Day Twenty-Seven

Watching my gait in freezing 88 degree water.

My legs on the monitor.

Cool Pool. 
Had my first pool therapy session today.  Seems like 88 degrees would be warm enough but it wasn't.  Last year at this time I'd been surfing every day in Costa Rica for 2 (out of 4) weeks in 88 degree water that was plenty warm.

The whole floor of the pool is a treadmill that starts out level with the pool room floor.  You stand and it lowers you into the water at a height the therapist chooses depending on how weightless he wants you to be.  You walk while watching your legs and feet on a monitor so you can adjust your gait the way he tells you.  I think my surgeon's knee patients are spoiled.

There was a scale at the clinic and assuming my wet hair and trail shoes were less than a pound, it looks like I may have gained some weight.  If nothing else, I haven't lost any.

Yesterday was my biggest PT day so far and because of it I was a bit stiffer and more sore than I normally am which meant when the new therapist took his baseline measurements they were pretty pathetic.  My extension was good (3 on the left and 1 on the right) but my flexion (admittedly, I could have pushed it a bit more) was 100 on the left and 103 on the right.  My thought is that it is good to start in a place that is easy from which to improve.  Then there was my gait.  It was so robotic, I was almost embarrassed.

It will be interesting to see, if because I took it easier today, I'll feel better (looser, better flexion and gait) tomorrow.

Thank you for all the crutch vs. cane votes.  So far you think I look better with the cane.  Have to admit, it's a pretty classy look.