Say What?

I woke up to numerous songbirds singing outside our bedroom window this morning. Our snow is gone, with the exception of where it's been piled high after snow removal. With nothing but well above freezing temps in our forecast, even the piles of snow won't survive. I know it's too early to think our winter is behind us, but I'm enjoying the respite.  Tammy and I had appointments for eye exams last week. Dr. Cassin asked me if I was experiencing any issues with my vision. I took a few seconds to think about it before responding, "No, my eyes seem fine." It had been 2 1/2 years since our last eye exams.  An image appeared on the device I was looking through during the exam. The doctor asked if the two sections of a partial rectangle (left and right) I was seeing were lined up. I told him that one was quite a bit higher than the other. He made an adjustment and asked me again if they were lined up. "Nope, the right side is still higher." It would take s...

My range of motion (ROM) continues to improve. I hit 112° at both PT sessions last week and reached 114° Tuesday and today. This all comes after a 5-day MethylPrednisone burst that helped bring down swelling enough to give my knee more room to bend. I met with my doctor's PA on Monday. He's pleased with my progress and seemed optimistic that I can continue to see increased ROM over the next year, especially in the next few months, as swelling continues to abate. I would love to get to 130°, but it doesn't appear to be in my cards.  I've been enjoying indoor rides again, but they come at a cost, so my physical therapist would like me to hold off before incorporating them into my rehab. I rode for an hour a few days ago, and my knee felt very good, allowing me to push the pace for a couple of surges. The next day, however, I paid for it with a very tired and weak knee that had me sidelined the entire day. Taylor (my PT) told me it's okay to occasionally do an easy 5 m...

I don't like that I'm still talking about my rehab, but it's top-of-mind for me these days and will continue to be for a while, it seems. I went in for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) three weeks ago today because I wasn't progressing as I should have for being able to bend my knee due to excessive swelling that resulted in restrictive scar tissue that developed when my leg was immobilized. An MUA is a procedure where they sedate the person and bend their knee beyond the obstructive scar tissue developed after the surgery—scar tissue that prevents a person from getting a fuller bend in their knee.  It's a quick procedure that takes mere seconds to perform but is not something you want to have done to you while you're awake. The procedure went well. My doctor was able to force my knee to bend to a 130° range of motion (ROM) while I was under. He cautioned me not to expect to continue to achieve that ROM. He said my goal should be 110°-115°. I would prefer 120...