I woke up at 5:00 a.m., then fell back asleep and woke again around 7:00. My watch says I slept well. I do not feel like it. I feel tired, heavy, not fully restored.
Today I decided to stop taking Toragesic. The doctor originally prescribed it for seven days, but the leaflet clearly says not to exceed five, even with medical approval. I trust my doctor, but I also trust my ability to listen to my body. The pain feels manageable. Almost nothing when I am sitting with my leg elevated. Annoying, but tolerable when walking on crutches.
The knee still feels loose.
I took a shower and changed the bandages. The wound looks good. Clean, dry, no discharge. Healing well on the outside. Hopefully the same is happening inside.
Today was also my first physiotherapy session.
I initially tried to find someone who could come to my gym, but without success. So I called the physio who helped me recover from golfer’s elbow. They focus on tennis players, but they also work with post-surgery rehab.
The first session was tough.
She immediately noticed that my extension is limited. That became the priority. We did stretching exercises where she manually pushed my leg into extension. Uncomfortable, but effective. Then she used a bit of laser therapy to support internal healing, followed by electrostimulation to activate my quad.
The leg is very weak, but it felt good to finally do something purposeful.
After that, she massaged my quadriceps and hamstrings. Painful, especially around the graft site, but necessary. She gave me three exercises to do at home and we scheduled the next session for Monday. I will start building them into my daily routine.
I worked today, still from home, but I felt overloaded. Too many tasks, too little structure. Surgery, pain, medication, and physio have left me mentally scattered. It is affecting my focus more than I expected.
I need to reorganize my days.
Emotionally, I am noticing mood swings. One moment I feel encouraged by progress. The next, frustrated by everything I still cannot do.
Recovery is not just physical.
It is learning how to live inside limitation without letting it take over.
Key Takeaways
- Reducing medication adds mental clarity but requires careful monitoring
- Extension quickly becomes the main physical priority
- First physiotherapy sessions are uncomfortable but grounding
- Manual work and stimulation reveal how much strength was lost
- Purposeful movement improves confidence, even when painful
- Recovery disrupts routine more than expected
- Mental overload can impact work as much as physical pain
- Mood swings are part of adapting to limitation
- Structure becomes as important as exercises
- Recovery is learning to live within limits without identifying with them