3 months! One more month until I can run! I have been having pain around the incision area when I walk, to the point that I am limping to not put weight on my knee. This only happens sporadically, and I am wondering if its muscle or bone pain (where the dr drilled into my tibia). My PT said the pain is around my Tibia and the bone might still be healing. I get random pains here and there, but my knee is feeling a little bit more normal every week. The rainy weather probably isn’t helping though! Summary is below 🙂

3-Month Post-Op Summary

• Can run in 1 month! May 28th, to be exact 🙂
• Pain in knee where screw was drilled into bone – maybe needs a few more weeks to heal 🙂
• Reached 153 Degrees Flexion! My heel can touch my butt when I push it there
• I only have to go to PT once every other week now! My PT doesn’t have much more to give me, so as long as I do my PT exercises on my own 2-3 times  a week, I don’t have to go in. (money saver!) Yoga and workout classes count, as I am doing balancing/squats/lunges/strength training etc.
• My knee cracks when I do squats – just a mini crack, it doesn’t really hurt
• Still a little swelling in my knee, I can definitely feel it when it rains
• Pain on left side/under knee cap sometimes when I bend my knee up or down – my PT said it might just be from a small pocket of swelling.

PT Exercises (new exercises bolded)

• Elliptical at the beginning of my workouts, 15 minutes
• Side-lunges – 3 sets of 20
• Balancing on Bosu-ball on injured leg, ball side up. Balance on bad leg and bring other leg as far out diagonally behind you, then to the other side. 1x 30
• Balancing on Bosu ball, ball side down – lower into a squat and reach down and to the side like I am trying to touch foot, then back up and around to other shoulder (twisting) – 2 x 20
• Balancing on foam roll cut in half (on bad leg) – throw ball at trampoline, it rebounds back. Left hip is facing trampoline – do one set, then have right hip face trampoline. 2 sets of 15
• Lunges w/twist to side – lunging forward on a bosu ball w/ 12 lb ball – 3 sets of 20
• Monster walks to the back/side (stand looking forward with a slight squat, side step left leg & to the back – so stepping not to the side or to the back, but in between) – 10 each side, 2x
• Calf raises on leg press machine – 3 sets of 15
• Holding onto bands on wall, squat on one leg then back up – when coming up, curl band up to work arms.
• Sliders – in plank position on hands, bring one leg out to the side and back. repeat on other side. then bring both legs out & back. Repeat 15 times, 2 rounds.
• Lay on back w/sliders under my feet. Bridge stomach up, then slowly slide one leg out and back. Repeat on other leg -2-3 x, 30 seconds
• Lay on back w/sliders under my feet. Bridge stomach up, then slide one leg out and back. Repeat on other leg , going as quickly as you can, non stop -2-3 x, 30 seconds
• Lay on ground – put both feet up on an exercise ball. Bridge hips up & pull feet towards body – 3 sets of 15
• Workout at gym 1-2 times a week, doing PT exercises above
• Stretching after every workout
• Bikram Yoga/Yoga (1x a week, if I can find time)

I finally got a picture of my leg when it starts to look all funky… in past posts, I mentioned that the part of my leg that is numb looks really off when I get hot/workout. I snapped a picture during my workout on Monday (and this isn’t as noticeable as it normally gets!). Hopefully it is just damaged nerves – I have been applying oils on the numb area 2x a time, massaging it in to the leg and bottom of my foot. I have read up on it and have seen studies where diabetics were able to regain feeling back in their legs/feet after using them. I am going to try a different protocol next with a different combination of oils + applying heat right after to really drive the oils in. Fingers crossed!

Improve your range of motion, increase your strength, and feel more confident post-surgery with a 2 month yoga progression plan.