Walking (part 3)

Before I even left the doctors office I texted JDK and my boss.  They were both shocked and relieved as well.

I drove home feeling almost high from the excitement / relief.  I was scared for surgery but elated that I would be able to walk again or maybe even run. 

That night I slept like a log for the first time in months.  My anxiety about what life was going to be like if I it really was just a bad knee that couldn't be fixed and I would spend the rest of my life limping was gone.

After a few days the euphoria wore off and it hit me that the doctor would not have found the tear if I had not asked to see the slides. Later a friend explained that the tech reads the MRI and writes up a summary and the doctors don't usually look at the actual pictures, they just read the report.

I started to get angry.  Angry that the tech could have missed it.  Maybe the tech should be reprimanded?  Angry that it took 3 doctors and a whole lot of pushing to be taken seriously.  Angry that because I wasn't young or injured in a dramatic accident (think taking a huge hit during a soccer game) the medical community just assumed it was arthritis.  Heck, later the doctor assistant guy showed me the pictures from the surgery and told me my arthritis isn't even that bad!

Another thing I figured out was that because it never really swelled much they assumed it wasn't injured.  But I have never been a sweller.  I didn't get fat fingers when I was pregnant. I just don't swell easily.  In hind sight I should have told them it was really swollen most of the time and it was a fluke that it wasn't very swollen the day I was in the office.

Anyway, they did the surgery.  Turns out it wasn't detached, it was just a tear so they cut off the flap.  A fairly simple surgery with an easy recovery.  I went to PT a couple of times and started going to the gym regularly.  I have been cycling and walking and my knee feels better every day.

The biggest problem I have been faced with is the atrophy of the muscles from basically not walking for months.  I only walked when absolutely necessary from the time the shot wore off until after surgery.  After my first long walk (3 miles) I was actually sore....from walking.....just walking around chatting with my friends.

The other day I walked all over the Home Depot store and it filled me with joy to be able to do my shopping and look around and not be plotting the shortest route to get me off my feet again.

Walking is important people!

Last weekend I finally got my road bike out and did a hilly 20 mile ride. My knee was fine and my pace was impressive given that I haven't ridden hills in a year.  I have been riding the flat trail a lot.  Hardest part was breathing.  No cardio endurance at all.....but that will come back.