"Let's put this cadaver to work!"

I had my first post-op appointment on Friday afternoon, and it went a million times better than I expected it to! :) They unwrapped my knee, and OH MY GOODNESS it was swollen and bruised. My incisions looked perfect though, and they took out my stitches with no problem at all! When they first took my brace off and unwrapped my knee, it felt like jell-o. It's crazy how heavy and unstable it feels when there's nothing there to support it. After they removed my stitches, I was taken back to get an x-ray to see if everything was still in place and there was nothing wrong underneath. It came back and everything looks awesome! Before the end of the appointment, my doctor wanted to check my range of motion to see what it was like. He wasn't expecting much, because the normal range of motion for someone this soon after surgery is usually 0-45 degrees, at most. With a little bit of his help, I was able to bend 75-80 degrees and hold it! He was so impressed with me, and I'm pretty sure he was impressed with himself. He was so excited, and is super anxious for me to start my physical therapy. "Let's put this cadaver to work!" was his comment regarding my physical therapy. I am still locked in my straight leg brace, but I am slowly learning to walk with a walker. I have given up the crutches completely. I will continue to be locked in a straight brace until my physical therapist thinks that my quad muscles are strong enough to support more of my weight. On a positive note, I am slowly weaning myself off of one of my pain medications! :)

This is what my knee looked like after everything was taken off and my stitches were taken out! 

Yesterday was a super relaxing day, as I went to get my hair done. I got to visit with one of my closest friends (my hair dresser), Lyndsey, and see her precious kiddos! It was a really nice day, and I spent the afternoon catching up on my shows once I got home. 

Today has been another relaxing day! I haven't done anything but watch tv, take an amazing nap, and snack. I did, however, take my first real shower since my surgery! It felt so nice to be able to shower on my own and not just get a sponge bath. I am slowly making progress, and it feels SO good! :) I'm getting stronger everyday.