all my treatment. Lucky me!
I was nervous, but went ahead and consulted with Dr. Birmingham.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)