I had another Doctor's visit today. Overall, it was positive news. The swelling has gone down a lot. The only area left is a ring around my actual kneecap (and probably some underneath). I have neutral extension and could move my knee past 90 degrees for the exam. I can move it much farther but it is an hour to the Dr.'s office and my leg tends to stiffen up during car long rides.
The negatives are that my quads are a mess and my progress is just on the lower end of average. Why? Who knows, my doc told me. Everyone is different. Prior to this, I've always healed really fast from scrapes, pains and even a shoulder sprain. But I'm getting older and with the stress of being able to start clinicals, maybe it is affecting things.
I have been working out a ton now. I probably average 1-2 hours a day of stretching, weight-lifting and icing of this leg. Dale has helped me with the strength-training aspect. I have been doing the leg-press, hip flexion machine, calf raises among other things. It has become part of my learning experience here at my clinical. Anything that gets put on a patient, also gets done to me. One example is this thing called "the chair". Apparently, at the old clinic, it sat in the middle of the room so everyone could see you squirm. Basically, it is a device that forces your knee into extension. You sit in the chair with your foot up on another chair. There are straps that go across your knee and hooks that attach to a board on the floor. After you are strapped in, the straps are tightened forcing your knee into extension. It hurts a lot like a bad muscle pull. Basically, your hamstrings will fight for about five minutes, after that, they relax and the straps are tightened again. In total, you start out sitting in it for 10 minutes working up to 20 minutes in total. I'm told that you're leg goes numb if you sit in it that long. Normally, this thing is used for people who cannot completely straighten the knee. I was put in it more for educational purposes (I guess this is what happens when your clinical instructor is former military)
Also, I had the privilege of having Dale bend my knee. It was a miserable feeling but not as bad as the chair. I didn't feel like crying but it hurt. In the beginning, I just kept saying, "Please Dale, no. Don't do it." I was on a table in the gym with about 5 other people (staff, interns, other patients) watching me. It is sometimes a little embarrassing. I'm a coworker and at the same time a patient. I can't fuss or break down because I'm being watched on both sides. I've got to be tough. Everything I'm doing must be working because I'm not limping like I was two weeks ago and I'm starting to see a little new muscle. I'm told that I won't see a lot of strength gains for at least 4 weeks.
The negatives are that my quads are a mess and my progress is just on the lower end of average. Why? Who knows, my doc told me. Everyone is different. Prior to this, I've always healed really fast from scrapes, pains and even a shoulder sprain. But I'm getting older and with the stress of being able to start clinicals, maybe it is affecting things.
I have been working out a ton now. I probably average 1-2 hours a day of stretching, weight-lifting and icing of this leg. Dale has helped me with the strength-training aspect. I have been doing the leg-press, hip flexion machine, calf raises among other things. It has become part of my learning experience here at my clinical. Anything that gets put on a patient, also gets done to me. One example is this thing called "the chair". Apparently, at the old clinic, it sat in the middle of the room so everyone could see you squirm. Basically, it is a device that forces your knee into extension. You sit in the chair with your foot up on another chair. There are straps that go across your knee and hooks that attach to a board on the floor. After you are strapped in, the straps are tightened forcing your knee into extension. It hurts a lot like a bad muscle pull. Basically, your hamstrings will fight for about five minutes, after that, they relax and the straps are tightened again. In total, you start out sitting in it for 10 minutes working up to 20 minutes in total. I'm told that you're leg goes numb if you sit in it that long. Normally, this thing is used for people who cannot completely straighten the knee. I was put in it more for educational purposes (I guess this is what happens when your clinical instructor is former military)
Also, I had the privilege of having Dale bend my knee. It was a miserable feeling but not as bad as the chair. I didn't feel like crying but it hurt. In the beginning, I just kept saying, "Please Dale, no. Don't do it." I was on a table in the gym with about 5 other people (staff, interns, other patients) watching me. It is sometimes a little embarrassing. I'm a coworker and at the same time a patient. I can't fuss or break down because I'm being watched on both sides. I've got to be tough. Everything I'm doing must be working because I'm not limping like I was two weeks ago and I'm starting to see a little new muscle. I'm told that I won't see a lot of strength gains for at least 4 weeks.
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