Today marks my 11th week since microfracture surgery on my right knee. Aside from two “set backs”, things have been going well.
Today I feel good. I’ve felt pretty good for the past couple of weeks except for some minor tendinitis like pain. After backing off on the excercises, I am feeling better there too. I’m being more regimented about not increasing activity too fast and icing regularly. I’ve gotten back on the bike, I am walking a full block with the kids and dog, I’m using the ankle weights again and I can carry the girls a little. After months of not being able to pick up my kids, I am very happy to hold them and get good hugs.
I am pretty glad to not have anything major to say on my 11th week. At this point, something big would probably mean something bad. I am in the slow and steady phase of recovery. I am looking forward to adding more true weights and getting strength back, but I don’t want to rush it. I had a good meeting with Dr. Behr last week, so I feel good about my recovery. I wish I were 100% already and that I was riding hard again, but I am willing to do the proper recovery so that I can have a good active life later.
Speaking of active life, when Dr. Behr told me I was looking at a 6 month recovery with microfracture, I assumed that it meant I was going to be doing absolutely nothing for 6 months. No, I can’t ride. No, I can’t run. But, yes, I can play with the kids, I can walk around, I can go to coffee shops, I can go out for dinners, I can go fishing and I can enjoy myself. This break from riding may be good for me in that I explore other activities and cross the mental barrier into the realm of not riding. It is “ok” not to ride all the time. I look forward to riding again, but this has made me mentally stronger.
The reality is that I am doing fun things again with my life after about 2 1/2 to 3 months. It will only get better. I need to be careful, but I am feeling good and having fun.