Boots

Boots, yeah not so good. I have a pair of timberland chukka style boots that I love. I wore them today. Heavy, clunky and heavy. After walking in these all day my knee feels very weird. Sort of floaty yet stiff is the best way I can explain it. Pain is in the usual places. I have to hold my leg in the air and let the bottom portion just hang and shake it a bit. I'm not sure what this is really doing but it seems to help with the pain and stiffness I'm feeling.

Despite the strange feelings I am managing to keep pushing up stairs rather well. Took a few a little to quickly and paid for it but the pain subsided rather quickly. Not like in the past where it would linger for hours. Can't complain about that!

Unless something happens that I haven't yet felt I'll probably make my next update after I see the Doc. I will have some direction at that point. Probably a decision to make as well.

Feelings...not the mushy stuff

(Saturday)After many hours of internet reading I decided to try some exercises on it. I did sitting leg lifts and some half squats. I tried the stairs a bit with some luck. Felt pretty good actually. In fact all day Saturday it felt relatively good.

(Sunday)-I tried to go swimming. That sucked. I was pretty bummed. As soon as I dangle my feet and try to do some slow kicks, it feels like its hanging there. Kinda like only the left side of my leg has anything attached to it. Really creepy.

Normal walking doesn't seem to bother it too much. So I've been trying to flex the quad muscle a lot more while walking. Basically to build it back up. And taking stairs very carefully.

It feels stiff today. And it has locked a few times. That is either the potential meniscus damage or the patella slipping out of place. Not sure but both are potentially a problem. Hopefully everything will be answered when I go back to the Doc...

I just hope that the physical therapy is the long term answer rather than sort term.

I don't want surgery.

MRI day

Just got back from the MRI. Interesting really. I really thought that something so "high tech" would be a bit quieter. Not the case at all. Really loud. And basically boring. Guess you can't exactly bring your IPod into a giant super magnet.

I have an appt with the Doc on the 8th of Sept to go over the results. I'll post what I'm told here along with any other random thoughts that cross my beer laden head.

In the meantime since nobody will probably be reading this I'll just keep typing whatever i think of. Maybe I'll clean it up at some point.

Also as I ponder the potential treatments and results of each, I'll put those thoughts here as well. Maybe typing it out will help me decide.

The Begining...in a way

Day one of my blog has started on day 2 of my decision process to have surgery to rebuild my PCL. I have potentially started the process early because the MRI is on Monday. However the possibility that my PCL is torn is very real. There may be some meniscus damage as well.

The back story...I was over seas working and one night while walking to the store I decided to take a short cut through the mean streets of Salmiya, Kuwait. I jumped off a ledge I knew was to high and, well, it was too high. When I landed I was sure I had broken my leg. My buddy said it looked like it had come apart Joe Theisman style. I got up checked it out and at first thought it was just a bad sprain. I stood up very carefully and placed weight on it...hurt a lot. Limped carefully home all the while thinking...Hmmm my leg feels like its sorta hanging there. Thats weird.

So I get to my room and start the process of triage. Can't bend it on my own. Swollen like a grapefruit. Plenty of pain.

Me being the son of my dad I ignore the obvious and get some motrin and go to sleep.

Wake up the next day its stiff and swollen and purple. Head to the base for diagnosis. The medical hobby shop tells me its probably a meniscus tear and to RICE it and it will heal on its own.

...all that brings me to today almost 9 months later a few days after I visit an orthopedic specialist....

As I ponder and journey through the process I will make updates...