Summer Photo Challenge and an IOU

I know I am behind on the Summer Photo Challenge, but there is a reason for that. I used my trees picture for the black and white from last week. I should have looked ahead, but I am not a great planner, so I did not. So I owe you all a trees picture. But it will have to wait for awhile, because we are extending our summer and going somewhere warmer soon!

But I am definitely ready for this week! The challenge was "something cold", and what better cold thing for the summer then ice cream? This is a sundae of my own creation (and if it isn't, don't burst my bubble) a s'mores sundae! Graham cracker crunch ice cream, marshmallow topping, and hot fudge. It really tasted like a frozen s'more.

This is the first cell phone image I've used for this, and I am not thrilled with the quality, so keep and eye out, because I might just have to get another ice cream and take a better picture. I will make that sacrifice for you all. :-P

Physical Therapy- overview

When I decided to start this blog, one main idea I had for it was to journal my knee recovery from start to finish. But since the injury happened in November (2010) I've had to go back in my mind and try to remember how things happened, and I wanted to do it in order. So now I am playing catch up, so I can record my recovery as it is happening. I'm almost there. I've done physical therapy three separate times since my initial injury, so here is a quick overview of that; and then I can finally move on to what I am doing now. Hooray for catching up!

It feels like I've been doing physical therapy for my knee since forever. I started it back in January or February, before I even had my MRI. It went well enough, and the PT center and therapist were great, but I wasn't getting any better. Well after the MRI, my surgeon pulled me out because without surgery, the therapy wasn't going to do much for me.

So after my first surgery (when they didn't fix the ACL) I was sent back to therapy. They were hoping that I would be able to strengthen the muscles around my knee (quads, hamstring) and they would stabilize my knee, taking over for the ACL. I went to the same place, but ended up with a different therapist, which is fine because she is fantastic! For the first month or so the therapy was helping a lot, but once I recovered from surgery, my progress pretty much came to a stand still. So I was pulled out of therapy again, to wait for surgery.

When I went back after my ACL reconstruction, I requested the same PT that I had before because we'd already built up a good rapport and I didn't want to have to switch again. When I started back to therapy, I was just about 2 weeks post surgery. I did a lot of leg lifts (several ways), started on the exercise bike- just pedaling forward then backward, because I couldn't bend my knee enough to go all the way around, and worked on getting my knee to bend by putting a towel around my foot and using that to help me bend my knee. I didn't have to worry about getting my knee to straighten, because it already did that (yay)- which I guess some people have problems with. I started of being able to bend my knee around 60-70 degrees. As my recovery progresses I get new exercises- steps, balancing, squats on a Total Gym.

At this point I am able to get my leg all the way around on the stationary bike, my knee bends 118 degrees, and I am getting better on the stairs. My favorite PT activity- balancing on my bad leg, and throwing a 2lb medicine ball onto a trampoline and catching it. It's my newest exercise, and the most fun. My least favorite- leg lifts. They are just boring.

I plan on doing small updates on my physical therapy once a week. For me, it is the fun part of recovery.

Summer Photo Challenge x2 (again)

I am not sure how I got behind, but I did. I even had the pictures done, but they never made it off the camera. So without further adieu... Splash and Black &White!

First up- Splash! First of all, every time I type the word, I want to put an exclamation mark after it. Because let's face it, a splash isn't boring. Second, it is time to introduce you to Finn! Finn is our 18 month old puppy, and he loves the water. So of course, I just had to have him help me with this one. This is what he does when the hose is turned on...

Splash!

Black & White

So I decided to look through my older pictures to find one that I wanted to turn black and white. I took this picture when we were camping last summer. It is the view from our campsite, looking almost straight up.



I hope you liked them!

Blog Swap!

I was very excited to learn about 20 Something Bloggers from my sister Kelly. I've been looking for a place to connect with other bloggers and it was just perfect. When I was accepted, the first event I learned about was the blog swap. So I decided join. I got paired up with Brianna and her blog The Art of Being Bri. You should definitely go and check her out. Here's what she has to say about her summer:

This summer has been like an amusement park where I am trapped on the roller coaster.  Some days flew by, never to be seen again. While other days passed slowly as if they would never end.

Though the low points made it seems as if I could never gain the momentum to climb back to the top, the highs made it worth in it so many ways.

As I look back at this summer, with just a week before I begin my junior year of college, I have to ask myself if I lived it out to the best of my ability.  And while there are times I would say no, I have to look behind the obvious and search for the truth.  And the truth is, I would not trade this summer for another.

For just four short months, I worked as a PCA, caring for children.  And when I see the progress they made in that small amount of time, when I see how they opened their hearts and how the family opened their life to me, I realize that it was better than I could have imagined. 

For me, summer was filled with work and with longing for a place I call home.  But now, having made it to that place I call home, I see that I made it through, and made it through well.  I am blessed beyond measure to be here now, but I was also blessed beyond measure by what was accomplished in that time.

Overall, this summer I learned that it's not about the destination of the journey; it's about the journey itself.  And I don't want to take another day for granted, seeking the end while missing the adventure.

I'm ready to live for the moment.

 Thanks Brianna!

My Knee- Second Surgery and Early Recovery

When I found out I had to have another surgery, I got some recommendations from my physical therapist. Because who better to know how people do with their surgeries then the person who works with the patients for months after! I was lucky enough to get in to my first choice of knee surgeon for my ACL reconstruction! And he was fantastic. When I first saw him, he was very thorough, and I felt that he was the best choice.

Surgery was very different from the first time. It was at a surgery center, instead of a hospital, which I feel gave it a more personal touch.They were even able to get the IV in my small, baby veins in my hand. I don't remember too much about that day. I am pretty sure I slept a lot. Oh, and I came home with this lovely fashion accessory.

Source (These are not my legs)

My mom was (and is) amazing throughout all this. After my surgery, she took off the rest of the week, and came over to help me out. I was really not up to much but computerizing, and tv watching.Since then, she's been coming over after work and picking Finn and me up to hang out with her at her house so we are not lonely. That's actually been going on since the first surgery. I love spending time with my mom!

And thank goodness for my ice machine. Put as much ice as fits in, add water, and there is a part that connects to the hose that wraps around my knee. It circulates the ice cold water for a long time. Such a pain relief, and better than ice packs.

 Source

 I started back at physical therapy two weeks after surgery. I cannot say enough good things about the therapy center, or my therapist. But that is for another post. :)

P.S. If you want to see pictures of my knee (post surgery) they are here and here. I will not make everyone look at them. I don't think they are that bad, but I know some people are squeamish. And a bonus picture of Finn being cute and gentle, the day he came home from my parents, a few days after surgery.

Summer Photo Challenge and My First Award!

Flowers! These were in our back yard along the fence that we are clearing out. Actually, my mom is doing it, cause she is awesome, and she's taking most everything back there for her own garden. She wasn't taking these, and they were too pretty to just get rid of.

And look, there is my sister, Kelly from When the Time is Right and her fiance (and me in the corner). Which brings me to some exciting news (isn't that convenient). I got a 'Blog on Fire Award' from Kelly! That requires a whole entry, which I will probably be writing later tonight. I just wanted to share my excitement.