The knee brace is off and the crutches are thrown into a corner of the garage! My knee is slowly recovering its range of motion, or at least in my opinion slowly recovering, and I can almost walk up stairs like a normal person. Coming down I still have to support my weight or take one stair at a time.
The physical therapist continues to praise me on my speed of recovery, my pre surgery leg strength and my attitude. Now positive motivation is part of his job and I really believe he isn't saying it just to waste air. The problem is I am an over achiever, always have been. It's ingrained into my system. So I feel like I should be further ahead in my recovery, taking two stairs at a time in a kangaroo bouncing motion, not struggling by step five. I want to run the local 1/2 marathon at the end of October (therapist and Doc both said a big NO), do burpees and ride my mountain bike...all things the therapist tells me will have to wait. Today I'll get 15 minutes on the stationary bike which is huge considering my last run was March 22nd and I got injured the next day.
This week I got to drive for the first time in almost five weeks. I felt 16 again, or actually in my case 17 (my teenage years were spent in Australia where driving is at 18 and came back to the US at 17) with the regained freedom of a key in the ignition. So where did I go? The local grocery store. In my dirty truck. Living by the beach in Southern Cal has it's perks...one is not the morning dew and the grim that covers your car within three days of washing it.
I would have preferred the farmers market but I cannot physically walk far, carry the produce or tow a three year old in a wagon. In essence I need a cart for support as I limp around. My little girl, J, was awesome. Normally she will push the cart or walk...usually refusing to sit in the cart's seat. This time she sat and sat and sat patiently as we cruised through the store. Cruised is an overstatement - My speed was that of a snail. My gait similar to a piston. Push cart, step forward with good leg, followed by upward twisting downward bad leg. Repeat.
Anyway moving on, Vons recently rebuilt their downtown store in our city and it Rocks! Huge produce, meat and bakery (bummer) areas. Great, helpful employees. Starbucks of course.
J and I spent a good twenty minutes in the produce area. We picked out, smelled, squeezed, manipulated the avocados, onions, red peppers, broccoli, radish, celery, strawberries and apples together until we found ones we were both satisfied with. She tasted the cilantro, parsley and basil. Unfortunately she didn't like the basil and told me we couldn't buy it. She listened attentively while I told her about the produce, how it grows, the way we normally cook and eat it.
Most shopping trips are rushed. Deadlines, work, dinner time fast approaching. The injured knee forced this trip to slow down and what a great time it was stopping to smell the limes, and lemons, and leeks, and onions...
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