I got the pedal all the way around this morning. Made a full circle. And my knee didn't explode. So I did it again... and again... and a few more times! What, you're not impressed? Well, I was. But then again, I've got a different perspective right now. Yep, something I would normally take for granted -- peddling a bike, in this case a recumbent bike at physical therapy -- gave me a real sense of accomplishment. I laughed when the physical therapist greeted me with, "We're gonna start on the bike today." But this apparently isn't her first time dealing with a guy trying to bounce back from ACL replacement surgery. (Obviously...)
I also did some super-exciting leg lifts on my back, side and stomach. It's all about strengthening the quad muscles. When they're strong enough, I can lose this full leg brace and go back to the smaller brace which will allow me some flexibility. Honestly, one of the most enjoyable parts of PT is the opportunity to shed the immobilizer for an hour.
Before the brace went back on, the therapist put some kinesio tape on my knee. You've seen athletes using this stuff, right? Athletes use it because it's supposed to support joints and muscles while allowing for full range of motion. In my case, it's supposed to alleviate some of the bruising. Kinesio tape has its skeptics. In fact, my physical therapist says she was one of them, until she used it on someone recovering from the same surgery I had. His bruising was worse then mine, but it went in away in the area that had been taped. So, we'll see what happens. It certainly can't hurt. And it's a cool pattern. If only it were a flashier color. By the way, that wound above the tape is the small incision from surgery. It's really doesn't look too bad, does it?
After PT, my mom (my ride today - thanks mom!) took me for lunch outside. Man, it was nice to get outside for a little while.
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