Trego's Mountain Ear

Three weeks after the surgery, the swelling has gone down – still a lot of swelling, but less. My infrared thermometer tells me that the left knee is 8 degrees warmer than the uncarved right. But it’s great.

On 3 weeks and 2 days, I managed to walk a mile and a half. Not fast, and not without pain and stiffening up – but I’ve spent the last six months unable to walk that far because of pain on the worn out knee joint. On 3 weeks and 3 days, I could sit on the Kubota and use the clutch. Today – 3 weeks and 4 days – I expect to be able to drive the pickup to the green boxes and dump the garbage. As I’ve learned before, recovery is enjoyable.

The longer walks are making the knee feel more like my own. I think that the knee deteriorated a little at a time, and felt natural, if painful when I walked. Now, there is a subtle difference as I walk – somehow the knee just doesn’t feel quite right. I figure it’s just a question of time and miles until the brain recognizes and accepts the new knee as my own. Folks who have gone through this before me tell me that 12 weeks are needed – yet before 4 weeks are complete I have a working knee again, and I can walk the woods. There’s still some big swelling – but the knee fits in my denims. I’ve used the Kubota to till parts of the garden. I’m looking forward to getting my chainsaw back to work. Life is good.