Baby Steps When Giant Steps are Wanted

Okay so I am not always patient.  I was going along just fine and then I hit a road block.  I was bending…..I was flexing….I was straightening….and then BAM!  hmmmmmmm

First, I had a meltdown because I was still going through withdrawals from the narcotic I was taking: Percocet.  I figured out I was trying to taper off too fast, but until I fugured this out I thought I might have to check myself into some drug clinic.  I could see myself walking the street asking for change so I could get my percocet fix.  Acutally, I got scared when I couldn’t stop crying/sobbing/snotting and called my surgeon, my MD, and my naturopath.  The surgeon said that many people still need pain medication at this stage of the game (2 months out from surgery) but that if I needed to wean myself, my Internist is the one to whom I should turn.  My naturopath took me under her wing and we created a reasonable withdrawal plan.  Slow and easy, plus a bunch of other things to help my body use the meds correctly.  My MD also took me under his wing and augmented the naturopath’s plan.  He said he would be willing to take over pain management if my sergeon gave him the okay (he did).  I have added two types of pain meds as I decrease the narcotic.  Within two days, my system was humming along much better.

BUT…..during physical therapy I was having too much pain to become as flexible as usual.  So I lost some of the bending ability within a two week period.  Part could be from doing more on my legs–all-day meetings before classes begin, interviewing for an emergency hire for part-time faculty, and generally staying on my legs more each day.  So now some days I have good flexibility (realize "good" is relative.  I can bend only 110 degrees yet) and other days I have more difficulty even walking from pain.  Yippee!

Over all, my surgeon is pleased with my mending and bending progress.  He said some people take 6 months to a year to get full movement and that I would be someone in this group because I had so little flexibility before surgery.  So I guess I should be satisfied.  But….

Classes begin in a week with this coming week packed with all-day meetings.  I have one evening class: 4 hours once a week.  What was I thinking??  But I will survive 🙂

Other issues on the homefront.  Hell there are no other issues 🙂  Soon I may have something other than my knee to discuss.  But for now it’s all about me.

peace~~