I really can't believe it's been almost 6 months. In some ways, it's flown by but in others, it's so slow. Overall, things are good and I am making progress, although it's slower than it was initially. I think I got spoiled by all the early progress - I was grateful for the quick healing! But the long run has been a lot harder.
The knee itself feels stable and the mobility is great. Meghan says that if I wasn't as active before as I was, I would probably be a lot happier! I have had it in my head since the beginning that in 6 months, I would be back to aerial (and totally normal). That isn't exactly the case. My medial hamstring (the gracious one that provided the graft) is not happy about being cut, and is really lagging. In muscle testing, the hamstring as a whole is strong, but that little section is barely responsive. I first noticed in my Pure Barre classes- the hamstring exercises have been getting harder, not easier. My calf has been pitching in to help, so it's cramping and pissed most of the time. Meghan used an electronic stimulator on it, to "shock" the muscle back into responding. It did twitch, so it's still alive in there, but it's just healing slower than I had thought. The other piece is, well, I'm not a kid anymore and don't heal as quickly.
I'm trying to find other activities that feel safe to stay active, and that is a very humbling experience! I am really trying to get better at running, and it's slow going. I am a pretty sucky runner, but at least I am moving! I am happy about that. I am also riding the stationary bike and taking lots of Pure Barre. So it's not so bad - I'm just impatient. Imagine that. I have also made friends with a girl that was a marathon runner until she got stress fractures in her hip! So she is building back into running - she has been a big inspiration to me. She completed a sprint triathlon this weekend and trains so carefully, with so much respect for her body and it's limits. What a concept! Maybe that is why I am going through all of this. Good lessons.
