I was invited to play a game in the surgeon’s office today. Kick-your-surgeon-in-the-hand we’ll call it. I was in for my +/- five week follow-up and immediately after disrobing was shuttled into the x-ray room. Stacie(?) said it was standard at this point to have another set of films taken to make sure everything’s settled in as it should; while she wouldn’t give me an official word she did hint things looked fine.
Next it was my standard bit of time with Shad, the PA. He’s the one spending most of the time with me now that I’m healed and well into rehab. The first couple of visits it was all about the nurse taking care of the wounds and dressing and adjusting the brace for fit; now it’s moved on to the PA’s assessment. I disclosed the tripping up stairs thing and showed him the much improved hamstring/calf bruising. He said he’d pass that on to the surgeon. He’s great about asking how I feel I’m coming along and his conclusion was I’m right where I should be.
Doc came in and had me do a few additional stretches while he pulled and tugged. He asked about PT progress, told him I rode a bike. Twice(told him once, rode the bike twice). Didn’t get a rise. He made me lie down, lifted his hand a foot – 18 inches above my big to and told me to hit the center of his hand. He started moving his hand around, in, out, up, down, back, forth and told me to keep hitting the center with my big toe. After several rounds of that he smirked a bit and said, “nice”. His explanation was that it was to test two-three different things: hand(ok, leg) eye coordination, reflex, and strength. Through the rapidly changing movement he said he can gauge my progress at controlling the quad and knee.
He concluded I may be a little ahead of where I need to be; good flexion (he didn’t measure, just eyeballed), good balance and improving strength. He cautioned I should wait another week before beginning hamstring specific exercises given the residual swelling and bruising and that I should continue pushing on the combination balance/flex/strength work on the front (quad/knee) and calf. Ordered another six weeks of PT and told me to come back to see him in another 4-5 weeks. Then he commented on my shirt he’d been eyeing. He asked if I’d ever seen Fargo (Cohen brothers)–told him I had. He referenced some scene about someone yelling/cheering, “Go Bears!!” Those are the Bears of White Bear Lake, MN–apparently Dr.’s former stomping grounds. This bit was the most social dialogue I’ve received from him–ever. Now I have something to build on for next time.
I completed an event up at White Bear Lake several years ago and had on the shirt. It was a great event; quaint, if not somewhat touristy, town adjacent to a beautiful lake. We had taken my late pup Eddie and found a cheap place to stay within a short walk of the starting line at the lakefront park. It was a good weekend; fun event.
Final score of the Kick-the-hand game: Tie. I win the tie breaker. No more doc updates for five weeks. Yeah me! Headed SW soon…time to create another tale of the trail that direction. Stay tuned.
AniMal