Happy to report.....

I know, I know, where have I been and am I OK?

I have been doing well.  I am OK.  I am shortly going to be in better shape than I have been in years.

Right around the New Year, my in-home Physical Therapist, Gerry, suggested that I progress to Outpatient Physical Therapy as the things I could do here, were not progressing me along at all.  So I signed up for Rover, a Shared Ride program here in Chester County, that would allow me to get to a local Physical Therapy facility where I had tables and machines and room to do some really hefty Physical Therapy.

So on January 6th, I waited fro Rover to pick me up and drop me off 5 miles on the northern end of Route 10 at the new Lancaster General Hospital Health Center.  I have been there for lab work, but it is a really full service center and includes Physical Therapy.

I met Heather who manipulated, massaged and moved my new knee to determine the amount of straight and bend that my knee had.  She planned out goals and we set a 4 week schedule for therapy sessions.

To date, I have only had 4 actual sessions.  But I have gone from using a walker to get around, to using a cane to using nothing at all.  I have gotten to a 92 degree bend and a 4 degree straight.

My incision is healing nicely.  There are still 2 small areas where it has not completely come together.  When I saw my surgeon on Wednesday, he indicated that I was having a reaction to internal stitches, but it would heal in time.  He was quite pleased with my progress but most importantly, he released me to drive.... finally!  After a bit over 6 weeks, I was more than ready for wheels.

Today, I went out in the van and did some needed grocery shopping.  I was really running low on many things.  It was wonderful to be out and walking through the grocery store and, even better, not having my knee lock up at the end of the first aisle.  It did get a little puffy, but there was no pain and I was not walking like a peg-legged pirate out to the car with my bags.

I should have done this many months... or years... ago!!  I will not let the left knee get nearly that bad!