Yesterday marked 2 weeks since surgery. It feels like its been far longer. The great thing is that the gains this early on after surgery are huge. Every day I feel so much stronger and independent.
On June 1st I went and got all the stitches out of my leg. I also saw an x-ray of my leg. I knew I had a screw in there buy holy crow is this thing GIANT.
My next big accomplishment was doing a leg lift. I know it may not seem like much but laying on your back and raising your leg up post ACL surgery is a big ole B. Once I conquered that on Friday I thought I was a total rockstar. So much so that I decided to try in hop in the ole Corolla and see if I could drive. Spoiler: I’M DRIVING AGAIN!!!
Other fun things that happened was hobbling my butt down to the pool and getting my first solid tanning session in. I am not very comfortable lying on my belly because there is still fluid on my knee and it doesn’t appreciate being totally smushed. Thanks to that I totally fried myself : (
I had planned on leaving after 2 hours but Claire came and joined me and I ran into Christy and I just couldn’t leave. I was having such a happy little girls afternoon. Claire also had the pleasure of going grocery shopping with me this weekend (I was nervous, it was my first trip out). I loaded up with tons of fruits and veggies (BTW if anyone has bought a papaya before tell me what to do with it) at Trader Joes and then headed to Harris Teeter to finish off my grocery shopping. All the fresh produce inspired me to finally starting eating again. Granted I stuck with salads for a few more days I did finally use the stove yesterday morning to cook eggs (with left over chicken from chicken piccata and mushroom) and then again last night to make a version of my favorite dish ever.
I have to say that my biggest accomplishment this week though is using the stationary bike. At physical therapy on Tuesday I told my therapist I wanted to use the bike so she set me up for 6 minutes, WOAH. Then yesterday at home I hopped on the bike at my gym to try and cycle for 30. It was a success! I was on the lowest level of resistance and biked a shorter distance than I used to be able to run in 30 minutes BUT it was a victory none the less!
I sort of feel amazing right now and that is fabulous. Another fun perk of surgery is that you end up with a crap ton of fluid retention and then it all just goes away. I went into surgery weighing about 155 I think, I came out weighing 168 (holy crap right), then I weighed myself today and I am at 151. I mean I don’t know who wouldn’t love to say well I dropped 17 lbs in 2 weeks. I know the numbers are obviously wonky but I still thinks its funny. I would say that considering I tore my ACL on April 25th, meaning I haven’t ran in 6 weeks, and my weight hasn’t gone nuts shows a lot about how I’ve been able to listen to my body and fuel it appropriately. When you are stuck on a recliner for most of the day I can guarantee you don’t need as much food as when you are running 30 mile weeks. But hey, September is right around the corner right? My PT said I should be able to start doing a minute of running alternating with walking. Baby steps. 
And a happy hello from the newly 8 month old Sasha Bear! We finally took her to the vet and found out she only weighs 60 lbs right now. We were delusional and thought she weighed 70 lbs already. Bren hopped on the scale at the vet too and it told him he weighed 10 lbs less than the gym scale so we think it may me a little wonky. No matter what her weight she is still an all star in my book. Well that is all for today, happy hump day!
Q: What is the longest that you had to go with out driving due to an injury / any other circumstance?
Q: Grocery shopping, do you love it or hate it?
Q: Do you find that summer time changes the foods that you eat and crave?
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Categories: ACL Injury
Together Again and it Feels So Good 
New Kitchen Obsessions 
One Month Post Op and Summer Cooking 
Egg-cellent Breakfast 
Food & Fitness 
Is the papaya green or ripe?
It is green, what color is ripe?
Q: What is the longest that you had to go with out driving due to an injury / any other circumstance?
16 years…brutal.
Q: Grocery shopping, do you love it or hate it?
Depends on where I’m shopping: Fresh Market (LOVE IT), Market Basket (HATE IT)
Q: Do you find that summer time changes the foods that you eat and crave?
Yes…I drink way more wine during the cooler month and more gin & tonics during the spring and summer.
Hahaha great answers : )
Congratulations on making so many awesome strides! I remember my first surgery on my foot and I went in weighing one thing, came out weighing about 10 pounds more and flipped, only to find out I had actually lost weight. It must be the IV! Keep pushing that recovery and you’ll be running before you know it 🙂
The weight loss is exciting but I also know its probably because I am losing muscle. Bah. I am seriously so excited to start running again. I had a blast training through winter last year so I may throw the first marathon in the beginning of next year. Way better than training all summer for an October one!
So much progress! That’s awesome!!!! I barely drove during my 6 weeks on crutches. It was weird regaining my independence! I really don’t like grocery shopping because the stores are always so crowded! I try to go after 9 or 10 on the weekends otherwise it’s anxiety city for me! During the summer I prefer more fruits and veggies, but i the winter I like more comfort foods.
OMG 6 weeks?!?!? You poor thing I would have gone nuts. I thought 2 was bad, geesh. And I feel ya on busy stores. If I see a parking lot that is over flown it makes my trip a litter sadder, but I still love it!
you are a rock starrrrrrrr! great job! all the food your posts looks so good… same w Brittany. I need to get with the program and become a person that is capable of making pretty food. yarg. Im glad you can drive again. I actually do not like driving so I would welcome something that would hinder me from getting behind the wheel buuuut I realize that is super inconvenient. Grocery shopping = THE BEST. I love it. looooooooove it.
The dog is 8 months! Wowzers! Almost a full-baby belly time! (that is 9 months… I realize that that was a weird way of saying it)
You WOULD have baby analogies on your mind!! IT THIS SUPPOSED TO TELL US SOMETHING!?!?! HAHA. Just come hangout with Megan and I, we will make you delicious food to take pictures of.
Hahah baby on the brain. And yes, def dinner party. I vote my place, I have a pool : )
No bAbbbbbbbbbiesssssss Aunt Brittany!
You are seriously making AMAZING progress!! HOT DAMN! Driving doesn’t seem like a big deal until you can’t do it!! I’ve never had to stop due to injury, but anytime I am out of town at my dad’s house I never have a car. I love grocery shopping..too much. I love love love it. Those papayas at TJ’s I would just chop open and eat em!! Scrape out the seeds though aha. I’m boring though, I am sure you could get crazy wild and make like papaya stir fry or something (I was going to say cupcakes, but I know you don’t bake much!) I def eat lighter foods in the summer..like fruits and cold salads. The warm heavy stuff makes me feel sick in the heat!
I normally just drive to work and the grocery store so it wasn’t a huge deal because I am working from home but I had PT 2x a week and some doctors appointments. Such a pain and I hate asking friends to take me to 2pm appointments! I mean people have work : ) What color will it be when it is ripe? It’s green right now and it says on the sticker red papaya. Does that mean I wait until it red?
AND WHY MUST I ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE BEST THINGS TO BE RIPE (aka avocado and mango, sigh)
Yayyyy I’m so glad you’re up and moving again!! 🙂 I love grocery shopping but not when I’m hungry because I buy wayyy too much! Sasha is so cute! Her and Hunter have very similar coloring – it will be fun if we can get them together! He’s about 85 pounds!
Thanks!! Going hungry is not an option in my book, I will buy such silly things. I am excited to get them together! We go to Shirlington a decent amount, I haven’t been since surgery but hopefully in the next few weeks we can make it there with Sasha! Do you take Hunter there often?
Ohh nope we’ve never been there with him! He lives out in Amissville with my mom and step-dad so he usually just runs around in the backyard and tries to get my older smaller dog to play with him haha.
You ARE a rockstar! I’m glad you’re doing so well after surgery. I think I was only unable to drive for a week or so when I had my appendix out and was on pain killers.
Grocery shopping is my favorite. I always go in with the expectation I’m going to find something new and awesome, lol.
I’m like that at trader joes! That is my fun store, so many yummy things, and dirt cheap hummus tubs, drooool!
Best of luck in recovery! Positive mindset FTW!
It’s so crazy to actually see the x-ray with a screw in place! Congratulations with your recovery thus far and best of luck with a speedy full recovery 🙂
Woo! So much progress! That screw in your knee is serious business. Is it going to stay there forever? Will you set off the beeper at airport security?
i’m actually super surprised that you are able to get back on the bike and drive so soon. I mean, I don’t know anything about these surgeries, but it just seems like it’s so fast! It’s exciting and surely makes you feel relieved that you got the surgery quickly. Really happy for you!
Also… last note… Sasha is getting so big! Oh my gosh! i really want to meet her next time I’m there.
So awesome how much progress you’ve had!!! That’s nuts how much fluid it creates in surgery…and the 17 pounds is pretty awesome/comical 😉
I generally have much more time to meal prep in the summers so I get more creative!
Wow! Already getting on the bike! That’s amazing. And it sounds like you’re doing things right too, taking it slow and going by how you feel. Even a little bit of exercise must’ve felt amazing I bet!
I love grocery shopping but went one time after a bad toe break and it was brutal. I ended up borrowing a motorize cart at the super wal mart! Way to go on your bike and the leg raise! I know it’s hard to get that quad turned back on so that is an awesome first step!
I wanted to get a motorized scooter SO BAD. I sucked it up though, I wish I was in enough pain to justify it haha And thank you! It is crazy that it just shuts off, it’s so bizarre.
Glad to hear you are doing better and got those stitches out!! Heal up fast!
I LOVE grocery shopping. I love walking down the aisles and trying new foods so its fun to browse.