Today, Friday, makes it one week since I've had my ACL surgery. In one week I've gone from being a crutch-needing, constantly in pain, frequently puking disaster area to merely a hobbling, somewhat physically independent, somewhat opioid dependent maker of progress. There have been a few unexpected pop / crack noises that kinda shook me up.. The noises weren't followed by much pain, just maybe a tingle, so I figure it was just my knee kind of re-adjusting to its new surroundings. I've taken it pretty easy and haven't had any bad missteps. At times, I'm walking with no cane. When I do I'm sort of hunched over. It's obvious there's a limp or leg dragging but I'm able to put some pressure on it and keep my balance, so I'm happy to be walking again.
Despite all the positives, when I walk, I can feel how weak my leg has become. The thigh muscles began to atrophy shortly after the injury occurred, strengthened some in the month or prior to surgery, but now they're really starting to fade on me. My right thigh has a consistency similar to that of a packet of Go-Gurt. If I were a chicken and you were going to eat me I'd recommend the breast or the wing or the gizzard, the thigh and leg are just not where the good meat is at anymore. It'll all come back with the physical therapy and strengthening exercises and time, but that's just it, it's going to take some time. It's just incredible how quickly the muscle deteriorates compared to how much time it takes to get it back. I signed up for it though, so I just need to be ready when the time comes.
Hopefully, the time is next week. I see my surgeon on Monday and I expect him to let me know when I can begin the physical therapy. I think he'll remove the stitches and let me know how he thinks my recovery has progressed so far. I've followed all the doctor's instructions, nearly to a T, so barring any weekend catastrophes, I expect to leave there Monday with good results and a better idea of the game plan moving forward.
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