“You don’t look it!” [19 Days Pre-Surgery]

I’ve completed my first week of prehab and will be back at it again on Monday. The 2nd and 3rd visit were much more challenging, and when I walk funny now it’s not because my knee hurts, but because we’re waking up leg muscles I either haven’t used in a while or just rarely use in general! But it’s nice to feel the burn and break a sweat again (and yes, even the soreness is rewarding!) Honestly, with just a little tightness within my injured knee at straight or all the way bent, I feel back to normal. I haven’t tried any running or sports (no point in adding another injury to my knee) but it’s an odd circumstance: feeling fine, but knowing it’s going to get a lot worse and then take lots of work to get back to having this confidence in my leg again. What an odd challenge.

I am learning the ropes of how the PT area works, and getting the vibe in general. It’s interesting to go in there and see people doing the same silly exercises I am (i.e., today I was told to ‘walk like Godzilla’ while I had a resistance band figure-eighted around my feet…) and to watch how people go about their routines. In just 3 days I’ve seen people across all ages, most fitness levels and definitely levels of determination. It was odd to see a woman, perhaps in her early 40’s, complaining. “I’m tired. I don’t like this exercise. Do I have to do more? Uggh…” If you’re in that room, you probably NEED to be there, and it boggles my mind that there’s another option than to go in, do your best at the exercises you’re given, and (unless it truly is too painful to bear) keep any negativity to yourself, because this is a place of recovery! Right? Aside from the one complainer though, I think most others share my view. There are lots of smile-and-nods as I cross people’s paths, and sometimes a small conversation (“What kind of surgery did you have?”) because no matter the injury, chances are we can relate!

My favorite moment of today was when I was side-stepping (again, w/ a resistance band around my feet) across the room and a gentleman (late 50’s? 60’s?) pointed at me and said, “You don’t look it!” At first I was confused, but I looked at the logo on my shirt (that explains the pointing!) and it was from last year’s softball team:

So, once I realized what he meant, I took it as a compliment, chuckled and thanked him. I know I’m still closer to 20 days away from my surgery, but I hope the vibe I give off is pleasant yet determined, and while it’s sure to cross my mind, that I never succumb to being “scared *hitless”!


[It also makes me wonder if he would have spoke to me in Spanish had I been wearing my 'Los Hooligans' soccer team shirt?] ;)



*Note* I've added a link to ‘ACL Calendar’ where I’ll track days of PT and what exercises I did each day. This will help me track post-op progress, and also help me remember the goal to get back to once I’m in the recovery stages. If you care to see what they’re having me do, open up any past entry!