Moving on

Last week was Roberto. This week I have Wade again. I had Wade for my three weeks of in-home therapy for my left knee, so I got to know him well, and like him very much. Wade does not see me simply as a knee. He came for the first time today. We expect I'll have him just this one week.

I told him about my difficulties controlling the pain. He said I should tell the nurse and see if the surgeon can come up with a better solution - perhaps back to the patch, for example. To both help with knee movement and the pain, he did some "mobes" (joint mobilizations) on my knee today, working to get the upper and lower parts of the knee to slide back and forth more easily. This should help in loosening the joint. I felt less pain when he was done with that. He said to work on one exercise especially:

While sitting watching television or reading, slide my heel back and forth a few times, then stop it at a bent point and pull in toward me and stop it there, foot flat on the ground. I should feel a stretch that hurts a little but is bearable. Hold it there to let it get used to the stretch, until it feels ready to stretch more. Then slide my butt forward a little to increase the bend and let that sit for a while. This way I gradually yet gently increase the flexibility.

In addition, he said to keep going on little walks and icing and elevating as needed. When I have a bad day don't push it, but when I feel good give it some more time. It all seems like common sense, yet I have been feeling I had to push through everything and work on everything until it hurts majorly. I feel encouraged. The last few days have not been wonderful and I am going to get past it.