Bend but don't break.

My physical therapist tells me to record my progress so I feel a sense of accomplishment and can recognize progress. It's difficult for me not to feel frustrated with my perceived lack of progress sometimes.

So, today my left knee bent 53 degrees. That's an 8 degree improvement in a week.

The therapist (my third and hopefully final) is a very soft-spoken man named Mike, who claims what he says isn't a threat even though it sounds like one. He gained a bit of respect for me once he felt my bicep, though. I think he had the typical "Oh, she's fat, she won't work, she's lazy, it'll be difficult to get her motivated" but hopefully, our discussion of my former weightlifting and the activity level I enjoyed before the accident will nip that in the bud. He promises (not threatens) that he won't forcibly bend my knee as long as he sees progress. Yow.

Anyway, nothing really new in knitting. The Luna Moth shawl is percolating while the weather's warm. (Don't like having a pound of wool in my lap when the temp is over 70) The hedera socks move, slowly. I finished Puffy's anklets. Now I have four socks I can wear on my bad foot. I'm doing wee baby socks from leftover sock yarns for a friend. And I'm doing some practice squares from the Koigu book, "Knits from a Painter's Palette", to learn the modular techniques she uses, also in leftover sock yarn.

I did finish spinning (on the wheel) some yarn I started on the spindle in the nursing home.

(Yes, that's a woot monkey)



I think it's pretty nice, but I'm disappointed that it's not sock yarn. 2 ply sport weight, 365 yards. One ply spun on a spindle while I was in the nursing home, the other ply spun on the wheel after I returned home. Plied on the wheel. I'm pretty rusty on spinning, and it's not easy as I must do one footed for now and in an awkward position, to boot. It'll get better.

Happy weekend with all sorts of things approaching normal, though. We went to the Italian store, Labriola's, where I spent way too much money. We also went to the local Karaoke bar on Saturday. By the time we got home that night, my left leg was no longer speaking to me, but I didn't really care that much.

I only have a couple of days to decide on going back to work after the 30th. I'm not feeling too good about it, frankly. I don't think I'm ready yet, and I really want permission from Dr Tarkin (the orthopedist) before I decide. And I don't see him until the 30th, but the paperwork has to be in before that if I'm not going back. Damned red tape. I'll probably have to make an appointment with my PCP before then to get the papers filled out for additional medical leave. Two more weeks might be enough.