Not as Prepared as I Thought I Was!

Wow, this knee replacement was so much more than I expected.  I had no idea how much pain there would be or how long and painful the recovery would be.  Physical therapy is especially brutal.  My two c-sections and two back surgeries were nothing compared to this.  To top off the knee pain, I have a lot of hip pain whenever I sit for very long.  I'm planning to see if the physical therapist can suggest some stretching exercises tomorrow for what I think is probably sciatica.

On a cheerier note, I think I'll probably be able to stop using the walker by the end of the week.  It makes me a little nervous to strike out on my own, but I've been moving around the house using walls, tables, etc. for support.  I'm sure I'll need my cane for awhile once I ditch the walker, even if only for a feeling of security. 

I've been to the park half a dozen times to get some walking in.  I've walked 2 or 3 blocks each time, which is farther than I could walk before surgery.

Today was the first time in two weeks I was able to wear my jeans.  The bandage is off and the swelling is down, so my leg actually fits into my jeans.  It felt really good to get out of sweat pants.