Better living through chemistry--8 months

About 10 days ago, I got a steroid injection in my left foot.  It has made all the difference in the world.  I have thrown my cane aside.  Of course, right after the injection, for a couple of days I was a completely new person.  I went to Costco without a cane, never once hurt, was amazed when I got home and I felt nothing from the excursion. "I'm healed!!" (Say it with a voice of one who has seen a faith healer.)  Then as the days have worn on and the cortisone has worn off, my 60 year old body has returned.  The normal aches and pains are back (isn't it a shame we can't live on steroids?), but I am doing so much better than before the injection.  I thought my feet were hindering me, and this proves it to me.  I have been SO much more active these past 10 days.


When my feet were being the problem, I couldn't understand why my knees weren't stronger.  Why weren't all the exercises I was doing to increase my quad strength not enough?  I kept thinking that those muscles must have gone completely to pot over the 1 1/2 years prior to surgery.  I was going to Curves at the time, and my orthopod basically eliminated all the leg exercises after seeing pictures of the machines.  I got a physical therapist to help me with exercises in the meantime, but it was seeming like that must not have been enough either.  Then the podiatrist tells me that the best thing for my feet is to get my quads strong. I was really befuddled-- why was what I was doing not enough?  Then, enter a needle in the right spot with a wonder drug, and my knees are amazingly strong.  I have spent the past week marveling at their rock hard firmness.  It was the stupid feet not doing their job!


I have a confession to make.  Instead of losing weight, my weight has been creeping up.  I have had no motivation within me.  I continued to go to Weight Watchers and face the music when I stepped on those scales.  I refused to give up.  Possibly with the effects of feeling so good these past few days and being more active, my motivation has returned.  I also got back on the treadmill which I had given up because my feet hurt so blame much. Starting out slowly and slowly advancing has been without any problems thus far.  I made better choices in what I ate this week, and surprise, surprise, I was down a bit.  Actually it was a BIG surprise because I have been so bad the previous weeks.


Another side effect of being of steroids caught me off guard.  I seriously contemplated going to work!  I spent an inordinate amount of time filling out an application online at a local hospital.  This was sparked by an ad in the paper for Health Department jobs.  So I started rounding up everything I needed for that application process, too.  I never hit send on the job application because I was waiting until I went to the job fair at the Health Department.  On the last day of the fair, I just didn't have any peace about going to work, so I decided to give myself 6 months.  Later, I figured it was probably the feel good effects of steroids earlier in the week that got me so pumped up!  Then as they wore off, I became more rational.  Since on some days the only thing I accomplish well is going to the pool or gym, I got anxious about when would I do that if I were working.  So, in order to prevent increasing my angst levels, I will continue doing what I am doing and not complicate my life unnecessarily.

A bit of good and bad (7 1/2 months)

It's been  3 weeks since my fall.  Not totally recovered, but real close.  Just got back from taking my son to college to register, etc.  I was so disappointed in my abilities there.  I did a great deal of walking, and there was one building that had at least 20 steps that I climbed and descended numerous times before discovering a ground level entry. (I later found this picture of the building and it had WAY more than 20 steps!)  I really had to  keep telling myself that I was still recovering from a fall and that it was ok to be so dependent on my cane. I was disappointed in how fatigued I got compared to what I can do around my house.  I have a new knee friend in blogland whose motto I have adopted and adapted; I constantly reminded myself that I was 7 out of 12 months recovered. (and in reality, it could be as much as 18 months)  Then things did not seem so bad, and I was more gracious to myself.


I added a link to her blog to my blog, but lest it gets overlooked, I wanted to point it out.  She is about 6 months behind me in her recovery, and she started her blog because she could not find much info regarding expected recovery after the first 6 weeks.

www.newkneenewme.blogspot.com 


In spite of feeling like the past few days were so crummy, I had a good night at the gym.  The rpms on the recumbent bike were my highest thus far--56.  I did 1200 steps on the NuStep.  Back up to 2 minutes on the elliptical.  And a stretch I do that is very uncomfortable (lying on my back and bending my knee with my foot flat on the mat and pushed back as close to my bottom as I can stand) had a surprising finding tonight.  I'm usually lying there with my arm over my mouth to keep from moaning and groaning like I would do at home, intensely watching my timer for 2 minutes.  Prior to tonight, it was after 1 1/2 minutes before before the pain would subside.  Tonight it was closer to 1 minute.  That was very encouraging.  I did it again for 1 minute, and that did not hurt at all!

"Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!" (7 months)

Well, the thing I dreaded most finally happened.  And it's true-- it does hurt more to fall on metal knees than those made of bone! The irony of it all was that the fall happened the same day I posted my progress that was so significant to me.  I am at a point that the progress is so subtle that I sometimes get discouraged that I am not at the place I imagined I would be. That is why I posted those things--to remind myself that I AM improving in subtle ways.  On the same day as that posting, I was walking through my living room and tripped on, of all things, my yoga mat that was rolled up, and I thought out of the way.  Prior to falling, I was so cocky thinking how great I was walking, and the next thing I knew, I was prone on the floor in significant pain.  I am so happy that this happened at home and not in public because I had to lie there for several minutes to wait for the pain to subside before attempting to put my weight on my throbbing knees to get up. That was not a pretty sight I am sure.  Fortunately, I had a sofa arm to use, and I pulled another chair close to help me get up. My son was close by and he helped by putting my shoe back on and getting me the yoga mat to put under my knees before getting up on them. This was one time where having both knees done at the same time was a distinct disadvantage!


I was headed to bed anyway, so I grabbed some cold bed buddies, took some Tylenol, and elevated my legs with pillows and went to sleep.  The next morning I thought I might be in big trouble; I could barely walk.  I called my doctor, and they could not see me that day because he was in surgery.  They told me to do the obvious--elevate, ice, and rest and come in the next day.  The following morning only my right knee hurt and walking was not fun although much easier.  Went to see my doctor, got X-rays and everything is ok. (bonewise)  I tried going to the gym, and the bicycle was like my first post-op days.  Every revolution hurt, and I could barely pedal. (25 rpm compared to the 50+ I am doing now) The other machines I do were ok with less weight.  Today I am even better, so it looks like it was a dip in the road to recovery.