Sometime during the night I had to take the immobilizer off. It was on so tight and so high that it was digging bloody gouges into my inner thigh right below my groin. [That’s the way it has to be to work.] With it off I sleep well. Hilary puts it back on when she gets up.
Learning how to move about on crutches is a real adventure. Mostly it’s a matter of being slow and careful. The bathroom is the biggest challenge. Sitting on the toilet is very interesting from a theoretical standpoint, and very unpleasant in reality. To my surprise, the steps are no real problem. I easily back down and going up is slow but almost normal. I just need to remember the simple rule: bad down first; good up first.
I take the immobilizer off again a bit after noon, as it’s really uncomfortable and also take a Percocet.
Fortunately there was virtually no pain in my right knee, and my left knee, which had so recently had a full Synvisc treatment, felt great.
In the morning I call Dr. Peter Vitanzo’s office. He’s the non-surgical knee specialist at Rothman who had been treating my arthritis and other knee complaints. I cancel the right knee Synvisc course scheduled to start May 22nd, and I need him to look at what I had done to my knee last night. His first available appointment is Monday morning at Rothman’s King of Prussia facility. I take that and call my primary care doctor’s nurse to get a referral for x-rays and specialist treatment.
I spend a basically normal day, albeit with less movement and no dog walking. I loosen the immobilizer from time to time, especially when sitting in the recliner in the living room. Hilary needs to reset it before I get up, a chore she doesn’t like, and I can see why. She has to stand and bend and pull, none of which is comfortable for her knees or back.
Getting up from the recliner is a bit tricky. The arms are too soft and low to provide much support. I have to use one hand on the side table and one on Boomer’s crate. This causes me to twist as I arise. There is no other way.
I take off the immobilizer when I go to sleep. The pain still isn’t a problem, although I’m sure to be real stiff in the morning.
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