Joining the party

[Huckwheat]

Hey Kellie,
That is SWEET that you got the bike....the one we were talking about? WOW.

Sounds like things are improving. I feel like everytime I get to add a little something I get closer to normal. It is all baby steps but it is fun to add new things....and funny how tired something like a 30 minute flat road ride can make you.

I am trying to relish the new chill attitude I have been adopting. I (like you) have been know at times in the past for being a full addict (exercise that is). There is something to be said for being able to appreciate a day of true relaxing too. Hopefully when we both are 100% and able to do whatever, we will be able to find a happy medium (not sloth, but not obsessive compulsive either ).

The hardest thing for me has been I have actually had to start watching my diet.....when you dont run/bike 5 days a week, you cannot eat like a pig anymore. That could be a positive thing too.....those habits were going to catch up to me eventually.

[britney]

...I also realized it's been 3 months since I've been in the mountains. That is so wierd, since I really haven't gone over two weeks in about 3 years . . . but I also don't feel like I have a reason to go.

um, hello!

britney + huckwheat = chopped liver, i guess!

3 day wknd approaches! you have new road bike! hwy 89 is totally dry! we have an extra bedroom at huckwheat's this weekend with Kellie's name on it. tentatively hosting a BBQ at huckwheat's saturday or sunday (date not certain - but fun guaranteed!)

and if you happen to have a spare "old" road bike now, throw that in the truck, too!!

you are doing awesome, and i am psyched that you had a good first date w/new roadie!
-b

[Kellie]

You may actually have read my mind Miss Britney! Tahoe trip this weekend may be in the works . . . details to follow!

Britney + Huckwheat = filet mignon + lobster (but I'm on a diet, so I can't indulge!)

[britney]

[Kellie]

11 weeks post-op and things are looking up - I am feeling a lot better and have thankfully recovered some of my energy. I've had a few great rides on the road - I can certainly use some improvement in the fitness/speed department, but I am happy that I can at least complete my favorite rides - the best part is the incredible endorphin high I've been getting afterwards . . . super fun! ROM is good, and the game seems to be one of slowly building the muscles up and waiting for the graft to continue improving in strength. Twas hard to be in Tahoe last weekend and see how much snow is still there, but whatever. There are many sports to indulge oneself in (skiing just happens to be the coolest ) . . .

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

11 weeks post-op and things are looking up - I am feeling a lot better and have thankfully recovered some of my energy. I've had a few great rides on the road - I can certainly use some improvement in the fitness/speed department, but I am happy that I can at least complete my favorite rides - the best part is the incredible endorphin high I've been getting afterwards . . . super fun! ROM is good, and the game seems to be one of slowly building the muscles up and waiting for the graft to continue improving in strength. Twas hard to be in Tahoe last weekend and see how much snow is still there, but whatever. There are many sports to indulge oneself in (skiing just happens to be the coolest ) . . .

FKNA.

Great to hear.

[Mtn Man]

11 weeks post-op and things are looking up - I am feeling a lot better and have thankfully recovered some of my energy. I've had a few great rides on the road - I can certainly use some improvement in the fitness/speed department, but I am happy that I can at least complete my favorite rides - the best part is the incredible endorphin high I've been getting afterwards . . . super fun! ROM is good, and the game seems to be one of slowly building the muscles up and waiting for the graft to continue improving in strength. Twas hard to be in Tahoe last weekend and see how much snow is still there, but whatever. There are many sports to indulge oneself in (skiing just happens to be the coolest ) . . .

That's great news! I can't wait to get back on the bike again. It was tough seeing all of my friends hiking the only swath of snow left at Killington this past weekend. But I know that I'll be joining them come November.

Keep up the good work and updates!

B)

[Kellie]

Well, I think 3 months is one of the patience milestones I had in my head, so I am glad to be here - I am feeling pretty good, and have been pretty active . . . although trying to go back to my former workout schedule is absolutely zapping my energy (shocker, eh?!?).

My knee feels okay - it is a bit stiff in the a.m. and I seem to have some resistance in the patellar region when I want to bend it (after a few times, this goes away). I do have some pretty significant kneeling pain, and this gets annoying in yoga and some other random life things, but is generally manageable. I also have a hard time not compensating with my good leg - I have to consciously use my left so if I forget to concentrate, my right leg gets super tired! Oh well, I suppose this is just part of the game.

Activity-wise, I have been on the roadie and am working on re-integrating my rides into my work-week . . . although they make me exceedingly tired, which has admittedly stolen some of the joys of road riding, and killed a bit of motivation. I've been spinning in the gym a fair bit, so that should help, I hope. I am loving yoga and trying to figure out how to swim correctly . . . and entertaining myself with some gym climbing and beginner whitewater paddling in my spare time I continue to be amazed by how energy-zapped I get, but I am hoping that as fitness comes back, so to will my energy.

Overall though, it's great to be out there enjoying fresh air and being able to regain fitness and hang out with active friends

[Vinman]

Great Kell, and you were nervous............HA.the Am stiffness is likely from some left over swelling and or swelling for your workouts. Make sure to ice after workouts still and see how it goes. Chance are the swelling will go away on its own. # mo is really not all that long yet.

Keep working hard you sound like you are doing great.

[Black Market]

ouch that hurt........

[Kellie]

Saw the doc for the last time until ski season . . .

The report was good - graft is solid, he's happy with my progress, etc.

XC mountain biking is okay "soon" - so I guess it's up to my discretion . . .

Windsurfing okay, just don't leave the knee open to twisting by using foot-holds (disclaimer: I am not a windsurfer, but you never know . . .)

Brace - not so much. He says the knee should have less give than a brace, so there's no point

Running: go for it! (slowly and on a track . . .). To be honest, however, I have NO desire to run.


I had a few good road rides in WA over the weekend and an extreme 4-mile hike . . . I was SO SLOW on the downhill, it was almost funny. Uphill=no problem, downhill=comically cautious. I rode horses on the beach yesterday -who knew that was so high impact on your knees - my knee was fine, but I had honestly never imagined how rough it could be

Back to the grindstone today, but hoping to get some good strengthening workouts in this week!

[Mtn Man]

Sounds like you're on your way to a healthy start to the upcoming season! I could care less when I get the ok for running, I just want to go hiking and mtn biking right now. Never was much for running except when it's after a ball (soccer, tennis, pick up football games, etc). I get bored rather quickly just running a straight line. I don't have to worry about the wind surfing though, never tried and now is not a good time to start. My mtn bike is calling me though, I had to kick it in the nuts yesterday just to shut it up.....

Anyhoo, good luck and let us know when you hit the mtn bike trail!

B)

[Arno]

Running: go for it! (slowly and on a track . . .). To be honest, however, I have NO desire to run.

Go on... give it a try. I was thinking I'd give up on running but nothing else gives you that spring
and nothing else brought home how unfit i'd got...

[Kellie]

and nothing else brought home how unfit i'd got...

Maybe I'm just not ready to accept that!

I will likely start running again, but I do feel like this is a bit soon and for now I'm quite happy on my bike. It might be nice to have a bit more muscle mass to stabilize my knee before pounding on it too. But we'll see - when I get in the mood to run, I'll prolly run. I do agree Arno that it's one of the best highs around!

[gincognito]

I do have some pretty significant kneeling pain, and this gets annoying in yoga and some other random life things,

It is a measure of the respect this board has for Kellie that no one pounced on that comment...

Sick and ashamed and happy (and, when I was in the best shape of my life, I would not have had the energy for all that you are doing),
d.

[Cornholio]

It is a measure of the fear this board has for Kellie that no one pounced on that comment...

..........

[Kellie]

Not much new to report, beyond the continuation of the quest for fitness. I did get out on the track (finally) a few weeks ago and have been running about once/week, slowly building up. I like the confidence that it's given me to put the spring back in my step, and to practice taking impact. It definitely is uncomfortable to run, and my knee swells some, but I think it's a "safe" amount of pain, and the best way I've found to get the bad leg workin' . . .

Almost 4 months post-op . . .

[EPSkis]

Well - glad to know I've got such good company!

Finally got my MRI results back & met with an Ortho today.

Torn lateral miniscus (second time) & rather extensive early onset arthritis. (Apparently due to the FIRST surgery)

MRI didn't reveal the extent of the miniscal damage, so they won't know until they go in. Already had a sizeable piece removed, so they're concerned about what's left. Have about a 1/2" arthritis spur on the lateral side of my knee that's cone-shaped & sticking outwards / upwards. (which really hurts after a good workout.) Showing signs of arthritis as well on the back of the patella & 2 smaller spurs behind it.

Should be a fun remainder of the Summer.

edit: Did verify that the ACL is intact, so I've got THAT goin' for me.

[Kellie]

Is the meniscus damage from the same Jackson trip I tore my ACL on? Here's to a successful surgery and speedy recovery! Anything they can do to help the arthritis? I don't know much about that side of things, but I know that you're more likely to develop it if you have knee surgery.

[EPSkis]

Is the meniscus damage from the same Jackson trip I tore my ACL on? Here's to a successful surgery and speedy recovery! Anything they can do to help the arthritis? I don't know much about that side of things, but I know that you're more likely to develop it if you have knee surgery.

Thanks, Kellie!

Heh - well, it certainly COULD have been. As you know, I was pretty racked up there, so it's kind of hard to tell, what with the elbow & back injuries I had too.

Truly, though - with the arthritis that's already there & the position of the larger spur, it's likely that yes - I probably did it at JH. Even though it's been getting progressively worse for years, the last few months have found me in some pretty serious pain, to the point of limiting ANY activity. (You're REALLY not supposed to cry after a round of golf - even WITH a lousy score.) That pain & swelling is probably LARGELY due to the arthritis & not necessarily the miniscus.

Not much has been said about the existing arthritis, other than they'll do what they can to clean it out, but ~ you're right. You're highly susceptible to instances of it once you've had surgery. I figure if the first one lasted almost 20 years, I ought to be able to get a few more good years out of it. Obviously, the down side of that is that later on in life, I'll be dealing with that pain on a daily basis. So I've got THAT to look forward to.

Thanks, though ~ and glad you're back & doing so well!

[Kellie]

Well, I haven't been hanging out here as much these days . . . probably for the better

I'd say things are going pretty well. I am almost 5 months post-op and definitely feel like my strength and energy are much-improved. I am back on my mountain bike and was stoked to be a part of the Downieville maggot gathering as well as being able to greet Wednesday mornings with the dirt at Briones. It's been great to be out exploring NorCal trails and to re-integrate some adventure into my life. I had an unsettling balance-loss last week that resulted in having to put my left foot down pretty hard, but I was glad to feel the stability and strength - still need to be cautious, I know, but it's nice to have your leg there too. I have also started running and am taking it easy at about 4 miles max. I may start ramping it up though, as it's been feeling pretty darn good.

Overall, my knee still feels wierd and hurts at times . . . and I still ice pretty regularly cuz it feels good and I think it probably helps. I think most of the discomfort is related to having the PT graft, but I can't be sure as I have nothing to compare it to, thankfully!

I guess my biggest milestone recently was last weekend . . . I am proud to say I finished my first century! Yep, last Saturday was 105 miles and 6250' in Marin County and I've gotta tell you I loved it! I had no idea what to expect, or if I'd even be able to finish, but I figured, why not try . . . so I did. By some miracle, the fog lingered until about 11am, making the first 50 miles a surreal journey through Nicasio and some farmlands, over a big hill (that was shrouded in the fog, so you didn't have to know how big it was!) and into Tomales Bay and Hwy 1 . . . then out to Valley Forge, through some more farms and on to Petaluma (where it really got hot!). The last 30 miles were hot and largely uphill, but it was good to end with a struggle . . . nobody wants to get 100 miles "for free" do they?!? The funny part was the last 20 miles as I was getting so excited to finish. I was a wreck . . . almost on the verge of happy tears the whole time as I was thanking my body for being able to be injured and heal itself to the point of taking on a challenge and working through it with confidence and drive. I rode hard to the end and finished strong - regardless of speed or time, the real success was in the mental approach. It was not a ride of downshifting at the sight of a hill, but rather jumping out of the saddle and giving it my all. I don't really feel like I can do justice to how it felt here on the intraweb, but suffice it to say, I felt like myself again for the first time in a long time, and it's never felt so good!

So, to celebrate, I carried the rest of the weekend out in Kellie-style, thankfully feeling great enough on Sunday to take my mountain bike out and enjoy some more wonders of NorCal at Annadel State Park. Nonstop singletrack and Lake Ilssanjo for a lovely mid-ride swim made for a rad day, and an overall phenomenal weekend of appreciating the beauty and diversity of landscape that exists in the Bay Area . . . and of being thankful for the fitness that's returned and the ability to challenge myself

So, I feel like I still have a ways to go in order to be where I want to be - my left leg is still smaller than my right and doesn't have the responsiveness that I'd like, but I am getting there slowly and surely . . . and am hoping to be ready for that first snowfall

[gincognito]

Great news and very nicely expressed! I'm smiling wide for ya.

Sick and ashamed and happy (and ),
d.

[Mtn Man]

Wow, that was a great read! Extremely happy for you on this side of the divide . Although, I don't think I could do a century before I got hurt, so that isn't in my training program in the future.

Congrats and keep up the good work. Symmetry is in your near future!

B)

[bcrider]

It’s great to read about your progress Kellie!

Maybe if your pace has been slowed down a bit the rest of us will have a chance of keeping up with you now.

Ps. I’m on day 16 and feel waaay better than I did during that first and second week.

[Huckwheat]

Hey Kel.....that is a great read! Congrats on that enormous accomplishment. 6k of climbing.....that isnt a normal century! Wow.

The read was especially poinant to me because I had my own moment two weeks back (Jul 28). I finally felt like I didnt have to "go easy" on the knee and I tried a new challenge. I commuted home from work. That involved a 49 mile ride from Reno to Truckee with 5200 feet of climbing. I bonked in the last ten miles (while racing darness at 8:45) and nearly destroyed myself (ended up lying on the sidewalk in my 'hood, before getting up and stumbling to my house).......it felt great.

I like my fitness being the stopper.....not my knee pain.

Will call you soon...need to catch up.

BC....hang in there. At 3 months you will feel pretty good, and start to forget what being laid up was like. It will go quick.