Strong Enough

As in, "Your leg isn't..."

I didn't really expect my physical therapist to say anything other than that today. Still, it kinda sucked to hear her tell me my leg isn't strong enough yet to walk without crutches and/or the immobilizer. I mean it hasn't even been two weeks since surgery... Still, I was hoping to hear, "Chris, you're healed. Your leg is as strong as a super hero's. In fact, you're ready to walk... to run... to dance like that crazy kid at the baseball game."

I've been going to PT twice a week (insurance only pays for so many, otherwise I'd go every day) and I've been doing my exercises at home. Tightening the quads, lifting the leg, balancing on the leg, straightening the leg, bending the knee. It's a long way from an "Insanity" workout. (Then again, I'm a long way from an "Insanity" workout.) In fact it's dreadfully tedious and boring. But it's important. I know that. I've heard it 47-Million times (I'm rounding up) -- the physical therapy is crucial and the recovery is going to take a long time. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not the most patient patient. But I'm trying... 

So much of it is mental. I mean of course, there's pain. Like, a lot of pain. Bending the knee can be excruciating. I try not scream when the physical therapist is testing the limits of my flexibility. But I can do it. It sounds weird, but straightening the leg is even more of a mental challenge. When I get to that point where my leg is fully extended, I get this fear that my knee is going to buckle and bend the wrong way. The physical therapist assures me it won't and I suppose she's got the credentials, so I'll believe her...

Am I making progress? Yes. Am I getting more flexible? Of course. Am I getting stronger? Sure. Just not as quickly as I'd like. And apparently that's something every patient says. Patients with no patience... go figure.

Today's Title: It was either this or Sheryl Crow