Knee surgery

[Catrin]

Wow, very nice!

Aw shucks, thanks What amazes me is this is only my second knitting project! It came out much better than I dreamed possible. Next I am taking on a cardigan, and am taking a class on that one.

The knee is improving, though walking is still challenging, and stairs and me haven't yet become friends. I live in a 2nd floor walkup that I can maneuver, but we had a serious problem yesterday when the evacuation alarm went off in my building. I work on the 19th floor...thankfully by the time I hemmed and hawed around they cancelled the alarm, it was not a drill. They've evacuation chairs for people like me, but we didn't have access to one. My director was quite unhappy when we realized this and has ordered one just for our office. May there be no more such events until I am bounding up and down the stairs again!

So while my knee is lagging (to me, they tell me I'm doing well), I successfully did some kettlebell deadlifts and clean/presses tonight with no pain! Cautiously, light weights but the movements were fine. And yes, I've permission :-)

[Crankin]

Sounds good, Catrin. Hopefully, there will be no emergencies in your office until your knee is better.
All the talk of knitting reminds me of my mom. I remember talk of sweaters needing to be blocked. She definitely took it to the yarn shop for that. However, I am pretty sure she knew how to do it in her later years. After they moved to San Diego, she worked in a yarn shop for a few years. I never realized what a business that is, and how many people knit. Of course, this is because I did not inherit the gene to do any handwork.
When I was in college, I had a part time nanny job for a woman who designed patterns for Spinnerin (sp?) and also worked at a yarn shop, even though she was a scientist. She was so talented. Years later, I saw her regularly on NBC News as an economics/financial advisor. What a combination of careers.

[Catrin]

It is interesting just who you find knitting. Apparently it is very good for the brain as well as the hand, it keeps both limber

BTW, I was convinced I couldn't do it either until my hands got so bad I had no choice but to give it a serious shot.

[Catrin]

Whooohoooo! FIRST kettlebell group training class this morning. Light workout, my coach is being quite vigilant, but it went well. It is good to be getting back into our little community. Also went hiking for about 30-35 minutes this afternoon with Winding Road. Slow pace, but with my new brace, hiking boots and hiking stick my knee/leg was far more stable than I was afraid it might be. I DID make certain that there was 6 hours between kettlebells and trail. I will only be in group once a week until I'm released from PT.

The quad still needs quite a lot of strengthening, but it felt great to actually be outside in the woods - even on a trail that I normally wouldn't consider hitting since it is so featureless. That lack of "trail personality" is what made it perfect for my first attempt at non-pavement walking. I did reach the point where my knee wasn't sure about it all - but that was literally 5 steps away from the picnic table at which we ended our hike I don't think I could do it without boots boots and brace, I will try it again tomorrow I think

[OakLeaf]

Yay!!!

[Crankin]

Wow, it sounds like you are doing well!

[emily_in_nc]

Good going, Catrin! I am sure it feels good to be back!

[Catrin]

Thanks Oak :-)

Wow, it sounds like you are doing well!

Good going, Catrin! I am sure it feels good to be back!

Crankin & Emily - it does feel good, but it is also that "dangerous" stage when I want to assume that I can now do anything I want to do with no hinderance. I AM the "Queen of Overdoing", at least I've been in the past. So now I am trying to push my boundaries but spiced with common sense - not just "open the gates, it's time to GO". Certainly some of you have seen me do that a few times since I've been on TE.

No hiking today, knee was bothering me more this morning than it has been so I put off my little hike today...it will happen first thing tomorrow morning Back to the "personality challenged trail", but hopefully that will change soon! VERY thankful I've those new hiking boots I bought in June though - I doubt I could do it even with the brace without them.

[Pax]

Catrin - I feel your thrill! I walked my first mile today!! It's been a long slog and I know how good those milestones can feel.

Really tired of hearing people tell me how their best friends moms cousin who was 93, had a knee replacement and walked a mile two weeks after a knee replacement. What the hell EVER. We all heal differently, I've been working my butt off but my knee is taking forever to heal... it's get there when it gets there.

[Catrin]

Yayyy Pax! I didn't get near a mile in my hike yesterday, at least I don't think so. Forcing myself to focus on time, not distance and I am slow...but not as slow as I was!

Congratulations on your walk yesterday! I hear you about that moms friends cousin amazing recovery, I must know someone who knows her as well. :-) All I can say is I know the challenge from a scope plus lateral release. Can't imagine what it must be like to recover from a full replacement!

[Catrin]

I DID go hiking this morning and actually tracked things this time [1.02 miles in 28 minutes]. That is right at half my normal hiking speed on a "no personality" trail (I'm a fast walker naturally/normally) but I will take it for a starting point! AND...that was without my brace. I didn't forget it intentionally but as that trail is close to a half-hour drive from my apartment I wanted to at least attempt it. If the trail had more character I wouldn't have attempted it at all. I won't do that again for some time to come but it was also encouraging. Every day I seem stronger, and I will take that! I actually didn't expect to get far without my brace, but those hiking boots rock - apparently my knee likes them even more than I new! They are NOT light hikers, true backpacking boots but they are not heavy in weight and my arthritic feet like them as well.

[Pax]

Woo HOO!! Impressive hike, congrats!

[Catrin]

Things continue to improve! My knee is grumpy today but yesterday I walked 2 miles round trip for a work meeting, had a PT session, and a scaled kettlebell training session. My walking pace is about 85% of my normal pace. I will take it 😎

[Crankin]

I bet you are glad you had the surgery.

[Catrin]

I bet you are glad you had the surgery.

You know, while I've still some healing to do that may take months to complete, I think that I am. Even if the knee doesn't get back to quite what it was prior to the fall, in some ways it is already better. The knee had no "margin for error" as far as resources from which to draw from to recover from the brutal fall and while I knew the knee was bad, I didn't know just HOW bad.

Winding Road and I just hiked for a little over 3 miles Knee feels great, though of course I do wear a brace for hiking. We didn't do too badly considering we are both recovering from surgery!