Catching Up: Thursday: Pain and Progress

Thursday the 21st I woke from another bad night but fell asleep after breakfast, which helped me. The morning therapy session felt rough because the pain killers, for whatever reason, did not seem to be working. Just pain upon pain. By the afternoon,though, I was feeling less pain and went through that session without much trouble.

Just for the heck of it I tried to remember everything I did in the two physical therapy sessions on this one day:

*walks with stairs: went on walks around the outside of the building, going up and down stairs with cane, several times
*skateboard: sitting in chair, let left foot rest on short board while right foot moves it toward me, thus increasing bend in knee, hold a few seconds, reverse direction to straighten leg for a few seconds.
*foot raise with weights: Sitting in chair with weights on ankles (more weight on right than on left), lift legs, one at a time, several times.
*"marching": Sitting in chair, raise and lower legs as if I'm marching (this is very difficult for my left leg).
*abduction band: Tie resistance band around thighs, twist and hold with right hand while pushing thighs apart.
*adduction ball: Place ball (maybe soccer-size?) between knees. Press knees together.
*resistance footraises (feet dangling): Sit on deep seat so that knees dangle off edge and are touching front of seat; therapist holds hand against foot while I try to raise it, then holds it the other way while I try to lower it, providing resistance both directions.
*bicycle: Sitting in chair, place feet into stirrups of bicycle-like device. Initially turn wheel half way to raise knee both directions; eventually turn all the way around many times.
*clock steps: therapist lays out clock numbers 9, 11, 12, 1, and 3 in appropriate positions on floor. Places a piece of tape at the bottom, sort of forming a semicircle. I stand on top of the tape and place foot on the 9 (lunge),return to start, then the 11, then the 12, then take the right foot to step on the 12, 1, and 3. After doing that three times I started at the beginning and the therapist told me which clock number to land on. a game!
On parallel bars:
*foot raised to side, to back, to front: Stand in middle of parallel bars, holding onto bar in front of me. Raise foot to the left, to the right, to the back.Both legs, many times.
*obstacle course: Lift legs, one at a time, over or on top of obstacles (or sideways over them) that are laid out in center of parallel bars, going from one end to the other. At the far end, pick up object that sits there and return the same way, going over obstacles. Second time through I picked up small plastic cup and carried it in my right hand while I held onto the left rail.
*lunges: In center of parallel bars step up left foot onto stool. Lunge forward as far as I can handle, hold a few seconds, return to start. Repeat, of course, several times.
*walks forward and back: Starting at one end walk carefully to other end, heel-toe, using rails as needed. Then walk backwards, toe-heel, back to beginning. Repeat of course.

I felt good about my progress. I was enjoying the therapy sessions in spite of the inevitable pain. Making progress is a great motivator.

That evening I asked for a sleeping pill, and when it wore off in the wee hours, another one. Thus I got through it.