1) 3 weeks post surgery - CHECK!!!
2) CPM Machine gone - CHECK!!!
3) Drive an automatic - CHECK!!!
Not much to report other than that. I had another good weekend and managed to get out of the house a little bit. My knee continues to feel a little better from week to week. I am stepping up my exercises to 500 of each every day. Today that is making my knee good and sore. Last but not lest, my attitude continues to be tremendously positive.
Here is what I hope to accomplish in the coming week:
1) 4 weeks post surgery
2) 500 reps of each exercise daily
3) Pain free sleep
Oh yeah, don't forget, football season is right around the corner.
18 Days till OSU Navy
19 Days till Browns Vikings
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ready for the Weekend!!!
No news is good news...so I don't have much to report today. My knee is continuing to feel a little better as my range of motion is gradually increasing. I am even able to get slightly more comfortable at night and sleep a little better. Being back at work has helped tremendously. Sitting at home all day isn't any good...at least not for me. The CPM machine goes back next Tuesday!!! Trying to fit in 6 hours on that thing after working for 8 hours isn't easy :)
Anyway, just trying to stay positive. I get to see my good friends this weekend and will also get out of the house again. The return to a semi-normal lifestyle has helped as well.
Also, below are the MRI readings that started this all. Maybe I can frame them in a plaque someday as a testimony to what I have been through. Life will definitely be different, but in a good way :)
KEEPING FOCUSED!!!
Anyway, just trying to stay positive. I get to see my good friends this weekend and will also get out of the house again. The return to a semi-normal lifestyle has helped as well.
Also, below are the MRI readings that started this all. Maybe I can frame them in a plaque someday as a testimony to what I have been through. Life will definitely be different, but in a good way :)
KEEPING FOCUSED!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
2 Weeks - and finally have my head straight!!!!!
Today is a good day:
I have made it through my first two weeks. Life is good and the knee is feeling pretty good all things considered. Yes, it is still sore in the morning, and yes, it is still stiff at night. But, my range of motion is excellent compared to what it was when I first came out of surgery. More importantly, my mind set is exactly where it needs to be.
Basically, it's like this. I can only control what I can control. My knee is going to hurt, it's going to be stiff, it's going to be uncomfortable. I can't control that. I got really down on myself last week because it wasn't getting better like a sprained ankle or broken finger. But, I realized that dwelling on the negative wasn't going to do me any good. So, I have neither the time nor the inclination to let this bring me down again. I am on the right path...I just to do what I can for myself to help with the healing process. That means 8 hours a day on the CPM machine (only 6 days left on that!!!) and 200+ reps of four different leg exercises. That is what I can control and that is what I am focused on. And yes, for me, it really is that simple. Do my work to make my knee better and stop worry about the rest.
Anyway, one milestone down and two more approaching quickly - CPM machine goes back next Tuesday, which will also mark my 3rd week of recovery!!
Time to stay focused.
I have made it through my first two weeks. Life is good and the knee is feeling pretty good all things considered. Yes, it is still sore in the morning, and yes, it is still stiff at night. But, my range of motion is excellent compared to what it was when I first came out of surgery. More importantly, my mind set is exactly where it needs to be.
Basically, it's like this. I can only control what I can control. My knee is going to hurt, it's going to be stiff, it's going to be uncomfortable. I can't control that. I got really down on myself last week because it wasn't getting better like a sprained ankle or broken finger. But, I realized that dwelling on the negative wasn't going to do me any good. So, I have neither the time nor the inclination to let this bring me down again. I am on the right path...I just to do what I can for myself to help with the healing process. That means 8 hours a day on the CPM machine (only 6 days left on that!!!) and 200+ reps of four different leg exercises. That is what I can control and that is what I am focused on. And yes, for me, it really is that simple. Do my work to make my knee better and stop worry about the rest.
Anyway, one milestone down and two more approaching quickly - CPM machine goes back next Tuesday, which will also mark my 3rd week of recovery!!
Time to stay focused.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Back in the Office
Feeling good,
It has been 12 days since my surgery. I am finally back in the office. Of course, I had to have my mom drive me to work, which reminded me of the time when I was 16 and I had to have her drive me to school when I had mono so that I could sleep all day and make it to school just long enough for them to not count me absent (and yes, I still went to basketball practice...so thanks mom!!).
As for the knee, it doesn't seem to change much day to day. It did feel better every single day up until Monday of last week. I kept expecting it to hurt a little less, be a little less comfortable and to keep feeling noticeably better every day. That is not the case. It feels about the same today as it did a week ago. The only thing I can really tell day to day is that my range of motion on the knee bends gets a little bit better with every set. Also, the other exercises get a little bit easier. But, I will know when I have made it because I will be able to do a full knee bend with ZERO pain and ZERO discomfort. And that is LONG way off. But, because it gets a little better every day I do have one thing I can push for in terms of very short term results.
One thing I did learn last night was to wear an ace bandage around my knee when I went to bed. Since the surgery I hadn't really slept more than an hour or two at a time without waking up from discomfort. As I was icing my knee last night, it dawned on me that it didn't really hurt at all when I had the ice pack wrapped around it. I knew this was partly from the ice, but I also knew it was partly from the compression. And that is when the little light bulb turned on right above my head like in the cartoons. PUT THE ACE BANDAGE ON BEFORE YOU GO TO BED!!!!! Well, it worked. I was immediately 50 times more comfortable as I laid down to go to sleep than I had been in months (I was really uncomfortable prior to surgery). I slept through the entire night and for once feel fairly well rested. I can't believe that I have made it through 6 years of college (and yes that is for two degrees), but that it took me a week to figure that out. I blame it on the pain medications (even though I stopped taking them last Monday).
Anyway, it has been a LONG 12 days. And, there are still another 35 days left until I can think about walking again. But, I knew it was going to be a marathon and not a sprint. That said, even though I read up on everything and knew what I was in for, there is no way to prepare for it mentally. I have had my share of injuries from playing sports through college. Broken leg, ankle, fingers...and NOTHING is even close to what I am going through now. And it's not so much the pain, it's the constant discomfort, the helpless feeling of not being independent, and knowing that there is nothing I can do to speed the recovery process. Just imagine that when I finally go to bed at the end of the day, I have to hop to the stairs, put both of my hands down on the step in front of me, hop up one step, move my hands to the next step and...well, you get the picture. It's hard, but I know what I need to do and I just need to stick with it.
Back to the feeling good part though...my friend Brad was nice enough to take me out over the weekend. We managed to make it up to the comedy club which was awesome because the comedian (Aries Spears) was really hilarious. Now, I might have thought that anyone was funny that night as it was my first time out of the house in forever, but the rest of the crowd seemed to agree. And maybe I was even destined to go that night...and by that I mean Greg Oden was there. So, if you follow the NBA or college basketball, you will know that he had the same surgery I had during his rookie season. I thought about going up to him and asking him how he dealt with it...and then I remembered that he never seemed really talkative in any interviews. Also, he is about 7' 6" tall, so he is just a little bit imposing. I even managed to have a few adult beverages...and just remember, crutches + drinks = be VERY careful. So, I managed to make it home in one piece without any events and staying upright on my crutches the whole night.
Before the comedy club I went and got a tattoo. Now, I have always been against them my entire life, but had done a lot of thinking about getting one in the recent months. Most of this is because of the "life changing" aspect that I mentioned in a prior blog. 9 days after surgery I knew it was true. Life never really will be the same for me. I never want to go through this again. I really will never run again or play basketball either. I hope to have kids one day and I want to be able to play with them and keep up with them. That means a lot of hard work. It also means NO basketball. Well, basketball was my thing (I played in high school and for my college). It's what I did to clear my head. It's what I did to deal with my first dog dying when I was a little kid. It was my meditation. Giving it up is like losing a part of myself. Anyway, I got to dwelling on that Wednesday and Thursday and ended up in a really depressed funk. I decided that wasn't going to help me and wasn't good for anyone around me either, and I needed something to help remind me to stay strong and to work hard. So, on Saturday I went and had the Chinese symbols for "determination" and "sacrifice" placed on the inside of my left bicep. I couldn't be happier about it. They are two words that I would use to describe myself anyway, and I feel like this well help keep that in sight so that I do not falter.
Well, that is it for now. I gotta get to work here. More to follow soon.
Z
It has been 12 days since my surgery. I am finally back in the office. Of course, I had to have my mom drive me to work, which reminded me of the time when I was 16 and I had to have her drive me to school when I had mono so that I could sleep all day and make it to school just long enough for them to not count me absent (and yes, I still went to basketball practice...so thanks mom!!).
As for the knee, it doesn't seem to change much day to day. It did feel better every single day up until Monday of last week. I kept expecting it to hurt a little less, be a little less comfortable and to keep feeling noticeably better every day. That is not the case. It feels about the same today as it did a week ago. The only thing I can really tell day to day is that my range of motion on the knee bends gets a little bit better with every set. Also, the other exercises get a little bit easier. But, I will know when I have made it because I will be able to do a full knee bend with ZERO pain and ZERO discomfort. And that is LONG way off. But, because it gets a little better every day I do have one thing I can push for in terms of very short term results.
One thing I did learn last night was to wear an ace bandage around my knee when I went to bed. Since the surgery I hadn't really slept more than an hour or two at a time without waking up from discomfort. As I was icing my knee last night, it dawned on me that it didn't really hurt at all when I had the ice pack wrapped around it. I knew this was partly from the ice, but I also knew it was partly from the compression. And that is when the little light bulb turned on right above my head like in the cartoons. PUT THE ACE BANDAGE ON BEFORE YOU GO TO BED!!!!! Well, it worked. I was immediately 50 times more comfortable as I laid down to go to sleep than I had been in months (I was really uncomfortable prior to surgery). I slept through the entire night and for once feel fairly well rested. I can't believe that I have made it through 6 years of college (and yes that is for two degrees), but that it took me a week to figure that out. I blame it on the pain medications (even though I stopped taking them last Monday).
Anyway, it has been a LONG 12 days. And, there are still another 35 days left until I can think about walking again. But, I knew it was going to be a marathon and not a sprint. That said, even though I read up on everything and knew what I was in for, there is no way to prepare for it mentally. I have had my share of injuries from playing sports through college. Broken leg, ankle, fingers...and NOTHING is even close to what I am going through now. And it's not so much the pain, it's the constant discomfort, the helpless feeling of not being independent, and knowing that there is nothing I can do to speed the recovery process. Just imagine that when I finally go to bed at the end of the day, I have to hop to the stairs, put both of my hands down on the step in front of me, hop up one step, move my hands to the next step and...well, you get the picture. It's hard, but I know what I need to do and I just need to stick with it.
Back to the feeling good part though...my friend Brad was nice enough to take me out over the weekend. We managed to make it up to the comedy club which was awesome because the comedian (Aries Spears) was really hilarious. Now, I might have thought that anyone was funny that night as it was my first time out of the house in forever, but the rest of the crowd seemed to agree. And maybe I was even destined to go that night...and by that I mean Greg Oden was there. So, if you follow the NBA or college basketball, you will know that he had the same surgery I had during his rookie season. I thought about going up to him and asking him how he dealt with it...and then I remembered that he never seemed really talkative in any interviews. Also, he is about 7' 6" tall, so he is just a little bit imposing. I even managed to have a few adult beverages...and just remember, crutches + drinks = be VERY careful. So, I managed to make it home in one piece without any events and staying upright on my crutches the whole night.
Before the comedy club I went and got a tattoo. Now, I have always been against them my entire life, but had done a lot of thinking about getting one in the recent months. Most of this is because of the "life changing" aspect that I mentioned in a prior blog. 9 days after surgery I knew it was true. Life never really will be the same for me. I never want to go through this again. I really will never run again or play basketball either. I hope to have kids one day and I want to be able to play with them and keep up with them. That means a lot of hard work. It also means NO basketball. Well, basketball was my thing (I played in high school and for my college). It's what I did to clear my head. It's what I did to deal with my first dog dying when I was a little kid. It was my meditation. Giving it up is like losing a part of myself. Anyway, I got to dwelling on that Wednesday and Thursday and ended up in a really depressed funk. I decided that wasn't going to help me and wasn't good for anyone around me either, and I needed something to help remind me to stay strong and to work hard. So, on Saturday I went and had the Chinese symbols for "determination" and "sacrifice" placed on the inside of my left bicep. I couldn't be happier about it. They are two words that I would use to describe myself anyway, and I feel like this well help keep that in sight so that I do not falter.
Well, that is it for now. I gotta get to work here. More to follow soon.
Z
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
One Week Complete!!
Good news, bad news...
One week in the books...another bad night for trying to sleep. I am off the pain pills and my knee really stiffens up overnight. Thus I end up with pain which makes it hard to sleep. I was even going to try to make it into the office...but I couldn't get out of bed and almost overslept for my 8am meeting that turned into a conference call. Now it is back to the CPM machine for 2 hours this morning and 6 more hours later today. I am also looking forward to the 200 knee bends that I have to do today. But, at least I am getting used to the routine. I have also been playing a ton of Tiger Woods golf...so I guess that is good. I even managed to take an actual shower yesterday. So, once again, it's one step and one day at a time. Only 40 more days until I can try and walk. Only 31 days until the Buckeye's season opener...and only 38 days until USC.
That's all for now,
Z
One week in the books...another bad night for trying to sleep. I am off the pain pills and my knee really stiffens up overnight. Thus I end up with pain which makes it hard to sleep. I was even going to try to make it into the office...but I couldn't get out of bed and almost overslept for my 8am meeting that turned into a conference call. Now it is back to the CPM machine for 2 hours this morning and 6 more hours later today. I am also looking forward to the 200 knee bends that I have to do today. But, at least I am getting used to the routine. I have also been playing a ton of Tiger Woods golf...so I guess that is good. I even managed to take an actual shower yesterday. So, once again, it's one step and one day at a time. Only 40 more days until I can try and walk. Only 31 days until the Buckeye's season opener...and only 38 days until USC.
That's all for now,
Z
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Doin' Work
Morning,
I am back on the CPM machine for my first 2 of 8 hours today. I am also back to work...which is a bit of an adjustment. Fortunately, I am working from home so it's a bit easier. I was finally able to sleep on my side last night, so for once, I am fairly well rested.
The knee exercises aren't so bad. Well, except for the knee bends. The doctor insisted yesterday that I do 200 of them a day. They are excruciatingly painful because of the swelling. It also feels HORRIBLE to do them because my knee just doesn't think it's time yet. But, I need to prevent scar tissue and I need to maintain a full range of motion. So, I have to buck up and DO WORK!!
No other major updates for a while hopefully. I just have to stick with the program!!!
Peace out,
Z
I am back on the CPM machine for my first 2 of 8 hours today. I am also back to work...which is a bit of an adjustment. Fortunately, I am working from home so it's a bit easier. I was finally able to sleep on my side last night, so for once, I am fairly well rested.
The knee exercises aren't so bad. Well, except for the knee bends. The doctor insisted yesterday that I do 200 of them a day. They are excruciatingly painful because of the swelling. It also feels HORRIBLE to do them because my knee just doesn't think it's time yet. But, I need to prevent scar tissue and I need to maintain a full range of motion. So, I have to buck up and DO WORK!!
No other major updates for a while hopefully. I just have to stick with the program!!!
Peace out,
Z
Monday, August 3, 2009
1st Doctor Visit & Back to Work
Sorta,
I went to the doctor this morning to get a status update and to review my surgery pictures. I am doing pretty well, but it's all just guesswork at this point. No MRI or anything else is really going to reveal how well or poorly I am healing. Only pain (or lack thereof) or another scope will reveal what is really going on.
As for milestones, I came up with a few. I can currently do all of my knee exercises with very little problem except for one. Knee bends...those are extremely painful. My target is to get to 70 at a time (I did about 5 or 6 at most). Another milestone is to get off the CPM machine - that date is September 1st. The last milestone is to visit the doctor again - which will take place on September 14th. So, I have my work cut out for me...time to get at it!!
Now, back to the pictures. They were mind blowing to say the least (I will try and get them posted soon). It is hard to believe such a small amount of damage could cause so much pain and discomfort. The doc found 4 loose bodies floating around in my knee, each of which were between 1/2 and 1 centimeter in length (close to the length of a finger nail). You can also see the exposed bone where the cartilage was missing and the tiny holes he drilled in each of the areas that were damaged. You can even see the blood flowing out of the holes (hopefully these create some nice fibrocartilage). Last, you can see the cartilage on the good side of my knee - smooth and clean. I can only pray I end up with something like that in the damaged areas. Success rates are between 75-80%. But, if one small part doesn't fill in, I may be back in for another procedure. Only time will tell, so keep your fingers crossed.
For now, I am just keeping positive, doing the rehab and following doctor's orders. I can only control what I can control...nature will take care of the rest. Hopefully I have some good karma saved up.
Oh yeah, I have to start working from home this week before going into the office next week. At least that should keep me from losing my mind!!
Time for some knee bends...
I went to the doctor this morning to get a status update and to review my surgery pictures. I am doing pretty well, but it's all just guesswork at this point. No MRI or anything else is really going to reveal how well or poorly I am healing. Only pain (or lack thereof) or another scope will reveal what is really going on.
As for milestones, I came up with a few. I can currently do all of my knee exercises with very little problem except for one. Knee bends...those are extremely painful. My target is to get to 70 at a time (I did about 5 or 6 at most). Another milestone is to get off the CPM machine - that date is September 1st. The last milestone is to visit the doctor again - which will take place on September 14th. So, I have my work cut out for me...time to get at it!!
Now, back to the pictures. They were mind blowing to say the least (I will try and get them posted soon). It is hard to believe such a small amount of damage could cause so much pain and discomfort. The doc found 4 loose bodies floating around in my knee, each of which were between 1/2 and 1 centimeter in length (close to the length of a finger nail). You can also see the exposed bone where the cartilage was missing and the tiny holes he drilled in each of the areas that were damaged. You can even see the blood flowing out of the holes (hopefully these create some nice fibrocartilage). Last, you can see the cartilage on the good side of my knee - smooth and clean. I can only pray I end up with something like that in the damaged areas. Success rates are between 75-80%. But, if one small part doesn't fill in, I may be back in for another procedure. Only time will tell, so keep your fingers crossed.
For now, I am just keeping positive, doing the rehab and following doctor's orders. I can only control what I can control...nature will take care of the rest. Hopefully I have some good karma saved up.
Oh yeah, I have to start working from home this week before going into the office next week. At least that should keep me from losing my mind!!
Time for some knee bends...
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Day 4 - Post Surgery
Another day behind me,
I am now four days out from surgery. The pain is pretty tolerable for the most part, and I am again able to sleep through the night. I am also weaning myself off the pain pills and continuing to do my exercises and the CPM machine.
All in all, I am still extremely positive and my knee is continuing to feel better every day. I do want to stress the amount of effort and dedication that rehab requires. It is a solid nine or ten hours every single day. Two hours on the CPM machine four times a day along with an hour to two hours of exercises in between. IT IS A LOT OF WORK!!!
Anyway, I am working on creating a list of milestones. My first big milestone is to check in with the doctor tomorrow morning. After that, it will probably be a week at a time, but hopefully I will have something more concrete after I see the doctor.
As for the day to day stuff, I finally made it out of the house yesterday. My friend drove me to the mall and then pushed me around in a wheelchair. My mom also picked up an Xbox for me, so I have been honing my skills at Tiger Woods Golf and Madden Football.
Other than that, simple things like changing closes, using the restroom, making food and playing with my puppy are extremely difficult at best. I can't even take my puppy outside, so thank god for my friends and my mom!! Finally, I HATE going up and down the stairs. I am afraid to hop up and down because I don't want to slip and hurt my knee. So, I end up scooting up and down on my butt. So many things I took for granted are difficult or impossible. But, I am not going to let any of it bring me down!!
More after I see the doctor tomorrow...
I am now four days out from surgery. The pain is pretty tolerable for the most part, and I am again able to sleep through the night. I am also weaning myself off the pain pills and continuing to do my exercises and the CPM machine.
All in all, I am still extremely positive and my knee is continuing to feel better every day. I do want to stress the amount of effort and dedication that rehab requires. It is a solid nine or ten hours every single day. Two hours on the CPM machine four times a day along with an hour to two hours of exercises in between. IT IS A LOT OF WORK!!!
Anyway, I am working on creating a list of milestones. My first big milestone is to check in with the doctor tomorrow morning. After that, it will probably be a week at a time, but hopefully I will have something more concrete after I see the doctor.
As for the day to day stuff, I finally made it out of the house yesterday. My friend drove me to the mall and then pushed me around in a wheelchair. My mom also picked up an Xbox for me, so I have been honing my skills at Tiger Woods Golf and Madden Football.
Other than that, simple things like changing closes, using the restroom, making food and playing with my puppy are extremely difficult at best. I can't even take my puppy outside, so thank god for my friends and my mom!! Finally, I HATE going up and down the stairs. I am afraid to hop up and down because I don't want to slip and hurt my knee. So, I end up scooting up and down on my butt. So many things I took for granted are difficult or impossible. But, I am not going to let any of it bring me down!!
More after I see the doctor tomorrow...
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