Rant #3,353: You Better You Bet

Today is a big day in my rehabilitation.

I see my surgeon/doctor today, and he will tell me how I am doing and what my next step--literally--is.

I last saw him about two months ago, and so much has changed--and improved--during those 60 or so days.

My left leg has improved to the point that I can get in and out of the car and drive; I can walk without a walker or crutches; and every time I go to physical therapy, I seem to shatter one previous personal milestone and create a new one to obliterate.

Mind you, I have quite a way to go in my rehab, and it really will not be until the late fall through the middle of the winter before I can even dream of being "cured" of this thing ... if at all.

I have a long way to go, and I know it, but with the proper physical therapy and exercise at home--and with my family supporting me 1,000 percent--I think I am at least on the road to doing it.

I am hoping the doctor will give me a green light to use a cane, and that will definitely be a major next "step" in this rehab.

Funny, for 50 years, my family had a backyard pool for fun and entertainment during the hot summer months, but now, in our new residence, this community really has no amenities, and thus, no pool.

I really could use it now as an element in my rehab program, but in lieu of not having one when I need it the most, my wife and I are probably going to check into getting membership in one of the town pools.

It is not as good, not as private or intimate, but rehabbing my left leg in the water might just be a beneficial thing for me.

The water resistance will certainly build up my left leg muscles, and that will help me reach my rehab goals.

But--and I keep having to tell myself this--I can't rush things, I can't put the cart before the horse ...

Let's see what the doctor says today, and then I can go on from there.

It is going on seven months since I first hurt myself, and six months since I hurt myself for the second time, so I am really only just about at the cusp of the seven-to-12 month prognosis I received at the get go.

And sure, I am constantly reminded that I did what I did, as the leg doesn't feel as carefree as my right one does, and I have that six-inch scar as a constant reminder of what happened.

When I go to physical therapy twice a week, I always see people who can say they have "been there, done that" when they see what I am going through.

I look at them, and I say to myself, "That is where I want to be," as I see them moving around freely.

And I do believe that somewhere down the line, someone will look at me, and think that same "That is where I want to be" thing that I am thinking now.

I have to think this way ...

Any other thoughts are untenable and unthinkable right now.

Let me get permission to ditch my crutches, and then I can take this whole shebang to the next level, literally one step at a time.