My Knee, with the Knee-ness and the Knee-ing, etc

It hurts! Man. It hurts more than in the few days after surgery. Again, probably using it too much.

I can't bend it much. I can straighten it out all the way, thankfully. Sleeping is awkward. I like to sleep on my right side, which means my left leg is bumping into my right one all night (what? I'm a kinetic sleeper!). Damn you, left leg. Go somewhere else.

So, at my post-op appointment yesterday, I learned a few things:

1. The main problem was with the plica (a fold of the soft inner lining of the knee joint); the plica is basically a tough piece of tissue that helps cushion the impact on the knee from walking, etc. The plica in my right knee was catching on a bone that sits atop my femur and was rubbing away at that bone. That made the bone rough, and therefore the plica would catch on the bone and make the snapping sound. The orthopedist shaved the bone smooth, and snipped away the damaged parts of the plica. Unfortunately, there's not much he can do to stop this from happening again, but he feels that if I limit my exercise to low-impact exercise (um, was already doing that, sir), then maybe I can go for another 10-15 years, or NEVER, before the damage occurs again.

2. My ACL was damaged some time ago, and hadn't healed properly. He said that if my knee pain began about 10 years ago, then that's when I tore the ACL. He said that the damage probably wasn't significant then, but not having anything done about it way back when had caused it not to heal properly. He snipped away the damaged parts and said that I shouldn't have a problem with it again, unless I hyper extend the ACL again.

The orthopedist has not recommended physical therapy (thank God), but I think that I will have to do a lot on my own. I can't have my leg not able to bend much; that's driving me nuts. So I'll work it out on my own, and ask for PT if it doesn't start to get better.

I have another appointment in two weeks, so I hope that I'm back to "normal" by then! My activities are still limited; the orthopedist wants me to walk as I see fit, but to stop as soon as the knee begins to ache. He does not want me to run, ever (not that I did, anyway), and to keep heavy impact on my knee to a minimum.

Now. On to the important stuff:

I MADE STRAIGHT As THIS SEMESTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!