The expression, “sometimes it’s the little things that matter most,” is particularly true when it comes to recovering from ACI surgery. After spending most of the initial recovery period completely dependent on others, I savored the chance to do normal stuff on my own again. Over the past week, I accomplished several things functioning adults might snicker at, but to me rank right up there with the birth of my children. Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I am extremely proud of what I did this past week.
• For the first time in 6 ½ weeks, I actually walked without crutches. I only made it a few steps, but it felt great to walk on my own. My knee tired quickly, and remains somewhat unstable, so I need to keep the crutches nearby. But I hope to be walking on my own within the next week, once I regain a little more quad strength. However, I’ll likely have to use the crutches again, at least for a few days, once the brace comes off in 3 weeks. Patients apparently struggle with their balance while adjusting to life without the brace. At that point, I really won’t care about any balance issues; I’ll just be stoked to be out of the brace.
• I put on my own socks and sneakers. Yup, you read that right. Now that I can bend my knee, I can dress myself. I’m starting to feel like a grown-up again.
• I went to the gym for the first time this year. I rode the exercise bike for about 20 minutes, and then did my leg raises in the stretching area. I was only there for 30 minutes, but it felt nice to be back at the gym. I’m a creature of habit, so regular trips to the gym should help me regain some of the normalcy I lost during my recovery.
• I showered by myself. I still need Christina’s help getting the brace back on afterwards, but I no longer need her to remain outside the shower to help out. It would’ve been more fun if she could’ve joined me inside the shower, but the shower chair isn’t sturdy enough for two people. Heheheheh…
Finally, some quick political commentary. Obama’s crew made the talk show rounds this weekend, trumpeting the success of the “bi-partisan” stimulus bill. Really? Convincing 3 Senators and 0, repeat, zero, Congressman now counts as bi-partisan? Frankly, I'm no economic genius, soI have no insight on whether the Republican suggestions should've been included in the bill. I was just disappointed to see Obama’s team adopt the Baghdad Bob spin playbook. Please, Obama, stop peddling this “bi-partisan” crap to the public. You’re supposed to be better than this. Just state the facts, your best argument, and move on. Claiming 3/200 Republican votes counts as “bi-partisan” is sure-fire way to damage your credibility. Remember, when you insist on spinning something not even Hollywood PR folks can do with a straight face, all that trust built up over the past 2 years will disappear faster than Rush Limbaugh’s OxyContin pills.
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And I should add that I voted for Obama. -- Jim
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