2nd Post-Op Meeting w the Doc [Nearly 5 Weeks Post-Op]

Today was a gorgeous day to be able to walk (slowly, and controlled...) out of work at lunchtime and eventually make my way to the Doctor's office for my 5-week follow-up appointment. I went in thinking that I would tell Dr. Shapiro of my set-backs in recovery, or maybe even have Drew make a visit (since the PT area is just downstairs from the Dr's office) to fill him in on my progress thus far and really have a big chat about it. As we know, things don't always go as planned.

Firstly, I had another set of x-rays taken. I mentioned that I already had x-rays taken at 1 week post-op, but the assistant said she was just following doctor's orders, so we both went along with it. Since the x-rays were identical to the last set, I felt they were a waste. Perhaps there is a small percentage of patients whose titanium screws (which hold the graft in place) may shift? Perhaps I'll google that... ;)

When Dr. Shapiro entered the room, we exchanged pleasantries, and I dove right into the discussion Drew and I had about my potential tendonitis, and how we felt it was setting back my recovery. When I told him that the tendonitis was in the area of the patellar tendon (where my graft was taken from), he seemed to pause a second and cock his head in misunderstanding.

"Well, you know, pain in that area is not necessarily tendonitis. I mean, that is where we took your graft from, so of course there is going to be some pain in that area.." he said. Well, this was followed up with how every recovery is different, and launched a discussion of pain management. I told him I've been off Vicodin for some time now, and only popped some Motrin (~600mg) every now and then for a two-birds-with-one-stone throw at both pain and inflammation. Can I really tell the difference when I take it vs not? Not really. But people also told me that Vicodin would be a god-send, and while I'm sure it helped dull some pain, it wasn't all I thought it'd be either. In the end he wrote me a prescription for something comparable to Motrin and told me to take that, mostly for inflammation that could be causing my pain. I am not a fan of popping pills, but Doctor's orders!

So, after our brief discussion of my maybe-tendonitis-but-not-necessarily, Dr. S had me sit with my legs extended out in front of me on the exam table. With my leg relaxed, he carefully manipulated the knee cap and poked around a little at the swelling, which seems to be in control. Next he had a look at my extension, which we haven't measured lately in PT, but is definitely at zero, if not -1 or so. Then, he had me slide my heel towards my butt and bend the knee as much as I could. Range of motion was "great" (though I still have some work to do on that bend!)... But for now- I'm on track!

After this, I extended my leg back out, and he grabbed my lower thigh with one hand and upper shin with his other hand, and did a little jiggle-jiggle to test the stability of my ACL (I assume, anyway) and those few things wrapped up the physical exam.

Once done, Dr. Shapiro was pleased with where I was and said I was right on track. God, that was good to hear after beating myself up over the last 2 weeks about my inability to walk w/o a limp or being 'behind schedule'. I was so happy that he didn't push the thought of tendonitis on me or give me any indication of being off track in general. I have too competitive of a spirit (even with myself) to have to deal with negativity that would have come from such focus.

I had them print me today's set of x-rays (which, truly, ARE exactly like the 1-week, so I won't bother uploading) and headed for PT. Drew was glad to hear the doctor was happy, and between the three of us, I think we will all be delighted as I can focus on the coming weeks and getting back to 'normal' !!

Note: I just heard meow-ing on my porch (we do not have a cat!) and it's a black cat! I hope that's not a bad sign... !!

Could the Limp Be Gone?!? [4.5 Weeks Post-Op]

I've had my set-backs in recovery, and in my last blog at 4 weeks post-op I talked about my continued pain when attempting to walk, and how it's likely due to a case of tendonitis. This pain was forcing me to limp, even when I really focused on evening out my stride.

While I'm still at PT 3 times per week, we've been taking it easy for about a week and a half, doing ultrasound in the area of my patellar tendon and locally icing directly on the skin. I knew patience (and a positive attitude!) would be a must as I overcame this hurdle.

I must say I'm having a bit of writer's block to describe just how I've come to ask myself... Could the limp really be gone? It comes down to this- up through this morning (I think!), I still couldn't seem to stop favoring my surgical leg. However, this afternoon I was on the phone and decided to take a short walk down the street and back. I was walking with control, but the pain was minimal if anything, and I realized I could walk normally!

Perhaps it helps that I was just doing PT at home and stretching. Or maybe it's that I was distracted with conversation. But this little triumph had me excited, so I had to share!

Meanwhile tomorrow is my 5 week follow-up with Dr. Shapiro. I'm looking forward to getting his opinion on my progress, and moving on from here!!

If It Feels Good, Do It [4th Week Post-Op]

My week 4 anniversary has come and gone (yesterday) and between my woe is me attitude and having an occasion to get out of the house yesterday evening, I am just now posting. However, I'm glad I waited, as I think in some ways, I am feeling progression. Of sorts.

Bear with me, and let me preface by telling you a few parts of my day ...

I realized that as I walked around work I thought of statements I might blog, (similar to how I always think of captions for my photos, for those of you who know me!). Sadly, one statement that came to mind today was, "I am feeling a sense of disappointment [frustration? defeat?] with every step I take." What?! Did I just think that? True- it is hard to ignore my slow pace or pain every few steps, but DEFEAT? C'mon now. Lighten up, Louie.

Then, checking my (personal) email at work (shh!) I received today's dictionary.com 'Word of the Day': Abnegate which, has a second definition of "to relinquish; give up." You might think in my original state of rut, I would have thought, Gee, how fitting! But, I looked at that and asked myself, is that what I'm doing? Of course not. But where did I fall on the scale from frustration to giving up?

At some point my new boss came by and mentioned my knee. He said, "Aren't you some kind of super-jock?" Ha! I may not fall in that category, but there's few sports I won't try. I had to laugh at this rep I didn't realize I had at work...

I eventually left work and headed for PT, and as I hobbled to the front door, I saw a girl being dropped off with immobilizer on her leg and crutches under arm. "When was your surgery?" I asked. "Yesterday..." she said. Ahhh... I remember being there, and the pain just to stand. I felt for her as I held the door and helped her meet her trainer- my good friend, Drew.

A few exercises into my routine, another girl asked me how far along I was, as she was 3 weeks out. "Your scar looks great!!" she told me... Well, that was awfully kind of her!

OK, ok, ok... enough with the stories. I am not sure when, but at some point in the day, negativity started to crumble from my mentality, little by little. I now found myself in my (currently) dreaded position: being asked to 'walk the runway' for the trainer. Despite my hopes, I did not miraculously shake the limp. But this time I was not barked at on how to fix my gait either, which was refreshing. So it came to the next question... Now what?

I confronted Drew about the whisperings of tendonitis from last session. He would not (and I guess, could not) officially tell me I have it, as that is my doctor's call. However, when asked, he said, "You definitely [catch/pause] maybe have tendonitis." Enough said. He said around 10% of people get it (I'll have to research...) and that it's not that anything was done wrong, that it just sometimes happens. I could ask a million questions- did he push me too hard? Did I take my PT at home too seriously? Did I work through pain I thought was normal, but it was over-use? No matter- I now have direction that "if it hurts, don't do it." I'm going to bend that and say, if it feels good, do it! - which I thought a a nicer tone to it!

So for now, that's exactly what I'll do. At PT we continue to do ultrasound in the area of my patellar tendon (which I read, is a way to treat tendonitis) and ice is rubbed directly on my skin near the incision instead of a wrapped ice pack after PT. Other than that, the only way to 'treat' tendonitis is rest, only do the exercises which don't pain that area, and be patient. Isn't it ironic that being patient is the fastest road to recovery? :)

Week 4 Post-Op Pics

When flexing both legs it appears I'm getting some of my left quad back, but looks can be deceiving. While the 'definition' is starting to show a *little*, it's awfully soft in comparison!

The incision is healing nicely, and I am sure to massage it whenever I think to, which will help loosen the skin (as it's still quite stuck in place) and break up scar tissue beneath it.

Walking the Runway [27 Days Post-Op]

Today I returned to work, and while it was nice to get back to a 'normal' routine and see some familiar faces, it was a short distraction before I headed to PT in the early evening.

Focus continues to be on evening out my gait. I keep thinking it's mental; that I am just not trusting my leg. However some pains can not be ignored (even after popping a Vicodin pre-PT) and just when I feel I'm improving, I get the same pain (more shooting than general) in the area of my patellar tendon, and my body goes back to the exaggerated limp.

Also, today I was given so many directions to correct my stride as I walked the imaginary red carpet for my trainers: "Let your leg straighten out before swinging it forward." "Bend your knee more." "Pull your surgical leg forward more quickly before you step on it." "Go faster." "Hold your shoulders way back..." My head was spinning and frustrations were mounting as I couldn't seem to do what they were asking. Walking the runway was neither glamorous nor fun. I really was (and am) at a loss.

What scares me is that the two people working with me at PT can't seem to figure out how explain the intermittent pain I'm getting and one of them mentioned the possibility of tendonitis today, which, honestly, has me a little freaked out. With overuse being the primary cause of tendonitis, even hoping I don't have it, I wonder if 'powering through' the pain in hopes of a speedy recovery may actually be hindering my recovery??

Tomorrow I will be 4 weeks post-op, and while I knew it was far fetched (even my surgeon uncle said so), I remember Drew telling me I would be running around 4 weeks. I can only hope that statement was made as incentive, and that it doesn't mean that I'm doing something wrong.

I have my 5 week follow up with the Doctor in 1 week (though I did see him briefly today as he made a random visit to the PT area) and hope to have this settled by then, or at VERY least, be able to get some answers as to where I am in comparison to his other patients at this point, and how I can stay (or get) on track.

Update & Remaining Milestones [26 Days Post-Op]

I am the first to admit my last post was pretty whiny. I apologize if it didn't leave a good taste in your mouth, but it is part of the recovery process, so no point in sugar-coating it!

But I can say that I am in a better place now. Yes, I am still limping, but I am feeling improvement (or, lack of pain I was feeling before) and am working more on balancing on my surgical leg while it is straightened to gain confidence in my leg as it teeters on the edge of locking/straightening or being just slightly bent. Once I feel good there, I think it will really improve my walking.

While I am physically improving, I am also grateful for the support of others who have either been through (or, will be going through!) this type of procedure, as well as those around me who continue to care about my well-being and encourage me to keep at it! I'm sure I'm not the first person to have moments of frustration and weakness in my recovery, so all I can say to those of you who might experience the same thing -- it will get better! I just hope I can remember my own advice as I continue on!

A few points of interest-

• I am no longer on a steady diet of pain medication, as of ~3 weeks post-op. I still pop something before heading to PT, but otherwise think keeping Motrin handy should be enough to curb most discomfort.
• I have no pain in standing for longer periods of time. (Immediately after surgery, this was what caused the MOST pain in normal day-to-day!)
• I will be returning to work tomorrow (mainly sitting at a desk all day) and while I was capable of returning a week ago, due to a temporary lay-off (don't worry, it's just a week here and there!) my start date was pushed back. I was grateful for the extra week of being able to stay home and focus on recovery.
• The most pain I have is in the region of my patellar tendon. Mostly it's caused by the simple motion of straightening the leg from bent, but without any support (As in, if sitting with legs dangling off a chair, trying to lift my foot so leg is straightened out in front of me). Similar to pain felt when trying to do 'straight leg raises' while lying on my back. [Note: I am not sure if this pain is because my graft was taken from this area, or if this occurs in all ACL reconstructions?? I assume the former...]

My upcoming milestones (in no particular order) include:

• Getting my bend to ~135° (considered 'normal' range of motion)
• Walking and climbing stairs w/o favoring my surgical leg
• Going down stairs w/o having to put both my feet on one step before descending the next stair
• As mentioned, focus on balancing on my surgical leg while it's straightened
• Eventually be able to balance on surgical leg w/leg straightened and remain balanced as I work into a slight bend
• Breaking up scar tissue in the area of the incision to allow the skin to move freely over my knee cap
• Continue to ice, elevate and massage around knee to reduce swelling and break up scar tissue

Perhaps returning to work will bring me some new challenges (I am thinking sitting in one spot for a bulk of time will end up with a lot of fidgeting so my leg doesn't stiffen up too badly). Either way I am looking forward to a change of pace and starting my return to a 'normal' lifestyle!

And, some photos of my progress. Enjoy!

I can now bend my knee to this angle somewhat (I say that lightly...) comfortably:

Swelling still there, but my knee is slowly showing shape again:
The scar is healing up nicely, though the skin does not move freely over the kneecap yet. I am massaging daily to break up scar tissue:
And how could I forget?! ... Happy Mother's Day!!

"The Wall" or "1 Limp Forward, 2 Limps Back" [22 Days Post-Op]

Pre-injury I had a half-marathon in mind as one of my next physical undertakings. I'll probably do one, eventually, but clearly my focus is elsewhere now. However, I feel like I'm hitting that 'wall' that runners speak of in full marathons (when they hit the unbelievable distance of 18-20 miles and just can't seem to keep going); but this time, it's not running, it's walking.

Since I'm a big fan of trying to keep positive, I drove to PT today with my music cranked, windows down, and saying to myself, "Today will be great!" Monday was a tough PT for me (summary: on the verge of tears the whole time with various frustrations; and oh yeah, the pain!) but Tuesday I felt like I was starting to get trust back in my walk, and didn't seem to be limping as much. I thought I'd walk into PT today and wow them with my improvement!

I posted before, and it was to describe the troubles I'm having in getting a normal gait. I know this is all part of the process of recovery, but as of today (Wednesday) the task seems daunting again. My trainer spent 1.5 hours with me today trying to problem solve, and I must say, his actions and conversations make me think I have him stumped. First, it seemed I was having trouble with extension. However a few exercises later it became clear that I have no additional pain, nor problem, in getting my surgical leg completely straight. Then, it was a backwards-skateboarding sort of motion on the treadmill, which didn't seem to loosen me up any more or get rid of the pain I was feeling. If this particular pain is normal, Drew did not verbalize that!

We did an ultrasound to send waves of heat deep into my knee to help break up scar tissue and "promote healing", and I was told I may feel less pain immediately after treatment. Honestly, I didn't feel a difference (...and they said I was on a 'high' setting!). Then, when icing, instead of putting a cold pack on my leg (which is typical), we took a block of ice and rubbed it directly on my knee near my incision, and kept the cold localized in the area I feel a 'twisting pain' when trying to walk. Once done with these treatments, I tried walking again, and with a numb knee and my poor walking habits, I still couldn't seem to shake the pain.

So, I wish I was writing to say, Hey, more improvement today! But in actuality, I must say this post is more of a release of my frustrations in my lack of improvement. I know it's a tough road ahead, and I'm not giving up, but knowing walking is my next 'big thing' to overcome makes the frustrations mount as I go in to PT and can't find hint of improvement. Additionally, the incision seems to be stuck in place (skin doesn't move freely over top of the knee/cap area, so there must be scar tissue to break up) and even after going through ~5 minutes of torture/manipulation by Drew today, he didn't get it to loosen any more. How am I supposed to manipulate it at home and see improvement, when there's no way I can inflict that much pain on myself??

To think back on the recent physical pain and mental frustrations I have gone through gets me worked up all over again, and it really is turning into a [negative] vicious cycle. I know I can overcome it, it's just a matter of how.

Just over 3 weeks out, I am still proud of how far I've come and the pain I've tolerated, but I am ready to conquer that next step... this time, without a limp...

Learning to Walk Again [18 Days Post-Op]

In my second visit to PT (which was 3 days post-op) I was already being challenged to put weight on my surgical leg and try to 'walk' across the PT room. I remember thinking how ridiculous that was, because I was so unsure of my leg (and myself) and it must have looked like a baby deer teetering close to disaster with each step. Even Eric's mom, Sandy, said something to the tune of, "Does this remind you of learning to walk?" and of course, I have no recollection of that, but I'm sure I looked quite similar in technique!

So now I am closing in on 3 weeks post-op, and in yesterday's PT I again felt the pains of the forced bending (not sure what degree we got to but I hope it was 120!) and the frustrations of the most simple uses of my leg, which just aren't coming naturally. However, I have been improving every day (some days more than others!) and I'm now being told to work on 'walking'.

I have officially eliminated the use of crutches (even when going on somewhat uneven terrain) and have been walking in a controlled, slow and short-strided manner. I realize this is not how I want my gait to look when I'm done rehab-ing, but as they say... Baby Steps!

When asked to walk by my trainer yesterday, I made a conscious effort to stand upright (instead of look at my feet) and just walk evenly. Drew called me out on it immediately, telling me to speed up (I was going frightfully slow) and to stop trying to 'control' my stride. I followed directions (like the 'perfect princess' I said I'd be in PT) but there was an über-uncomfortable feeling below my kneecap, and at the times when walking requires balancing on the surgical leg at the sensitive position between completely straight and just bent, I felt like Bambi again.

"Let's put you on the treadmill," Drew said. Wha?! Didn't I just prove I'm not even ready to walk 'normally' yet? But sure enough, I climbed on and Drew took the belt speed up to what is probably a normal walking pace... but I looked like a pirate trying to speed-walk on my brand new peg-leg! Oh, and of course there was the return of the aforementioned pain below the kneecap (in the area of the patellar tendon).

This limping pirate look may have brought Drew back to reality, as I just couldn't seem to go with the 'flow' of the treadmill. So, for 5+ minutes I instead stood with my right leg off to the side of the treadmill belt, and at a much slower belt speed, would put down my left foot and 'walk' with my left leg. (I looked like I was skateboarding now) This allowed me to gradually put more weight on the leg as I got more comfortable, and my new task was to work on taking longer strides and stop avoiding straightening my leg all the way before 'pushing off' and lifting the leg up again.

Unfortunately, I do not have a treadmill or stationary bike at my disposal, so I am unable to work on such activities (and range-of-motion exercises) at home. This didn't stop me from going out today (Saturday) in the lovely noon-day sun and walking ~5 blocks. I tried to follow all of the tips and directions that Drew had given me, but in the end I know it still looked 'controlled' if not limping, because I had a friendly passer-by ask, "Are you OK?"

I compare this attempt at walking to learning to golf. There are so many things to remember when you learn to swing a club: head down, legs slightly bent, grip a certain way, twist your body a certain way, backswing so your arms do or don't bend too much... you get the idea. It's just a little overwhelming to try to remember it all and follow it all to a T. Same goes with this whole 'walking' bit. No matter that I've walked plenty in my lifetime, when it no longer comes 'naturally' it's truly an effort to make walking an effortless motion!

So, while I know I still have a ways to go before strangers aren't concerned for my well-being due to my unconventional walking style, I am making improvement, and that is all I can ask for now!

And because pictures are fun:

Day 16 post-op: I 'cleaned up' the incision area before re-taping. Looks good w/ the exception of the zig-zaggy part at the lower kneecap Day 18 post-op: OK, not a flattering pic at all, but for the sake of comparison, this is a pic with legs in the air, slightly bent and completely relaxed. Note the swelling still obvious to the sides of the knee and lower thigh/knee area. Also, major muscle mass difference in the thighs (lower portion of picture) which I hope to reclaim when this is all over!!

Pity Parties & Impressive Improvement [2 Weeks Post-Op]

As I start to type this, it's 12:30p - exactly two weeks ago I was checking into Beaumont Hospital with what felt like a perfectly good set of legs. Thanks to an MRI after hearing my knee *pop* in flag football, I knew that I really was in for a treat, as I headed for the pre-op to have my ACL reconstructed from my own patellar tendon.

In two weeks I've overcome some major milestones, from ditching the crutches and immobilizer, gaining some great range of motion, and slowly regaining muscle back in the quad of my surgical leg. Not to mention, getting out of the house to spectate some of my favorite sports teams!

This is not to say that it's been increasing improvement each day, or, without pain. As you may know, within 1 week of surgery, the goal was to get to a 90 degree bend. I was delighted to be able to reach that goal (even though in PT I went through the worst pain I've felt in my life...). Between that 90 degree PT visit and Sunday's home PT (6 days later) I figured I'd gain 5-10 degrees on any given day, and be flying towards full range of motion. Instead, I found myself getting to what looked to still be about 90 degrees and really beating myself up to get just a little more bend.

Welcome to my (then) pity party with RSVP of yours truly. Instead of being happy with at least remaining around 90, I was disappointed. I was coming up on the 2 week mark, and hardly had made progress in 6 days. Sure, I was walking a little more confidently, but I still had (and have) trust issues with my knee. What did I have to show for the previous week? I had even religiously done my PT work at home on Saturday and Sunday, and felt that it had hardly made a difference.

Reality check: At the time of my 1-person pity party, I was still under 2 weeks from major knee surgery. Recovery takes time. I had to remind myself (and be reminded) that I can't get down on myself when I still have 11/12ths of the road to recovery to go!!

This takes me to PT on Monday, 4/27. I worked with Michelle again and the first thing she asked me to do was try to flex my surgical quad. I did, and she lit up and said, "There you go! Much better [than Friday]!!" and with that, my mood started to turn more positive. I went on to do a few more exercises....

After a few warm-up tasks, it came time for the most dreaded part- forced bending. I mentioned to her that I tried to do it at home, but wasn't getting the improvement I'd hoped for. "We'll see..." she said. She tried to keep me occupied with other conversation, and I tried to relax. The less I fight her, perhaps there'd be more bend and less pain. A few slow bends, reaching a somewhat painful point, and coming back off, we maybe bent my leg 3 times or so. Finally, she got the tool to measure how much I was bending and we pushed it one last time...

"Last Friday you were freaking out around 90 degrees and look at you now! Just shy of 120 degrees! That's some impressive improvement!"

With that news, I was ecstatic. I allowed myself to enjoy the surprise of the new range of motion, and finished my work-out with determination. And while I'm not sure what I'm doing at home that might be helping increase the bend, this new achievement supported my plan to keep up with PT at home as if I had a trainer looking over me!

So here I am, 2 weeks post-op and pain and setbacks aside, I feel confident I'm on my way to that full recovery I keep hearing about... ;)

Pics & Feeling of Note [2 Weeks Post Op]

In addition to how the knee looks, there is still tightness from swelling within the joint, which is primarily responsible for my limited range of motion. Majority of the swelling seems to have gathered above the knee and to the upper sides of the knee (both on the front of the leg). I try to massage these areas to help move the fluid upward towards my lymph node.

Also, nerves were cut when the incision was made, so directly to the outside of the incision I have a numb spot that I'm told will regain feeling in the next 6-12 months as the nerves grow back.

Finally, every time I go from bent to completely straight in my surgical leg, there is a small pop (think of two tendons rubbing together, not even a 'crack' feeling) in the area of the bruising on the back of my leg. I am told this is again due to swelling, and these two tendons are just being pushed onto each other. I will probably continue to ask about it until the feeling goes away. It isn't painful, but a little uncomfortable.

Pics - 2 weeks post-op

Swelling found mostly to the upper sides and top of the knee;

Quad muscle atrophy in the L leg w/ noticeable difference b/t legs even when relaxed

Bruising on the inside of the calf much less noticeable; Bruising on the back of the knee fading significantly

I'm Only Cheating Myself [9-10 Days Post-Op]

When I chose to have surgery, I knew my 'comeback' would be almost solely dependant on my efforts with physical therapy. I remember telling people that "all I can do once I have surgery is be a perfect little princess in rehab and do everything to a T so that I can return to sports nice and strong." This (along with walking down stairs, bending to 90 degrees and balancing on my surgical leg...) is easier said than done.

At PT today I worked with a different trainer, Michelle, who I had seen before but never met. Turns out I really liked her (mostly because she did the forced bend more slowly and evenly!). In addition to some 'usual' exercises there, I was asked to do handful of the exercises I'd been tasked to do at home. But in PT there was the fact that I was under the watchful eye of a trainer, and in that case I will always be more determined to really push myself.

What I noticed is that yes, I do exercises at home, but I don't do them religiously, and it was showing. One of the biggest comebacks in rehab is getting your quads (thigh muscles) to fire again, and basically return stabilization to the knee by using those muscles. One exercise to do this is to sit with your legs out in front of you and simply flex your quad muscle (which, in turn, forces your leg straight and knee towards the ground). Sounds easy, (and, IS easy in my non-surgical leg) but it's a real struggle on my surgical leg.

Another exercise is laying on your stomach, propping your surgical leg up on the toes (instead of keeping toes pointed) and again, flexing the quad so the leg straightens (instead of at rest, where the leg bends at the knee and rests on the floor). The pictures of the back of my legs, below, shows this.

These exercises are simple in concept, but when Michelle asked me if I was doing them at home, I knew the answer was, "Well, kind of" instead of the "Yes! 3 times a day!" and it reminded me that I really need to keep up my end of the bargain at home so PTherapy doesn't turn into PTorture every other day.

That said, it doesn't mean there hasn't been improvement. My rotations on the stationary bike were a *little* easier today, walking is becoming easier, I can stand longer without my knee feeling like it's going to explode... And exercises such as straight-leg raises while sitting or balancing on my surgical leg are showing definite improvement.

I work with Michelle again on Monday, and I am looking forward to it. Over the weekend I plan to make time for my exercises and push myself as if someone were standing over me, because I want to be able to answer her with a confident "Yes!" if I'm asked again if I'm doing my part at home.

More photos:

8 Days Post-Op

Featured as of my 1-week follow-up: New tape on the incision!

9 Days Post-Op