ACL recovery - 2.5 month post op

As of today, I still feel like I am taking slow, steady steps forward in my recovery.  The biggest problem has been BOREDOM from doing the same PT routine over and over again, day after day.  My knee feels tight and occasionally there will be a "pop" as the knee cap seeks to track correctly again.  There is also a numb area where they went in to harvest the hamstring tendon.  Unfortunately, there is a chance I may never recover sensation there.  PT now consists of a wide array of strengthening exercises from the Moon protocol along with an increasing number of runner-oriented plyometric exercises.  I am jumping and hopping (with one and two legs), perching and lunging on pieces of foam, balancing on balls, etc, etc.  It is a full-blown workout, in every sense of the word, taking about 1.5 hours.

Below are pictures of the inside of my knee from the Cleveland Clinic.  In the first row, first column you can actually see one of the scopes moving around.  As was explained to me by Julia, we like to see things looking pearly white.  In the second row, first column (notice the labels), the meniscus looks good; that is, it's pearly white and intact.  In the first row, second column, you can see the cartilage on the head of the femur looks a bit gray.  This phenomenon is known as AGE and there's nothing a person can do about that!  (Fortunately, I was told this wearing is really not attributed to my running.)  The last row shows pictures of my new ACL.  Let's hope she "takes"!      

I know the following will sound like either a.) a fabrication, or b.) hypochondria rearing its ugly head, but my right shoulder started bothering me a few weeks ago.  Gadzooks!  Finally, I went to see Dr. Matt Lively up at the WVU Hospital about it yesterday because it kept getting worse.  Apparently, I "pushed" so hard on the upper-body weights and swimming over the past several weeks in an attempt to compensate for my ACL injury that I brought on a case of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome.  Imagine my PT Rob's surprise when an embarrassed me came in last night and presented him with a prescription from Dr. Lively to draw up a small program for my right shoulder!  The goal here will be to strengthen the rotator cuff particularly since I will be doing a lot of swimming.  I don't think either of us are surprised this happened and I plan to keep a watchful eye on this.

The swimming is slowly progressing.  Over the past week, I have finally been able to do my first freestyle laps ever, both in and out of the deep end.  At the end of a swimming session, my knee definitely complains a bit from all the kicking.  What is the bigger issue is each time I swim a lap, my heart races to the point where I feel likes it's going to explode.  It's indescribably exhausting and unpleasant; almost as if I'm suffocating.  There was a moment awhile back where I questioned whether I should continue but I decided to stick with it.  If I can just mentally relax and get the breathing down, then I have a shot at not only swimming for distance but also enjoying it!            

So the journey continues.  I like to think of this summer as the "Summer of Support".  Moreover, it is a summer to support and laud the accomplishments of my friends and acquaintances.  I stop to reflect on Mike Saad and his huge bike rides and Eric and Dannielle Ripper as they tear up their ultramarathons.  There's Teri Landrum hiking the Grand Canyon and Eric Grol getting ready to run the difficult Wasatch 100.  Of course, Mike and Dave Frazier are hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Mary Kreis is gearing up for an Ironman while Sarah Quesen looks forward to the Big Shoulders Swim.  I hope I didn't forget to mention too many others ...

I also support and laud the accomplishments of others that really matter.  My cousin Harold has valiantly fought cancer against grim odds for a year now, Mike and Dave's brother Robert is going to serve in Afghanistan (so all of us can continue to play), and my sister Lauren Weaver has spent a huge amount of time in Race for the Cure, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, among other cancer support organizations.  Bravo!!!

That's the view from here for this week.