Whew. I used the living daylights out of a whole group of muscles that hasn't seen a regular amount of activity in three weeks. Good thing it's International Talk Like a Pirate day, because just about everything from my left hip down to my left shin is talking like a pirate right about now. ;)

I did get clearance from the therapist to use only one crutch, so that's a step in the right direction. I wish I was ready to switch to a cane, but the knee is too unstable laterally. (I tried the cane a few days ago, which is why I know this.) Let me get some of the lost muscle mass back, and I can try the cane again.

I do have some lost muscle mass in the thigh and calf, some swelling in the knee joint, and some loss of range of motion. The therapist took measurements of all these things.

However, I hasten to add that none of the above symptoms is anywhere near as bad as it was in 1994. Eight weeks of being in a splint left me with two legs that didn't look like they belonged to the same body, because the loss of muscle and swelling in the knee were so significant. (And let's not discuss what two months in a splint did to the range of motion in the joint. It wasn't pretty.)

I have a list of exercises to do at home, 2-3 times per day. In fact, I can do them on the UNinjured leg, as well. What the heck, why not? It's displaying some of the same funky symptoms as the injured leg, just nowhere near to the same extent. Might as well head off potential future problems now. If there's one thing I need less than a screwed-up knee, it's TWO screwed-up knees.

OK, I'm going to take a rest. I came home and took pain meds, as I was due for the next dose, and now that they're kicking in, I'm having a case of The Tireds.