hi there tigger,no i got rid of the brace at 6 weeks post op,i am way behind in my rehab as i had a fall and was not referred for PT til later then i should have been,im actually over 10 weeks post op now but doing pretty well at last,i was only 10 degrees ROM at 6 weeks post op and got to 90 degrees ROM at PT last thursday.i am FWB and can walk with one crutch (still abit of a limp though!) but my bad leg still feels considerably weaker then the good one and gives out now and again when i walk but all in all so far so good!!

we are having great weather here at the moment! makes a change for the u.k at easter!!!

Nine weeks

It will be nine weeks tomorrow and my knee feels very strong.  It is very nice not to have the feeling it will dislocate.  The main problem now is ROM.  I only got to 54 degrees Tuesday.  It is pretty frustrating that it won't cooperate with what I want it to do!!  The quad is weak, but not totally gone.  After I stretched, I got to lift weights some.  It felt very good to get the circulation going.

The big news is...  I finally can DRIVE!!!!!  I started yesterday.  I also take the immobilzer off while in my classroom  and at home.  I try to stretch the muscles all day.  It feels good.  I don't feel like I am going to hurt anything. 

At home and at PT I try to stretch so I feel like I can't possibly go any further.  I realize people say it comes by degrees, but this literally is one degree at a time!! 

Driving, walking without the immobilizer, lifting weights... I feel like I have made some improvement in the last two weeks!

By the way, while on spring break I got to go in a pool.  That felt really great on my knee.  It always felt loose and relaxed after I got out, even though I pushed it to the limit while stretching.  Maybe a pool is in my future?!!!

Good job tiggerluvr! (Decided to change up your screen name for ya  )  Thanks for the week 12 update.  I'm really looking forward to the day I can take a walk!

So, here's a general question on the ROM thing, do you have a method for measuring that at home?  Or is it only when you're at PT?  I'm picturing a huge protractor next to my knee for measuring. 

As for the ROM - they do measure with a protractor at the PT!! 

I am mostly stretching at PT - wall slides, PT manipulation.  I also do leg presses with weights, squats on the wall and off the stepper.  He tries to combine strengthening and stretching with an emphasis on stretching!!

shorty - I am so glad you got the ROM to start the work out.  I can't wait.  Maybe next week!!  I am going up the stairs, but down is very difficult if I use both legs.  I CAN do it, it's just very slow!!

Thanks for the encouragement.  It's such a long process, but I do see progress every week.  That tells me I will be out from under this soon!

Surgery was three months ago yesterday and I finally got around on the bike yesterday!!!  I haven't been that excited to ride a bike since I first learned how!  It felt loosened up last night, much better!  I'm glad the weather has been getting nicer - now I can walk and bike ride in the great outdoors!  There is light at the end of the tunnel!